My knocked out friend (Private to Brook)

I'm at the bottom of the ocean. A Hippocampus swims around me.

Suddenly, a strong current pushes me backwards. I try to grab the Hippocampus but the curent is too strong and fast. She gives a wail as she is sent backwards. I latch onto a large rock and close my eyes. It's as if the whole ocean is pushing itself behind me.

Now I feel hot and dry. The rock somehow dissolved. I'm scared to open my eyes. When I finally do, I'm in a sandy desert. The wind is still blowing in my face.

The Hippocampus lay panting on the ground at my feet.

"Oh no," I think, "It needs water."

I grab the Hippocampus' feet-flipper things and drag it through the sand. It feels like my arms are tearing off.

Next thing I know, I'm in a boat at midnight. THe Hippocampus swims around me. I look into the eyes of a young girl with blond hair and blue eyes. She smiles.

"Don't worry, Area," she says.

"You're going to go to a Elysium. I promise," I say with tears in my eyes.

Her eyes close and never open again.

I jump up and find myself in the infirmary. My head aches and all my limbs are sore.

"Calyx!" I scream.

"It was a dream... a demigod dream... don't they sometimes become real?" I say.

I hesitate. It can't be real. It was crazy. Well, I guess the life of a demigod is always crazy.

Sitting up is making my had hurt. I lay back down.

"Hmm..." I think for a moment, "I want to go somewhere else. This place feels awkward. I don't like the sick. I don't like the wounded. It brings back memories..... memories I can't be sure of myself. I can't even remember them completely... but I know they're there."

I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. That girl I saw in my dream... I have a feeling she's sick, or injured, a lot.

I sat up.

"No," I say. My head hurts. My body hurts. I'm in no condition to find this girl. I don't even know who she is.

"Hunter," I say, not even realizing it, "That's the name of the girl I was dreaming about. Hunter."

"Well," I say, "I was at the bottom of the ocean. There was a Hippocampus-looking thing swimming around me. I'm not really sure if it was or not. The current suddenly got really strong. Like, strong enough to pull a baby Hippocampus through the ocean at one hundred miles an hour. Then I was in the desert with the Hippocampus at my feet. It looked like it was dying, so I started to drag it. Next thing I know, I'm in a boat at midnight. The Hippocampus-looking things was swimming around. I was face-to-face with a blond girl about my age. Her name is Hunter. I have no idea how I know, but I do. She had a faint smile and said, 'Don't worry, Area.' Then, I promised her she'd go to Elysium. Say, what's Elysium? A hero's paradise in the underworld, right? Anyway, she closed her eyes and died. And then I woke up. I don't think it can be real. It was crazy, jumping everywhere."

"You're probably right," I tell him, "I have a feeling that she's important to me..."

I sit back up. Too much is going on in my head.

"Hunter," I confirm.

I have a feeling I won't be on my feet any time soon.

"Nobody told me," I say, "But the problem is, I can't remember anything but her first name."

I nod and burrow in the blankets. I soon find myself dreaming.

I look down a cliff.

"Hunter!" I shout down. My voice echoes.

I look more closely and I see Hunter hanging on a ridge. Her face is smeared with blood and dirt. Her clothes are ripped and stained with mud. Her blond hair is chopped off at odd angles, leaving it choppy and uneven, kind of like mine.

"Go on, Areana," she tells me.

Tears swell up in my eyes.

"I'm not leaving you!" I scream.

She looks me in the eyes.

"Fine, " she says, "But I won't be the one to hold you back."

She lets go, falling into the abyss. I snatch a rope off the ground and tie one end to my waist, the other to a sturdy rock.

"Why didn't I think of this before?" I wonder.

I take one last look and jump. I close my eyes, bracing myself for the worst... but all I feel is soft cushions.

"Hunter!" I scream, opening my eyes and finding myself in the infirmary.

I had dozed off myself. I didn't want to leave her, she seemed really worried. I didn't have another dream about my sister, but I did have one about Area.



I was on a boat, and the sea was calm. I heard something in the water and looked over the boat. A Telkhine! I had seen those in Alaska, they were bad news. I tried to turn the sapphire on my ring, but my ring was gone. A Talkhine lunges at me, and I dodge it. But ten more come at me. "Not good!" I yelled. As a Telkhine was about to slash me open, Area killed it. "Get up!" she yelled. I did. She told my to use my sword. "I don't have my ring!" I yelled. She didn't respond. I looked at my hand... the ring! I turned the sapphrie on it and it turned into my sword. Me and Area were killing machines.



When we thought we were done, we high-fived and started to turn around. Then something grabbed Area. "NO!" I screamed. But I was too late. I was trying to get Area, but she was gone, and I woke up to the sound of yelling.



"Woah!" I said as I woke up. "Man was that a wierd dream." I looked at Areas face. "You ok?"

"Y-yeah, just another dream. You look shaken up. You okay?" I ask. He looks as frightened as me. Did he have a bad dream, too?

I nod and look down. I find myself following the ripples in the sheets. Stupid ADHD.

I jump at the sound of his voice and let out a quiet squeak.

"Y-yeah," I say, "Just....... ADHD."

"I know," I say, "But it feels like I've been zoning out more frequently than usual."

I force myself to stay focused.

"I can't zone out, I can't zone out," I chant in my head.