Daughter of Neptune

Nothing Lasts Forever

I start walking down the hill in the direction of the ocean. I hear the waves crash against the rocks. The sound is calming. I then think of all the things I have done with Tom. I’ve gone diving and looked at the coral reefs.

Tom had scuba gear but I didn’t need any, I can breath under water. 

I remember the time we walked in the fields amongst the flowers. We were walked to a cave. When we got there I had followed Tom inside. He turned a corner and sat down on the rock.

I sat down next to him and looked around the cave. It was dark inside the cave and I could only just make out Tom sitting next to me. There was a faint glow at the back of the cave, just to my left. I looked at where the glowing shape. 

It was a small shape. No bigger than a finger. It looked like it had jagged edges at the bottom. It was sticking out of the cave wall.

I stood up and walked over to the glowing shape. It was about the size of my pinkie finger. I reached out and touched the shape. It felt like glass.

“This is what I call the crystal cave. You can pick one crystal if you would like.”

I turned and looked at Tom. The crystals behind him illuminated and showed his red hair. I turned back to the crystal. It was a red glow. “Can I take this one?” 

“Sure you can.” Tom smiled, the red glowing crystal reminded me of his hair. I gave the crystal a little tug and it slipped right of the cave wall. I played with the crystal in my hand and walked back over to Tom.

I was leaning against Tom and the crystal was warm in my pocket. We probably sat in the cave for another hour. I woke up and Tom wasn’t where he had been sitting. I guess he had gotten up and left the cave. 

I stood up and brushed the cave dust of my shirt. Then I walked around the cave corner and out into the sunlight. Tom was nowhere to be seen. I turned to my left and walked around the cave. I saw Tom around the corner.

I don’t know what made me do it, but I stopped. I saw Tom leaning against the cave wall; he was looking into a rainbow. The rainbow shimmered and the vision changed. Tom was looking at a boy; he had blonde hair and blue eyes. His hair was cut short and he had a scar across his face.

I recognized him from a picture that was stuck up on the wall in the Hermes cabin. They looked almost the same, except in the picture the boy was smiling. I realised that the two boys were talking, I strained my ears to hear their conversation.

The boy from the picture spoke, “Is everything going according to plan?” 

Tom replied, “Everything’s fine. She doesn’t suspect a thing.”

 “Good, stick to the plan. I’ll see you in a few days.” Then the vision shimmered and it was gone. I knew something wasn’t right. I silently walked back around to the front of the cave. Then I stepped inside the cave. I walked around in a circle and then walked out of the cave.

“Tom! Tom where are you?” I shouted. I wanted Tom to think I hadn’t over heard his conversation. Tom came running to me from the left side of the cave.

“Where were you?” I asked.

 “I heard a noise and went to see what it was.” He smiled. I knew that he was lying, but it was hard to know, if I hadn’t seen him talking with someone. 

I thought back to his discussion with the other boy, ‘Is everything going according to plan?’ I wonder what the plan was. Did it involve me?

‘Everything’s fine. She doesn’t suspect a thing.’ She? Who else could that be? It had to be me.  I was starting to worry.

Tom looked at me with a concerned face, “Are you feeling alright? You look pale.”

 “Yeah. I just need to sit down for a little bit.” A puzzled started building in my brain. If Tom was following a plan, made by that boy in the vision… I had to find out what it was. I also had to make sure Tom didn’t know I was suspicious.

I hadn’t realised that I was clutching at the red crystal, hanging on a leather cord. I immediately let it go and continued walking. I was almost at the beach when Tom yelled out. “Brianna, wait up!” I stopped walking and watched as Tom ran down the hill, trying not to drop a picnic basket.

Tom was at the bottom of the hill when he started walking. “I have a surprise for you.” His eyes light up when he says ‘surprise’.

“What is it?” I ask. 

“You’ll find out when we’re on the beach.” Tom smiles. He is wearing a blue t-shirt and black shorts. His red hair reminds me of Ben. I wonder how Ben is, I say hello to him and then disappear from camp. Tom and I are walking on the beach when Tom stops. 

“Ready for your surprise?” He asks. I nod. He puts the picnic basket down on the sand and reaches into it. He brings out a small bottle. Smaller than his hand, it is filled with an aqua liquid. The bottle is the shape of a dolphin. 

“Happy Birthday!” Tom says. He gives me the bottle and the aqua liquid splashes around.

“How did you know it was my birthday? I haven’t told anyone my birthday.” I ask.

“I heard you mumbling in your sleep, ‘birthday…17th of July…’ When I connected the dots, it was pretty obvious today was your birthday.”

 “Thankyou.” I give Tom a quick hug and then slip the bottle into my pocket.

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“Brianna, where are you?” Ben was asking himself. She had been missing for just over a week now. You’d think that Ben had found a small clue as to where she’d gone. No one knew, he’d asked around determined for answers, it seemed as if the answers didn’t want to be found.