Let me get one thing straight. I technically didn’t run away from home. It was more like, my step-dad kicking me out.

My name is Camryn Dack(Cami for short). I’m twelve, and I'm in the seventh grade.

My brother used to call me munchkin because I was always so much smaller than him.

His name was Blake, and he was my best friend. He was two years older than me. He disappeared five years ago today. He never came home from school; I was home, sick that day. The last place he was sighted was on a traffic cam running with two other people. I’ve been looking for him since then; searching the web when I get a chance.

Anyways... Let's get back to why my step dad kicked me out. He said that searching for Blake was useless, and made me look like I was a psycho: trying to find my brother who was pronounced dead in an alley. They wouldn't let us see his body because supposedly he was evidence in a police case. I didn't believe them for one second. I still don't believe them. I know he’s out there, and I'll find him.

My foster family isn't that bad. I’ve been with them for two-ish years now. My foster mom, Lauren, is a police officer. I told her about my step-dad kicking me out. And the story was made up.

My stepdad made up this big fake story about how I turned violent, said I hated my mom, and ran away. He even offered a reward for me. That was all the way back in Miami. Sure, he was a nice guy until I started to hack into the street cams in all the states on the east coast to find Blake. He said I was crazy and paranoid when I said I saw Blake in North Carolina and in Maryland with the same two people. I started to read more about crime, and learn new things. They may have been a little illegal, but I never got caught so doesn’t matter to me. (If you guys are thinking ten year olds can’t be this smart, you are wrong. I learned how to do this in my tech class so.)

When I got kicked out of the house I took my two laptops, a picture of my mom and I, and some clothes. Also...I may have gone into my mom/step dad’s room, and took the money for vacation too.

I paid for a train ride up to Jacksonville then a taxi ride to Savannah, Georgia then another train ride to Charlotte, North Carolina. There, I met someone named Luke who wondered why I was alone. I told him my story. He was intrigued by it like he had heard it before. He tried to convince me to go with him to New York so I wouldn’t be alone. Although I had refused, he wouldn’t let me go on the train ride from Charlotte to Baltimore alone. He was nice. Almost like a big brother.

The train ride lasted four days because it stopped in a few cities. Luke insisted we go do something when we stopped at Richmond. So instead of sitting on the train, we went to Wendy's where I ate a whole medium fry, two chicken sandwiches, a medium Mt. Dew, and a small frosty. I can still remember it like yesterday

“Do you really need all that?” Luke asks as I start shoving fries in my mouth.

I glare at him for asking a stupid question.

He puts his hands up, “Just asking.”

After eating, we went to the park where we played hide ‘n’ go seek. I won of course but he probably just let me. What a baby. I could have won even if he was actually trying. I hid at the top of the tallest tree. I love climbing trees.

When he called for me his voice was troubled. I don't know what for though. Night was approaching which meant the train was departing soon. Maybe that was it. But I think it was something else.

On our way back to the train, we were attacked by four or five people who were dressed in street clothes with masks over their faces. They all had bronze swords. One of them had a weird looking dog on a leash. Luke immediately whipped out a bronze sword as one of them started swiping their blade at him.

“Run!” he cried.

Instead of running, I took out the bronze knife that some homeless man had given me a while back, and used it the way a young girl would. I swung it around trying to make the offense go away. Now three people were fighting Luke, so that left me with two. One person with a dagger, and the man with the oversized dog that had razor sharp fangs. I slashed my blade at its face– bad mistake. It pounced right on top of me. I felt its claws sink right into my right eye. I don't know how he did it, but Luke managed to make the three he was dealing with go away, and kick the dog off me. I was in shock, in pain, and in fear. Coming from me, fear is not easily found within my emotions. I couldn't really see because of all the blood in my eyes, so I didn't know if Luke had beaten them. All I had known was that they had beat me.

My eyes closed as I felt someone pick me up. Assuming it was Luke I did nothing.

I was right because I heard him say, “I told you to run!”

I ended up falling asleep on his back.

When I awoke, I could see. I was amazed. I took out my pocket mirror, and looked at myself. There was no blood on my face at all, and my eye had completely healed. All that was left was a hideous scar that looked like a bear clawed out my eye.

I looked around for Luke. Noticing I was still on the train, I took off down the aisle as people kept knocking into me. I had so many questions to ask Luke. When I couldn't find him, I went back to our booth. Sure enough, he was there with a tray of food.

I sat down. He said nothing. I said nothing. He just looked at me with a grin on his face.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he replied looking down at the food.

“What was that thing? Who were those people? How did I heal so fast? What are you?!” I asked all at the same time.

“First off, I'm a human— just like you. Second, I don't know who those people were. Third, the hellhound was a monster. And last of all, I really don't know how you healed so fast. All I did was put some water on your face to clean you up…”

“But how is—” I was cut short by Luke.

“Camryn. You are different. We are different. Life is harder for us. We are—,” he said something but I couldn't hear him because the train master came on the intercom, “Passengers, do not be alarmed. We are stopping at the nearest train station to make repairs on a loose wheel. It is nothing to get over panicked about. Have a nice day of travel.”

“Do you understand?” Luke asked.

I didn't but nodded my head anyways.

“I'm going to take you to a safe place for people like us. You'll be cared for there, and trained.”

I didn't know about the training part. It confused me, but I knew that I didn't want to go to some place where I didn't know.

I hesitated, “Luke...I'm not going.”

He looked at me disturbed, “What do you mean. You have to it's the only place where you'll be safe!”

“I'm not going because I want to find my brother. And the last place I saw him was in Maryland.”

"What if I help you?"

"I don't need your help!"

“If you believe that then I will make arrangement for you to stay at my old friend Lauren’s.”

I didn't answer him. I just sat, and stared out the window.

As we approached Baltimore, Luke had me keep my knife. I don't know why. Maybe it was the dog-hellhound thing. Maybe there were more. I hoped not.

We arrived and rode a taxi to Lauren's house. It was cute. It was laid on the outskirts of town. It kind of looked like an old farm house with a big tree right next to it. I could see a pond in the distance which is good because I love swimming even though I get a headache every time I do it.

Luke introduced me, and then I was told to go play with her sons: Trey and Devyn. Trey was a few years older than me, and Devyn was a baby. Trey ended up giving me a tour. He showed me my room which was astonishing. It had all white walls, a ceiling fan, a closet, a black dresser, a bed with blue sheets, two black book shelves, and a desk with a small wall tv.

That was the last day I ever saw Luke.

After two years of me being here, Lauren adopted me. She always teaches us moves from her police training. She wants us to be able to defend ourselves from muggers and people like that.

Trey and Devyn know my story. Lauren shared details about Blake to Trey. That’s why he is so nice, and sweet to me. Just like Blake. Shut up mind. Stop talking about Blake!

I’ve grown quite fond of my new family. Of course I miss my mom, but my stepdad was stupid. I love the little training lessons, and the homemade food Lauren cooks. Trey tries to be like a cool brother, and he is. He reminds me so much of Blake that I hate doing things with him. But he tries so hard to be nice. Devyn is just annoying, so don’t get me started on him.

In my room at Lauren’s, I have a wall tv, two laptops, and a desktop computer. On all these monitors, I monitor traffic cameras in New York. Don’t be thinking I’m a computer genius because I have all this stuff. Of course I am, but I mean I’m not just a computer genius. I also love sports, and going outside. Nobody knows that I’m really good at coding at school except my teacher in my media class. I’m mostly known for being really good at sports. I do gymnastics, and swimming.

It doesn't bug me that I'm not allowed to have a phone. None of us are allowed to. All the kids at school always tease us about it, but we don’t mind. We know what family means, and we know how to do all the work around the farm.

I’m a little distant, always have been, always will be. I'm different from everyone else. They all have light tans or burns, and light completions, or light completions with dark hair. I have a full tan even in the winter, black hair, dark almost black-blue eyes, I have the shape of a surfer, I wear city clothes, and the thing that most sets me apart from everybody is the scar I have across my right eye.

I fail all my classes at school except science, and media explorations which is a class where you do stuff with computers, and coding.

Right now I’m trying to do algebra homework, and I’m miserably failing.

“Knock, knock?” Trey asks walking through my doorway knocking on the woodwork.

“Go away,” I reply sadly. (Remember, my brother disappeared years ago today.)

“What are you up to?” he asks coming in and laying down on my bed.

“I thought I told you to go away,” I sigh wishing, he had never came in.

“I heard come in,” he says sarcastically. “Again whatcha’ doin’?

“If you must know, I’m doing homework.”

I sit back in my swivel chair, and spin around in a circle.

“Dooo you want any help?”

“No not really. I’ll just get another F,” I grunt.

“Are you sure?” he says walking over, taking my homework off my desk.

He looks at it then reads aloud, “34x + 89 = 309 + 12y - 4 √ 9x - 1.” He pauses. “Sounds hard.”

“Yeah right. You’re good at everything!” I exclaim wishing he would just go.

“Awe come on. Don't be like that.”

I refuse to look at him, pulling my knees into my chest.

“Is something else bothering you?” he asks.

“No. Why would you think that?” I lie.

“Well, you know...Your brother…” he trails off.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I say quickly.

“Okay.”

I spin around again then get up.

“You aren't gonna finish your homework are ya?” he asks forgetting the conversation we just had.

“Unn uhh,” I hum as I walk to my dresser.

“You’re going swimming aren't you?”

“Umm hmm,” I hum.

“You know mom won’t let you without doing it,” he says persuasively.

“Yeah, well mom isn’t here right now so,” I reply challenging him, digging through my drawers looking for my bikini.

“Well, if she isn’t here, that makes me in charge!” he says playfully, and commandingly at the same time. He can do it. It bothers me a lot.

I finally find it, and head for the bathroom since Blake, I mean Trey is in my room.

Trey dashes across my room to the doorway, so I can't get out.

“And since I’m in charge and I'm the oldest, I'm telling you, you’ve gotta finish your homework before you go swimmin’ in the lake.”

I try to push past him, “Come on. Let me through.”

“Nope!”

I give up that easy, go back to my desk, and frown. I write down a bunch of random answers with work. Then I quickly move on to biology. We are in the marine unit; it kind of comes natural to me. I breeze through that then work on history.

---

Okay, so, I have this plan that I will ask Trey to help me then I will put him in a chokehold(a move mom showed us), and walk him to the door. Then I will run to the bathroom, change, then by the time he gets the door open I will have climbed out the window to the roof, and down the tree that is right next to the house. Then I'll run to the lake, and dive in. A perfect plan.

“Hey, will you help me with this?” I ask.

He walks over and sticks his head down right next to mine. I grab my bikini off the floor, and spin my chair knocking him over. I stand up, and run to the door. Trey isn't too far behind. I run into the bathroom, and lock the door.

Trey starts to pound in the door and say, “Open up! Right now.”

I change quickly, and throw my clothes back on. I open the window then climb out onto the roof. I cross over the tree, and hear Trey get the door open. I start to climb into the tree. As I do, Trey is at the window yelling to get back there.

I fling myself down the tree and start running to the path in the woods that leads to the lake which is about a hundred yards away. I take my shirt off while I'm running, and throw it behind me. I get to the dock and jump off with my shorts on.

I twirl around expecting to see Trey running towards me, but he isn't.

All of a sudden, I hear a roar. The sound echoes throughout the whole forest. I swim to the dock, and pull myself up. I run back down the path soaking wet.

I see Trey. He’s wielding a sword. And, and there is a cyclops wielding a wooden club. I learned about them on the internet. I took a liking into greek mythology last year. I learned a lot.

“What is going on here?!?!” I yell at the top of my lungs.

Trey looks back for a split second and shouts, “Get out of here!...Now!”

Notes

Cam's Outfit
http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=188977760

Hey guys!!! I'm back! As you can see, my story is much different now...I just wasn't feeling the other one.

Sorry if the chapter was too long!

And I know demigods can't technically use technology, but it's fan fiction and I can do whatever I what.

So yeah, I don't know when chapter two will be up, but hopefully soooooooon!

Bye loves!

-A.D.R.