The Storm

Home

The farm house was connected to a long dirt road. As they drove, the truck left a long trail of dust floating slowly in the air like a tail. What none of the girls expected was to arrive at the large house and see its windows alight and flashing with pulsing lights. Or for music to be pounding against the walls. And even worse, for people and cars to be parked and crowding the dirt shoulders of the road.

Artemis' expression shifted into something harsher than before. The engine was killed almost immediately. "Stay here."

Thalia and Reyna remained seated as Artemis left the car behind striding quickly towards the front door with fists clenched tight.

"Apollo is dead." Thalia sighed, shaking her head.

"Does he always do this?" Reyna asked.

"No, but he does it more than he should." Thalia admitted, resting her head against the seat and closing her eyes.

"You okay?" Reyna asked glancing at her with concern.

"I'm always okay, Rey. I just worry about everyone. About them, about Nico." Thalia shook her head. "It's like no one's ever happy anymore."

"Apollo seems to be okay." Reyna observed spotting the blonde boy in one of the windows.

"Apollo doesn't know how else to handle himself. He grew up in this atmosphere, almost as much as I did." Thalia knew that the twins lacked a role model. In fact, a lot of kids in Half Blood County lacked role models. The only parents Thalia could think of who gave any shits about the kids here were Percy's. "Parties, alcohol, it's the norm for him."

"And her?" Reyna asked.

Thalia stared out the front window eyes locking onto the stars. "She tries to keep him in check but things are harder now than they were before. For all of us."

"Since the accidents started happening." Reyna guessed leaning back in her seat. She watched anxiously, as the front door to the house opened. One by one people began to file out and it seemed that the party had broken up.

"Yeah. Bianca and Nico were closer than you'd think. She was like a mother to him after theirs died. She grew up too fast and when she tried to go her own way rather than tugging along a little brother he took it hard. She still loved him more than anything. After the car accident he never was the same. He's scared to love anything or anyone. He comes across cruel, but he doesn't have it in him to hate. He's lucky though, Hazel is his half sister. She fills the void a little bit. He thinks the world of her." Thalia explained picturing the young pale and skinny boy probably alone tucked inside his room.

"I know what that's like. I can't remember my mom. I just picture Hylla." Reyna admitted. biting at her bottom lip.

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing." Thalia smiled thinly. "Percy hasn't been much the same either. He was close with Beckendorf but the kid got caught in a house fire. Perished. Then Annabeth happened. Neither of them will mention what happened but I think it's because they're scared. Because they can't talk about it for fear of worse things happening."

"Is that how she got the scar on her shoulder?" Reyna asked putting a bit of the pieces together.

"Yeah. As for Zoë, she just vanished. It hurt but not as much as it did for Artemis." Thalia explained, watching a few of the cars pull away from the house and drive back the way they'd come.

"They were close from how it sounds." Reyna noted, feeling a sadness she didn't understand. She felt sad for everyone who'd been an unfortunate victim and for those who were left to bear the consequences of whatever was happening in Half Blood County.