I woke up to a sudden bright light. I groaned and squinted.

"Mom?" I yawned, covering my face with the covers.

"Up and at 'em, birthday boy!" My mom's voice called. She had opened the curtains and blinded me as my birthday wake up.

"What time is it?" I asked, slowly retreating out of my cave of covers.

"Almost 9. We're going to breakfast soon."

"Give me a minute." I slowly sat up in bed and my mom smiled at me.

"You really do take after your father." She laughed. She picked up a pillow from the floor and walked up towards me. She put the pillow on the bed and then leaned over and kissed my blonde hair.

"Happy Birthday, bud."

"Thanks, Mom." I could tell Mom was feeling sappy and before she could go on ranting about how it's crazy she has a 12 year old son, I stood up and headed for my closet.

"I'll let you get dressed. Maybe Dad'll be ready by then too." She left the room and I laughed. I quickly threw on jeans and a T-Shirt, yawning the entire time I got dressed. I finally left my room and almost ran into Dad doing the same.

"Happy Birthday!" Dad said, after realizing I was the child he had run in to. He gave me a big bear hug.

"I can't believe your twelve," he smiled widely. His sea green eyes met my own and I swear he almost started crying. I noted the way his voice  wavered and hugged him again.

"I can't either."

Okay, before we continue, I need to tell you something. My parents aren't usually this sappy and we usually don't go this fancy on my birthday. My birthday's in January so it's not like we can do that much.

But this year felt different. Mom and Dad were taking us to breakfast and then bowling, according to the lay down Mom had said last night. Sophia and Marissa were very annoyed. There birthday was in November and they felt like they hadn't had this big of a celebration.

Wyatt couldn't care less. Though, he's pretty much the black sheep of my siblings and I, so whatever we're weirded out by, he treats like its normal.

Also, woah, my younger siblings. You've already met my mom and dad and you don't want to know that much more about them. They're so boring. Teacher and CEO yada yada. But my siblings. That's a different story.

Wyatt is first. He has dad's dark hair but mom's grey eyes. He is a ginormous bookworm and is the smartest person ever. He is very strategic and the most calm person ever.

Then the twins, Sophia and Marissa. Sophia is basically my mother just younger. They look the same, they act the same. She's way more impulsive than my mom and very mischievous however. Marissa has the curliest dark hair ever and grey-green eyes. She's outgoing and hyper and the best at talking back to people,

Anyways back to breakfast. I hurried out into the living room, Dad on my tail. Sophia and Marissa were finishing up a game of Mario Kart and Wyatt was reading as Mom tried to get his attention.

"Jacksons! Get moving!" she yelled, waving her hand in front of Wyatt's face.

"Mom!" he groaned. Just then Sophia jumped up from the couch and cheered as Marissa crossed her arms angrily. From the looks of it, Sophia had won and Marissa was not happy about it. Dad walked up and turned of the Valdeshizzle.

Yes, while the rest of the world has Xboxes and PS4 systems, my family has a gaming system my Uncle Leo invented called the Valdeshizzle. I sometimes wonder how he ever got Aunt Cali to marry him.

Dad and Mom ushered my siblings and I into the car, the twins in the way back Wyatt next to me in the backseat.

"Where are we going for breakfast anyways?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah, that wasn't in the lay down for Cayden's big birthday bash you made us sit through," Marissa said, rolling her eyes.

"Marissa Zoë..." threatened Mom.

"Uncle Jason and Aunt Piper's  for breakfast and then bowling as a family."  Dad answered.
I love Uncle Jason and Aunt Piper, but Aunt Piper is vegetarian and I don't exactly don't want to eat salad on my birthday.

Sophia and Marissa began to whisper to each other in the back of the car and Wyatt took out his book, so I stared out the window.

It was fine at first until I saw something. Something that wasn't new but also wasn't old. I saw Wyatt's  monster in his closet. When we were younger, Wyatt complained that something was in his closet. I will never forget the look on Mom and Dad's face when he said that. Dad went into the closet with his pen and came out saying that the monster was gone. I asked Wyatt later what the monster looked like and he described just like the thing that stood out across the street.

A large looming figure that looked like a shark mixed with a bat and a dog. It snarled as we passed by it. Mom turned to Dad who was driving and whispered something.

I shook my head and squeezed my eyes tight. It's just my imagination, I thought. I began tracing the frost along the window. I drew a long line and jumped back in my seat.

A large black snarling dog with glowing eyes was bounding towards the car. I felt the car speed up.

"Mom?" I asked, my voice wavering. Wyatt was still in his book and Sophia and Marissa were doing a handshake of some kind.

She reached back and put a hand on my knee.

"What's happening?" I asked shakily. She gripped my knee tighter.

"Percy, speed up," she said, looking out her window. I turned my head to look and my body began to quiver in fear.

"Mommy..." I whispered. A 9 foot tall man covered in blood stood across the street. He pointed at our car as we passed. Mom reached further back, grasping my hand.

"They never get to twelve without something happening," Dad whispered under his breath.

"Daddy." 

"You sound just like Grover. That's why we made the pact," Mom said, tightening her grip on my hand.

"What pact?" I asked.

"Are we almost there?" Marissa whined from behind me.

"Yep!" Mom called to her as Aunt Piper's  house came into view.

"What was that? Mom?" I asked, still pale as a sheet.

"What?" Wyatt asked, looking up from his book.

Dad pulled into the driveway and Aunt Piper and her son, Ryder, came hurrying towards us.

My siblings began climbing out of the car and started to talk to Ryder happily. Dad had rolled down the window so Aunt Piper leaned her head to talk to him.

" Can you take the others inside? Annabeth and I need to talk to Cayden. There was a Canadian, not the Frank kind, he lost us but Cayden saw, so we're telling him now."

Aunt Piper's eyes widened and she nodded.

"Good luck," she smiled before herding my siblings inside.

"What was that?" I asked again, hyperventilating. Mom unbuckled her seatbelt and went to sit next to me. Dad unbuckled his and turned to talk to me.

"A monster," Dad said, grabbing my other hand. Mom started making me take deep breathes.

"What?"

"A monster from Greek mythology." Mom grabbed my chin and made me look at her.

"In and out, Cayden baby."

I took deep breathes as Mom cradled my chin and rocked back and forth.

I calmed down a little, but was still so confused. Dad crawled into the back seat.

"Who are you guys? What's happening?"

" We're demigods. So are you."

"Like from Greek mythology?"

"Yep." Dad looked at me.

"Cayden, has anything ever happened to you you couldn't explain?"

"In the third grade, I accidentally sprayed Bobby Nansen with the water fountain and in the fifth grade I think I made Saloane Masterson's water bottle attack her." I confessed, biting my nails.

"That's the Poseidon in you, Cayd." 

Mom smiled at me. 

"When we were younger we went to a camp called Camp Half-Blood. It helped us learn about demigods. So did Aunt Piper."

"Aunt Stella?" I asked. Dad shook his head. 

" She's not a demigod. You have been to Camp Half-Blood,though. When you were a baby."

I looked down at my hands.

"Do you have pictures?"

"We have some at home. We were planning on telling you later but, the monsters had other plans." Dad looked at Mom. 

"Piper has some pictures, though. Right, Annie?"

"Yeah, she has some. Want to go look at them Cayden?"

"Yeah." I smiled.

Dad opened the car door. 

"Well then. What're we waiting for?"

Happy holidays everyone! My break is over since my finals have finished and I was able to finish this chapter on my way home from Christmas this year. It's pretty long and not that good. I've kind of been hitting a wall lately when it comes to plotlines so that's fun. Anyways, yay no more finals and boo Christmas is over. So yeah. Happy holidays!

Av