Hello friends I am here with a new and very deserved chapter. This is somewhat short because I just wanted to get something in that would force me to start writing this thing that I started three summers ago, and seem to try to revive each summer. Which makes me a bad person. Well, I guess A for effort, right? I'm really sorry guys but my sorries don't really count for much anymore since I've apologized so much well I just wanted to send a shout out to Books are Gold. Yesterday, for some random reason I came on and went to see the reviews, and well I read hers. I don't know why but it pushed me to try at least once more. So here I am. Thank you kindly you lovely people you and again sorry but here you go.

- Layla

Yeah you know I don't own PJO, I know I don't know PJO, Rick knows I don't own PJO, I don't know why I keep saying I don't own it since it is a fan site but well you get the picture.

Ω

Dark. That's the one thing she could remember, along with the chilling warning sent by a whisper. Ruins. That's what they'd become. That's what she'd make them.

All this rushed at her as Katie sat up quickly, her eyes flashing open. She was tucked neatly into her bed, the curtains wide open allowing light to flood the room. Confused and slightly on guard, she slowly slipped out of bed, a water soaked cloth she hadn't noticed before sliding off and hitting the wood floor with a light splat. She glanced down to find herself in a comfy pair of sweats and a T-Shirt, as well as clean, with no memory of how she got that way. Turning around she noticed she was alone, and straining her ears she was met by a silent house, minus the rummaging that was no doubt coming from the kitchen.

A bit freaked out she walked out of her bedroom and silently went down the large, carpeted, staircase. Two floors later, she entered the large foyer with the family room on the left, and the large dining room to the right, with the kitchen down the hall, where noises were still echoing from. So she made her way towards them, only to be met by a frantic watched him, puzzled, as he shuffled through the pantry. As to what he was looking for she hadn't a clue, but curious, she did as anyone would. Asked.

"Connor, what exactly are you doing?" She simply said with an almost amused expression.

With a small jump, the surprised Connor twirled around, eyes wide, and the pasta box in his hand moments ago was now across the room. "Katie!" He exclaimed. "You're alive-awake. Same difference." He came over to her and handed her another pasta box, that she stared at, confused.

"I uh..." She started. "I don't know what happened." Her brows furrowed as she watched him, and decided to move closer to this little mission of his. "What happened Connor?" Her voice almost strict as before.

"You- uh you passed out or something. We found you unconscious, well Kayla heard you scream. You had a nasty head wound there too, but a little ambrosia and nectar fixed it up. Your dad was going crazy." His eyes wandered a bit, almost worriedly as he returned what he had taken from the pantry. "At first... well we thought you might have been, ya know. Gone." He looked up at her from where he stood. "It wasn't pretty."

Katie stood, motionless and confused, trying to put together the scattered puzzle pieces and fragments of memories. And as if someone had plugged something in, it all came back in a rush that she even stumbled backwards.

The hellhound, the screams of her friends, her heart racing, and the voice.

A woman's voice. Cunning, and calming, but even caused her to shiver as it echoed in her mind. Ruins, she had warned. They'd just be ruined.

She shook her head, and placed a hand to it with her eyes clenched shut trying to block it out. Connor rushed forward worried, putting a hand on the small of her back and giving her a helping hand. "Katie?" He said softly. "You okay there?" Shaking her head yes, she opened her eyes and gave him a small but reassuring smile. "Yeah, no I'm fine. I'm fine." Was all she managed to say. "I just need to sit down."

He gave her a skeptical look, but moved towards the back kitchen door. "All right... I'm just gonna get the others. They'd want to know if you're up. They were really worried. We all were." And with one last look he slipped out the glass door and rounded the corner out of sight, which left Katie alone with her thoughts.

How long had she been practically gone? And what had happened after she blacked out? She hoped the job was done safely and clean, which she suspected as Connor only seemed to be jumpy while telling her about her mess up, that it had gone all right. Well, as well as monster slaying can be.

She lost track of her thoughts, letting them wonder. To the date, the time, what her family had been doing, and her friends, even school. Who'd been taking care of her? There were too many questions, and no answers, which just seemed to bring on another headache. Groaning, she covered her hands with her arms, and tried to block out the world. Again.

Ω

Only when she heard a voice coaxing her back to the world did she realize she had dozed off, rather peacefully. With groggy eyes and a puzzled expression, she looked up blinking rapidly into a pair of green eyes and a wavering smile.

"Ohmysweetgoodness Katie. Thank the gods you're okay." Joy said, rushing to envelope Katie in a tight hug, that she a moment later realized maybe wasn't the best idea. She loosened her grip, and then held Katie out at an arms length. "We were worried sick! What even happened?" She questioned, her voice breaking with emotion, worry coated with relief.

Katie slowly sat up and tried to fake another smile. "Joy." She breathed, and gave another hug, and glanced around at the other faces. Kayla, Hallie, and of course Connor. She furrowed her brow and looked around once more, to be met with the gaze that belonged to none other than Travis. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she cursed herself for it, angrier than she'd been before. He stood on the opposite side of the room, leaning against one of the foyers pillars, looking at the friends fuss over Katie, who wasn't paying them mind. Until Joy repeated her question, she'd be lost in her own thoughts, then snapped into reality.

"Oh." She replied, then thought it over. "I don't- I don't really know. I just remember seeing a huge hellhound, maybe the alpha?" She spoke rapidly. "And I heard you all scream. It was horrifying. I was sure I was done for. I prayed you were okay." She swallowed, as she relived the moment, and in a brief argument with herself, she for some reason decided to leave out the lady with the terrifying voice that seemed to lull her to sleep. "I remember falling, and then that was all. I blacked out. I can't remember anything else." She gave them a helpless look, a new look to Katie Gardner. But it seemed to convey all her emotions in one. She didn't have anymore answers than they did.

"Katie... I didn't scream." Was all Connor had to add to the conversation.

Joy gave a fleeting look of confusion with Kayla. "Neither did I." She said.

"I didn't hear anything." This was all they got from Travis, who added his two cents still from his position across the room.

Katie's heart skipped a beat. "Well maybe I-I just thought I heard it. I dunno." Shaking her head she moved to stand up. "It's fine. I'm sure it's nothing. I don't wanna think about it." She nodded once, and made her way towards the kitchen. "But I am starving."

She gave an almost pleading look towards the rest of the demigods, as if begging them to just forget about it for a little while. Her head already hurt enough, and she was scared out of her wits. But she couldn't do anything about it without answers or recovering, she knew both took time. So maybe a little break was what she needed. At least a day or two to get back on her feet. So with a small smile she turned and entered the kitchen.

"What's to eat?"