The flames seemed to kiss the skies,dancing like ethereal beauties,at their own devastating pace,glowing red and gold with a tinge of blue,so alluring yet dangerous. Annabeth was surrounded by the flames in every direction,they were closing up on her.The more she tried to escape the more the fire spread.The heat was scorching her and she felt her skin popping with blisters.She tried to to scream but no sound came from her throat,and then she heard the voices."We killed your parents and now we are gonna kill u slowly,make you feel the pain,because u deserve it,"she heard the flames jeer at her,in a crackling voice. Annabeth woke up with a start,drenched in cold sweat.She fumbled for the clock on the table and groaned,it was three in the morning.

She got up from her bed and looked at the mirror.A pale skinned,slim girl looked back.Her fiery red hair was a mess and her sea-coloured eyes looked dazed.She always found her eyes strange,an unusual mixture of blue and green.No one could say if it was blue or green.She felt she looked like a zombie,with her skin all clammy.

She decided to take a hot shower to wash up the remnants of the nightmare.She went to the bathroom and started the water.She took her favourite lavender shampoo and massaged her scalp and washed herself vigorously,removing the traces of the nightmare as it was a frequent one.The only thing nagging at the back of her mind is that the flames never spoke to her,but today it did.

After the shower,she wrapped herself in towel and ran into her closet to wear a tank top and some shorts.She felt wide awake and decided to have some milk to pull her back to sleep as she had an important algebra test next day.As she walked downstairs,she thought hard.She was a nerd all right but not a complete die hard fan of studying.She would search over google and read various articles and books which comprised her entire syllabus and did not bore her.Yes,she was weird as she loved words and numbers and music and acting.A very strange combination but she insisted that they went together very well.She was always thinking of story plots and and finding pattern in everything,mentally doing maths,humming new tunes,all together.She might sound.....different but that was her.Crazy,lonely,nerdy yet fun.

She got invited to parties every friday night but she liked to stay home with her best friends,a good book and a tub of ice cream.She had her share of boyfriends but then she got tired of them.After all they were only to make someone jealous but it never worked......Annabeth shook the thought of breaking the thread.She scolded herself for overthinking again.

After warming the milk,she sat with a pack of oreos and ate slowly, savouring every bite.Finally after what seemed ages,she finished and washed everything and went upstairs with a heavy stomach,grinning and thinking what Luke's reaction would be when he found out that she had finished the last packet of oreos. She decided to leave the empty packet near his door and run.

Luke's room was being re-innovated so he had shifted to the guest room for a while which was at the other end of the house.She tip-toed to that section of the house and as she neared,she heard moaning and noises.Then she heard heavy breathing.She opened the door and peeked through a crack.Luke was fucking hard some blonde bimbo from their school. Annabeth clenched the wrapper tight in her hand,turned away and walked back.She was walking past Alex's room,head held down when she heard her name being mentioned,though she hated eavesdropping,she was very curious as to why on earth was her aunt awake at this ungodly hour and talking about her.

She pressed her ear against the door and heard Joseph's voice too,and the thing she heard stunned her."Annabeth's parents are not dead yet.They are held in secret by him,Alex.She should never know about this.The less she knows the better for her and more chance for her to be safe."said Joseph."But brother why has he still kept them alive"inquired Alex"To lure Annabeth. They know that she is alive somewhere,and are waiting till she turns eighteen. That's when she will be eligible for her inheritance and that is when they will search for her and finish her off along with her parents to own the vast wealth of Lord Henry and his family.They know that if Annabeth comes to know about her parents,she will come in search and their job will be done.His men are ruthless and unfailing,dont forget that." "But brother won't they search for her always,even if we hide her well?" "You are forgetting one thing Alex,the deal says that if she is missing and does not turn up by a month after her eighteenth birthday,the money will be donated to the King's charity.They will have no purpose with her other than revenge and that much protection i can offer her.All she has to do is keep silent and hide,and her fate will not be as gruesome as her parents." "Listen brother,do u think its right to hide this from her?She has a right to know.Its her life,not yours or mine.She should choose what she wants in her life.It is not honourable to hide things and they always end badly,you know it yourself,"Alex's voice fell towards the end of her reply and she looked at her twin with soft,regretful eyes.

Joseph's stance altered and became angular in an instant,he said coldly"I sure remember it Alex and it would do good to keep shut about it.You should sleep now,it is late.I am sorry for waking you up as soon as i arrived,Pleasant dreams." "Brother i am sorry,I......"Annabeth did not hear the rest.She had heard enough.With eyes brimming with tears and clenched teeth,she went to her room.She shut the door and started choking on her tears.She was not crying out loud,rather she suppressed the pain.After what she seemed for hours,she did not cry anymore,just gazed at the lightening sky as dawn approached.She felt absolutely empty when the clock on her side table started beeping,she stood up,hearing the roaring of blood in her ears.She washed her face in the bathroom and gazed at the mirror,seeing her face which was red and had dried tear tracks.Her palms were full of scarlet drops,tingeing her pale skin bright red,the shade almost close to that of her face.She had dugged her nails deep into her palms to stop herself from making a single noise."Annie!!Come on wake up,sleepyhead.Breakfast is ready",shouted Alex from the kitchen."Sleepyhead!",Alex wondered after that day she was never gone sleep well again.After being blank for so long her thoughts began to rush.Her parents....Her mom and dad were alive.So was her sibling alive too,the one her mother was expecting?Joseph had told her about it and she had always wanted a sister too.Were they okay?Were they happy without her?

Her head buzzed with all the questions.She had never felt so much anger and bitterness in her life.She knew now what she wanted in life.Revenge.And she would get it.

A/N
Sorry for making you people wait for so long.Was burdened with school project.Next update will be on next saturday. Do comment and vote guys.