{IZZY}

I locked myself up in my room when I got to the house.

Jonathan, my step-dad, grounded me for arriving late. I had explained that it was because his precious little angel kept me busy after school (Her little scene at the cafeteria brought me some unwanted attention.) and the bus had left without me. I would have gone straight back but I realized Caroline must also be in the house so I took a little detour in the forest nearby.

It was nice and peaceful, and I had some time to think. It reminded me of Camp Half-Blood. Before I let my brother convince me to come back to Forks, I used to spend all day in the forest -- well, that's when I wasn't at the archery field or other stuff. There's a tree that I would sit under and I'm reminded of the good memories before the war.

So, I sat down under the shade of this big tree. It wasn't like the one back at camp, but it was fine. There weren't any tree nymphs either so that was good. I just wanted to be alone.

I had only been sitting there for a few minutes when the feeling of being watched came over me. A growl sounded somewhere nearby and I knew I wasn't alone. I shot up to my feet and tried not to show any fear. My fingers played with the bracelet on my wrist, a gift from one of my friends.

Something flew past me but all I caught was a red blur before these giant wolves ran into its direction. And then there was this other wolf, a sandy wolf that caught my eye. I hadn't ever seen an animal so beautiful.

It was a little known fact that I had once considered joining the Hunters of Artemis, and the reason behind it was even less known. Of course, I had told people it was because I liked wolves. It was true but the reason, of course, was a boy.

Tanner Santiago.

We never knew who his mom was and he hated that she never cared to claim him.

I remember looking for him one day at camp, but he was gone. The next time I saw him, he had thrown a knife straight in to my little sister's heart.

Lia fell to the ground and I noticed the triumphant smirk on Tanner's face.

All I saw red. The next thing I knew, I had a knife in my hand and I was running through the battling demigods and monsters.

Then I reached him. Gone were the memories of our walks by the lake, the jokes we told, and the happiness I felt when he was near. He wasn't the guy I knew. Tanner was dead to me.

He was dead to everyone else as I stabbed him with the Celestial bronze knife. No remorse, just like when he threw that knife and smirked when it hit my twelve year old sister.

I let the tears fall silently. I hated crying over him, and I wanted to tell myself that I had done the right thing.

But had I really? Was murder really the answer? We had been at war and, with my fight for survival, I hadn't thought of the consequences that come and haunt me.

A knock came at my door and I wiped away my tears. I made sure that I was looking okay before I opened the door.

"It's dinnertime," mom informed me. Her soft smile disappeared into a frown. "Are you alright?"

I nodded and told her that I just wasn't hungry. She might have wanted to play the mom role but decided against it as I had just come home. She had gone and I closed my door and locked it once again.

The next week, I had found myself in the forest again after school. Jonathan was going to be so pissed when I'm late again, but I didn't care.

I wanted my peaceful and quiet alone time, and I was going to get it with or without step-loser's  permission.

I had just settled down on the green grass when my brother's grinning face appeared right in front of me.

"Shist, Will, don't do that," I said, recovering from the heart attack he almost gave me.

He muttered an apology but he didn't seem sincere about it. "So, how's Forks?" he asked me.

I let out a sigh. "It sucks," I replied and he frowned.

"Izzy-"

"I know, I know. I should at least try and pretend to like it here," I said. It was because of him -- Will Solace, head counselor of the Apollo cabin now that Michael and Lee were gone -- that I was here in the first place. 

Will shook his head. "Don't just pretend, Izzy."

"That's one impossible task big bro," I muttered.

"You'll see, it's not so impossible. You just gotta look at the better part of things." He stopped when he realized just who he sounded like. He frowned as I tried to keep myself from crying.

I couldn't let anyone see me crying.

"I miss them too, Izzy, but moving on is the right thing to do."

I nodded. "I know."

"Hey, I gotta go. I'll check up on you again in a few days. If you still hate it there, I can ask Chiron to bring you  back."

I didn't reply. His face disappeared from my sight and that's when I let the tears fall.

Elle had always been the a happy person. "Look at the brighter side of things," she would always say. Being unclaimed never really brought her down, unlike other people I knew.

I hadn't realized I wasn't alone until I saw the giant wolf standing right there in fron to me. It could have attacked and killed me but it didn't. And with the state I was in, I would have let it.