lacuna [connor stoll]

VIII. The Curse

CHAPTER NINE: THE CURSE

The last night of camp was the bead ceremony. The Hephaestus cabin had designed the bead this year. It showed the Empire State Building, and etched in tiny Greek letters, spiraling around the image, were the names of all the heroes who had died defending Olympus. There were too many names, but they put as much as they could. Ellie put it on her camp necklace—eight beads now. The camp necklace dangled in front of her mother's necklace. She tried to ignore it, but it was quite unmissable. The gold and jewels gleamed in the sun.

"Never forget this summer!" Chiron told them. He had healed remarkably well, but he still trotted in front of the fire with a slight limp. "We have discovered bravery and friendship and courage this summer. We have upheld the honor of the camp. And now, early to bed! Remember, you must vacate your cabins by noon tomorrow unless you've made arrangements to stay the year with us. The cleaning harpies will eat any stragglers, and I'd hate to end the summer on a sour note!"

Ellie would be staying throughout, as she had nowhere else to go. She knew Connor and Travis would be as well, for they were the Hermes head counselors after Luke had gone wacko.

After she had been claimed, Hephaestus cabin had gone straight to work. After researching her mother with Annabeth, it was ironic that the Hephaestus cabin was working on it, since Hephaestus had been the one to curse Harmonia in the first place.

It was difficult to accept that she was 'cursed' now. It would be unsettling for anyone, but the fact that everyone that had bared the curse had died painfully, she was worried for when her moment would come. But for now, there wasn't much she could do.

She had researched, with the help of Annabeth through Iris Message. The necklace of Harmonia was a inevitable curse that led to the painful deaths of everyone that had owned it before her. Both of them argued that maybe she should pull herself away from relationships to avoid hurting someones feelings.

"Drachma for your thoughts?" Connor asked from beside her.

She fiddled with her new bead, one that had found it's place beside the other seven beads.

"You'd need more than that," Ellie teased, offering the boy a forced smile.

Since the Harmonia cabin was still in process of being built, she still slept in the Hermes cabin. She allowed herself to be dragged off by Connor towards their cabin.

Things were different. With impending doom upon her, she found herself distancing herself from her friends. They noticed, of course, but Ellie was stubborn. She wanted her end to be least painful for her friends as possible.

"Hey," Connor whispered into her ear. His voice sent butterflies to stomach.

"Yeah?" She asked.

Connor suddenly tickled her side, making her let out a giggle.

"Stop!" She shrieked. Connor stopped, wearing a small smile.