Vines and Thorns

𝟘𝟘𝟞-ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕒 𝕚𝕤 𝕒 𝔽𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕃𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕕

Jackson, (while I hated to admit it) was actually a natural at this whole 'sailing a 50-person boat on his own' thing.

Annabeth's own sea-sickness prevented her from staying above deck for too long before she got too sick and went below deck to get some sleep. I, on the other hand, knew that below deck would only be worse, so I forced myself to stay up, quietly watching the stars as Jackson sailed us through the Sea of Monsters.

I don't ask him how he knew were to go, and just chalked it up to another 'Son of Fish sticks' thing.

I just took a seat on the edge of the ship and leaned back to watch the sky, my mind mapping out the constellations I could see and creating pictures amidst the stars. Jackson joined me at one point, plopping down next to me.

He doesn't talk, and nether do I, which is probably a good thing.

He looks exhausted, and I nearly tell him to try and get some sleep, but I know he won't listen. "That curse that everyone keeps mentioning...what is it?" He asks quietly, and the question instantly makes me tense.

I think on if I want to answer—on how to answer. "Female children of Dionysus are rare...and they're typically born stronger and more powerful than their brothers. I'm not any different. Hera has a strong dislike for my father, since he's a constant reminder of Zeus cheating on her. She thought my power was too much and claimed that I needed a balance—a weakness. It's fitting I suppose. One day, my mind will turn against me. My father's madness will become my own, and the more I use my gifts...the faster that day will come." My voice grows quieter the longer I explain, and I look down at my hands, a wave of memories assaulting my brain.

My whole life, I knew what I was destined to become. I knew there was a cost to my gifts, and I knew that there would come a day when I would have no choice but to use them.

Jackson swallows thickly, and I hate the look of sympathy in his eyes. I don't need it, and nor do I want it. "What... what gifts?" He asks quietly, and I wince again, my jaw clenched tightly.

"It doesn't matter. I have it under control, and I don't plan on using it anytime soon." I answer tightly, wincing as more and more pictures assault my mind.

He sits there, chewing on my words. "I'm sorry, for before. I don't think you would have failed the quest. I just...I wanted to find Grover." He tells me, his voice sounding genuine.

I give him a long look, a part of my grudge against him chipping and falling away. "I know you do. But you're also not the only demi-god who feels like they have something to prove."

I slowly climb to my feet, knocking off the dirt smudges on my dress that I was still wearing. "Well, thanks for the entertaining conversation kelp face, but I'm going to try and get some kind of sleep before we reach the island."

"Any time, Loony Tunes." Unlike the first time I heard it, the nickname doesn't fuel a fire of anger inside me, and I find the smallest of smiles on my lips as I walk below deck and into one of the many rooms so that I could change.

I toss the dress into the corner of the small room before grabbing a light lavender tee-shirt and a pair of ripped black jeans from my bag and slipping them on.

I slip onto the bed for a while, even though I knew I wasn't going to be receiving any kind of sleep tonight, not when my mind was so busy.

A memory from before I came to camp replays over and over in my head, one of the only good memories that I had with my mother that I could still remember.

It was a good day for my mother, and she had taken me to the park and was pushing me on the swing. She let me stay for hours, and then she took me out for ice cream directly afterwards. She was happy, and I loved the attention. A pleasant memory amidst all the dark ones.