~Chapter 1~
~one way ride in the chariot taxi of Damnation~

Rowen stared, unblinking at her mother, not believing what she was just told. "Ren please," her mother begged while someTHING roared behind the door. "please Ren, go!" "I won't leave you here!" Rowen told her mother. "not with that THING 4 feet away from you!" the monster banged on the door again. you could see cracks begin to appear in the door. her mother looked at her, and ren almost instectively recoiled. when ever her mother's eyes changed from a calming blue to the firey red, rowen knew she HAD to listen "listen Ren. the most important thig is that YOU need to get to camp Half-blood. the monster is after you not me. besides. you're father will protect me." Ren bit back a retort. "F-f-fine...but if you die, i will never forgive you." her mother's expression softened. she touched rowen's face. the door banged again, almost coming off of the hinges. "GO! remember what i told you!" her mother urged, putting Ren's messanger bag in her hands and then pushing her towards the fire escape. Ren took one last look at her mother before sliding down the ladder.

Ren ran three blocks away from the apartment she had shared with her mother. looking a round she slipped into an allyway. looking through her bag she found the golden coins her mother always made her carry around in her "emergency bag" which she had never used before...unil now. Ren ignored the instructions, remembering what her mother told her. "stethi, O harma diablos!" she flipped the coin onto the pavement. the Drachma sank into the asphalt and a smokey grey taxi appeared. the front window rolled down and a grizzly old lady poked her head outsaying, "passaage? passage?" nervously rowen said, "um, one to camp half blood." the woman looked at her, or rowen thought she did; her hair covered her eyes. "humph, new camper...well get in girly!" Rowen nodded and scooted into the back seat. "GO WASP!" the driver, who must have been wasp, floored the accelerator peddle. after getting over the shock that there were three old ladies fighting over one eye and tooth (as well as the coin) did Ren realize that they were the legendary grey sisters; wasp, anger and tempest. in about 10 minutes, the car stopped and wasp, or it might have been tempest, screeched, "here you are girly!" "thanks" muttered rowen, who flipped two extra drachma to the front seat. she clambored out of the taxi and the car screeched away.

Rowen climbed up the hill and surveyed the landscape, resting in the shade of the pine tree....Thalia's pine tree, her mother had said. the camp looked pretty impressive. a big farm house, an ampatheter, strawberry fields, a rock climbing wall that spewed fire, and was that a beach? Rowen grinned. maybe this place wouldn't be so bad. she slowly walked down the hill, taking in the sights and sounds. people, she presumed campers, were riding pegesi, climbing the rock wall, canoe racing and lots of other things. "hey there!" rowen turned to see a blonde girl holding hands with a dark-haired boy walking towards her. "you look new here!" Rowen nodded. "yeah...my mom told me to come here...i'm Rowen, but people call me Ren." she frowned. "you just got here? but..." "i'm percy," the boy said cutting in. "and this is my girlfriend, annabeth. welcome to camp half blood." "s-s-so it's true..." Percy laughed. "judging by you're facial expression, you didn't believe it, huh? don't worry; it happens to everyone. anyway, we should take you to the big house." Rowen nodded. "um, my mom said she wanted me to give this to someone named Chiron." she showed them an envelop. Annabeth eyed Ren and then Percy. "yes, let's go to the big house."

the trio walked up to the big farm house where a centaur and a dude were playing pinochle. "and what have you brought us this time, jonson." he dude said, eyeing Ren. "Mr. D; my last name is Jackson." Percy said patiently. "yes, yes, jillson, i know." Percy sighed. "this is a new camper me and Annabeth found." the dude, Mr.D, took a sip of diet coke. "great; another brat to take care of." the Centaur clip-clopped over to them. "welcome dear. i am Chiron." "so then this goes to you." Ren said and handed the centaur the envelop. Chiron took it, opened it and read it. "well?" Mr.D said "what does it say?" Chiron swallowed. "it's from Melani...so then you must be--" "her daughter; Rowen" Ren finished. "wait, hold on. Melani? you mean..." "yes mr. D that Melani." Chiron folded the letter back up. "well Rowen--" "call me Ren. please." Chiron blinked. "very well, Ren. i welcome you to camp half-blood."