The Unclaimed

Chapter 6: I'm issued a quest but forbidden to go on it

When I got closer to the pavilion where we eat, I filed into the line of Hermes campers. My body felt numb, I did everything like a machine. I got my plate, filled it with food, tossed a slice of pizza into the flames to honor Artemis, and finally I took a seat at the way end of the table. When I first got to camp and had to provide the gods with burnt offerings I used to ask for my father to claim me, then I started begging all the gods to make their kids stop hating me, and finally I began to just honor Artemis. Out of all the gods of Olympus, she was the only one who had my full respect. As I ate I tried to ignore the glares that were coming from the Ares table and the weird looks that were coming from everywhere else. Even the Hermes campers looked at me strangely.
I stared at my plate as I ate. Even though I wasn't looking up, I could feel the eyes of almost every camper on me. Through the clutter of everyone talking, I heard the familiar sound of Chiron approaching the pavilion. In all my years at camp I had never felt so lonely. Even after I became an outcast at camp, I always had Michael by my side. Without him near me I felt so lost.
"Good evening campers," Mr. D was far from happy to still be our camp instructor, but at the years passed and he started to get closer to the end of his punishment he had become a bit nicer. "As you know, just like always we will have our tradition capture the flag game on Friday. Also as some events have gone on today, we are looking for some senior campers who are not from the Ares cabin to volunteer to take on an extra lessor or two this week." Cue the glares of death from the Ares table. I still refused to look up. At least I refused until I heard the sound of someone pushing their chair back so they could stand and Chiron saying,
"Rachel, are you ok." My head immediately shot up to see our Oracle, Rachel Dare, standing. Her eyes had turned serpent green just like they always did before she gave a prophecy. Her arm was shaking as she raised it so she was pointing at me. Her eyes did not break contact with mine. Then, what sounded like three voices said,
To receive the answers she so desperately seeks, the unclaimed shall no longer remain,
Tonight she must leave the camp that has caused her so much pain,
She has seven days to travel west,
Each day a new monster shall put her to the test,
No one from the present will go with the child,
But she will receive help from those
who have saved her in the past and always journey the wild.
With that her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out; falling back onto her chair. Every head turned to face me. When I offered them no entertaining reaction they turned to Chiron. All the color had left his face.
"Dinner is dismissed, everyone head back to your cabins immediately." He didn't bother to even try to hide the panic in his voice. All the campers knew better than to disobey him; they all got up and started go head in the direction of the cabins. I on the other hand went in the opposite direction. Pushing my way through the campers, I tried to reach Chiron.
"Chiron, Chiron I know you can hear me." I shouted after him as I saw him galloping away from me. He ignored me. I started to sprint towards him when I heard the sound of the infirmary alarm going off; it was the noise that happened whenever a camper was healed but needed Chiron to check on them before they could leave. Michael has to be awake, I thought to myself. Forgetting about the prophecy, I shifted the direction I was running in so I was headed towards the infirmary. My little brother was more important to me than the prophecy; no matter what it predicted that I would find out.
By the time I reached the infirmary the desperation I felt to see Michael had reached a new level. I burst through the door right into Nico.
"Where is he? Is he all right?" I had a small moment of paranoia that it had been a different patient who had woken up. But something inside of me said that it Michael was awake, it was a gut feeling that I couldn't describe.
"Jessica you should know," I heard Nico start to talk but my attention to what he was saying got cut off when I heard Michaels voice. I looked past Nico and saw that Michael was sitting up and talking to Will. Mr. D and Chiron were already here. Pushing past Nico, I ran to my brothers bedside.
"Oh thank the gods you're all right Michael," I said as I gently wrapped him in a hug. For the first time in a very long time, I wasn't being sarcastic as I thanked the gods. They may have caused me a lot a trouble throughout my life but all that mattered to me now was that they had allowed Michael to wake up. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't stop James. I should have protected you; I'm so sorry." I whispered into his ear as I hugged him. He looked at me with an odd expression on his face.
"I'm sorry but who, who are you?" I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. My baby brother did not remember me. The person who I had dedicated my entire life to protecting did not remember me. The only reason I put up with the crap that the other campers that put me through was because of Michael. He is why I put a smile on my face every morning that I woke up; even when I was in the crappiest of moods he could make my day much better. I looked at Will who seemed just as shocked by Michaels question as I was.
"He remembers everything else about camp," Will said in disbelief. "He remembers who I am, who all his siblings from the Hermes cabin are, and everything else. I, I don't know why he wouldn't remember you." This was the first time I had ever heard Will be unsure about anything related to medicine. I looked at Chiron and Dionysus, they looked just as worried as I felt.
"How do I know you?" Michael asked me. I felt tears start to build in the corner of my eye.
"I'm your sister," with that I stood up. I could tell he was trying to remember but it was obvious that he was coming up with nothing.
"Chiron I should leave, the prophecy said I had to leave camp tonight." I tried to hide how broken I felt. Chiron shook his head.
"Jessica in light of all this, I don't think you should go on this quest. You're not emotionally or mentally prepared for it right now." I stared at him. He had never stopped anyone from going on a quest; why did he think he had the right to stop mine.
"Chiron I need to go on this quest; I need to find out the answers to all my questions." I said to him. "Besides, I no longer have any reason to stick around here." I said softly as I looked down at Michael who was staring at me in confusion.
"I forbid you from leaving camp grounds alone." His tone screamed for me to obey. The stony look in his eyes made me realize how serious he was; but I didn't care. Without another word I took one more glance at my little brother, spun around, and walked out the doors of the infirmary.