Awakened - T Stoll - Percy Jackson and The Olympians.

V

The warm leather of the seats did little to fight against the chill trapped inside my bones.

I'm a demi-god.

My father is a god. Who's been around for thousands of years.

The gods exist.

They have kids. And I'm about to go to a camp where those kids train so they aren't brutally murdered by horrific monsters.

Deep breaths, Imena. Deep breaths.

Music plays gently over the radio as we drive through the city. Even the sweet, familiar New York anthem of curse words and honks don't make me feel better. I have a thousand questions about Camp Half-Blood. I want to say something. To learn more about all of this. 

"So. These kids. Are they- ..." I mentally search for a word. "Nice?" 

"I'm sure some of them are. It's just like a normal summer camp, sweetie." Her eyes glance up at the rearview mirror, like they've been doing for the past half-hour or so. 

"Right. Yeah. Normal summer camp. Just a bunch of kids descended from Greek Gods preparing to fight monsters and train their powers." I speak flatly. 

My mother is quiet for a moment. "Yeah, okay. Point proven."

I sigh, reclining back in my seat. I stare up at my window. Watching buildings blur by. Billboards displaying different ads. 

"So..." I clear my throat. "You slept with a God. I imagine that was quite nice-" 

My mother cuts me off. Turning up the volume on the radio. "Why don't you get some rest." She asks, a blush on her cheeks. 

Smiling feels nice right now, I'm glad to still be able to tease my mother. Bringing light to these times of... What-the-fuckery. 

I close my eyes and with the help of my father, or without, I drift off quite quickly. 

-

I woke up to darkness. My mom reclining her seat next to me, gesturing for me to be quiet as she slipped the keys out.

I looked over at her, blinking away the sleepiness. "Mom, what are we-"

She slaps a hand over my mouth. Looking up at her window. I remove her hand, peeking up curiously as my mother muttered something about me being a curious little shit. 

We're in the middle of farmland. The moon sits high in the sky, casting a glow over the field. There's nothing except cows. Suddenly, a cow moos in terror. Flinging to the side.