Status: As of now on Hold
Welcome to Camp Half Hell
A Not-So-New Arrival
I was up early the next morning, tossing and turning, unable to fall back asleep. The clock read 6:30 AM, and I wondered briefly why I couldn’t go back to sleep. I sighed heavily as I got out of bed, heading down to the kitchen to get some breakfast before getting ready for school.
I ate a bowl of cereal before heading back upstairs to get dressed. Phoebe, my stepmother, knocked lightly on my door as I pulled my shirt over my head.
“Jacob, can I come in?” She asked softly. “We need to talk.”
“Sure, come in,” I said, pulling clothes off of the bed and making room for her to move through. “What did you need to talk about?” She sat perfectly still for a few seconds.
“Jacob, I’ve heard you wake up in the middle of the night for a while now,” She started, “and I wanted you to know that if you ever want to talk about your dreams, I’m here to listen.” I smiled at her.
“Thanks, I appreciate that,” I said, hugging her lightly. She smiled and hugged me back.
“I’m going to make something for breakfast and get ready for work,” She said, heading out of my room. I was surprised that she had agreed to take care of me, even though dad had left long ago. I wondered why she was being so nice to me.
I shook my head, clearing it of these kinds of thoughts as I left my room, grabbing my book bag on the way out. I stopped in front of the kitchen to say good bye to Phoebe before leaving, but I stopped when I heard voices.
“So, he doesn’t know yet?” That was my grandmother, Lucy. What was she doing here?
“No, he doesn’t, and I don’t plan on him finding out.” That was weird. Finding out what?
“How long can you keep it a secret?”
“I’m not sure.” Phoebe sounded worried.
“Be strong, he can’t know.” I snuck back up the stairs and ran down as if I hadn’t been there the whole time.
“Phoebe, I’m going to school!” I called loudly, heading to the front door.
“Have a good day, Jacob! I’ll see you when you get home!” She called back. I heard the nervousness in her voice and shivered. I headed outside and walked down the street to school.
---
After school that day, I took the long route back home. I was thinking about the conversation Phoebe had earlier and wondered what it could mean. I walked into the house, took off my sneakers and set my bag down by the door.
“Phoebe, I’m home!” I called.
“Jacob, I’m in the kitchen. Can you come in here, please? I have to talk to you about something important.” My heart pounded in my chest. Was it about what she was talking about earlier? Had she known that I was there? I walked into the kitchen and sat at the table across from her. My biological grandmother was there, too.
“What’s going on, Phoebe?” I asked, staring at my grandmother.
“Well, I’ve been talking to Lucy, and we’ve decided that it’s best for you to live at camp from now on,” She said softly. “It’s getting to be too dangerous here for you. And, well…. I don’t think your father’s coming back. I’m going to sell the house and move somewhere else.”
“But where will you go?” I asked. She smiled.
“I’ve always wanted to live in Europe. Maybe it’s time for me to do that,” She said. “Don’t think that I don’t love you, Jacob. I just think it would be safer for you there, and Lucy agrees.” Grandma nodded. I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.
“When do I leave?” I asked.
“In an hour. Go pack,” Grandma said.
“What about school? What are you going to tell them?”
“I’m going to tell them that we’re moving away and that you won’t be finishing the year there,” Phoebe said. I nodded and headed upstairs to pack.
---
Once I was packed and ready to go, I pulled a golden drachma out of my back pocket. I went outside and waited for the taxi to come pick me up and take me to camp. While I was waiting, I heard a strange noise from behind me. I turned to look and a Cyclops was running down the street in my direction.
My first thought was to run, so that’s what I did. I hoped that the taxi would find me, and I heard another noise, this time to my left. I looked and saw the taxi.
“You getting in or what?” One of them, I could never keep them straight, asked. I nodded and grabbed hold of the door. Flinging it open, I leapt into the back of the taxi and slammed the door shut. We sped off toward the camp and I relaxed, enjoying the ride as best as I could.
---
When we got to camp, I gave them an extra drachma and walked over Half Blood Hill. I walked onto the camp grounds and felt truly at home for the first time in a while. I smiled as I walked to my cabin and set my stuff down. I started to unpack when Chiron walked into the cabin.
“Welcome back, Jacob. Aren’t you a little early this year?” He asked. I told him what Phoebe had said to me and he nodded. “Very well, then. Why don’t you unpack and enjoy yourself, then?” He said. I nodded and he left the cabin. I finished unpacking and went for a walk around the grounds.
I still loved just being able to wander around camp and enjoy the atmosphere. I heard we had two new campers this year and I was excited to meet them. I always loved meeting new campers because they were extensions of the already large family. I couldn’t wait to meet them.
I ate a bowl of cereal before heading back upstairs to get dressed. Phoebe, my stepmother, knocked lightly on my door as I pulled my shirt over my head.
“Jacob, can I come in?” She asked softly. “We need to talk.”
“Sure, come in,” I said, pulling clothes off of the bed and making room for her to move through. “What did you need to talk about?” She sat perfectly still for a few seconds.
“Jacob, I’ve heard you wake up in the middle of the night for a while now,” She started, “and I wanted you to know that if you ever want to talk about your dreams, I’m here to listen.” I smiled at her.
“Thanks, I appreciate that,” I said, hugging her lightly. She smiled and hugged me back.
“I’m going to make something for breakfast and get ready for work,” She said, heading out of my room. I was surprised that she had agreed to take care of me, even though dad had left long ago. I wondered why she was being so nice to me.
I shook my head, clearing it of these kinds of thoughts as I left my room, grabbing my book bag on the way out. I stopped in front of the kitchen to say good bye to Phoebe before leaving, but I stopped when I heard voices.
“So, he doesn’t know yet?” That was my grandmother, Lucy. What was she doing here?
“No, he doesn’t, and I don’t plan on him finding out.” That was weird. Finding out what?
“How long can you keep it a secret?”
“I’m not sure.” Phoebe sounded worried.
“Be strong, he can’t know.” I snuck back up the stairs and ran down as if I hadn’t been there the whole time.
“Phoebe, I’m going to school!” I called loudly, heading to the front door.
“Have a good day, Jacob! I’ll see you when you get home!” She called back. I heard the nervousness in her voice and shivered. I headed outside and walked down the street to school.
---
After school that day, I took the long route back home. I was thinking about the conversation Phoebe had earlier and wondered what it could mean. I walked into the house, took off my sneakers and set my bag down by the door.
“Phoebe, I’m home!” I called.
“Jacob, I’m in the kitchen. Can you come in here, please? I have to talk to you about something important.” My heart pounded in my chest. Was it about what she was talking about earlier? Had she known that I was there? I walked into the kitchen and sat at the table across from her. My biological grandmother was there, too.
“What’s going on, Phoebe?” I asked, staring at my grandmother.
“Well, I’ve been talking to Lucy, and we’ve decided that it’s best for you to live at camp from now on,” She said softly. “It’s getting to be too dangerous here for you. And, well…. I don’t think your father’s coming back. I’m going to sell the house and move somewhere else.”
“But where will you go?” I asked. She smiled.
“I’ve always wanted to live in Europe. Maybe it’s time for me to do that,” She said. “Don’t think that I don’t love you, Jacob. I just think it would be safer for you there, and Lucy agrees.” Grandma nodded. I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.
“When do I leave?” I asked.
“In an hour. Go pack,” Grandma said.
“What about school? What are you going to tell them?”
“I’m going to tell them that we’re moving away and that you won’t be finishing the year there,” Phoebe said. I nodded and headed upstairs to pack.
---
Once I was packed and ready to go, I pulled a golden drachma out of my back pocket. I went outside and waited for the taxi to come pick me up and take me to camp. While I was waiting, I heard a strange noise from behind me. I turned to look and a Cyclops was running down the street in my direction.
My first thought was to run, so that’s what I did. I hoped that the taxi would find me, and I heard another noise, this time to my left. I looked and saw the taxi.
“You getting in or what?” One of them, I could never keep them straight, asked. I nodded and grabbed hold of the door. Flinging it open, I leapt into the back of the taxi and slammed the door shut. We sped off toward the camp and I relaxed, enjoying the ride as best as I could.
---
When we got to camp, I gave them an extra drachma and walked over Half Blood Hill. I walked onto the camp grounds and felt truly at home for the first time in a while. I smiled as I walked to my cabin and set my stuff down. I started to unpack when Chiron walked into the cabin.
“Welcome back, Jacob. Aren’t you a little early this year?” He asked. I told him what Phoebe had said to me and he nodded. “Very well, then. Why don’t you unpack and enjoy yourself, then?” He said. I nodded and he left the cabin. I finished unpacking and went for a walk around the grounds.
I still loved just being able to wander around camp and enjoy the atmosphere. I heard we had two new campers this year and I was excited to meet them. I always loved meeting new campers because they were extensions of the already large family. I couldn’t wait to meet them.
♠ ♠ ♠
Not so great, but here's my intro chapter.