Hecate's Experiment

Hope stared at the ceiling in her bedroom. She couldn't sleep. It was already well past midnight, but sleep was not coming. She was just too worried. Pollux hadn't come down to dinner.
It wasn't the first time it happened. But, this time it seemed different. Lacy had left a plate outside his door, and she'd heard his door open not that long ago, but she could have sworn he'd only dropped the food down the bin, and not eaten it.
It was starting to both piss her off and concern her. Mostly concerned. But he'd done this before, it had never concerned her this much until recently. Lately, when ever he'd pull these stunts she'd feel sick to her stomach, like it was effecting her too. She wondered why.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She got to her feet, and swung open her door marching over to his. But she couldn't bring herself to knock. Her hand waivered in the air for a moment, then she sighed dejectedly and put her hand down.
She turned to move away, knowing she didn't have the courage. But stopped. She could hear sobs echoing from the room, and there was a faint smell of a salty iron. She could smell blood.
Her hand shook as she turned the handle, her strength opening the locked door with ease. She inched it open slowly afraid of what she might find. Slowly, she peered into the room.
Pollux was nowhere to be found. She sighed, sniffing the air. "Pollux," she whispered. "Pollux where are you?"
The sobs stopped just as she pinpointed where they were coming from. The bathroom door flung open. Pollux glared at her. "You should be in bed," he growled.
"Well, so should you," she said, her voice small and quiet.
"Go back to bed, Hope," He said, tonelessly, sitting with his back to her.
Hope stood her ground. "Not until you talk to me," she insisted. "And explain to me why I smell blood."
He didn't answer. He just stared at the ground, refusing to turn and look at her. Hope started to get angry. "Damn it Pollux" she snapped, turning him around to look at her. "I just want to help you!"
"I never asked for your help!" he bit back, his hand flying in the air.
Hope froze as her cheek stung. Did Pollux just hit her? She touched her cheek slowly, her mind just couldn't grasp the concept of Pollux hitting her. He was always so nice to her. He was her best friend. He would never hit her. But he did.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at Pollux who stared at his own hand in shock.
"Hope, I-" he started. "I'm sorry I didn't mean it!"
Hope turned towards the door, still in shock. "I'm sorry for bothering you," she muttered closing the door behind her, as she walked into her room trying her hardest not to cry.
She didn't succeed. Tears poured down her cheeks and into her pillow getting the white silk wet.
After a moment, a knock sounded at the door. Lacy's voice came through. "Hope are you alright?" she asked. "I heard you crying."
Hope didn't answer. Lacy tried the door knob--it wasn't locked, it never was. The small girl stared into the darkness trying to make out the shape that was Hope.
"Hope, what hap--" Lacy didn't get to finish her sentence. The mansion was rocked with an explosion.
Everyone in the house was up an on their feet, and all eight demigods gathered at an overhead balcony that looked down on the entrance hall. Malcolm nearly fainted when he saw that had burst through the door/wall.
"Acromantula," whispered Hope as she looked down at the giant spider.
Clarisse took charge, barking out orders out getting out of the building alive, and protecting Hope, but Hope didn't listen, she was too busy staring in horror at what the creature had in its grasp. Or rather, who it had in its grasp.
"Papa!" she screamed running down the stairs before the others could stop her. "Papa! No!"
A hand closed around her wrist, yanking her back. She turned to glare at Pollux.
"Let go!"
He shook his head. "We are here to protect you! Not let you run off after a monster!"
"I will not let my Papa be killed!" She screamed. "Let me go!"
"You need to come with us," he snapped. "We will get you out of here safely!"
"I will not leave without my Papa!" she snapped trying to move away, but Katie got it the way.
She gave a quick apology then threw purple dust in Hope's face. Hope coughed for a moment, then slumped to the floor, fast asleep.
Pollux stared at Katie. "What was that?"
"Purple Poppy Powder--makes you go to sleep," Katie said, as the two of them hauled Hope back up the stairs.
Chiron was waiting for them as they all made their way outside--none of them could actually defeat such a massive monster, they'd never even seen a giant spider like that, and they weren't sure they could defeat it or how. So they ran.
Sure, they all felt guilty about leaving Holland, Hope's father, behind, but to be honest, he was already dead. And Hope was a bit more important than her father, they needed to make sure she was safe.
They had to get her to camp. They piled into a camp van, with Clarisse at the wheel, and took off like speed demons for long island.
Pollux watched Hope sleeping peacefully, with her head resting on Lacy's shoulder. She still had a red mark on her cheek from where he had slapped her. He cursed himself. She probably hated him now, and he didn't blame her. He glared out the window, infuriated with himself.
He'd never meant to hurt her.

Notes

So, here's the next chapter...the next one will be interesting...If you obviously haven't figured out, Pollux still isn't coping with Castor's death, and I can garentee you Hope will have a hard time coping with her father's...

But, dark thoughts aside, you know the drill
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-Kim