A Different Way Home

Leslie - Five

"So where are we going?.." Leslie mumbled as she lay down in the back seat, utterly exhausted. It was only 9:18 and they were on some big adventure?

"I can't believe your just unfazed by all of this." Her mom said almost unnaproving.
Leslie repeated herself, "Soo...where are we going?"

Her mom sighed, "A um summer camp for, well kids like you." She said.

"Summer Camp?" Leslie asked, "Schools not out yet! We still have finals and-" she mumbled to herself, "kids like me...." - "Hey! I might not be the smartest but you know what I'm-" her mom cut her off.

"Leslie I never said you weren't intelligent, you are. But this camp its...unique, okay?" Her mom explained.

"Okay." She mumbled. Leslie sat forward and looked over Lily, "Is she okay?" She asked her mom.

"She will be okay once you get her to the infirmary." Her mom told her, "Its just a Harpie scratch she'll be okay once an Apollo camper gets a look at her."

"Just a Harpie scratch?" Lily asked, "Oh and Heather when are you going to tell her?" She asked, even though she was miserable Lily somehow had the sarcasm in her.

"Tell me what?" Leslie jumped at it.

"Leslie darling, there's something I've been meaning to tell you..." She trailed off swerving the car.

"Oh my GOD WHAT IS THAT?!" Leslie screamed as she pointed at two huge spots in the sky.

"I I -" Lily breathed in through her nose, "I smell STYMPHALIANS! FASTER FASTER DRIVE FASTER!"

Leslie's mom stepped on the gas, soon some wooden poles where in view.

The birds in the sky got closer to the car as they swoped lower and lower they drove faster. Finally Heather stopped the car and yelled at Lily and Leslie to get out and get to camp. They were only a few yards from the entrance.

"Not without you!" Leslie yelled supporting Lily's weight as she was still weak with Harpie burns.

"I told you I should have drove!" Lily yelled at Leslie's mom, "Leslie, put me down and shoot those birds out of the sky." she ordered as the man eating birds got closer.

There was two, Leslie spun her ring three sharp times and held her bow firm. She aimed for the closer of the two and it started to loose altitude. She shot it once more and it puffed to dust, she moved on to the next one.

The second one was much larger and obviously angry Leslie had killed its partner it swooped in at her.

It caught her by the jacket and scratched her back, almost unable to stand Leslie shot at it once, twice, three times. On its last round it scratched Leslie one more time by the ankle and she lost her balance blacking out.