The Skeletons In The Closet

Chapter Four

Jason's POV

I didn't recognize the house. Then again, I was only two when I left. I ignored my surroundings for the time being as we tried to calm Hazel down, who was still crying and gasping for breath.

Annabeth, Will, and, Calypso were talking with Nico who was also still upset. Seeing them, I didn't want to go through my own past. I didn't want to cry.

We took about ten minutes before Katie finally asked the question. She was looking around the house, looking for clues. "Who is this?" She asked. I didn't answer.

"Jase," Thalia spoke softly, "look." I followed her finger to find a twelve year old Thalia coming down the stairs with a two year old me balanced on her hip. There were instant awws at 'how cute I was' in my sky blue onesie. I felt my cheeks heat up. No doubt my face was red.

"Dude, what happened?" Leo asked. "You were so adorable!" I smacked him and continued watching the scene unfold, seeing as I didn't remember anything that was happening.

Thalia grumbled, "Where is that woman! She was supposed to be home an hour ago!"

The mood instantly darkened. "If she wasn't out drinking all the time, maybe she'd actually be taking care of you. Isn't that right Jason?" She cooed and mini me screeched and giggled. Thalia chuckled. "It's okay. I don't trust her with you anyway. I swear she isn't sane!"

There was another time lapse and we found ourselves in the woods. My mother, Beryl, was holding me, nervously looking around while I played with her blonde curls. It must've been the very next day, because I was still wearing my sky blue onesie.

Beryl was crying as she set me down on the forest floor. "Mama?" I asked. "I'm sorry Jason. I'll see you again soon." She hugged me and I remember the uncomfortable feeling of her bracelets digging into my back.

She stood and turned away from me. She took a shuddering breath and walked away, not looking back once. Mini me didn't know what was going on. "Mama?" I called. Then I started to pout and my eyes glazed over with tears. And I made the face. You know, the face babies make? The one where they are already crying, but it's silent? And it tells you that you're a second away from hearing the world's biggest avalanche of screaming and crying? Yeah that face.

Piper clung to my arm, and I knew she wanted to run forward and scoop me up in her arms. But she couldn't. No one could do a thing.

Thalia covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes filling with tears.

And that's when it happened. I started screaming. It was hard to listen to, let alone watch myself stumble through the woods, tripping over branches. I called for 'Mama' for awhile before I switched to 'Tha-ia'. Thalia started to shake with anger when I called for her.

"That bitch! I can't believe her!" Thalia screamed. Two year old me was reduced to hiccuping cry's now. "Tha-ia?" I half asked. I guess I'd been crying and wandering for about an hour before the wolves came.

I watched as Lupa padded forward and nudged me with her snout. I was so exhausted, I didn't realized what I was doing exactly. I reached up my tiny arms towards her, hiccuping, and wrapped my around around her neck. She nudged me onto her back and stood up to her full height. I was already asleep as her and her pack took me to Camp Jupiter.

There was a moment of silence, standing there in the woods, watching the wolves retreat into the distance. "Oh Jase," Thalia whispered. Piper let me go to my sister, who wrapped me in a hug. My vision swam and I held her close, never wanting to let her go.

I felt like a child in that moment. Terrified that Thalia would leave me, that I'd be alone. Wandering through the woods, never to see Thalia again. I felt a hand on my back and pulled away from Thalia. Leo  squeezed my shoulder and nodded once. I palmed the tears off my face and grabbed Piper's hand.

The woods faded to black and then we found ourselves in Camp Jupiter. I saw myself at six, struggling in my too big armor to keep a sword aloft. The older kids mostly laughed at me. The past centurion of the fifth cohort shook his head in pity and kneeled down to help me out.

Again I saw myself, maybe ten, participating in the War Games for the first time. Though I was only ten, I'd grown up here, and had gotten to be a pretty good fighter. But still, I got stuck with guard duty with Dakota and Gwen, who were ten and eleven. We didn't win that game. We never won. Because the fifth cohort sucked. But I was determined to change that.

I saw myself at twelve, welcoming Reyna to camp, showing her around and helping her out. She didn't smile much, and that was my other goal: to make Reyna smile.

Fifteen and Reyna and I weren't hanging out as often as we used to. I'd been claimed by Jupiter about nine years ago and that's all anybody ever saw me as. The big-shot son of Jupiter. Not Jason. Never Jason. Except for maybe Reyna. And Dakota and Gwen. Reyna had been elected Praetor the year before. It had been my goal since I was seven, but she got there first. I decided to be happy for her.

Elections came around that fall and I was elected Praetor. Only to disappear.

I woke up on a bus, holding Piper's hand, though I didn't know it was her at the time. Leo sat in the seat in front of us with his devilish grin. He was about to say something when the scene dissolved. We re-emerged somewhere...else.

Okay people! We're going to play a game from now on. You guys get to guess who's past is in the next chapter. It'll be called 'Who's Next'. Let's practice(just comment).

Who's Next?

Anyway, remember to vote and comment and have a wonderful day! Love you demigods:)