I found an abandoned bike at a street corner. I mean it wasn't chained up, there wasn't anyone on it, so it was up for grabs. I swung my leg over it and started to pedal. There was a thick line of trees a few blocks away from where I was. I looked back for only a moment and saw a cyclops break through the building and run after me. "Whatever I did to make you mad, Mr. Cyclops, I didn't mean it!" I pedaled faster. Soon I heard fire engines, police cars, and medic units pull up to the airport with their sirens blaring. I found a breach in the thick brush and drove through it. I ran into an overturned log and was thrown off the bike. I landed with a sickening thud, but I quickly got up and kept moving. I drew my knife in case I came in contact with the cyclops because I wouldn't be able to outrun him on foot. I came to a clearing and stopped to catch my breath. I looked back and tuned my ears to my surroundings. There were no sounds of smacking branches, snapping sticks, or loud growling. I sighed. When I started to let my guard down I heard the rustling sound of arrows flying through trees. Four arrows embedded themselves in the tree behind me. One right through the fluff of my hair, two below my armpits, and the final one between my legs. A girl stepped out between the ferns. She was wearing an orange t-shirt and a pale red bandanna was tied around her hair. She had golden brown hair that looked as if it had the essence of the sun in it, her eyes were sky blue, and she had a nice tan. Almost an Italian tan. "Who are you?" She studied me. "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" I dropped my knife. "Why shouldn't I?" She asked, holding her strung bow to my heart. "Because, uh . . . actually, I don't know why you shouldn't." I know a real heroic thing to say. "I know why, because you're a demigod. That's the only reason you could enter camp borders." She kept her arrow to my chest. "But I've never seen you before. What's your name?" "Tony Bishop, son of Neptune. Who are you?" "Neptune? You mean Poseidon." She looked into my eyes. Her breath fogged up my glasses. "Yeah, sure. Can I get some space." I said, holding up my hands in surrender. "Fine." She stepped back, her bow still strung. "I just got chased by a cyclops and I'm sleep deprived. Could you cut me some slack?" I asked. "So you were chased? I'm Alexandra Castellan, by the way." She put her arrow back in her quiver and put her bow back over her shoulder. "Yeah, what's that camp you mentioned. I'm from one, in San Francisco. I was flown here to look for more demigods to send to Lupa." I explained, replacing my knife to its sheath. "I've got to take you to Chiron." Alexandra grabbed my arm and started to drag me through the woods.
Canva Rick Riordan Alexandra is Luke Castellan's cousin, not sister. All I was thinking about was the line: 'shot through the heart, and you're to blame, you give love a bad name' - Bon Jovi