Chapter Text
I hate being a Half-Blood.
At first you think it’s about going on adventures and fighting terrible monsters, and it is, but most people see it as fun, cool, or exciting, not as it really is, which is horrifying and exhausting, and is likely to get you killed in nightmare inducing ways. Ever since I was claimed by my father things have been one shitshow after another. How you may be asking? Well let me tell you how. I’m Caspian Castillo, and this is the story of how my friends and I saved the world. Buckle up this is going to be a long one.
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It all started with a trip to the zoo. It was the 1st of June, and the afternoon sun beat down on my skin as I walked around the Smithsonian Zoo. To my left was my friend Rowan, a skinny guy with messy brown hair who uses crutches to get around. He wore a beige sun hat, a shirt with a grey torso and yellow sleeves, and a pair of green cargo pants. To my right was Aria, my best friend since Second Grade, a mustache of ketchup and mustard covering her upper lip as she ate the hot dog her mom had bought her. She wore a yellow crop top with a purple shirt underneath and a denim skirt. A few feet behind us was my mom, Maya Castillo, and Aria’s mom, Cadence McNeilly, happily chatting with one another.
Actually, scratch that, they only looked quite happy, but I could tell something was wrong. I could see my mom’s right eye keep twitching and the vein in her forehead was pulsing. Both of which only happen when she’s either very stressed or very angry. And since I hadn’t given her any reason to be angry, (that I know of), she must be stressed about something. I’ve noticed her having a solemn look in her eyes the last few days which could also be related, but the thing is, I have no idea what’s the cause.
Aria noticed something wrong with her mother as well, with her overhearing her mom crying one night and receiving no explanation as to why. I looked over my shoulder and stared at them. They both had bags under their eyes, like they haven’t slept in days. Their shoulders were tense; Ms. McNeilly’s hands fiddled with the sleeves for her shirt, my mother’s eyes darting back and forth as if she’s looking for something that’s hidden from view. They looked terrible, and I hated it.
“Hey Aria,” I whispered to her, “has your mom told you why she’s all stressed out, or why my mom is stressed out?”
She shook her head and wiped the condiments from her face with her sleeve. “No, she hasn’t said anything. Honestly, I think asking her in the first place might have stressed her out even more. She’s barely said a word to me since then.” She frowned and tilted her head down, her red hair covering her face.
“Do…,” she started, her voice wavering. “Do you think one of them is sick? Like seriously sick, and they’re trying to protect us from knowing about it?”
My eyes widened at the thought. I hadn’t considered that a possibility. I didn’t like it. “I don’t know, I’ve gone through our mail from the last two weeks, but I haven’t seen anything that seemed medical. I thought it had something to do with money, but I haven’t seen any overdue bills either. I don’t know why their acting so weird.”
The day, which had started quite nicely, had taken a somber turn.
As Aria and I wondered if either of our mothers were seriously ill, Rowan, who had been overhearing our conversation, pointed out an upcoming building. “It’s the Reptile Center, you love that! Let’s go in,” he said in a forcefully cheerful voice.
I looked over to him with a raised eyebrow. I certainly loved reptiles; I found them quite interesting. They, like fish, were cold-blooded creatures meaning they require certain conditions in order for them to thrive. It often makes me wonder how they are able to live in countries that are known for their cold climates like Norway or Russia. Aria however isn’t very fond of them. So, I doubted she’d like to-
“Sure, why not,” she said in a tired voice. I turned to her in surprise, which she only shrugged at. “I need a distraction from what we just talked about. So, why not go in. Besides, they have turtles, turtles are cute.”
I couldn’t really argue with that, turtles, especially sea turtles, were very adorable, so I nodded in agreement. I turned behind us to inform our parents of our plans. Aria’s mom said was fine with it, but my mom made a face of discomfort. She never understood why I liked reptiles, which she found to be very creepy, so she said she’ll stay outside with Ms. McNeilly.
We made our way to the exhibit, stopping right outside so I could take a look at the crocodiles living in the pond by the entrance. One of the crocodiles lifted its head as we approached, and when our eyes made contact, it seemed happy, opening its jaws and hissed, somewhat resembling a laugh.
This was another reason I liked reptiles. In the past when I came here, many of the snakes, aquatic reptiles, and all other types of aquatic life seemed to be very interested in me, often following me when I got nearby. I never understood why they did it, but I found it amusing and played with them until my mom told me it’s time to leave.
Feeling lighter already, I turned towards the building, ready to go in, when I felt a hand tightly grab my left wrist. I looked behind me to see Rowan’s face turn pale, his eyes wide and staring at the Reptile House as if there were bodies hung from there.
“Rowan, you okay there?” I asked as I twisted my wrist trying to break free from his surprisingly strong hold. “Can you let go please. Your nails are really digging into my wrist.”
That seemed to pull him out from whatever had come over him. Letting go of my hand he scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Sorry about that,” he muttered. “But I don’t think we should go in anymore.”
“Why not?” asked Aria in confusion. “We’re right outside, and you were the one who suggested it. Why the change in plans?”
“Well, you see...” he started trying to find a good excuse.
I let out an annoyed sigh. “Listen, if you don’t want to go in you should have just said so. You can stay out here with my mom. I, however, will be going inside. Aria, are you coming with me?” I asked her.
“Yeah, I’ll go with you. I already said I wanted to see the turtles,” she responded.
I turned back to Rowan to see if he was going in or not. He seemed to be in a state of panic, eyes darting from us to the building, before letting out a defeated sigh and followed us inside. We walked around looking at all the different types of reptiles housed inside. Like always, the snakes and many of the other reptiles turned to stare at me as I walked in, something which made Aria giggle in amusement. We wandered around playing with the different creatures, with the snakes following the movement of my hand, and the crocodiles and alligators splashing around in their pools.
Aria went off to admire a black and yellow tortoise with a large shell, and Rowan stood beside me as I caught the attention of a snake with mossy green scales and small appendages on its snout. The plaque on the side of the glass identified the creature as a Tentacled snake. I moved my hand around and watched it follow like all the other snakes, smiling as the small serpent floated in its tank.
Suddenly, it stopped, turning its head to the left. Rowan let out a frightened squeak, and I turned to see one of the zoo employees looking right at us. Her gaze was that of a predator that had cornered its prey, her lips pulled upwards in a smile that showed too many teeth. It almost seemed like her teeth were changing, becoming pointier and sharper. It made me feel uneasy and scared.
I heard Rowan call for Aria before I felt something hit me in the back of my leg. It turned out to be Rowan crutches, which he continued to hit me with as he led me out of the building. I turned on him, very pissed off. “What the hell Rowan?! What was that for?!” I questioned him.
Aria had just exited the Reptile Center looking confused. “What’s going on?”
“What’s going on is that Rowan has lost it! First, he changes his mind about going into the Reptile Center, then he hits me with his crutches and out of the building,” I yell.
“I’m sorry, but I had to! It’s my job to protect you two!” he yells back.
My mouth gapes open at the ridiculousness of that statement. Him protect us? “What in the world are you talking about? I’d seen twigs that were thicker than your arms, if anyone needs to be protected it’s you. Does this have something to do with that weird lady we saw inside?”
“What lady?” asked Aria.
I didn’t get a chance to reply to her before all hell broke loose.
A loud scream came from inside the joined by another, then another. Suddenly, a stampede of people ran out of the Center, with looks of terror etched on their faces. Aria and I got separated from Rowan in the crowd. I could just barely hear the voice of my mom calling me over the terrified screams. We fell onto the ground, barely avoiding getting run over.
I heard the sound of glass breaking, followed by the crocodile’s growling menacingly and a cacophony of hisses. I felt something brush against my hand and froze in fear as I watched a long bright, green snake slithered by with more snakes behind it. Behind them crocs and gators, frogs and lizards, and every other animal that was supposed to be locked up behind a pane of thick glass all wander out into the street.
I sat on the floor paralyzed with fear, my heart hammering in my chest, my face covered in a cold sweat. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Aria with a trembling hand over her mouth so as to not scream and draw attention, her eyes closed shut, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she hyperventilated.
I didn’t hear her as she approached, and it took me by surprise when a strong hand threw me out onto the street. Aria yelled out my name as I stared up at the zoo employee from earlier.
“Why hello little one,” she said in a way that rattled my bones. “It’s been decades ssince I've encountered one with a sscent ass ssstrong as yoursss. How you’ve made it thisss long without being eaten is a myssssstery to me. But no matter, I’ll take great pleasssssure in tearing you and your little friend apart myself!”
Suddenly she began to change. Her skin became scaly and green, her legs elongated and thickened, destroying her pants, leaving only her belt, and turned into long serpentine trunks, and seemed to somehow both walk and slither. She lunged at me grabbing me by the neck with her hands, squeezing tight. I clawed at her fingers trying and failing to break free. Aria tries to help by grabbing the monster’s arm but is instead lifted into the air by her tail-legs.
“Don’t worry dear, after I finisssssh with him, you’re next,” said the monster.
Dark spots started to line my vision from the lack of oxygen, and my eyelids felt heavy. I heard someone yell, but didn’t know who it was. Just as I was about to black out the monster released me, and I fell to the ground. I gasped as air began to once again fill my lungs.
“Why mussssst there be ssssso many interuptionsssss today?” growled the creature. Then another voice called out, “Run, kid, run!”
I turned towards the voice and saw a security guard pointing his gun at the monster. I tried to heed his words and run for it, but I just couldn’t move, my legs heavy like lead.
“I’ll teach you to mess with me while I’m on my lunch break!” she screamed. She lunged at him and the security guard shot her in response, but the bullets didn’t seem to deter her at all, only serving to make her angrier. She reached into her belt and pulled out a dagger, which she drove into the man’s throat.
As the security guards blood began to flow down his neck is when what was happening really began to sink in. This is where I’m going to die. The guard’s body slumped to the ground, his eyes dark and devoid of life.
My heart hammered in my chest, and blood rushed into my ears. Tears began rolling down my cheeks as the monster once again approached me, ready to finish me off. “Now where were-”
“You get away from my son you bitch!” Standing thirty feet behind the monster where my mom and Ms. McNeilly, both of whom held Rowan’s crutches. Rowan was next to them, standing without a problem, with a pair of wooden pipes to his lips.
The monster yelled out in anger and frustration. “All I wanted was a nice meal, something I could tell my sisters about. I did not want. This! Many! Interruptions!”
The monster surged at them, and I could only do as the security guard did and yell, “RUN!”
Except, they didn’t run. Instead, Rowan began to fervently play his pipes. I couldn’t begin to process how stupid that was in the present situation when a wooden tentacle emerged from the ground and bound the monster like she had done to Aria earlier. It was then when Ms. McNeilly and my mother kicked off the rubber bottom of Rowan’s crutches and pressed some hidden button, which released a bronze blade from the bottom. They then charged at the monster, impaling her with the blade, driving it deep within her. The monster screamed out in pain before it exploded into a cloud of golden dust.
Rowan stopped the music, causing the tentacle to retreat back into the earth. My mom dropped his crutch and ran over to me, tears flowing down her face. “Oh, thank goodness you’re okay. I was so worried about you.” She then began to examine me, freezing when she saw my neck. “No te preocupes, we’ll fix that as soon as we get home.”
My mom wiped the tears from my cheek, and we stood up. I turned around to see Aria and her mom holding on tightly to one another and crying.
“Hey,” Rowan cried out, “we have to go, like now . Or else we become targets for anything else that’s nearby.”
“Wait, anything else?” I exclaimed, my voice rising a few octaves. “You’re saying there are more of whatever that thing was.”
“Most likely,” he responded solemnly.
“He’s right, we should leave,” said Ms. McNeilly helping Aria up. "People will be arriving soon, and they’ll be asking us questions, especially with the dead security guard. We’ve got to go before they get here.”
We swiftly made our way down to the lower part of the zoo and to the parking lot. We got into Ms. McNeilly’s red minivan and drove off. It wasn’t until we made it across the Potomac River that I asked the question that’s been on my mind. “What the fuck was that?”
My mom turned her head towards me, clearly wanting to admonish me for my language but decided against it. “We’ll tell you when we get home.”
“Wha- when we get HOME?! We nearly died , and you two have been way to calm about this, so you must know something. So, tell us what do you know?!”
They both looked at one another with a troubled expression, like they wanted to tell us, but something held them back. It was Rowan who spoke up first, “They’re leaving tomorrow anyway, might as well tell them now.”
“Tell us what exactly?” asked Aria. “And where are we going tomorrow?”
Ms. McNeilly let out a defeated sigh. “It’s something we’ve been meaning to tell you two about for a while, but we wanted you to have a normal life for a bit longer. Because once you knew, there was no going back.”
“Mom, what is it? What are you hiding?” questioned Aria.
The air was thick with tension when my mom answered. “The reason, the real reason, as to why your father’s left your mother and I.”