Dark Side of the Moon

I had a hard time getting to sleep. Can you really blame me? Living on the streets, you learn to sleep in some eery places, but after the eventful little fiasco that just went on, I didn't exactly feel safe. The one person that I believed could vaguely protect me right now was curled up next to a tree out cold. Despite the noises I heard coming from elsewhere in the forest we where in, and my usual insomniac tendencies I usual had a night, I found myself slowing drifting away into the stars above as I slipped down a tree and plopped down to the ground.

Another reason I never really slept, dreams. People always talk about dreams, and how they can take you anywhere. Well I despised that. The fact that they take you anywhere, my dreams tend to be so vivid that I sometimes get mixed up with them and reality. Tonight I was drifting in the starts. In amongst the many galaxies. I felt as if I was bigger than the world. I could see everything. The night was machine and I was controlling it with great might. Everyminute I was being taken further and further into the deep cluster of sparkling lights. There was another woman there. I almost missed her, the way she was camouflaged with the nebula. More like a dark opaque ghost. She had extremely long hair that was messily braided. She wore a long black dress, like those of a greek goddess. This wasn't the first time we'd met. I saw her every time I dreamt. She would always be with me as I explored the night world. I felt like she was watching over me, but she always looked weary, and tired, like she needed someone to look after her. Some nights she seemed stronger. Normally, it mattered what time of night it was. She always seemed best at midnight. It was almost morning, guessing by her closing eyes, and the fact that the cloud I was standing on a minute ago had disappeared and I was now falling. Instead of screaming as one normally would. I just waited out the fall, knowing that when I hit the ground I would wake up, like every other night.

☊☋☊☋

I opened my eyes slowly, seeing the tops of many trees. I remembered what happened last night and sighed. There's no possible way it could have been a dream. I sat up and looked around me. Nico was sitting by a tree across from me playing with a leaf.

"Oh, finally you're up. You know you snore?" He started talking whilst getting up and brushing himself off. "Well, we best start walking, I would have liked to get there a little earlier, but it's not like it really maters on your part." He then started walking, without waiting for me to get up, let alone a response.

I quickly got up and grabbed my bag before running to catch up with his swift pace.

"Hey!" I called after him, but he didn't turn back. "HEY!" I yelled this time and spun him around by grabbing his shoulder.

"What?" He asked with his eye brows raised in his in an innocent manner.

"Do you mind explaining to me about what's going on." I asked with my arms crossed.

He looked at me, rolled his eyes, and sighed. "I told you, you're a half-blood."

He went to turn around and keep going, but I grabbed his arm and spun him around again. "How 'bout a real explanation, like why a lovely old man attacked me and where are we going?"

He yanked his arm away and looked down on me. "Look, I really don't have time for this, but seeing as you are very persistent..." He paused. "I'm bringing you to Camp Half-Blood. It's a camp for children with godly parents. You'll get a full explanation once you get there." He then walked off yet again.

I decided to settle for his excuse, at least for now. I followed him for about ten minutes. He seemed to know where he was going, but I had no idea on how he could navigate his way through this place. The trees where extremely high, with full foliage so you could barely see the blue sky. There was absolutely no flat ground, and I kept feeling as though, someone, something was watching us. I was looking around me, not really paying attention to Nico when he stopped, therefor resulting in me walking straight into his back. He stayed steady, but I fell flat on my bottom. At least Nico was somewhat of a gentleman and helped me up.

"Ok, you see the opening over there?" Nico pointed at the edge of the forest where you could see the beginning of a nice green field.

I nodded plainly.

"Go just through there and you'll find the camp. They should still be having breakfast so you should be fine. You'll be able to figure it out from there."

"Wait, you're not coming with me?" I asked.

"No, but i'll watch from here incase you get into any trouble." He answered plainly. "Now go."

I don't know why I just went along with it. Maybe it was because this guy had caused me enough trouble as it was, or I was just in shock. Either way, I walked slowly towards where he pointed. For some unknown reason I was suddenly self conscious. I don't think I've ever been, but I found myself attempting to finger the nots out of my hair, and straighten my clothes. I crossed my arms and slowly made my way through the rushes.

I had just seen the total of the camp when I was tackled from the side. Suddenly I was on my back with a strong ginger boy holding me down. Sword pointing at my face. I did what I think anyone would. I screamed, and screamed, and screamed. I struggled to get out of the boys grasp but he was too strong. He seemed to be dressed in greek armour from the top, but he was wearing plain khakis as bottoms.

"Calm down, calm down!" Nico said as he made his way to help me through this, I guess would be considered trouble. "Let her go. She's just a new camper."

Ginger glared at me for a moment and then slowly, but surely got off of me and let me go. I quickly got up and backed up behind Nico. The boy nodded his head toward a big building and Nico started walking toward the building and I grabbed his arm, quickly following, occasionally looking back at gingy. Once he was out of sight I calmed down a lot. As we got closer to the building I noticed that it was much bigger then I had thought.

"Um, do you mind letting go of my arm?" Nico said awkwardly.

I had completely forgot that I was even holding on to it. "Oh, sorry." I quickly let go and wrapped my arms around my too skinny body.

We finally made it across the field and to the building.

Nico stopped. "This is the Big House."

It looked like the main building of any other camp. Bigger than a house, but not overly large. It was a wonderful sky blue colour, that made it look peaceful. Nico walked up the couple porch steps and motioned for me to follow him. Walking through the front door, it looked just like a normal cabin, only instead of dear or moose heads, there where monster looking things. Now, two days ago I would have said you where crazy if you told me you had slain a scary, murderous, giant, fire breathing beast, but now, after Mr. Gryph, I think I would be grateful. For, even though I knew these things where dead. They still freaked the shit out of me. Fangs bared and sharp scales, they made Mr. Gryph look like a lost puppy dog.

"Wait here." Nico said from the bottom of a stair case. I nodded and looked around the room as he made his way up the stairs.

I decided to sit on the couch. Taking up as least room as possible, hugging my bag to my chest. I waited a moment in the silent, eery room until I heard a...galloping? There was man that came off the stair case after Nico. I stood up, ready to shake the man, whom I suspected was the administrator. Only then did I notice his legs, all four of them. From the waist down he was not a man, but a horse.

Even though I know fully that it's rude. I pointed at him and started jabbering about. "Man....Horse.....Horse....Man.....But.....I.......He......And......Horse........Legs......Four of them......I...." etc.

The horse man looked slightly insulted, but I assumed he was used to it. Nico slowly made his way towards me and put his hand on my back, talking calmly. "Yes, how 'bout we just go get some air." He turned me around as I kept speaking incomprehensibly.

Out side there was a man coming in, he was tall with a dark beard and a beach shirt. "Oh look, the boy who ran away, and who's this?"

Me still stunned said stupidly. "THERE'S A HORSE MAN IN THERE! RUN HE'LL EAT YOU!"

There was a yell from the inside of the Big House. "I would never put something so dreaded in my mouth!"

The man was insulted by this and stomped inside and started yelling. This was all too much for me. I sat down on a bench and Nico sat beside me. I was only starting to regain calmness when a boy walked past. He let out a little cough which sounded more like a bleat. Then I got a full view of him.

I had one thing to say.

"Sheep!"