~ { Shadow and Beauty } ~

Cabin Fifteen

{Jason}

They headed toward a newer wing of cabins in the southwest corner of the green. Some were fancy, with glowing walls or blazing torches, but Cabin Fifteen was not so dramatic. It looked like an old-fashioned prairie house with mud walls and a rush roof. On the door hung a wreath of crimson flowers—red poppies, Jason thought, though he wasn't sure how he knew.

   "You think this is my parent's cabin?" he asked.

   "No," Annabeth said. "This is the cabin for Hypnos, the god of sleep."

   "Somnus," Kiara muttered then winced, closing her eyes, as if it hurt to remember. Jason knew exactly what that felt like.

   "Exactly," Annabeth confirmed.

   "I remember some faint information about him, but..." Kiara trailed off.

   "But if he's not my godly parent, then why—" Jason started asking, but was interrupted by Annabeth.

   "You've forgotten everything," she said. "If there's any god who can help us figure out memory loss, it's Hypnos." She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

   Inside the cabin, even though it was almost dinnertime, three kids were sound asleep under piles of covers. A warm fire crackled in the hearth. Above the mantel hung a tree branch, each twig dripping white liquid into a collection of tin bowls. Jason was tempted to catch a drop on his finger just to see what it was, but he held himself back.

   Soft violin music played from somewhere. The air smelled like fresh laundry. The cabin was so cozy and peaceful that Jason's eyelids started to feel heavy. A nap sounded like a great idea. He was exhausted. There were plenty of empty beds, all with feather pillows and fresh sheets and fluffy quilts and—Annabeth nudged him. "Snap out of it."

   Jason blinked. He realized his knees had been starting to buckle. He looked at Kiara. She was frowning at the tree branch, but didn't seem dazed like how Jason was.

   "Cabin Fifteen does that to everyone," Annabeth warned, then frowned at Kiara, who was still looking at the tree branch as if it reminded her of something. "If you ask me, this place is even more dangerous than the Ares cabin. At least with Ares, you can learn where the land mines are."

   "Land mines?" Kiara asked, snapping out of her reverie.

   Annabeth didn't reply. She walked up to the nearest snoring kid and shook his shoulder. "Clovis! Wake up!"

   The kid looked like a baby cow, Jason thought. He had a blond tuft of hair on a wedge-shaped head, with thick features and a thick neck. His body was stocky, but he had spindly little arms like he'd never lifted anything heavier than a pillow, which might have been true.

   "Clovis!" Annabeth shook harder, then finally knocked on his forehead about six times.

   "Wh-wh-what?" Clovis complained, sitting up and squinting. He yawned hugely, and both Annabeth and Jason yawned too, but Kiara seemed unfazed. Jason wondered how she was so unaffected by the sleepy aura the cabin had.

   "Stop that!" Annabeth said. "We need your help."

   "I was sleeping," Clovis complained.

   "You are always sleeping," Annabeth retorted.

   "Good night."

   Before he could pass out, Annabeth yanked his pillow off the bed.

   "That's not fair," Clovis complained meekly. "Give it back."