Okay, I'm officiously not dead! (I'm also putting this author note at the top off all these chapters so if you just want to read this once then just skip it the next chapter :)

First things first, you have to thank the lovely and brilliant amerdism for all they have done for not only this story but for getting me out of my funk. So thank you amerdism, you are the greatest person of all time.

I want to thank every single one of you, weather you've commented, simply read, favorited, or skimmed over my work or bio, all of you are amazing and brilliant and I thank you so much for all that you've done. I truly am sorry, and I will never do it again.

Thank you again to amerdism. Seriously, you truly are the greatest person I will ever know. Have a great night!

Even inside the walls, the world is never safe for Dess. It's just always been against her. Not that it's her fault, or her parents, but that did make things seem as if it weren't fair, weren't right. As if some kind of mix up happened. As if she was meant for more…

Her head shakes as she chuckles and jogs into the living room her dad's extremely proud of.

"Dad?" Dess only briefly looks up before emptying out her bag onto the table made from a card and different thimbles as chairs. Nothing much, even for a borrower, but oh well. Home sweet home.

"Dess!" a voice cries. The young borrower tries to look for the source, but before she can do anything she's swept into the air, thrown over a shoulder, and spun around in fast circles.

"Da-a-a-a-ad!" she hisses, keeping it down at the knowledge the humans that own the house are indeed home. "You know how dizzy that makes me!"

"Oh poppycock!" Saying that she's let go, spinning in her own circles as her brain tries to orient itself. Laughing heartily her father offers his arm and she finally gets a good look at the man who raised her all on his own.

His bright brown eyes reflect against the dark lighting, his teeth perfectly set, and his light brown hair an unruly mess like always. The man's always been handsome, and a little mischievous, but his smarts were the major tribute for his wife to gift him with Iridessa.

Her mother was actually killed when she was incredibly little, leaving her not even an imprint of what she looked like, only the presence of a warm smile and sweet voice. But according to her dad, Dess looks a lot like her mom, except for the constantly messy brown hair.

As if reading her mind he cups his hand against her cheek, sighing.

"You look just like her. A beautiful young woman who will always have my heart." They smile widely when he winks. "Oh, and your mom too."

"Dad!" Dess cries, laughing as she shoves him. She's only rewarded with a shrug and her hair ruffled.

"I have to. Now, what'd you get this time?"

"Oh! I got this wonderful new item you can probably spend a long time with!" Dess exclaims, quickly searching through her bag for the carefully wrapped object.

Her dad tries to see past her figure but he's shoved away from sight. Dess hears a humph, smiling at his reaction. Oh how he'll wish he wasn't so curious.

"It's the tip of a, whoops!"

The object, the tip of an ink-jammed pen slips from her fingers and collides with her father. Immediately the ink splatters all over him; his clothes, his face, the ground by his feet. Dess bursts out laughing, glad her prank went even better than she hoped.

"Whoops?" is all that's commented. Recovering from the burst, Dess looks at her dad, only to see him gathering as much ink as he can into a misshapen ball.

"Dad! No!" she yells, totally forgetting the humans above might hear her. With the knowledge he'll smear her with ink she sprints, racing into the bedroom and out the other door, right back into the kitchen with her father hot on her heels.

"You asked for it!" he calls.

"It's my prank!"

"Now it's mine!" At this the ink is smeared all across her back. Screaming Dess turns toward him, hoping to stop the attack, but she only helps him get the sticky blue ink all over her.

As soon as he's satisfied the two break into laughter and fall into a heap. Dess kisses her father's forehead and makes a face. He may have gotten her back, but at least it's not in her hair.

"I love you Dad."

"I love you too Dess." Another chuckle leaps out of him when he grabs her shoulder. "I have a present for you birthday girl."

Dess freezes at this, allowing the information to completely sink in.

Today she turns 13, a big day for borrowers. It's hard to reach that age with the world always being against her, way too out of proportion. Not that it's anyone's fault, but it'd be nicer if things were borrower size. Or that humans were nicer.

"Wow. I'm 13," she murmurs. Her dad laughs then offers her an ink-stained hand.

"There's something I want to show you." Dess looks at the hand with a raised eyebrow, and after he smiles innocently does she take his hand.

Only to have him throw her over his shoulder and twirl in circles again.

"Dad! Nooooot faaaaaaair!" she cries. He keeps spinning until Dess can't possibly tell where she is or how long it's been since the world was still.

"Ta da!" She's plopped onto the ground, hands gripping her shoulders so she doesn't fall. Heedless to say she can't identify the room until a few minutes later. But what's on the bed is what catches her eyes.

A necklace, much like humans wear around all the time, sits glistening. A beautiful grey stone that looks like her eyes, complete with a storm swirling inside it, reflects the little amount of light inside the room. Attached to the stone is a silver chain, pieces of metal woven together to stay twisted forever.

And it's her size, not gigantic like everything else.

"Oh Dad," Dess whispers.

"Your mother wanted me to give you the stone when you turned 13. I thought maybe you'd also like a chain to go with it." He smiles as she slowly nods, raising the necklace up to look at it.

The stone is as big as her thumb, amazing considering any precious gem was always bigger than her head. Twirling her fingers along the chain, she recognizes the marks a source of flame being used on the metal.

"You made this chain?"

"'Course! Don't want any string or leather to have something like that to hang on. Here." As he speaks, her father gently takes the gem and slides it over her head. "Now it looks much better."

"Oh Dad," she cries, leaping into his arms. It must of taken weeks, months just to make this chain. He couldn't scavenge it or else the chain itself would be thicker than her arm. He didn't have to, leather is much easier to make, but he used metal instead.

"Happy birthday," he breathes. They stand in a hug melting into each other as a distant door closes.

That's when they hear a scraping noise from above.

"Dad?" Dess hisses. He only takes out his hook, gripping it tightly. The scraping comes back and he gently shoves his daughter toward the door.

Bad move. The scratching gets louder, fiercer, and a giant black paw breaks through the roof.

"RUN!"

Dess immediately grabs her father's hand and runs, far away from whatever beast. She races past the kitchen, throws the door far away, and pulls them into the walls.

Problem is a loud howl erupts around them and the scraping reappears right next to them.

"DAD!" Dess screams. He only yanks her into another pathway which should slow the creature down.

The two flop down and breathe rapidly.

"Dess, I need you to listen. You have to get to Camp Half-Blood. If anyone, even if they're human, knows that name you must trust them no matter what, got it?"

"Wait, a human? But-"

"They're not to be trusted, I know. Dess." She's pulled in close as he squeezes her hand. "That stone will protect you. Well, it'll level the playing field but it'll help you. Just get to Camp Half-Blood and I promise you'll be safe."

His daughter stares into his eyes as he pleads.

"What about you?"

"I'll meet you later. I promise we'll see each other again. But it won't happen if you don't get to camp, okay?" The two look at each other until finally Dess nods.

"I will Dad." He sighs sadly and kisses her forehead.

"I love you Iridessa."

"I love you too." Another loud sound and the scratching comes right next to them. Dess freezes up but her father pats her back gently.

"Reach camp, I'll see you soon. Now." He takes her necklace off and hands it to her. "Run."

Before anything else happens he sprints off, angling toward the wall their house was in. The creature hesitates then bounds that way as if confused.

Dess, left on her own, watches him leave. She wants to go after him, wants to help, wants to do anything but run the other way.

Her dad needs her.

Knowing exactly what to do she sprints the opposite way, straight for the door. Even if the couple were in the house, the creature would certainly have made them run the other way, leaving her safe to be out in the open.

If she was correct, putting the necklace on would make the creature come to her, because that's it found them the first time. There's a howl down the hallway that freezes Iridessa's blood.

She doesn't hesitate and throws the necklace over her head as she stands in front of the door.

A low growl begins. Dess looks everywhere, but when she focuses on the kitchen does the creature reveal itself to be a giant black hound with blood red eyes. They lock on her form within seconds with a wicked grin stretched across its face.

Dess stands frozen under its gaze. She thought it'd be smaller like normal dogs are, but here it is big, bruting, and vicious.

It steps forward. The ground shakes and Dess falls onto the ground. Her stomach floods with pain as do her lungs as the air is ripped from her. Everything feels like it's on fire, her muscles and her heart. Especially her mind. They've been so good at hiding. How did this thing find them? The worst thing to find them too considering how determined and equipped it is to hurting her, killing her.

It creeps forward slowly, but instead of the bone crushing force Dess expected the footsteps stop, as if scared. That's when a voice rumble through the air, the last thing she remembers before completely collapsing into a heap.

"Stay, away, from my daughter."