Theo
I knew burning rocks probably didn’t mean the strange rocks from my home town that would just be too obvious. Prophecies weren’t that easy, they would say one thing and mean something completely different.

However I had to return to my home, even if I really didn’t want to, and the burning rocks gave me an opportunity.

A few days before the quest started my father visited me whilst we were playing capture the flag. I had been tracking a girl from the Iris cabin when I heard music start to play. Being a child of Apollo I was instantly drawn to it and didn’t even think twice before following it. When I got to the source I found a golden haired teenage boy playing a lyre.

“Lord Apollo!” I exclaimed when I recognised him. I guess I unknowingly crept up on him because he jumped, drooped his lyre and fell backwards of the rock he was sitting on like a cartoon character.

“Theodoras!” he exclaimed right back at me as he stood up. “I told you last time, call me dad.”

“Okay dad,” I said crossing my arms, “and I told you last time, it’s Theo.”

My father shrugged and leant against the tree he was stood next to. He pulled an ipod and headphones out of the pocket of his jeans and started to listen to it.

It was little strange having Apollo as a dad sometimes, mainly because his preferred form was that of a teenager. It was alright when I was younger but now he looked only a year or two older than me.

“So... is there something you wanted?” I asked, curious as to why my father had decided to visit.

“Well,” he said pulling out one earphone and walking over to me. “I see you’ll be going on a quest soon.”

“I will?”

“Yes but that’s not what’s important.”

“It’s not?”

“No,” my father said putting his hands on my shoulders. He lent down so he was eye to eye with me. “You need to return home.” The bright smile was gone from his face, his bright eyes dulled.

“What!” I took a step back. “No, I’m not going back there.” I could feel myself shaking, every night I dreamt of the last time I was in my home. I didn’t want to have to relive it by going back there.

“Theo,” my father’s voice was stern. “I know it’ll be hard but you don’t have a choice. Your mother left you something and you need to see it.”

“What?”

“I cannot tell, you but you will find it, I know you will.” He left after that but not before telling me to find my light. I had no idea what he meant.

I have only met my father twice, but I have heard many tales about him from other demigods. Apparently he was a cocky, self-centred, flirt of a god who enjoyed talking in haikus. I was also told he was a relaxed and cheerful god who once visited some of my siblings just to listen to them recite poetry. However whenever he visits me he always seems so serious, he never speaks in haikus when coming to see me.

We decided the quickest way to get to Alabama was by train and even that took us ages. We arrived late morning, a day and a half after getting on the first train. According to the prophecy we had six days before he shows his true form, when we reached Alabama we probably only had two or three days left before that happened.

When we got to my old home it was the middle of the afternoon and very warm. Having grown up there I was used to it but Bailey was from England and Emma from North Dakota, I don’t think it got as warm as Alabama did there.

My mom’s shop didn’t look much different from when I last saw it. The only difference was that it looked more run down. The paint on the bright blue door was faded and the big front window was smashed and boarded up.

Without saying a word to Emma and Bailey I jumped over the wall that lead to the back yard and walked over to the back door. Nothing had change; it still looked the same as it did when I was eight, just a little bit sadder. I tried the door but it was locked.

I reached into one of mom’s hanging baskets as Emma and Bailey came over to me. I blindly searched through the dead flowers until my fingers felt something smooth and cold. I grabbed hold of it and pulled it out of the dirt.

Without wasting any time I unlocked the door and pushed it open. I was reluctant to go in, it had been eight years since I was last in my house and was where my worst memories were.

“Theo,” I heard Emma say behind me, “are you alright?”

I turned you to see her and Bailey looking at me confused. I forgot that neither of them knew what had happened to my mom and brother in this house; they had no idea why I was acting so strange.

I chocked back the lump that had formed in my throat. “Yeah,” I replied forcing a smile. “It’s just been so long since I was last here it’s a little strange you know.”

I had a feeling neither of the bought what I had just said but I didn’t want to talk about what had happened. Instead I turned round a walked quickly into my old home.

The inside had become even sadder than outside. There was a layer of dust that covered the whole kitchen, the lace drapes that hung in the window were full of holes, the light green wallpaper was peeling of the walls and there was a horrible musty smell that filled the whole house. I didn’t bother looking into the store, from the broken window I could tell it had been burgled; all my mom’s special little trinkets would be gone. Instead I headed straight to the staircase that lead upstairs.

“Where are you going?” Emma asked before I could start climbing the stairs.

“Up,” I replied. “Why?”

“The burning rocks, that’s why we’re here.” Emma’s tone was a mix of frustration and concern.

I sighed and walked over to the door which was still open. “Walk through there in as straight a line as possible for five minutes and you should get to them.” I pointed at the trees that were at the end of the yard and then walked back over to the stairs.

“Wait, aren’t you coming with us?” Bailey asked looking a little confused.

“I’ve got to check something quickly, I’ll catch up with you in a bit.” I smiled at them hoping I wasn’t worrying them with my strange behaviour.

Bailey didn’t seem to want to split up but I could tell that Emma knew I needed to be alone for a bit. She smiled at me sweetly, grabbed Bailey’s arm and then pulled him out into the yard.

As soon as the two of them were out of the door I headed up stairs. The house wasn’t very big at all with only two rooms downs stairs, the kitchen and store, and three up stairs, the bathroom and two bedrooms.
I didn’t know what I was looking for but according to Apollo my mom had left me something that I needed to see. I checked mine and Ethan’s room first and found nothing, although I did pick up the pictures Ethan had of the three of us.

I knew if it wast’t in my room it would be in my mom’s but it didn’t feel right going in. Even though the house only had five rooms I had only ever been in four of them. Ethan had told me that we should never go into mom’s room, that she needed a space that was just for her.

When I walked in I wasn’t expecting to find the room so empty, all that was in the room was a double bed, a rickety wardrobe and a sketch book. Like down stairs there was a layer of undisturbed dust covering everything.

Without hesitation I picked up the sketch book, I felt sort of drawn to it. I opened it to see the first picture. It was of me but I was about twelve and was standing with a boy and girl who looked a few years older than me. I recognised them straight away,Paige and Riley my best friends for my first four years at camp. Seeing them brought back more painful memories. I didn’t understand how my mom could have drawn that before I had even met them.

I flipped the page over and saw another picture, this time it was of Emma, Bailey and I fighting then Minotaur. How could my mom have known we were going to fight it before I even knew I was a demigod?

I turned to the next one, it was of Bailey and me with another boy I didn't recognise. He was about fifteen with dark hair, pale skin and ice blue eyes. The three of us had our weapons drawn and looked like we were about to fight someone.

Suddenly there was a sharp pain in my head and I collapsed to my knees.

Notes

Hope you enjoy and please comment I'd love to know what you think :) And sorry it took so long to up date.