---

The Month Before

"If you don't get down here in ten seconds, I will whip you, Cordelia Gerals!" My mother screamed at me from the kitchen. I had been packing my clothes and a few necessities in my pack, including the pistol I had stolen for emergencies.

I ran down the stairs, not wanting to give myself away, and grabbed my plate of pancakes, poured syrup on them and shoved a bite in my mouth. I love my mums pancakes. Its the only thing I missed when I left. I shoved another bite in my mouth, savouring the taste of the pancakes, the butter and the cheap but delicious syrup.

I threw my empty, licked clean plate in the sink before running back upstairs to finish packing. I threw some apples in my pack along with my copy of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. It was my dad's favourite movie and my favourite book.

I closed the pack, slinging it over my shoulder and sneaking down the stairs. My mum was in her room so I snuck into the kitchen and grabbed more food; a box of Oreos, more apples, a loaf of bread and a jug of water. I threw it all in the backpack, knowing that though it would be heavy, I would need all the food I could get. I grabbed a handful of coins and notes from the rainy day jar, shoving it in my jeans pocket. I laced up my boots before grabbing the spare key.

I unlocked the door and opened the door slowly. Once outside I closed it quietly and locked it, hiding the key in the plant on the porch.

Then I ran. I ran away from my home, my family, the memories, the pain. All of the pain I had felt since my dad left. The pain of my mum lashing at me, blaming me for dad leaving. I ran. That's all I knew how to do. Run. I left no note, no sign of leaving, I just ran.

I ran down the streets, through the tiny forest, past the highway and into the dense forest. I yanked a pamphlet from my pocket and turned the pages. Camp Half-Blood. The place my dad wanted me to go. Why I was going, I never knew.

All I knew was it was a safe place, far from my mum, far from that house. I looked at the included map before shoving it back in my pocket. I sprinted away like a deer.

Tree branches scratching my face, I ran.

Miles later, exhausted, I sat down leaning my back against a tree, and grabbed my pack of Oreos and the water. I gulped down the water, saving most of it, and shoved the Oreos in my mouth. After five minutes, I put the food back and started jogging.

It was around three, the sun blazing down and making me sweat like a waterfall. I wiped the sweat out of my eyes.

---

I was laying down in the grass under the moon, letting the damp earth cool me down when suddenly a shadow loomed over me. I opened my eyes and stifled a scream, slowly backing up on my hands. The giant had its back to me and was grabbing something. Its seemed to be... sniffing flowers?

I slowly and cautiously stood up and walked backwards, gripping with my left hand to find the strap of my pack, never taking my eyes off the creature. I crept quietly into the trees, using the moonlight as a guide.

I cringed as twigs snapped underneath my boot. My heart thumped at a mile a minute as the giant turned and I had to bite hard on my tongue to stifle a scream. His eye was big; round and brown. He looked almost friendly with his soft eye, mortal clothes and flowers in hand.

I turn and ran before I coul properly consider his motivations, picking up a rusty blade that lay in the dirt as I went, clutching it like a dagger. I wove in and out of trees, batting the branches out of my face as the cyclops thudded after me.

"Wait, where are you going? He yelled.

I ignored him and ran faster, stumbling over a tree root in my hurry. I caught my balance and sprinted through the dense woods as he called after me.

And so I ran. I ran faster than I had ever run before. My heart pounding and breath choking painfully in my throat, I wove through the trees. I could hear the pursuer gaining as I reached a clearing. I kept running but to the left, heading for a tall stone arch in the distance.

I'm so close I can smell it. Dark hair flying, I ran. Running. That's all I do. I ran away from everything. I can feel the cyclops gaining; hear his breath, smell his stench. I see his shadow in the moonlight, towering over me like a giant.

The dagger I found biting into my palm, my legs giving an extra burst of speed, my laboured breath tearing my lungs, hunger and sleep deprivation cutting into my energy, I finally fell under the arch with a sense of safety and relief, collapsing to the ground.

Notes

Hi guys! :)

So this is a new story that Frost Wrathbomber asked me to write from one of her ideas since she doesn't have much time on her hands! Just be warned, I'm pretty busy most of the time as well so updates will be a little infrequent but hopefully worth the wait!

Frost sent me the first to chapters to carry on from so I should be able to get them up quite quickly and then I finish school for winter break for a couple of weeks so we'll get off to a good start! (NB: Southern Hemisphere seasons are the opposite to Northern Hemisphere!)

Thanks for reading!

- Phoebe (AKA The_Bright_One) :)