Lake

[Akemi Sekine]

The lake at Camp Half-Blood is quite large and is centered in the middle of the camp. Canoes are common to cross the lake with, but campers understand that no one should swim in the lake because of naiads. Even though the water seems crystal clear in some places, in the center of the lake if you were to look down, the lake would seem to go on and on no matter how far down you think you could see.

On the shore of the lake, picnic tables are scattered in a seemingly random pattern. Also, under a tree on the north side of the lake, an old swing hangs from a branch.  

[Xx Brackenclaw xX]

Karter hid in the shadow of the trees. The sun had gone down as he dozed off laying on Dream his friendly hell hound. Jumping up he looked around the lake frightened. What if some one had seen him Kater thought. "I need to be more careful next time." Making sure that nobody was around the lake Kater walked up to the waters edge and stared down at his reflection in the water. He was hideous with his crooked, chipped teeth. His extra long nose that made him look like those evil guys in cartoons. He couldn't stand to look at himself anymore. Looking away from the water kater looked up towards the sky. "Why did you do this to me Melinoe, why?"  

[Lexis_Nexis]

Danny had been hanging out at the lake for a while--there was a swing on the north end that she found to be relaxing to swing on. She was wearing pajamas (a tan pair of sweatpants and a navy blue tank top) as it was dark and she had just snuck out of the Asclepius cabin. Her iPod was stowed in her pocket and the headphones snaked their way up to her ears. Currently the music player was set on shuffle within the artist Bon Iver's songs and Danny's thoughts were accompanied by Skinny Love--one of Bon Iver's more popular songs.

Although she usually did not leave the cabin without her bow and arrow since even inside camp it was dangerous, but tonight she only kept a simple dagger strapped to her shin and hidden as a result of the baggyness of her sweats. With a hand gripping each rope holding the string up, she gently swung back and forth, kicking her legs off the ground lightly each time and staring out at the lake. She was content to just sit there with her thoughts, but a shadow on the other side of the lake caught her attention.

Sliding the headphones off of her ears, she dug her heels into the ground to stop the swing and stood up silently. Squinting at the shadow, she determined it was person-shaped which ruled satyrs and monsters out of the lost of possible people that could be. Danny figured it was either a fellow camper, camp staff, or Zane--the camp director. However since the figure lacked a sword sheath she whittled the list down to a fellow camper. It was the beginning of the year, so few were there, but considering it could be one of her friends, Danny meandered her way around to the other side of the lake.

By the time Danny had made it around the lake--although it only took a few minutes--the person was sitting by the lake and looking up at the sky. She heard a mumble escape from the figure's mouth and realized it was a guy, but she still couldn't make out any words. Shuffling her hand through her short hair that she still was not used to, Danny stopped a few dozen feet away from the kneeling boy.

"Nice weather, huh?" she said quietly and calmly, trying not to startle the boy. After all, in the middle of the night people aren't typically expecting to be snuck up on. And at Camp Half-Blood what with the harpies who eat campers who break curfew, sudden voices in the night are a cause for fight or fight, not casual conversations.

Danielle Shay Richardson

Daughter of Asclepius

Fourth Year -- Age 16

 

[Xx Brackenclaw xX]

Karter lazily stared at the stars. He felt the soothing calm breeze blow across his face. Closing his eyes he thought about the simpler easier times he used to live before Camp and Melinoe's curse.

Karter and Caroline had been sitting on a beach just like this one, only it was mid-day. Caroline sat on her beach towel with the sun bathing her golden tan skin. We watched our friend Alex run around the beech playing catch with our other friend Matt.

Suddenly from behind bucket of sand got pour on Karter's head. Turning around he saw Matt laughing holding a stitch in his side. Standing up Karter began to chase Matt around the beach until he caught him. Dragging him to the ground he proceeded to pour sand on top of him until he was cover from neck to toe in a foot of sand.

"Now lets see you pour sand on me," Karter laughed. Walking back over to Caroline Karter sat back down next to her. As soon as he sat down a fistful of sand was thrown in his face. Spitting out the sand that got into his mouth he looked over at Caroline. "You're lucky your cute," He told her before falling back on the sand.

Coming out the memory Karter started to chuckle which quickly turned into a gasp as Somebody spoke a few feet off to the side of him. Spinning away from the voice Karter threw his hood over his face so none of it could be seen and drew his dagger that his father gave him. "Who goes there?" He called out. He could hear Dream growl next to him. Grabbing her collar Karter pulled Hope back in case it was just another camper.

Karter Kain Kreedly
Unclaimed Camper

 

[Lexis_Nexis]

Almost as the words had left Danny's mouth, the boy kneeling by the lake turned towards her, clearly startled. His hand flew over and grabbed something. In the night it took Danny a few seconds to realize what. It was then that she saw the dog. If dog was the right word. It matched the shadows so well that Danny had not seen it a few moments ago. Out of habit, her hand slid to her leg, closer to her knife hidden on her shin. However, she stayed standing and only took a small step back.

"Just... me," she said, answering the boy's question, "Danny Richardson, daughter of Asclepius. Fourth year camper."

Wary of the boy a few yards in front of her, Danny kept her eyes steadily shifting between his silhouette caused by the moonlight reflecting off of the lake and the dog next to him

Danielle Shay Richardson

Daughter of Asclepius

Fourth Year -- Age 16

 

[Xx Brackenclaw xX]

Creeping back towards the forest Karter called out "How long have you been there?" Many thoughts ran through his head. Had she seen anything, was she disgusted, why is she talking to him.

When he reached the first tree in the forest he ended up on the side of Danielle in the shadow of the trees he reached down and put the knife back where he got it from. He realized that he had scared her when he jumped like he did, he didn't need to read her emotions for that.

Karter Kreedly
Unclaimed Camper

 

[Lexis_Nexis]

Danny watched as the strange boy walked diagonal to her. The fact that he was wearing a hood was a little sketchy, but she decided not to let it bother her too much. She figured she could take him in a fight if he tried to jump her. Or she figured she could at least outrun him.

"Eh... not long," Danny shrugged, moving her hand away from her knife, "I just walked up. I was over there. On the swing."

Danny pointed across the lake to the small wooden swing that hung lonely from the tree. The moon reflected enough off the lake to illuminate the other shore.

"Anyways, I was just chillin'... listening to music and I saw you kneeling by the lake. Curiosity killed the cat, I guess, but I came over to see what was up. I have never seen another camper outside of the cabins after curfew before. So... how's it shakin' bacon?"

Danny decided informality was the best way to approach the situation. After all, they were both probably suspicious of each other, but Danny had the feeling there was nothing to worry about. Might as well break the ice with a sledge hammer and try to start up conversation.

Danielle Shay Richardson

Daughter of Asclepius

Fourth Year -- Age 16

 

[Xx Brackenclaw xX]

Karter chuckled a bit at her conversation starter. He hadn't heard anyone use that sentence since he was a kid.

"Oh not much, you know just hanging out a the lake in the middleof the night with my pet snake and hell hound," He said not taking his hand from his ankle wherehe kept his dagger.

He never trusted anyone accept his two friends, Dream the hell hound and Hope the snake. Suddenly a ghostly orb appeared over Karters head. Dread filled his stomach as despair clouded his mind. He knew what that orb meant. He had a suspicion from the start the Melinoe was his Godly mother.

A gust of wind blew across the place where Karter was standing, a voice rang out, "Thats right Karter I cursed my own son, you should have joined me when I offerred it to you." Just as soon asthewwind came it was gone.

He didn't know if Danny heard or not but he didn't care. Sinking to his knees he watched the ground for a a few seconds before looking back up at Danny. He looked up at Danny but almost instantly his eyes flew behind her. Melinoe wass standing off in the distance, he could see the smug look on her face as she knew she had triumped over him. He pulled out his dagger and before he was even out of a crouch he threw it with deadly precision at his mother.

The knife flew right by Danny's head close enough that the wind of it made her hair move slightly. He knew he would never hit her and he sank back down to the ground once again in dispair as he heard the thunk of his dagger collide with the tree in the distance. Hope slid away fromm him in the direction that he threw his knife.

Karter Kane Kreedly
Child of Melinoe

 

[Lexis_Nexis]

Danny smiled at the boy's laugh. Even in the night, it had a light and carefree air about it. Although Danny had always had many fears and wasn't one for nature, really, she wasn't scared. Not of the boy or of his strange pets. Deciding that the boy in front of her had no intention of harming her, Danny relaxed her posture and forgot about the blade concealed on her leg.

Just as Danny opened her mouth to deliver a witty retort about hanging out with eccentric pets in the middle of the night, an orb appeared above the boy--whose name, she realized, she still did not know--'s head. It had a glistening quality and Danny knew at once he was being claimed. It had happened to her a few years ago. She had been claimed by a snake on a staff, however, as opposed to a creepy orb. As the orb appeared, the boy froze in his tracks, but not for long. Although he seemed lost in time, he sank to the ground a few seconds later.

When he looked up, Danny could tell he was looking at her, but his face was still obscured by the hood and the shadows. Like he was shocked, though, his vision shot to a location behind her. Danny was instantly expecting the harpies to be behind them, ready to devour campers breaking curfew. Before she had time to turn around, though, a blade was shooting past her head at lightning speed. A hollow thud echoed as the dagger hit a tree. Spinning around, Danny was prepared to face monster, or worse. However, nothing was there. She tried to look further into the darkness in an attempt to see something the boy had seen, but she saw no threat. She was broken from her focus by the boy's snake, Hope, slithering past her towards the knife.

Danny had always been fond of snakes. It came with the whole child of Asclepius thing, but she knew not to touch random snakes, so she let it continue on its course. Pivoting on her heels, Danny turned back to look at the newly claimed demigod behind her. She found him kneeling on the ground, his head dipped in an emotion she couldn't place without seeing his face. Crouching down, she slowly crept closer to the boy, showing the hellhound, Dream, though, that she meant him no harm. She was only a few inches away when she kneeled down next to him and folded her hands on her lap in front of her.

"Are you okay?" she whispered, scared to speak too loudly for fear of startling the boy in front of her.

Danielle Shay Richardson

Daughter of Asclepius

Fourth Year -- Age 16

 

[Xx Brackenclaw xX]

Reaching up and pulling his hood a little tighter around his head he muttered, "It would seem like my mother is not a kind god." He would never forgive her for what she did but he couldn't change anything now. IT was either stay like this or join the titans and a less than pleasant face at night was a fine enough price to pay for not joining them he guessed.

"Whatever though," He said a little stronger. "If it weren't for her I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have met my two friends," He said as Hope returned with his knife. He reached out with each hand and began stroking the hound and the snake. "My name is Karter Son of Melinoe apparently," he told her realizing he never got a chance to introduce himself. "We shouldn't have met at this time, I usually stay away from the main camp and cabin areas at night," he said to her. "I'd love to give you a proper greeting during the day but i feel its been a tad bit spoiled due to some circumstances out of our control."


Karter Kane Kreedly
Child of Melinoe