Book 1: The Voice and The Hammer (PJO fanfic)

Finn I

I glanced over at the clock that read 1:27am.

I guess I won't be sleeping tonight. I thought. My mom was out of town for the night so I had the quiet house to myself. I picked up my book from where I had left off.

"... In darkness you came, and in darkness you left."

This was the moment I had been waiting for, my favorite quote in the whole book. It was about a man who depended on his talent in architecture and music to keep him alive. I had read that quote many times, forty six times to be exact. Not because of how much I enjoyed it, but because of how many times I would lose my focus and forget where I was and how I got there.

My room was on the second floor of our house. The room where you could see the streets and the office buildings, not far from where I lived.

"Oh great," I muttered to myself. I forgot where I was again. I retraced my words and read again. In darkness you ca-

I was cut off by a loud, abrupt pounding on the door.

Jeeze its 1:30 in the morning who the heck is at my door

I heard the sizzling of heat on metal and the squeek of hinges unfurling. Holding my breath, I listened to the sound of the first floor bathroom door closing and a sigh of relief for my unwelcome guest.

I grabbed the first thing I saw, my plastic laundry hamper, and quietly crept down the stairs. The bathroom door was the first thing to the left of the stairs so I hid around the wall and waited for the intruder to exit.

The door opened casually and out stepped a kid with dark curly hair and a tool belt around his waist.

"AH!" I shouted at him while I waved the basket and whacked him right in the side of the head.

The boy crumpled to the ground and landed on his back, giving me a clear view of his face.

"Leo." I said to myself.

I knew this kid. Not personally, but I recognized him. I'd seen his picture.

The young man groaned and sprawled himself out on the floor.

"Oh my goodness!" I shrieked and pulled Leo up by his arms until he was upright like a rag doll.

"What the heck was that for Marina?" Leo said, rubbing his head and looking up at me with half an eye open.

"It's Finn. I'm Marina's twin sister."

Leo opened both his eyes to look at me.

"I recognize you, Leo Valdez, from a photo in Marina's room. I've heard stories about you." It was true. My sister had talked about Leo Valdez and her other friends at camp many times. When she was at home, that is.

"Peony? You're Marina Peony's twin sister?"

"The one and only." I said. "Why are you in my house? It's 1:30 in the morning."