Bailey
I guess I wasn’t a very good look out because Emma had crept up on me and I hadn’t even noticed. I was just watching out for monsters one second and the next I was pined against a tree with Emma’s face only inches from mine.

She pressed hard palms into my shoulders. "What’s the prophecy?" she whispered.

I didn’t reply; I just stared at her blankly hoping she would think I had gone mute again. It didn’t work and she leaned in closer.

"Tell me the prophecy you were given Bailey." It was still a whisper but there was something harsh in her voice.

Again I stayed silent hoping she would just give up. I knew she wouldn’t though. My father had told me about Emma before we had left. Emma was the smartest person at camp half blood. She was nice but if she wanted to know something she would go to any lengths to know it. Emma is not someone you want as an enemy.

Getting tired of my lack of answers Emma pushed me hard against the tree again. I cried out as she did and closed my eyes tight. I found myself flinching when she moved her arm. I was being stupid, I knew Emma wasn’t going to hurt me but I couldn’t help it. Old habits die hard.

I heard Theo stumble out of the tent. He started to talk to Emma, asking what she was doing. I opened my eyes; Emma was no longer focused on me.

"Let him go," Theo said walking over to the two of us. "Can’t you see he’s scared?"

Emma looked at me again and her face softened, she no longer looked like she wanted to kill me. She sighed and stepped away.

I collapsed to my knees and buried my fingers in the grass. I was shaking and I could hear myself breathing heavily. I was cold, freezing in fact. My already pale hands had turned a ghostly white and grape vines had sprung from the ground and were winding round my wrists. I could feel Emma and Theo’s eyes on me, they had no idea what was happening. Neither did I, not really. My father had warned it would happen if someone I trusted turned on me. That’s why he told me about Emma.

I tried to control it, but it was hard, giving into it would be easier. Giving into the pain and madness inside my own head. I crumpled onto my side shivering, trying to get control. I could feel the vines slowly wrapping round my ankles as I lay on the ground. It was coming, I could feel it. I was about to black out.

NO! I screamed inside my head, trying to stop it. It wasn’t working. I was starting to see things, snippets from my childhood. I was six, I could see my mum standing with her boyfriend, wine glass in hand, looking down at me, laughing. Then I was seven, back at my school in England, mum was yelling at a teacher, I was crying in the corner. I was ten, back with my mum’s boyfriend, he was yelling at me, he put the chain round my skinny ankle, he left, I was in darkness. Now I was eleven, in America, with Alex, his sword was at my neck, my hands were tied, he wanted me to use my powers, what powers.

I was only half aware of myself screaming as more and more painful memories came. They were of my mum and her boyfriend and the beatings and the chains in the basement. Then they were of Alex and Lily and Justin. I tried but I couldn’t control them, they were over powering me. I tried to do what dad had said to do, focus on the ones you trust. But that was hard considering I didn’t have many people that I fully trusted. But I had to try otherwise I would end up insane.

I pictured their faces blocking out the memories of my horrible childhood. There was only the two of them but it seemed to be working, the painful memories were being replaced. I was thirteen, with my dad, he was smiling, the only time I have ever seen him smile, he patted me on the back, he was proud of me. Then I was twelve, there was Thalia and the hunters of Artimes, we were sat at a campfire, she gave me a blanket, she smiled, she put her arm round my skinny shoulders.

Then suddenly it was gone, the pain, the madness, dad, Thalia. It was all gone. The only thing that was left was my mother. It was her fault his had happened. Not mine, not Emma’s, not even dads. It was hers; she was the one who had made me like this. It was all her fault and even if she was alive she wouldn’t care.

I opened my eyes to see Emma and Theo crouched over me. Their expressions were a mix of worry and fear. Emma eyes were puffy like she had been crying. I tried to sit up but the vines were still wrapped round my wrists and legs. Emma Quickly grabbed her dagger and cut them off me, they withered and died as I sat up.

"Bailey. Oh gods are you okay? I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to..." Emma’s grey eyes filled with tears. I didn’t understand that girl, one minute she was making sure I got away, then she was trying to kill me and now she was crying.

Theo handed me some ambrosia but I turned it away, it couldn’t heal me.

I leant against a tree and took a big shaky breath. I was still freezing cold and shaking but the madness had gone from my mind. I said a silent prayer of thanks to my father for helping me through it, even if he didn’t know he had.

Theo knelt down beside me. "Are you okay man?" he asked, his golden eyes shining with concern. I nodded but didn’t say anything. I was scared if I did I would either scream or start crying.

Theo patted me on the shoulder and went back over to the tent and started to pack it away. My father had told me all about him just like he had with Emma. Theo was the nicest guy at camp but that was because of his past. He felt like he had to protect everyone. He was also very powerful, according to my father, but no one knows the extent of his powers yet. Apparently he’s going to be nearly as powerful as Percy Jackson.

I looked over to Emma who was standing with her back to me. From where I was I could tell she was trying not to cry. She thought it was her fault I had had my breakdown. I wasn’t, it was my mum’s, but she didn’t know that.

I slowly got to my feet and walked over to her. "Emma," I said as I stopped behind her.

She spun round wiping the tears from her eyes. "I’m so sorry Bailey," she sniffed.

"It wasn’t you fault." I replied.

"Yes it was, if I had-"

I cut her off. "No it wasn’t," I said more forcefully.

She didn’t reply, she just sniffed wiped another tear away.

She was obviously upset, but there was more, she was scared, she was scared because she didn’t know the prophecy. I looked her straight in the eye. I didn’t want to tell her the prophecy; if I did it would mean that it was real, that we were on this quest for a reason.

I called Theo over, took a deep breath and began to recite it:

Madness strikes in the driest storm,
Six days before he shows his true form,
Hand in hand walk the owl and sun,
The dead ones lies will be undone,
With lost friends found at burning rocks,
And beware the curse of Pandora’s box.

Notes

I hope you enjoy it. Please comment i'd love to know what you think.