Clover POV

I slowly fluttered my eyes open. I looked around where I was, then felt totally confused.

I was laying on a couch in front of a fireplace. The fire was slowly dying down, crackling and sending ashes up the chimney. There were three pieces of furniture, including the couch I was on, all facing a coffee table. On the table were a few old diet coke cans, some with a bite in them, a few old CD's of old bands, and a stack of cards. I had a feeling of where I was. I tried to sit up, but my body screamed for me not to.

“Stay down.” Someone said. I exhaled, collapsing back onto the pillows. The person who had talked, walked around the couch and knelt next to me.

It was Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

“Rachel…” I croaked. She smiled at me and pulled my hair out of my face.

“Don’t stress yourself,” she said, reaching for a glass on the table. It looked like apple juice with ice and a straw. She put the straw to my lips and I took a sip.

It tasted like Cheezits and root beer.

The thought made me sad, but I usually was sad. Sooner or later, the glass was drained. Rachel pulled the glass away from my mouth and set it on the table.

“Are you feeling alright?” She asked.

I nodded, “Enough to live..” Rachel smiled and stood up. I tilted my head up to her, “How did I get here..?” Rachel’s smile melted.

She didn’t meet my eyes as she said, “Your father brought you.” I blinked and rubbed my head, just to see if this was a dream. It wasn’t. How could have my father brought me to camp? We lived on the other side of United States… I tried to sit up again, but Rachel put a hand on my shoulder.

“I’m serious when I say you need to not stress yourself. Stay down and relax. You’re okay.” She said in a soothing voice.

I shook my head angrily, “I can’t. I won’t stay down. I need to fix what I broke.” I pushed Rachel’s hand off me and tried to stand. The world spun, the furniture doing 360s. The ground seemed to lean right, then left, as if I were on a rocky boat. Rachel caught me before I could faceplant the floor.

“Rachel,” Someone called from outside, “how is-” The person walked into the Big House and laid eyes on me. It was a girl, with brown hair, blue eyes, and a headband in her hair.

I immediately called, “Amanda!” Amanda’s face looked shocked, then filled with relief.

“Clover!” She cried, running toward me. I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her close. The spinning world and tilting floor no longer mattered. I stroked her hair, and held her close. She wasn’t getting away from me again.

“Oh Amanda… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” I muttered, tears falling. Amanda started to cry, and she didn’t look like she wanted to let go either. We stood there, holding tight to each other for at least five minutes. When I let go, I looked her in the eye.

“Where are the others?” I asked. Amanda wiped her tears and pointed. Outside, Zoe and Carl were sitting on the chairs, looking at the floor. I stumbled over to the door, leaning on it heavily, and called,

“Zoe! Carl!” They turned sharply. Zoe’s face lit up like a birthday candle. She came running at me, Carl in tow. They slammed into me, hugging me so tight, I could barely breath. I held them close. Carl began to cry, along with Zoe.

“I’m sorry guys… I am so sorry…” They didn’t respond, other than them hugging me tighter. When I let go, I wiped the tears from my cheeks. I looked out over Camp, picking out my friends. I sobbed with relief.

I hadn’t crushed everything.

Rachel cleared her throat, obviously uncomfortable with the situation. I looked at her and she turned to my siblings.

“Sorry guys, but I need to talk to Clover for a second.” Their smiles all melted, dripping to the floor in a big puddle.

“Alright…” Zoe muttered sadly. Amanda wrapped her arms around me one last time before leaving with my other siblings. I turned to Rachel.

“Okay… what do you want to talk to me about?” Rachel held up the book. I gasped and snached it from her hands.

“Be careful!” I scolded, “I don’t want any of this ruined.”

Rachel sighed, “Clover, I wanted to tell you something about the book.” I froze. I looked up at her, and noticed that her face was serious. The light from the dying fire reflected off her face eerily. She motioned for me to sit down. I stumbled over to the couch and sat down. The world continued to spin, so I layed down. I was able to focus on Rachel better. Rachel sat down on one of the chairs, taking a deep breath.

“Clover,” she said, “you are part of the story. You can’t leave this world until the story has been finished. I’m sorry, but your first planned failed. You either go back on the quest, or you stay here and fight against the Romans.”