THREE YEARS AGO ( effie is ten years old )

          "EUPHEMIA!" Catherine's voice echoed the hallway of Effie's large home. Effie giggled as they and their best friend, Forrest Drivas, ran out the front door. Catherine tried to chase the two kids but didn't even make it to the mailbox before she ran out of breath. The old lady heaved as she leaned on the mailbox, "Find somewhere else to sleep tonight!"

Effie giggled, in their arms was Catherine's stash of forbidden goods, candy, chocolates and soda. Forrest was holding packets of salted peanuts and popcorn.

Forrest and Effie kept running, the adrenaline and in anticipation for their soon-to-be sugar rush kept them fuelled. They stopped running when they reached a small park, it's not nothing fancy, just two swings, a slide and a seesaw but the park was Effie's favourite place. It's in a nice hidden spot, just behind their group home and a couple other houses. "Omg, Mia. I can't believe we did that!" Forrest exclaimed as he dumped the packs of stolen goods on the slide, "Catherine is going to kill us when we get back."

"What if we don't go back?" They asked their best friend.

Forrest stared at Effie wide-eyed, "What?" Forrest has been at the group home for just over six months now while Effie has been there since they were seven.

Effie kicked the dirt in front of them, "I mean, if we run away Catherine can't get us in trouble. Maybe she'll even get in trouble!"

Forrest shook his head, "But where would we go? My parents are dead and yours-"

"Who says we need adults! Adults suck."

Forrest frowned. The curly haired boy shook his head, "No, I'm sorry, I can't. It's too dangerous."

Effie scoffed. Dangerous? Every day of Effie's life has been like walking on fire. The other kids at the group home don't like Effie, they never have, and Catherine makes Effie's life a living hell, Effie would rather be living on the streets somewhere than at the group home. Effie watched Forrest open a bag of salted peanuts, the boy avoided making eye contact with Effie, as if he remembered he had a secret Effie wasn't supposed to know about. Forrest took a deep breath, "Mia, there is something you should know-"

"Did you get them?!" A young voice asked as one of Effie's roommates ran up to them.

Effie sighed, "Yeah, here's your cut," they threw a bag of Red-vines at Nicole.

The six year old smiled as she opened the packet of candy and sat on the swing, the girl swung back and forth, "Catherine is really mad."

"Well, Catherine is at the house tonight and then Mackenzie is on tomorrow, we'll just wait her out."

Effie rolled their eyes, "Sure."

Forrest frowned, he went to say something when a stranger in the distance caught his eyes. "Nicole, go home."

"What?"

Forrest's eyes didn't leave the stranger in the distance and when Effie looked at them, they realised why. Standing about twenty metres away was an abnormally tall teenager who was staring straight at them. "Coley, do what Forrest said." The younger kid groaned as she grabbed her bag of candy and an extra one from Effie's stash before walking in the other direction of the stalker.

Effie never paid much attention to videos that Catherine and Mackenzie would put on for them to watch, Effie tried to watch them but they always found themself zoning out half way through them and the words passing right through their ears and over their head. "What is it the videos say about strangers?" Effie tapped their hands to their leg as they tried to think of the instructions.

"Find an adult, but that won't work."

"Because adults are useless," Effie joked, which earned a glare from Forrest.

"No," Forrest sighed as his eyes remained on the stranger, Effie copied, Forrest is older, fourteen, if any of the two knew what to do in this situation it would be Forrest. "Effie, there is something I need to tell you. You're different, you're not like any of the others at home-"

"Wow, thanks," Effie rolled their eyes, trying to hide the hurtful look on their face. Effie has been told that same thing a million times and it didn't affect them but hearing it from a friend hurt more.

"No, I'm serious. You're a demigod, Effie. One of your parents was a Greek god and that person over there isn't a person at all. If my senses are correct, which they usually are, that's a Cyclops."

Effie turned their attention off of the stranger and to their best friend, "Forrest, is this seriously the best time for a joke?!"

"I'm not joking, Mia. I'm sorry for dropping it on you like this but I thought we had more time, half-bloods don't usually attract monsters this early, you must be an early bloomer."

'Lucky me,' Effie thought as they instinctively put their hands in their pockets. In there was a slingshot that Effie got for Christmas a few years back. "If that is a cyclops, why isn't it attacking?"

"I don't know, maybe it's a good one?"

"Mhm," Effie slowly walked away from the playground and to the garden. Suddenly as if the Cyclops had just been awakened from a trance or lost to the most epic staring contest, it started to bolt to Effie and as it got closer Effie saw how the monster had only one eye. "Okay, I believe you!"

"Effie!" Forrest cried as he ran up to Effie.

They grabbed out a handful of rocks from the garden and placed the sharpest one in the slingshot. Effie waited for the monster to be close enough before firing the rock at the Cyclops, Effie watched as the sharp rock got the Cyclops in his only eye, blinding him.

Effie's eyes widened as they realised what they had just done, they looked at the Cyclops who was howling in pain, cradling his eye that Effie possibly just damaged permanently.

"Come on, let's go," Forrest grabbed Effie, dragging them to the street, but Effie couldn't take their eyes off of the scene.

"What, I-"

Forrest pulled them, "I know, I'll explain it all to you but we got to go before the Cyclops decides to get revenge."

Revenge, Effie looked away from the monster and to Forrest, "I really don't want to be here for that."

"I know, that's why we're getting a cab. I know a place that will explain all of this to you, you just need to trust me."

"Okay, I trust you."