Ten minutes later, I was sprawled out on a bench just outside the park. Gasping, I tried to catch my breath and wipe the sweat off before Erica had to see me.

Checking my watch again to make sure I didn't read it wrong, I mumbled, "Great. And it's not even a Monday."

Here I was, almost fifteen minutes late to what could be one of best moments of my entire life and I can't even make it there on time. At least there was one thing for sure; I needed a tic-tac because I was even gagging at the smell of my breath. But it's kind of late to worry about that now.

So without further adieu, I picked myself up off the bench and walked toward the entrance of the park.

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Do you ever get that feeling that either something really good or really bad is about to happen? I do. Or at least I did when I turned into the park.

Something felt really eerie, as in something with nature. The trees suddenly seemed to rustle in the breeze, the clouds seemed like they began to darken, and it was almost like the grass began to tug at my pant leg. But for all I know, it could have been. Weirder things have happened to me.

But all those feelings vanished when I saw her. She was sitting in a light blue summer dress on top of a blanket near the creek. Her hair blew in the wind in such a beautiful way, that I could probably lose myself starring at her. But it was when she turned and smile at me with those sparkling blue eyes that I felt my jaw drop along with any other thoughts that didn't involve her.

As I walked over there lost in her eyes, I tripped over a rock and fell flat on my face. Looking up I could see her laughing hard. I could only imagine how bright red my face was.

Getting up I dusted off my hands and shaken pride and tried to continue on my way to her without any other events that would make me look like a complete fool.

I was about fifty feet away when she stopped laughing and ran over to me. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a kiss on my cheek, before I picked her up and carried her back over to the blanket.

As I set her down, she grabbed my leg and flipped me down onto my back.

"What are you doing?", I said surprised.

"Relax", she sighed as she sat on top of me and ran her hands through my hair, "You're too uptight. You got to learn when to just cut it loose."

I sighed and tried to ease my nerves; slowly I felt my muscles relax.

"There", she smiled, "That wasn't hard was it."

"No, I guess not", I smiled back.

Then we had one of those awkward silences where neither one of us knew what to say.

Trying to break the silence, I said, "You look amazing."

"Thanks", she said blushing before she got off of me and lay next to me.

I rolled to my side and brushed the hair out of her face. But she seemed to be uninterested in me and I could feel my chances of her liking me slowly slipping away.

"Jason…", she sighed, making me cringe at her using my real name, "What do you think of me? Like your true honest opinion of me."

"Well…", I started as I tried to piece together my words, "I think you're very…"

I felt as if I could feel her eyes burning right into my heart. I couldn't make her angry, that's just one thing I couldn't do.

Closing my eyes, I tried to make what I thought of her into words. Just when I was about to speak, I felt what I thought was her hand run through me hair a few times and then down my arm.

I couldn't lose focus now. She was probably doing this to distract to and get me to say something that I didn't want to say.

Sighing I tried to start again, "You're very…" I stopped as I felt something tickle my nose. Opening my eyes I found her head directly over mine, and she was starring down into my eyes.

"I'm very what?", she said cocking her head to the side, "What am I?"

"Beautiful", I said automatically as if someone had force me to say that. I suddenly couldn't feel my own feelings toward her. All I could feel was this strong attraction to her that made me want to bow down before her and do everything she said. As this happened to me, my eerie feeling of something going terribly wrong returned.

"I think I need to get up and clear my head", I started as I tried to move.

Quickly, I found her on top of me with her hands on my wrists.

"Why?", she cooed, "What's wrong?"

"I just feel that maybe I should…", I tried to counter but I could feel myself losing the strength to want to leave. Something was compelling me to stay.

"You should what?", she said as she tilted her head to the side.

"I really feel that I should get up", I said more urgently trying to shift her off of me.

"Stay", she hissed like leaves rustling in the wind.

"I need to get up", I spoke with my voice rising.

"Stay", she hissed again.

I tried to get her off of me but her grip was like an iron clasp. Frantically, I continued to throw her off of me but it was like moving a tree.

I look back up into her eyes and I instantly felt strength leaving my body. It was like she was pulling my soul from my body. I had to look away but I was so drawn to looking at her. She was so mesmerizing. But through all of that I managed to shut my eyes.

"No", she cooed, "Look at me."

I tried with all my might to keep them closed and barely succeeded.

"Such acute boy", she spoke with her words like blades of grass, "You could give up on the gods and live with me forever."

Crap. She said the "Gods" word. And that could only mean one thing. She was a monster.

I opened my eyes just in time to see about twenty vines protrude from her mouth and wrap around my head.

"One last chance", she screamed as the vines tightened around my head, "Leave the gods. Join me!"

I didn't even think about it. I instantly reached into my pocket and pulled out the pocket knife that I had found in my room earlier and did a hack job on her vines.

Hissing she reeled back and I was able to get onto my feet.

"You'll pay little demigod."

"As if", I snorted back, "I've killed one freak and I can do it again."

"The Demotle? She was nothing more than a pesky fly. You won't survive me."

"That's what you think", I said as I turned and sprinted toward the street.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I sprinted away from her. It wasn't until I was halfway there that I made the mistake of looking over my shoulder.

Her eyes made me stop. They were drawing me back to her.

In the split second that I gave her to attack, a tree root shot up and wrapped around my leg.

I used the pocket knife to hack at the root but to no avail. More and more roots shot up; pulling at my arms, neck and every other part of my body.

Slowly she glided over to me smirking.

"Give up yet demigod. Or should I kill you."

I was wretched onto my back. Roots and vines were tightly encasing my arms and legs keeping me immobile. I opened my mouth to scream. Big mistake. As my mouth opened vines shot down my throat and into my body. I could feel them squirming around inside my stomach as they ripped and pulled at my intestines.

Unlike the time when Mrs. Fujatle attacked, people actually noticed me getting attacked. However, they didn't stand a chance against Erica. Raising her hands she totally encased four people in vine-like cocoons.

"If you think I'm bad. Just wait until I open the cocoons."

I would have said something back, but I was still struggling with the vines.

"Behold my beauties", she said raising her hand. And if on cue, the four cocoons broke open and four creatures flew out into the sky.

One flew down next to me, obviously looking for a meal.

It looked like a giant beetle. It's mouth oozed with worms and dirt. Vines wriggled in and out of holes in its body. But Erica wouldn't let it eat; she wanted to finish me herself.

Raising her hands, vines shot up from the ground and created a bow and arrows. Raising the weapon, she pointed it down in my face.

"Prepare to die demigod."

Darkness began to close in around me as my body weakened and shuddered from the constant struggle with the vines.

Time seemed to slow. Erica pulled back the string in the time that seemed to be hours. Slowly her fingers began to open and let the string go. The arrow raced toward my head as I suddenly felt a surge of energy.

Focusing my mind, I put all other things out of my mind and thought of one and only one thing.

"Fire!"