The Rising Styx

This drive seemed to take an eternity. Now I know that is a total exaggeration, it was less than an hour, but I couldn’t wait to get to camp. I just rolled down the window, leaning my head against the passenger door. I smiled as I felt my long, red hair dance in the wind, the smell of the ocean filling the air. I leaned out of the window a little, feeling the wind glide over my face. I was in bliss.

“Vanessa, get your head back in here.”

I reluctantly pulled myself back into the car.

“Mom, I’m fine.”

“But dear, you could get hurt.”

I held back my urge to laugh. My mom was taking me to a camp where sword fighting and climbing lava-covered rock walls was a daily routine, and she was worried about me getting hurt by leaning out the window a little. It made perfect sense.

I sat back in my seat. “How much longer till we’re there?”

“We have to make a pit stop first.” I looked at my mom. Her light brown eyes continued to look at the road ahead of us. Her red hair laid on her shoulders, blowing slightly from my open window.

“What?” I whined. I didn’t want to stop anywhere. I wanted to get to camp to see Daisy and Evalyn.

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“But mom…” I complained, “I don’t want to make a pit stop. I want to get to camp.”

Mom just shook her head. “I’m sorry, dear.”

“At this rate Evalyn will get to camp before me.” I mumbled. Evalyn lived in California. And I wasn’t kidding when I said that she might beat me; though she did have an unfair advantage. She never used nothing transportation to get to camp. She just shadow traveled. That is a perk of being the daughter of Hades and living with her brother who knew how. Eva hadn’t learned how to shadow travel yet. Nico promised that he would teach her when she turned sixteen, but Eva was having a hard time waiting.

“I think this stop won’t be that being of a problem once we get there.”

I leaned against the door, looking out the window. “I kinda doubt that.” I mumbled. I just sighed as I watched the waves crash into the coast. I so wanted to run down into the surf and feel the water running over my feet.

“I’m sorry.” Mom spoke, “I promised that I would stop.”

“Promised who?”

“I’ll see.” I sighed again, snuggling into the door. “Can we listen to the radio, please?”

The car was filled with the sounds of Ellie Goulding’s song Lights. I softly sang along. I pulled my phone from my pocket. I opened a new message, before typing some words.

Have you guys left yet?

I slid my phone shut and laid it in my lap as I sang. I listened to my mom singing along with the radio. I smiled a little. My mother was a singer, Natalie Carnelean. She wasn’t incredibly famous, but she was good. The feeling of my phone vibrating made me jump a little. I looked at the screen.

Evalyn

I pressed View Now watching the message appear before me.

Not yet. Y? Wat up?

Mom ‘has’ to make a stop b4 going to camp

I waited a few moments, my phone going off again.

Oh. Hope watever it is goes ok.

Me too. See ya at camp.

It took her little time to reply back with a See ya there.

As I slid my phone back into my pocket, I gazed out the front window. Manhattan stood beside the interstate we were on. I gazed at the small patch of clouds that loomed over the Empire State Building.

‘Wonder what is going on up there?’

I watched as my mom started onto a ramp that would take us into the city. I looked to my mom, raising an eyebrow. Where could she be going? We never came to Manhattan. We only came down here to see……

“Mom!” I exclaimed, my mood immediately happier.

She smiled, “See I told you that you wouldn’t have a problem with it.”

I had a ridiculous looking grin on my face as I eagerly waited for the house to come into my view. Finally, I could see it. My happy mood grew larger as I saw who was on the front porch.

Mom had barely gotten the car in park when I sprung out of the car.

“Percy!” I screamed as I leaped at him.

“Hey, Nessa.” He said as he hugged me back. “How’s my little sissy doing?”

I stepped back from him, placing my hands on my hips. “You can call me sis or sister. But don’t call me sissy.” I paused. “And I’m not little.”

Percy grinned at me. The little argument hardly ever worked. Percy was a lot older than me. He would be thirty in a few months. I would be fifteen in a few days.

“Sorry couldn’t help it.” Percy smiled as he ruffled up my hair. I tried to frown at my older brother, but failed. It was really hard to be mad at my brother.

“Hello, Percy.” my mom greeted him as she walked up behind me. She kind made me jump a little.

“Hi, Natalie.” Percy greeted my mom, “How have you been?”

“Pretty good.”

“Nessa not giving you too much grief.”

“Hey!” I exclaimed. A huge grin covered Percy’s face.

“Not anymore than usual.”

“Mom!” She was grinning. The two of them began to laugh. I crossed my arms over my chest. “This is so not fair.”

“Percy, what did you say this time?” Standing in the front door was Annabeth, my brother’s wife. She had an apron on, holding a wooden spoon in her hand as she stood with her arms crossed.

“Hey Annabeth.” I spoke. She smiled to me before going to back to stare at Percy.

“I was only picking on her.” Percy put his hands up in a silent surrender. My mom did the same thing.

“I’m guilty too. I was helping.”

Annabeth sighed as she shook her head. “You too are hopeless sometimes.”

Both Percy and my mom gave Annabeth a cheesy grin. Annabeth just shook her head again. Percy stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Oh come on dear.” Percy put on a pouty face. “We’re sorry.”

Annabeth’s wall slow crumbled. It collapsed with a sigh. “Fine.” she muttered. The two gave each other a little kiss. Normally someone would be grossed out at seeing their almost thirty year old brother kiss his wife, but I was used to this. Mom and I actually joke about how they still act like love struck teenagers. I smiled. I even had to admit that the two were made for each other. Aphrodite had outdone herself when she paired these two together.

“Hey Mom!” I heard a voice call from inside the door. “Are they here?”

Walking through the open front door was my nephew, Billy Jackson. There was only one true way to describe Billy. He looked exactly like his father, with his mother’s blonde hair. It was actually a little creepy how much Billy looked like the younger pictures of Percy. To be honest, Percy hadn’t really changed that much either. Unfortunately, Billy hadn’t picked up his attitude from either of his parents. Billy is the type of kids that lets things go to his head. One of these things being that he was the son of the great Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. Now don’t get me wrong I love my nephew, but he has his moments.

“Hey, Aunt Nessie!” he exclaimed when he saw me. That was one of his moments.

“Stop calling me that.” I growled, “I am not a huge sea creature.”

“You look like one.” Billy mumbled. Annabeth heard him, whacking him in the head with her wooden spoon.

“Billy apologize to her right now.”

“I’m sorry.” He was looking at the ground as he apologized. I sighed, “Ok.”

Billy slung a backpack onto his shoulder, throwing his free hand in the pocket of his jeans. Then I realized what he was wearing. A orange T-shirt that read Camp Half-Blood on it. My eyes widened.

“Mom…..”

“Yes dear?”

“Why exactly did we have to make this pit stop?”

Mom looked at me, attempting to look innocent. This made me suspicious. I knew mom had forgotten to mention something to me.

“Mom?”

“I told your brother that I would take Billy to camp for him and Annabeth.”

“What?!” I screamed. I pointed to the kid standing on the porch next to his mother. “Why is he coming to camp?! He’s like five!”

“I’m not five!” Billy yelled back, “I just turned ten!”

I ignored him, continuing to look at my mom. My mom just shakes her head at me. Percy walked up beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Just try not to kill him to much ok sis?” Percy said, “But I do want you to smack him around a little and break him in?”

I grinned a little at the thought of smacking Billy around a little, but that still didn’t mean that I was wanting him to tag along with me at camp.

“Ok.” I reluctantly said. Percy gave my shoulder a little squeeze.

“Thanks sis.”

Oh, why me?