Missouri

[AT THE PURCELL HOUSEHOLD IN GLADSTONE, MO (near Kansas City) AT AROUND 1 IN THE MORNING, 26 JUNE 2013]

Jamie woke up early, grabbed his money stash and diabetic supplies, slipped them into his messenger bag, and went quietly downstairs.  After writing the explanation note and taping it to the top of his mom's favorite cereal box, he grabbed a chimichanga from the freezer, microwaved it, and started eating it on his way out.  As soon as the door was shut, he ran.  He swore he'd figure out the floating hologram if it was the last thing he did.

[ON THE WESTERN OUTSKIRTS OF COLUMBIA, MO]

Jamie ran and ran and ran.  He didn't look back.  There had to be some answers for him out there...These signs were no hallucination.  Neither was the cyclops that just tried to kill him.  He was lucky to have been able to run away unnoticed while it's back was turned.  He'd been running for almost a full day, not an easy task for a diabetic, living on nothing but the occasional water fountain drink (and no food since that microwaveable chimichanga from his freezer at his house at 1 that morning), all while keeping his glucose levels good and in range.  Being grabbed by a cyclops, at least a good few feet taller than him, stuffed in a huge, empty crockpot, and told to wait while the one-eyed creep got the seasoning and boiling water hadn't made today's part of his "sight-seeing trip to New York to figure out the answers to the loads of questions I have that need to be answered" any easier.  He was almost to the city of Columbia when he thought he saw...a half goat?

"Hey!  No offense but...who and what the heck are you?" he shouted. He didn't mean to be rude, but what would any normal guy do if he saw that?

ooc: Let's try to keep this in one topic, shall we?

bic:

Torey the satyr started and turned when a boy shouted at him, dropping the empty can of soda he was holding onto the ground. He frowned at the boy, slightly offended, but then he sniffed the air -- demigod. He glanced around, seeing that nobody else was around; the smell was strong, though, which meant that this kid must be a demigod -- a rude one, at that, but nevertheless a demigod. Chiron was definitely right -- the newer demigods were getting worse and worse every year. He was supposed to be on vacation for two weeks, not rounding up more demigods; Torey was sure he'd been alone just five minutes ago.

"What do you mean, what am I?" he shouted back, scowling. "I'm a satyr, dang it! Who do you think you are, asking me something like that? You could at least say hi first -- I have feelings, just the same as you!" He paused, frowning for a moment. "Hey, wait a sec -- where are you going?"

Satyr? PETA's gonna have a field day... Jamie started to walk over.  "I was actually headed to NYC, but that cyclops incident kinda shook me up.  By the way, can you tell me what this floating image is that I keep seeing from time to time?  It floats above me, I think, but I can't really see it that well.  It's been there since my 13th birthday, appearing off and on for the last 3 and a half years. Is it there now?"

Torey frowned, picking the soda can up off the floor. He chewed on the rim of it thoughtfully, eyeing the boy. "Cyclops incidents and floating images...." He glanced up over the boy's head, but nothing was there besides a lone fly flying in a circle around the boy's head. "Nope, nothing there yet.... Walk with me? I don't think we should stand in one place like this, it's not safe and all...."

Jamie walked with Torey.
"What do you mean? And where're we going?" he asked.

"We're, ah... Going into town, if that's okay with you. I've got a friend or two in there." Torey paused for a moment to bite the soda can and rip off a chunk of it, chewing thoughtfully. Finally, he swallowed and said, "What d'you mean, 'what do you mean?' Are you talking about me saying this place isn't safe?"

"Yeah..."

"...How not safe?" he asked, trying to remain laid-back.

ooc: Purk, don't double-post.

bic:

"Well... There are, uhm, monsters around. They like eating demigods like you -- especially since you're one of the only ones I can smell around this area." Torey took another bite of soda can, chewing.

"Are they all as stupid as that cyclops?" Jamie asked.

"Some of 'em, yeah. Mainly the other Cyclopes, but there are a few who are as smart as demigods.... Like empousai." Torey nodded to himself, turning the soda can over and over again in his hands. "You'll need to watch your back. Do you have any weapons to defend yourself?"

"Yeah, I swiped this from the cyclops' crockpot."  He showed Torey his sword.  "It was just layin' there...can you translate?"

Torey frowned at the inscription on the sword, reading it to himself. "Aah.... One side reads 'Singing Blade,' and the other says 'Apollo is watching you.' Hm. That Cyclops must have stolen that from another child of Apollo."

"Children of Apollo?  You mean like demigods?"  Jamie was kind of taken aback, even after the cyclops, and now the satyr.  But Greek gods?

"Yes, demigods. Children of Greek gods, sometimes of Egyptian or Norse gods." Torey nodded, more to himself than the boy. "What's your name, kid?"

"James.  James Quincy Purcell.  My friends call me Jamie."  He gave Torey his typical flashy smile, the one that always got his mom to make his favorite sandwich, even after the hardest of days.

Unaffected by the smile, Torey nodded, glancing around them to see if anybody was listening -- nope, nobody there, as far as he could see and smell. "Well, I'm Torey Oakcrest.... Have you ever heard of a camp called Camp Half Blood, Jamie?"

Jamie shrugged.  "Nope." Then he remembered what Torey had said...another child of Apollo...  "Lemme guess, you think I'm a demigod," he said skeptically.  But then again, he thought...

"No, I know you're a demigod. How else could you explain being attacked by a Cyclops?" Torey raised an eyebrow at Jamie, taking another bite of the soda can and chewing thoughtfully.

"Actually, it kinda just dropped me in a crockpot and told me to wait until it got back with the seasoning. It was fairly easy to grab the sword and run. But still...it adds up." Jamie let that sink in for a moment. "What now? Where do I go? Is the holographic image there yet?"

Torey frowned, stroking the goatee on his chin as he looked around. He looked back at Jamie, shrugging. "Well, we're going to need to take you to camp -- even though I'm supposed to be on vacation.... But no, that holograph isn't there yet. It's only supposed to show up a few times, and then it's gone for good, but I think we have reason to believe you've been claimed by Apollo."

"How can you tell that I'm a child of Apollo specifically?" Jamie asked, no longer doubting the outrageous claims Torey was making.

"Well, for one thing, you've got a sword of a child of Apollo -- the sword's inscription is probably symbolic." Torey glanced at his watch, noticing it was close to three pm now.

Makes sense, Jamie thought. "Well, let's not waste time.  You can explain how this whole thing works to me on the way, but we should go.  If only there was a fast way to New York.  Gods, we need some sort of magical Greek expressway..."  Jamie thought a moment.  "Wait..."  He knelt down awkwardly.  "Please guys?"  He waited a moment.
Wow.  Thanks, Dad.
Then he saw something.  In the clouds.  The letters EIPHNH.  Something Greek, he guessed.

Then it hit him.  Literally.