Behind the Shadows

"I could of handled that myself!" Clarisse screams. She stomps her foot on the ground to prove how angry she is. Jake coughs from next to to her and Sapphire notices that he is trying to hold back a laugh. Percy just stands next to Sapphire looking like he couldn't care less. They just defeated a hellhound and now have an angry daughter of Ares after them, but none of that seems to faze Percy in the slightest. Jake just looks like he is about to fall to the ground in a fit of laughter. Sapphire on the other hand can't take her eyes of the puddles of water covering the ground of the arena. Knowing that she able to control such a powerful element was making her feel on edge.
"A simple thanks would be nice" Jake mutters. Clarisses growls echoes throughout the arena. She stomps her foot again and storms out of the arena. Jake cracks up and falls to the ground. Percy looks at Sapphire and shrugs before he makes his leave out the arena as well. Sapphire stares at Jake while he rolls about on the ground laughing wondering how he could find this situation so funny. Not wanting to linger around the mess of water and confusion Sapphire decided to leave him there and make her own way out of the arena.
A week has passed since Sapphire came face to face with the hellhound. She keeps looking over her shoulder expecting Clarisse to come running at her with her spear. Nothing had happened. All Sapphire got was glares and gritted teeth. It wasn't just Clarisse's glare that was always following her round camp. Sapphire had a horrible feeling that someone was watching her. Even when she was sleeping she had dreams of a shadowy figure standing before her. She never got to see the face of the figure but she knew that whatever was watching her at camp was connected to her dreams.
Nearly all the camper had left to go back to their homes to start another school year. Chiron had recommended that Sapphire stay at camp just to be on the safe side. She had always been used to having all sorts of monsters after her, but that was when she was a daughter of Apollo. Now she is a daughter of one of the big three. That would mean her life would be in even more danger. The more powerful the demigod the more tasty the meal. So she stayed at camp with the little amount of campers left. Sapphire found herself sitting alone most days. Every single one of her friends were away. Luke used to be the one who would stay at camp with her when everyone went back to their families or Sapphire and Luke would go to the same boarding school with Annabeth. Annabeth was at school now alone and Sapphire was sitting at camp alone.
Everyday Sapphire thought more and more of Luke. His missing presence was a noticeable hole in Sapphires life.
Sitting at the campfire Sapphire watched the little amount of campers sitting with her at the campfire. They all have smiles on their faces while they sing along to a song Sapphire has not heard before. Sapphire hides her cringe when she hears a girl scream the lyrics. The girl carries on singing as though she is not effected by her awful pitch. Its pitch black behind Sapphire and she wonders if anyone has fallen flat on their face yet on their walks back to the cabins. She laughs to herself at the thought and turns to her left and huffs. There is no Jake beside her. This would be something the pair of them would be joking about.
"Something funny?" A girl asks from infront of Sapphire. Sapphire looks up and finds a daughter of Hermes looking down at her. A prick of guilt surfaces in Sapphire when she relises she does not know the girls name.
"I was just thinking" Sapphire answers. The girl smiles and sits down next to Sapphire.
"Must of been a really funny thought" The girl chirps. Sapphire nods.
"Yeah, I'm sorry but I don't know your name" Sapphire babbles. The girl laughs.
"I'm Nancy". The name is not familur to Sapphire.
"I'm Sapphire". The girl laughs again.
"That obvious! Everyone knows you". Sapphire's mouth falls open a little.
"They do?"
"Yeah, I think you and Jake are really funny and I love how you guys are always trying to prank Clarisse". Sapphire grins at Nancy.
"I don't try, I succed!" Nancy laughs again.
"We should prank her together!" Nancy announces. Sapphire pauses and thinks for a moment.
"Now?" Nancy nods excitedly. Sapphire jumps to her feet.
"Lets get going then". Nancy stands up and follows Sapphire away from the campfire. They don't make it far before Sapphire stops and frowns.
"I don't even know where Clarisse is" Sapphire states. Nancy smiles.
"I saw her on top of the hill with some of her friends going into the woods" Nancy chirps. Sapphire high fives Nancy.
"Let's go then!" Sapphire sings and grabs Nancy's hand and runs towards the hill. They fall a few times on the ways. Sapphire had been right people did fall in the dark. She just didn't think it would be her falling though.
When they reach the top of the hill its complety silent. Its so dark Sapphire can't see her own hand in front of her face.
"I can't see a thing!" Sapphire whispers. She can hear Nancy breathing next to her.
"Just keep walking forward I have a torch but we need to get nearer before I can switch it on" Nancy whispers back.
"Why can't you swich it on now?" Sapphire grumbles.
"Clarisse can't know that we are here" Nancy's voice is uneven. Sapphire pauses for a moment wondering what Nancy might be up to. Shrugging it off she carries on walking forward nearing smacking straight into a tree when they entered the woods. Sapphire knew she was being to nieve with Nancy by just accepting to come to the forest to prank Clarisse. For all Sapphire knew she might be the one getting pranked. Preparing herself just in case she took a small step away from Nancy. Nancy failed to notice Sapphires movements.
"We should be getting close" Nancy says. Her voice is rushed and cracked. Sapphire stops and frowns.
"What are you up to?" Sapphire asks. This was not right. If Nancy was planning on pranking Sapphire then why does she sound so panicked. A slight rustle of the trees makes Sapphire freeze. Nancy is silent. No reply comes from her.
"Nancy?" The tree continue to rustle. Sapphire takes a step back followed by another until she hits something solid.
"Nancy?" Her voice shakes from a growing fear. The thing she walked into moves and Sapphire screams and scrambles away.
"Nancy" Sapphire shouts for her. No reply comes and Sapphire whimpers before she runs. She does not get far before someone grabs hold of her. She fights with all she has to try and get out of the hold. Nothing works. All she gets is a few grunts. She can tell its a male that is holding her by the grunts. Sapphire continues to fight.
"Sapphy" His voice is heard through the dark. Sapphire stops fighting and her eyes grow large.
"Luke?" She whispers.
"Knock her out and restrain her" Luke orders and seconds later a force hits Sapphires head and everything goes black.

Notes