Lost and Found

Chapter 1

AN><This is my first book, so I hope you enjoy it. This chapter may be found disturbing by some people, so this is your warning. Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise, it is obviously Rick Riordan's, I won't say this every chapter so just remember it now.><

8 years old:

It was like this every night, but this time, it went further than usual. Smelly Gabe came home and grabbed Persephone by her hair and threw her onto the couch, having locked Sally in the kitchen, leaving her pounding at the door to help her daughter. Persephone couldn't scream through her fear as Gabe's intoxicated breath smothered her face as he snarled. "You don't want me to touch your mother, do you, you brat." He tore her shirt as he struggled out of his jeans. The alcohol-induced man slapped her, leaving a red mark across the girl's pale skin. Persephone bit his hand and squirmed out from beneath the mass of a man. He snatched up a beer bottle, smashed it on the table and stalked towards the whimpering child. She clutched her shredded shirt together and backed away, tears flowing freely. Gabe began to take off his belt, unaware of his wife hacking her way through the door with a carving knife. "You little piece of shit!" he yelled, causing his stomach to bounce with anger, "I put this bloody roof over your pretty little head! What do you ever give me in return, ungrateful bitch. Like your mother!"

Persephone's body crumpled as he struck her shoulder with the beer bottle, before violently tying her hands together. She thrashed around, wide-eyed with fear as she kicked him between the legs. "You fucking slut!" He cried out as he folded over in pain. Persephone spotted her mother approaching behind Gabe with a knife. Sally pointed to the window and released her breath slightly as her daughter ran towards the window and jumped onto the fire escape. However, she had missed the fat man standing up. He grabbed her by the throat and threw her up against the wall with such force that blood trickled down the back of her neck, matting her once soft black hair. He dropped her in order to prise the knife out of her hand while she lay heaving on the ground.

Persephone watched as he killed her.

Her stepfather picked up the knife and stabbed her. Repeatedly. Until, with final screams, her mother went limp. The girl fell over, sobbing silently. Gabe? He stood up, plunged the knife into the table and returned to his drink in front of the TV.

~line break~

She shook with rage as it took control of her body. She can down the stairs and into the dimly lit street. She kept running until she collapsed on the beach and passed out. The tide rose, lapping over her body and healing her injuries, leaving jagged scars across the body where the blunt instruments had torn their way through her flesh, leaving a trail of infection in its wake.

Unknown to this poor child, a group of teenage girls approached her. A twelve-year-old with auburn hair stepped out of the silver crowd as they parted for her. She waded into the shallow water and scooped the narrow frame of the girl up in her arms and returned to the other girls. The fetched a stretcher and lay the young victim down and took her into the woods to their camp. They cleaned the blood from her ebony hair and dressed her in fresh clothes, the same as they wore; a silver tunic, before placing her on the bed to rest.

~line break~

Persephone's eyes fluttered open, taking in her surroundings. The white canvas flapped above her, a tent? To her right, she spotted a table with a glass of water. She struggled to sit up, aching pain coursing through her torso. She focused on the young girl who had carried her. "You're up," she stated kindly. "My name is Artemis, the Greek goddess. What do you know of the gods? Furthermore, do you remember why you were on the beach?"

Persephone cocked her head and tried to remember anything. Who was she? Why was she at the beach? Why was she littered with scars? Having seen her obvious confusion, Artemis smiled gently and placed her hand on the girls. She closed her eyes and their minds were instantly filled with a series of memories; eating blue cookies on the beach with her mother, the smell of smoke and alcohol, the feel of Gabe ripping clothes and of belt on flesh, the scene of her mother telling her to run. Her mother being brutally murdered by her husband. Artemis growled in anger and looked at the girl. To her surprise Persephone had schooled her emotions into a mask of determination, eyes glinting. Maybe she would make a good huntress?

Artemis called in another girl, Zoe, her lieutenant, and ordered her to fetch a silver parka and sandals for her. "Persephone, how would you like to join my hunt? Many of us have also suffered in some way at the hands of men. If you agree, you may accompany me to deal with this "father" of yours." Persephone stared up at the goddess, wiped a tear and nodded, smiling slightly. She swore her loyalty to the hunt, and off the company of men, before being engulfed in a silver glow. When the light subsided, she stood there in her silver uniform. Her aching had gone and all her senses were heightened; it was as if she could feel Zoe moving through the air. She tied her black hair back into a plait, steeled her nerves, and lifted her chin defiantly, and nodded. Another girl, Phoebe, lead her out of the tent. All around her, there were young girls wearing silver, pausing from their training with weapons, watching her curiously. When Persephone caught the eye of one, they smiled before carrying on. She approached a table which had a series of knives spread across it. Phoebe inspected them all, before selecting a small silver dagger with black leather wrapped around the handle, and presented it to Persephone who thanked her in return.

After an hour of being shown how to use the knife effectively, Artemis came to collect her, asking if she was ready, only to be shocked by the malicious look the young girl got in her eyes. She nodded and the two of them left, Artemis leaving Zoe in charge. They ran back into the city under the cover of darkness, and back up the emergency stairs and through the window. As they entered, Artemis instantly caught sight of the mother and flashed her to their camp to be cleaned up before Persephone saw her. The stench of blood was suffocating as they made their way through the apartment. They rounded the corner, to find a walrus of a man passed out on the couch, the room filled with snores and broken furniture, everything stained with blood, alcohol, screams.

When Persephone saw him sleeping, she was furious. As upset as she was that her mother had been murdered, the tears that came to her eyes were those of anger. Artemis saw this, walked up to the man and stabbed him in the leg with an arrow from her quiver. The putrid face of the man contorted with pain as he jerked up, to see two young girls in silver with weapons. One, with auburn hair, aimed her second arrow dangerously near his groin. The younger had black hair and murderous blue-green eyes. His wives precious little brat. He sneered, "Come to join your mother, you waste of space?" he mocked. To his surprise, she glared, and replied in a monotone voice, "No. Neither will you. You are evil." She approached him, Artemis watching, taken aback by her reply, as the innocent girl raised her dagger to the man. His eyes widened as he realised what she was doing. He grabbed her wrist, his being cut in the process, and grabbed the knife and threw it across the floor, where it was picked up by Artemis. This, however, did not put Persephone off, following him like her prey.

Suddenly the room shook, as the taps and loo exploded, causing the air to flow to her, swirling around over her head. Artemis cursed, she should have known better. The man's eyes widened as the water plunged into his mouth. He gurgled a scream as his mouth and lungs filled up with water. Suddenly, the temperature dropped, causing the water to freeze as Persephone clenched her fists. Then she collapsed, resulting in all the water above her dropping to the floor.

Smelly Gabe was now dead.

~line break~

Artemis, once again, carried the girl back to the camp. Styx. How could she not realise it was her cousin? She cannot be a hunter; her father Zeus would find the girl and punish his brother for breaking the oath. Poseidon, the child's father, was not an option, that would cause a war. Therefore, she prayed to her most trustworthy aunt, the only person Zeus would never harm, Lady Hestia.

She ran into camp and saw another 8-year-old sat at her fire attending it while the campers ate a hot meal. "Thank you, Hestia, I have no idea what I would do without you." She sighed as she lay Persephone down by the fire. "Do not worry, Artemis. I understand. I will take her. I will protect her and find her somewhere to hide." She scooped up the girl as Artemis, reluctantly, put her hand on her head and removed the Hunt's blessing. "It's a shame," she said, "she would have been a great Huntress". Sighing, she decided that the girl could keep her dagger. With that, Hestia Flashed out, Persephone Jackson – daughter of Poseidon – in her arms.

AN><Thank you for reading this! the rest of the book will probably be from Percy's point of view. I hope there weren't too many mistakes. I will try to update often, but I am in the middle of some important exams at the moment so I cannot make any promises when my next update will be.><