Vines and Thorns

𝟘𝟘𝟙-𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕠𝕕𝕦𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝔹𝕦𝕝𝕝 ℝ𝕚𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘

𝕸𝖆𝖉𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖘.

It eats at your mind when you're unaware of its existence. Infests your thoughts and hinders you before you can have a chance at counteracting it. It makes you doubt yourself, and those around you in explicable ways. Because when you can't trust yourself, then all is truly doomed.

I used to think that everyone is a little mad, that everyone held that little seed, waiting to be sprouted. But I soon realized that only a few hold that little seed of madness. Only few hold the fear that one day that seed will sprout, and thus begin the tumble into insanity.

I've held the fear since the day I was born—the fear my mother's fate would become my own, and that the flames of my life would be doused short due to my mind's failures.

"Dani! Come onnnn! If I have to drag you out of that bed so help me I will." Pollux's voice rings through the air and invades me senses as I groan, rolling my eyes as jump down from my bunk.

I crinkle my nose from the strong smell of cologne in the air, and I cough, waving my hand in front of my nose. "Gods Pollux, cologne doesn't hide your horrible BO!" I shout back as I exit the large cabin, stepping into the fresh air.

I narrow my eyes at the two boys lounging next to the cabin, shaking my head. "Your obsessant need of getting to breakfast first is infuriating." I grumble, walking ahead of them towards the dining hall.

"And your incessant need to be late to everything is equally infuriating." Pollux bites back, and I roll my eyes. Castor, as always is silent beside us—he's always been the more levelheaded twin.

He was always the one to pull Pollux back before he went too far—although that never stopped the pair from getting into a fair amount of trouble. The two were notorious for their pranks and mischief, and I half wondered if they were Hermes's son's rather than Dionysus's.

As per usual, we were the first to enter the dining pavilion, and we took our place at the table nearest Chiron and my father. We bowed our heads to our father, who just waved a hand, he hated when we were formal with him.

Chiron gave me a kind smile as I sat down, and I returned it as I took my seat. As the other campers began to file in, I averted their gazes, keeping my eyes on the goblet filled with Coke in front of me. Pollux and Castor were engaged in conversation with some kids from Apollo—but they didn't try to force me to join like they usually did.

I was thankful to still have a few more days left before the summer campers made their appearance—when the camp would be bustling with campers and there would no longer be moments of silence.

There would be no one joining our cabin, thankfully, but the bustle of the war games and the constant training has never been my cup of tea (or coke).

I look up once the Satyrs begin to file into the pavilion—and they all make a beeline for our nearly empty table. I smile when they take their seats and tried not to think about how I was more friendly with Satyrs than the rest of the campers.

Despite being at the camp since the age of 5, the situations around my arrival were widely known, much to my own chagrin. And even if that wasn't enough, the one time I lost my tight hold on my abilities, I had nearly lost the camp 10 campers.

Needless to say, most of the campers gave me a wide berth, save for the Satyrs, who worshipped me purely because of my dear father. "You know, you drink entirely too much of that."

My smile widens as one of my few friends takes a seat next to me, his curly blonde hair nearly obscuring the horns lying atop his head. "It's better than drinking actual wine." I muse, bringing the goblet back to my lips. Oliver rolls his eyes, filling his own chalice with sweat tea.