The Lightning Thief - My Way

Bulls... Other Animal-ish Things... and a Camp!

Well when we got off of the bus Percy ditched so I had to follow him. His reason was obvious. Grover was freaking him out. He didn't hide the fact that he thought Percy was going to die soon enough. So he hailed a taxi and told the driver 'East One-hundred-and-fourth and First,'. We drove in silence. Something about both our mom's before you meet them. My mother Rosa Vega is one of the nicest people I know next to Percy's mom Sally Jackson. She has black shoulder length hair and black eyes. She has this sweet smile. She works at a computer place. A telemarketer place basically like someone calls and they try to fix their computer through phone. Anyway enough of her because I barely look like her. I have long black hair with... eyes. My eye color always changes so I can't say a solid color. The only thing the same is our personalities. We're kind, smart, funny and loyal and a little sarcastic. My mother is like any other mother but with a secret. My father is a Greek god. That's right be shocked. I don't know which one because my mom said I'll find out soon enough. Now onto Ms .Jackson. Her life was rough. Her parents died in a plane crash leaving her with an uncle that didn't care about her a lot. Then he got cancer so she had to quit her senior year to take care of him. But he died leaving her with basically nothing. She's always wanted to be a novelist. She is just like my mom: a mom with a secret. But she married a stepfather for the both of us, Percy and me I mean. He reeks so much that Percy came up with the name Smelly Gabe. He benefits us because he masks the smell of our demigod blood. When I got home my mother was home making dinner. She smiled.  When she saw my face her smile melted. I sat on the kitchen table.

      "What's wrong?" she asked worried.

     "I have to go next door," I said standing up. "You too," I said standing at the door. "Just turn off the stove and come on," I said. I opened the door for her. I knocked on the next door door. Sally answered. One look of my face and she let us in. Percy was in his room. I told them about the Fury and the Fates. That made them more worried. Sally brought me to Percy's room. She opened the door.

     "Percy," she said. He looked up. His smile was so genuine I still couldn't believe the connection between these two. She said they're going to Montauk. I jumped up and down in the door frame excitedly. We haven't gone to Montauk since who knew when. Then Gabe yelled at me for too much noise. I stopped and restrained myself. Sally took out the 'free sample' bag that she always got from her work. It's basically a candy shop. She always brought home the blue food for Percy and rainbow for me. Sometimes she gives it to my mom if she's really tired. I don't have a favorite color. I don't have a reason why I just like all the colors and black(black isn't a color. It's the absence of color. So is white. It is all the colors combined) and white. After an hour we all got into Smelly Gabe's car. At sunset we reached the cabin. We tidied up the place then had a campfire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. One time Percy shoved me into the water. I sat there for a second then looked at his laughing face.

     "I'm going to kill you!" then I stood up and chased after him. I finally tackled him right next to the campfire. All the while our moms were laughing. I smiled and helped Percy up. The thing was I was already dry. But then Ms. Jackson took out two bags filled with colored tortilla chips. She and Percy shared the blue and my mom and I shared the rainbow. I should probably tell you about the blue because that's how it all started. Gabe and Sally got into a small argument how it couldn't be done. But then she went out of her way making everything for us colorful. When it was nighttime we all sat down and started to tell stories. Our mothers shared their childhood stories. Then Percy asked something I wish he didn't.

     "What happened to Dad?" he asked. I inhaled sharply. Our mothers eyes seemed to look off into the distance then each other.

     "He was kind. He was tall, handsome. You have his black hair and his green eyes," she looked at Percy. "If only he could see you now," her eyes flickered to me. "Rosa and I decided that we should send you to a summer camp," she looked at us. I nodded but Percy looked like he was about to explode. I couldn't take it anymore. I can't hold in the secret much longer.

     "I have to go," I muttered and stomped to the cabin. I backed up into a wall and slid down. I leaned my head back and sighed. After a while everybody else came in. We slept. I was jolted awake by a thunder crack. It was too early in the summer for a storm like this. "Uh oh," I changed immediately and shook Percy awake. He was confused. "Come on. I need to wake up our moms," I ran to their room. They were already awake. They motioned for me to help Percy pack. I nodded and went over to the room. Percy was just standing there confused when I got to the room.

     "What's happening?" he asked when I got into the room. Then a distant roar came from outside. Then there was pounding on the door someone was yelling. Sally ran to the door and yanked it open. Standing there was Grover without his pants showing his satyr side. He was panting. Then he caught my gaze.

     "I couldn't stop him!" I yelled over the storm. Grover sighed. Sally yelled for us all to get in the car. We ran to the car and jumped in. I sat in the middle. How I hate the middle. Percy kept looking at Grover's legs. If you don't know what a satyr is it's a half human half goat. From the waist up they look like average teens. Waist down is well goat legs and cloven hooves. While Sally was driving hard all four of us tried to explain that we shouldn't explain it to Percy. Then we swerved into a ditch. I wasn't dazed just a little bruised in the sides but everyone else was.

     "Percy!" Ms. Jackson and I yelled. I looked out the window and saw the figure. It was stomping toward us. "Get out of the car!" I helped Grover out by shoving him. He was unconscious. I dragged him out. 

     "Percy, Claira you have to run. See that big tree? That's the property line. After that you'll see the big farmhouse," she told me. I nodded and grabbed hold of Grover. But Percy grabbed his mom's arm.

     "You're coming too," he said pleadingly. Her eyes were so sad. I was tearing up myself.

     "Percy. She-" I started. Then I looked toward the tall figure.

     "You have to go! There is nothing we can do. Her mom and I can't cross the property line," she said. I grabbed Percy's arm. I looked squarely into his face.

     "Please. Percy. We have to go," a tear slid down my cheek. Eventually all four of us carried Grover and stumbled for the tree. I could sense what was behind us. The monster. The first one that Mr. Brunner taught us.

     "Pasiphae's son," my mom clarified. The Minotaur.

     "Don't say his name Percy. Names like that one have power," I said. We trudged uphill. But the bullman was faster and Grover seemed to be getting heavy. We reached the crest of the hill but the Minotaur was too close. The two moms told us to run and separate. I let the tears gush out but I ran with Percy. The moms had Grover. The Minotaur looked at Percy. He lowered his head making the horns aim straight at his chest. Then he charged. Percy sidestepped. Then the Minotaur aimed for our mothers. I was too tired to get up but I tried to get up anyway. I staggered up but fell back down. The bull charged for them and grabbed them by their necks. He squeezed them until they dissolved into a golden mist. My mouth hung open. The Minotaur walked toward me. I was very close to where he was. He snorted then kicked me in the side. Hard. I winced. My sides were still banged up from the ditch. I cringed and weakly said Percy's name. Before I blacked out I heard him yell something that told me he was lying about him moving on from his crush on me.

     "Hey ground beef! Get away from my girl!" then everything went black.