1[]
The old window groaned as heavy raindrops pattered on it. Daphne Chance was curled in a ball in the far corner of the room. The old house's walls made crunching noises as the wind blew. Daphne had not yet found out the real tuth about her mother or father. She lived with adopted parents. She didn't know her own family members.
Daphne fingered the golden necklace that she claimed was her mother's gift to her. She could feel the slight spark that shocked her. There was no pain in it. Daphne covered her ears as the next clap of thunder hit the house, followed by a gust of wind and torrents of rain.
In the other room, Munchkin the cat was awake, behind the closet door. Find the girl, his master had said. She will look like the honey you used to eat. Daphne looked like honey with beige straw colored hair and hazel eyes. Munchkin had watched Daphne carefully. That moment, Daphne crawled into the room, into the closet. She was a bit too skinny, but like the honey sticks Munchkin remembered. Daphne sat beside Munchkin and shivered.
"Cold day, Munchkin, isn't it?" She asked. Munchkin purred when Daphne patted him. Munchkin was an old cat, and therefore he couldn't move a lot like active cats.
Daphne closed her eyes and leaned against the fur coats that reached the ground at the far end. She knocked the back wall, and put her ear to it. The wall led to Daphne's adopted parents.
"Munchkin, don't you hate the storm? If you went out, you would become wet, of course." She took a look at her anklet. Thirteen golden beads for thirteen years of her life. Munchkin purred in agreement.
"You know who my real parents are, don't you?" Daphne whispered. "You are an old cat."
At this, Munchkin raised his head and his glowing brown eyes met Daphnes'. Daphne looked at him for an answer. The truth was, Munchkin did know who her family was. If cats could speak English, Munchkin would have told Daphne straight out. He rested his head on her lap. Daphne sighed.
"I know what you mean. If you could speak English, you would tell me, wouldn't you? You're a good cat. You deserve athousand treats." Daphne rubbed the leather brown collar on Munchkin. It read, "Munchkin". The Silkes' were not Munchkin's first owners. Munchkin had had another owner. The one who had said to look after Daphne. And here she was, sitting with him, and there was not a thing he could do.
Or so he thought.
2[]
Ding, dung, dom, dom. Ding, dung, dom, dom. The bells chimed through the giant house. Daphne jumped. She had taken a light nap. Munchkin lay asleep in her lap. She got up, and Munchkin woke, and jumped onto her shoulder.
He wasn't very heavy. Daphne made her way down to the oaken doors to see who it was. She Opened the heavy doors with great difficulty. A fancy black car was outside. Torrents of rain fell in. Munchkin jumped off Daphne's shoulder. He stood far away from the rain.A blonde woman with a red suit and red umbrella stood outside, drenched. Daphne knew who it was at once. It was Mrs. Coral.
"Good afternoon, Daphne," Ms. Coral said, stepping in, shaking her umbrella. Most of the drops fell on Daphne. Munchkin let out a growl. Ms. Coral didn't bother to look at him.
"Where are your parents?" She asked. Ms. Coral had given Daphne parents. Daphne nodded upstairs.
"MOM!" She yelled. Ms. Coral smiled.
"I'm glad you're getting along," she said. "Because you're getting a brother for your birthday."
"Daphne, whatever is- why, hello, Ms. Coral." Ms. Silke made her way to the living room.
"Good morning, Ms. Silke. Ms. Coral removed her wet coat and placed it on the brass hook.
"What brings you here?"
Ms. Coral shook her head at Daphne.
"Daphne, dear, please go upstairs if you might. This conversation will mean nothing to you. But of course, you are excited about your new brother. Ah, well. If you wish to stay, you can."
Daphne nodded, and sat down on the couch. She was sure to be listening to their conversation.
"Katherine, like Daphne, you will have to agree to care for a boy like her. If she causes you any trouble..."
"Daphne's really OK. She's no problem to me." Ms. Silke said. "Daphne, please fetch some crackers and some coffee? I mean, if you don't mind."
"I don't care," said Daphne, getting up.
In the kitchen, Daphne filled two cups with coffee. The storm went on, and Munchkin shivered next to her legs. Daphne grabbed a pack of crackers and tugged at the plastic. It wouldn't open. She grabbed the knife from the counter and cut it. By accident, Daphne cut herself.
"OW! Stupid knife." She rinsed her finger, and dumped the cookies onto a plate. She carefully balanced the hot coffee cups, and the plate of crackers and made it to the living room.
After placing the food on the round wooden table, she ran upstairs. Removing a lid from a tin box, she stared at crystal clear water. Her blood trickled down her finger and dropped into the water. She watched as it spread like smoke, around like magic. The water turned red, then cleared again. There was no evidence that there was blood in the water. It didn't even smell of it. Glancing at her wound, Daphne was surprised to find that there was nothing.
3[]
Daphne fingered her necklace. She kept looking at the Greek name etched in the gold: Ευκαιρίας. It was her last name, Chance.
Daphne wondered who her brother would be. She wasn't sure of how old he was, or what his name was. She was pretty lonley at the house by herself. She didn't want to spend all her time with an old cat.
Then, she heard the door slam shut downstairs. She got up, and waited for her mother to come up.
"I see you're excited, Daphne," Ms. Silke said.
"Yes, very," Daphne agreed.
"I've agreed." Ms. Silke confessed.
Daphne gave a silent cheer of Yes! In her head.
"His name's Peter Chance," she said. "Isn't it funny how you both have the last name?"
At this point, Daphne went back inside her room, leaving Ms. Silke to talk to herself.
Daphne put her scarf down on her bed and removed her sweater. If she hadn't had ADHD, she wouldn't have noticed the sky.
There was lightning flashing. Pink sparks burst in the clouds. It was miraculous. Munchkin jumped on the bed, silently watching the sparks. Then a drizzle of rain hit the window. Daphne screamed and jumped away from it. Just in time.
The glass shattered and the carpet was soaked. The glass was scattered around in tiny pieces. It would probably take 30 years to pick every single piece by hand. The rain wet her bed, her clothes, her books, Munchkin (who let out a yowl and jumped off the bed), and... Daphne.
"Out, Munchkin!" Daphne commanded. Together, they burst out the room.
"MOM! MOM!" screamed Daphne as the girl and cat came bounding into the hallway.
"What?" Ms. Silke poked her head out of her room. "Good heavens, your soaked!"
One of the things Daphne's mother was scared of was Daphne catching pneumonia.
"My window's broken. The rain wet EVERYTHING!" Daphne complained.
Ms. Silke came out of her room in a bathrobe. She looked like she had just woken up, even though she was out in the hallway twenty minutes ago.
"Put something dry on," she told Daphne. "And dry Munchkin."
She went to Daphne's room, and lightning flashed. Ms. Silke grabbed a roll of plastic and duct tape from Daphne's desk, and she sealed the opening in the window.
"Let your things dry," she told Daphne.
Daphne nodded gratefully, and went to the bathroom to change. Munchkin sat on the radiator in the hallway.
After Daphne came out, she went into her room to find a pair of socks. She hurried, and she would occasionally glance at the sealed window. It didn't burst open.
"I guess I'll have to sleep in the guest room tonight," she sighed, looking at her badly soaked bed.
4[]
Daphne watched out the window of the guest room. Ms. Coral was supposed to come to her house with her mother.
She slipped away, and frowning, pulled out an umbrella from the closet. The house shook violently.
Daphne leaped away from the closet door. When she got out of the room, Munchkin followed her from his spot on the radiator.
"It won't be long until they're back," said Daphne, unrolling her sleeves.
It was the strongest wind Daphne had ever felt. She felt as though she could tear herself apart just standing there. Leaning against the fencing of her house, she pushed away the soil, revealing a wooden slate with writings on them. She got up, ran back inside and slammed the door.
The fire burned in the kitchen. Munchkin sat on the radiator in the 2nd floor hallway. Daphne pushed away her beige colored hair and studied the slate.
It read:
Όπως θέλετε, θα έχω την ψυχή σου.
Daphne gasped and dropped the slate. The translation was:
As you wish, I will have your soul.
"Come in," said Ms. Coral, smiling. She showed all of her white teeth.
An average height boy came stepped into the living room. He had beige hair and hazel eyes like Daphne. Munchkin shivered. He was thinking of honey.
"There," Ms. Coral pointed to Daphne. "That's your sister. Her name's Daphne."
Daphne shrank back into the shadows. But her sparkly outfit gave her away.
"Sit down, Daphne," Ms. Silke said sharply. Daphne sat on the couch.
"This is Peter Chance, blah blah blah..." Ms. Coral's voice droned on. But Daphne wasn't listening. She was thinking about the slate that she had seen.
5[]
"OK, so this is your room." Ms. Silke opened the bedroom door. Daphne watched from her bedroom keyhole. Then, Peter turned to her, and squinted at Daphne. His hazel eyes flashed red. Daphne gasped and whirled around, her back to the door. Her heart stopped, she was frozen with fear.
"OK, now this is your bed. Put your things in the closet." Daphne heard Ms. Silke. She shivered, remembering Peter's eyes. The way they turned red. Once Ms. Silks had left, Daphne went out into the hallway. The old cat sat on the radiator. Peter's door opened. Daphne stared at him. He was wearing a blue shirt and silver colored jeans. She blinked.
"Waz your last name ag-gain?" There it was. His eyes turned red. Daphne looked down, but she felt it.
"Chance," Peter replied like nothing had happened.
"That's my- my last name."
The rain pattered violently on the hallway window. Peter didn't say anything. He fingered a ring- just as Daphne fingered her necklace.
"Wait. Can I see that?" Daphne stared at the ring. Peter pulled back like something bothered him.
"Look at mine. It says 'Chance' in Ancient Greek, too."
Peter looked at the necklace. Slowly, he uncurledbhis fingers, revealing the ring. He compared the both items. Then he looked at Daphne, straight in her eyes.
This time, she didn't look away. She stared, and stared. And then she saw it. She was drowning. It was one of her fears. But she kept looking. And Peter felt different. Just looking at her made him feel warm inside.
"Chance." Daphne whispered. "Can I trust you?"
"Uh-huh, yeah, sure." Peter couldn't turn his gaze away from her eyes. He couldn't move his eyes away. He felt like he was lighter than-
"OK, wait here." Daphne returned with the slate. Somehow, Peter could read the writing. He read it and said nothing.
"Isn't it creepy? I found it in the yard." Daphne traced her index finger over the letters, one by one.
"Not really," Peter said.
"How old are you?" Daphne suddenly asked.
"Thirteen," he said.
"Oh, I was just- I'm thirteen, too."
Peter's eyes turned red again, and Daphne was clearly freaked out. She backed away, just an inch. She looked at her self in the glass of the fogged window.
"Tomorrow, the misery is out, I hope." Daphne said.
6[]
"Would you like.. egg omlets?" Ms. Silke offered Daphne as she passed by.
"Umm, no thanks." Daphne went outside. She left through the gates. Walking only to the clearing where there was nothing but grass, she looked up at the sky. There were no more clouds. The misery had gone out.
"You were right," said a voice behind her. Daphne knew it was Peter.
"Sorry, but your guardian told me that you-"
"Oh whatever." Daphne said. Her main attention was the sky.
Then, a sound that sounded like wheels were rolling filled the air. A girl with blond hair and green eyes was pushing a cart while talking to a boy that kind of hopped while walking.
"No, I can smell half-bloods. I'm telling you Chel-" The boy was saying.
Then, they both stopped and looked at Peter and Daphne.
"Hmm, Jimmy. Sounds like you were right after all." The girl pushed her cart, which was filled with weapons- yes, weapons, towards Daphne and Peter.
"Hi," she said. "What are your... names?"
She sounded friendly, not like someone evil.
"I'm Daphne Ch-" Daphne began, but then Peter covered her mouth.
"She's Daphne Silke and I'm Peter Silke," Peter lied. But in a way, it was true. The Silkes were their guardians.
"Oh, the Silkes. Those rich folks that live here? Wow." The boy limped toward them.
"Come with us. Just trust me. Trust us. You know monsters? Yeah, well you'll be safe if you-" The girl looked around like she was afraid of something. Then, she picked two bronze swords from her cart and gave them to Daphne and Peter.
"-kill them." The girl finished.
"Whoa, are you kidding? This is illegal, we could be in-" Daphne was starting.
"Shh! These don't hurt mortals. Now come with us. You'll be much more safe."
"Mortals? Okay, so you're saying that we're not mortals, we're immortal and we-"
"We're both." The girl's eyes turned dark green, which looked a bit unnerving.
"OK, let's go." Peter stepped forward. Daphne's mouth hung open. The boy trotted over and walked with them. The girl looked up at the sky, turned to the boy and asked, "Jimmy, bus or chariot?"
"I really don't know," Jimmy admitted. "Maybe bus since the chariot's not-"
"No way. The mist isn't that strong today, for some reason. These half bloods-" she motioned to Daphne and Peter "-saw them the first thing they saw us."
"Half-bloods?" Peter asked.
"Half-bloods." The girl repeated. "We're half mortal, half-" She stopped, all of a sudden.
"And half what?" Daphne pressed.
"Don't move." The girl's voice was still. Then she drew a bronze sword. Jimmy raised a set of pan pipes. Because, as Daphne realized, there was a monster that had eight heads that was roaming fifty feet away.
"Look to your right." The girl said. "No need to attack, I'll do this." She stepped forward, and the monster saw her. It hissed and spit green poison. She ran at it, yelling to the others, "Don't cut it! It's a hydra! It's a H-Y-D-R-A!"
"Hydra?" Daphne asked.
"Hydra," Jimmy repeated. "The monster Chelsea's gone after. Is a deadly multiple-headed mythical monster who can only be destroyed by fire."
"And so it's right in front of us?" Daphne said, weakly. Then she knew why the weapons were in the cart. Delivered to half-bloods to kill monsters like the one a few feet away from Daphne that wanted to eat them.
"Chance," said Daphne weakly. She dropped the sword, and then, suddenly, in her hands, in 3 feet of length, sparkling glitter shimmered. Then, a gold colored was in her hands. It was actually celestial bronze.
"What the-?" She stared at the sword. Peter stared at it.
"Chance," he said. His hands shimmered, and there was a silver colored sword in his hand. It was too, celestial bronze.
"Whoa," Jimmy said nervously. "Where did those swords come from?"
"I dunno." Daphne and Peter said together. Daphne turned a bit pink.
"Well don't just stand there!" yelled Chelsea, who was fighting the Hydra, careful not to slice its head off.
"It doesn't appear to be linked to a chain store," she said through clenched teeth.
Without thinking, Daphne grabbed a shotgun from the cart full of weapons. She shot the Hydra. It erupted in flames.
"Eeee!" Chelsea schreeched, as yellow monster dust landed on her.
"Sorry," called Daphne.
"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry for. Monsters do that." Chelsea grinned. "Well let's go."
7[]
"This is the end of the tour." Chelsea smiled.
"Will I be claimed?" Daphne asked.
"Soon, I hope. How old are you?"
"Thirteen."
"Okay, so thirteen is the age that half-bloods should be claimed. They promised, of course. You'll find out tonight." Chelsea wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans.
"Okay." Daphne's heart began to beat. She and Peter would have the same parent, of course.
"Okay, for now you stay at the Hermes cabin." Chelsea patted her pants.
"I what-?" Daphne muttered.
Chelsea sighed. "I guess I'll have to leave it to your new cabinmates."
A pretty girl dressed in jeans and an oridinary white top walked to the door of the Aphrodite cabin.
"My luck," Daphne muttered. She went inside, and studied the surroundings. "It's a nice place," she mused. "I mean, Aphrodite being my mom and all. So whose the counselour?"
"Ah, I can answer that." A girl at on corner smiled pleasently. "I am."
"You?" Daphne asked. "Well- I guess, I'm new."
"My cabin's bursting with new kids since I became counselour a few weeks ago," The girl grinned and her eyebrows went up and down like she knew something Daphne didn't. "So let's get on with the tour, shall we?" The girl got up, and wiped her hands against her pants. She pushed a chair out of the way, bent down to pick up a fuzzy sweater, and pushed back a lock of hair.
"Welcome to the Aphrodite cabin." she said. "You might think we're a bit, eh, fuzzy. I thought that too, before I was claimed." The girl caughter Daphne's confused look. "Oh, how stupid of me. I'm Piper."
Daphne smiled and pushed her hair behind her shoulder shyly. "Well, I guess it'd be fair if I'd say my name, too." She fingered her necklace. "I'm Daphne."
"OK, Daphne. So, here we are. Don't think you could look like someone you're not, just be yourself."
"How does that have anything to do with the tour?" Daphne asked.
"Oh, I'm just reminding you. If you've thought of girls and guys, trying to put on an elusive amount of make-up. Trying to look dashing, but they aren't. Remember that, Daphne. It'll aid you when you need it." Piper pointed to a mirror on the wall. It was decorated by jewels, and cast an eerie glow. "We just got that a few days ago. Wonderful, isn't it? It's the mirror of truth."
Daphne gasped. Piper grinned.
"Well, not like the one in Snow White, it works its magic a bit differently. If you look into it, you see yourself, the right way. What I mean is what looks best on you. No one else. Wanna try it?" Piper grinned widely.
"Sure. I'm psyched." Daphne wavered in front of the mirror. She saw herself. The necklace glowed- and her tan beige colored hair was let loose, long around her shoulders. Her face shared a apricot rosy color. She was wearing a apple green blouse. That was all she could see. She bent closer. Sure enough, she saw her feet. She wore a dark blue mini skirt, and brown boots. She gasped.
"Survived it?" Piper joked as Daphne left the mirror.
"Yep. I was so- shocked. I mean- it was me, but it wasn't!" Daphne fingered her necklace like she did when she was nervous.
"I know," Piper smiled. "So, I guess that's about it. Anything you're uncomfortable with?"
Daphne shook her head. Piper seemed like a great counselour. She glanced at the clock.
"Oops. My cabinmates are coming in, archery was just over. Chiron excused me, I had to finish something really important, if you'll take that as an answer." Piper explained. "Then, we're over. The day's done. We go to the dinning pavilion, a quickdinner, a rocky game of capture the flag, and a final with a campfire singalong."
I guess I'll have fun, Daphne decided.
8[]
It turned out Peter did not have the same godly parent as Daphne.
"What?" Daphne's mouth fell open. "He was claimed by Ares?"
"Yup," That was the only thing Chelsea said. Daphne was boring her.
Daphne watched Peter in disbelief as he walked toward his cabin. He looked too happy. She glared at him. Then, her necklace began to talk.
Too bad, so sad.
Ugh.
What a loser.
Shouldn't talk that way, Daf.
What-ever!
Shut up, Daphne scolded herself, moving to view, closer than she ever expected to the Ares cabin.
Looks terrible.
They should think of making cabins look better!
Ugh! How ugly!
Shut up!
Daphne stayed a distance away. She heard shouts inside the cabin, metal scraping and clanging. That rung her ears afterword.
Sorry, Daf, for doing this.
Okay, you should help me by shutting up!
That's rude. I'm helping you, Daf. Without me, you'd-
SHUT- Daphne stopped, because she heard voices coming from inside the cabin. They were shouts, and curses, in who-knows-what.
Ugly language, Daphne's necklace observed.
Yup, Daphne agreed. She carefully chose a spot- not to far from the cabin. Closer to the Athena cabin. Just close enough to eavesdrop- listen. Daphne pertended to look at the sky, while listening. In the boring and disguisting conversation, she caught Peter's voice.
"Who said that?-" Followed by a few cuss words.
Ugly language again, Daphne's necklace noted. Daphne nodded and clutched the necklace. She drew away from the Ares cabin, because the door swung open, and a girl with long, stringy brown hair came out. She caught sight of Daphne.
"Get lost, punk!" she shouted. Daphne ran as far as her legs could take her. She ran until she arrived at the canoe lake, then collapsed, breathing heavily.
"Oh gods," Daphne groaned, turning her raw foot over. Her sandal had fallen off her left foot, and it was bleeding from running for a long time, over gravel, dirt and hard rock.
Daphne flung off her right sandal, and noted her right foot looked okay, but it was wet. She had been sweating.
Gods, she thought. Now what?
She rubbed her left foot, and some blood rolled off. But it kept bleeding.
"Will I bleed to death?" Daphne wondered out loud. She kept thrusting her foot forward, hoping the blood would "somehow" stop bleeding.
No such luck.
The cut didn't hurt, but Daphne felt uncomfortable looking at it. She managed to find a long paper towel by luck in her pocket, and she tied her left foot lightly, just to cover her cut. She slipped on her only sandal, got up, and headed for her cabin just as the sun began to set.
9[]
Daphne shivered in the painful cold the next morning. She had run away from Camp Half-Blood, and brought her greatest fears alive.
There was a blue ribbon tied to a tree branch. Daphne fingered it, and wondered if it was a mark. She should leave some, then, too.
Daphne tore her shirt. She tore two long peices, and tied one on a tree to mark the river, and as if on cue, the wind picked up, and like an arrow, pointed to the river. Daphne squinted at the water, and made out the shadows of fish hurrying. Daphne was so hungry. She had run away to go back home- to Ms. Silken. To tell her the truth. To tell her about Peter, who ran away. To tell her about half-bloods. But Daphne knew no one on Earth, the real Earth, would believe her.
She wanted scrambled eggs, and bacon. Maybe some orange juice and syrup. Daphne tried to get them out of her mind. Her mouth began to water.
The sun fully arose, and she knew they would be on to her. Daphne decided to run back home, and then talk all about where she was. Ms. Silken was sure to never let her out again. Daphne believed nothing- why hadn't any monster come after her before? She wanted to ask Ms. Silken about Greek Myths first. Or try to look it up on the internet. But what did Chelsea say? Monsters trach down demigods on phones and the internet.
Daphne didn't believe a thing now.
And what had she been alerted of? It was scrawled on her hand, from the morning. Someone or somethinghad left a message. A game, more likely. A game to scare Daphne.
Her palm read in blood red letters,
When the sky turned red on a cool summer 'noon,
The tears of the clouds come down to swoon,
Beware of the blood red rain, the pomegranate rain,
Because soon you will be in danger and vain.
A joke more likely. Daphne had to get home now. She shivered at the thought of the sky turning red. But gradually, it faded, and she ran to the direction of her "home". Surely nothing could harm her there. Or so she thought.
In the afternoon, the sky turned a pink. Daphne reached home, and Ms. Silken asked her where she was.
"Daphne Chance! Where in the world were you?" she half screamed, half said slyly, as though she knew. She recoiled at Daphne's torn clothing, bled floot, and muddy hands. "You've been through a jungle!"
"Not on Earth," Daphne said. And she began to tell about the demigods. How she met Chelsea and the Satyr, and how she went to Camp Half-Blood. Ms. Silken smiled at the end, and said, "You've been halucination, Daphne. Drink some water, and you'll be better."
"I will not!" Daphne shouted after her. "Peter's there, and I won't set foot there. Besides, mortals like you can't get in. Not that I'm not, but- well anyways, they won't-" Daphne began to falter, then she ran upstairs. She went to the bathroom, and turned on the shower. She soaked her hair. Then coming out, she threw on her pajamas, and wore her slippers. She went to her room, and seeing that everything had dried up, she lay in her bed. Ms. Silken bought her up some soup, and a glass of water. Daphne drank the soup, then closed her eyes. She would never go back.
When she saw the window. The sky was red. Blood red. It was raining an unnatural red. Pomegranate red. Daphne shivered violently, and began to cry. She stared at her palm, where the writing was blurred by her shower. But the message was still clear.
It was raining pomegranate rain, and soon Daphne would be sorry.
The End[]
Lao123 might create a sequel once her current stories are cleared up.