TW: S***ide mentions
Reyna's POV

"What the hell happened to your face?" Was probably not the first thing I should have asked Thia but I couldn't help it. Her lip was busted and her cheek was heavily bruised along with a bit of swelling under her eye.

"It's a long story," she shrugged trying to dodge the subject. "How was work? You know, being in charge and all?"

"Boring, and you're dodging my question," I pointed out.

"She was walking a friend home and Thia and Jenna got into a scrap. She got a ride home from some guy with a motorcycle and that's all I know," Thalia shrugged, only causing Thia to groan.

"It isn't as bad as it looks okay? I'm fine and I'm hungry so can we eat and not talk about it?" Thia looked hopefully between Thalia and I. I didn't need to say anything and just gave Thalia a look. Should I drop it?

Thalia shrugged again so with a sigh I let the topic go. "Yeah sure."

"Great. Love you." Thia smiled excitedly and opened the door. "Come on. Dining hall. Let's go. Yo tengo mucho hambre."

"Talk about a quick change of attitude." I shook my head watching her skip outside.

"More like her attention span wore off," Thalia snorted. "I can relate."

"Oh believe me I know you can," I laughed, shutting the door behind us. Thalia rolled her eyes despite her amused expression and laced her fingers with mine.

Thia ran up ahead hair flying behind her. She waited outside and bounced on the balls of her feet impatiently- something she'd always done.

"We should walk slower just to irritate her," Thalia smirked.

"That's mean," I laughed.

"But funny," Thalia winked.

"You guys are so slow! Come on." Thia bounced on the balls of her feet even more, clearly growing impatient.

"Oh before I forget there's something I need to talk to you about later." I spoke softer as we got closer to Thia. It was important but not something she needed to worry about. She had a knack for worrying.

I think, to an extent, she felt responsible for a lot of people. Even people she wasn't really friends with. She just had a big heart and cared a lot.

"I'll have to check my schedule," Thalia joked.

"Right, the one that is always completely blank," snorted.

"What? The schedule she pretends to have?" Thia asked, picking up on our conversation.

"Wow look at you. Horribly sarcastic. So fun," Thalia sighed.

"You only pretend you don't like me," Thia grinned, jumping on her back.

"Holy shit you're heavy." Thalia pretended to stumble.

"Gee thanks." Thia rolled her eyes and shot me a look that translated to what is wrong with this woman?

"Everything." I mouthed earning a boisterous laugh from Thia.

"Onwards. To the food!" Thia smiled, wrapping her arms around Thalia's neck.

"Don't choke me. Loosen your grip," Thalia grunted ,walking off to the usual table. It occurred to me that Thia didn't really have friends to sit with. She'd never been interested in other people for the most part.

She used to tell me all the time that they were just too boring. But more than that, she just didn't find the need to have friends. She liked being alone but I knew to an extent that wasn't true. She never said anything but I got the impression that it wasn't always easy when one of your parents ran the camp. It was like everyone knew who you were but didn't want to be associated with you.

It didn't help that according to other people I was rather intimidating. I guess everyone assumed that if they ever screwed up a friendship with Thia that I'd have their heads. Which was true to some extent but they'd have to seriously screw up for that to happen.

She did have one friend though and that was Emily Zhang. She was about two years younger. A very cute little girl with the biggest heart out of anybody I knew right next to Thia's of course.

"So can you shift yet? That would be awesome! You could be a dragon. I always wanted a dragon. A red one. Oh baby that would be one sweet ride." Thia had found Emily and was talking away.

"Not yet. I don't know if I can. I'm kinda scared that I'll get stuck as an animal or something. But if I turn into a dragon you'll be the first person I tell," Emily promised. "And I'd fly you all over the place if you wanted."

"Now that would be cool. Imagine all the places we could go," Thia sighed, her eyes taking on a wistful look.

"You don't like anywhere else but here," Emily giggled.

"Not true. I like trees." Thia pointed out as I sat down across from the two girls.

"So the woods," Emily smiled. "Well I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but dragons can't fly in the woods."

"How would you know? You haven't tried," Thia remarked.

"No, but my Dad has," Emily winced, resting a hand on Thia's shoulder. "It doesn't work out well."

"Bummer," Thia sighed, pouting slightly.

"You're cute when you pout." I laughed knowing she didn't like being called cute.

"I am not cute. I am fierce." Thia grumbled but her grumble really equated to the small roar of an adorable kitten.

Emily giggled and patted Thia on the head. "There there. You're the fiercest of all."

"Thank you," Thia smiled.

"Since when were you fierce?" Thalia asked sitting down next to me. "You're as intimidating as a fluffy little duck."

"Why do I even try?" Thia asked, lightly smacking her head on the table.

"Cause you're cool," Emily promised, never one to like seeing people sad.

"As cool as lava," Thalia mumbled. I gave her a slight glare but couldn't contain my slight amusement.

Thia remained silent for a moment then glanced up like a sudden idea had occurred to her and glanced around the room.

"Um, I'm gonna go check on something I'll be right back." Before I could ask what she was up to she ran off. Emily watched her go with a confused expression.

"Was it what I said?" Thalia asked worriedly.

"No, I think she just remembered something." Thalia sighed in relief and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Sometimes I wonder what goes on in her head," Thalia wondered.

"Me too but we will never know," I replied.

"It's like how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop," Emily frowned, a brief look of frustration on her face. "NOBODY KNOWS!"

"Wow." Thalia looked at her with wide eyes.

"Like what is it? Seventy five? Six hundred?" Emily asked gesturing expressively with her hands.

"Well it's nice to see you have your problems sorted out," I laughed. "Tell you what, if I ever find out I'll tell you."

"Please. It's like the world's biggest mystery," Emily sighed, clearly exasperated. After Emily's teenage crisis involving lollipops we ate in relative peace.

Thia didn't return and I started to worry about where she'd run off to. She wasn't the type of kid to typically get into trouble. I convinced Thalia to linger a minute more- despite being finished with our food- before we set off to go back home.

"So what is it you wanted to talk about?" Thalia asked taking my hand again.

"It's hard to describe I'll have to show you," I explained.

"Should I be worried?" Thalia asked anxiously.

"I hate to say it but...yeah," I sighed, watching her face fall. I never liked it when she was upset. It always made me sad too.

"Great," she mumbled, kicking a rock on the path so it ricocheted off of a street sign.

"Maybe it isn't that bad." I attempted to cheer her up but when that didn't work I just resorted to kissing her cheek. "Wait until you see it for yourself."

"Okay," Thalia nodded. Once home I had her follow me upstairs and opened a drawer to my desk. Inside were the pictures Grover had made sure to get to me.

"Look at these and tell me what you think." I handed them to Thalia and sat down on the edge of the desk. She looked over them carefully her bright blue eyes scanning every detail of the photos.

"How'd you get these?" She asked, flipping trough them for a third time.

"Grover dropped them off a few days ago," I explained.

"Does he know what's causing it?" Thalia asked, handing them back to me.

"No. None of the nature spirits do. Same with the minor nature gods. He said he tried talking to literally everyone but no one has a clue." I studied the first picture. It was a photo of the woods from one of the states but the trees were black. One would think there may have been a forest fire but when you looked closely you could see that wasn't the case.

They were a deep oily black looking more like a blob of darkness or a splotch of ink on a camera lens than a clump of trees. The second photo was of the same area but the radius of the effected area was larger.

"Maybe it's just some cranky spirit or god," Thalia shrugged. "We can't stress about it too much yet."

I was about to reply but the sound of feet pounding up the stairs interrupted my train of thought. Thia barged in with wild hair, completely out of breath, and wide eyed.

"What happened?" Thalia asked, eyebrows knitting together.

"Marianna. She-" Thia shook her head trying to catch her breath. "She's dead."

"What?" I asked. I knew Marianna. I'd had the pleasure of taking to her before. She was a sweetheart. Nice and kind and pretty. She had a bright future ahead of herself. Well, she was supposed to.

"Her wrists." Thia dragged a finger across her own wrist. It didn't seem to sink in for a moment but seconds later Thia was crying. "I wondered why I didn't see her at dinner. She-"

"Take me there." I stood up tossing the pictures aside more concerned with the current problem. Thia nodded, her hands shaking. "Thia."

She paused in the doorway and looked back at me. Resting my hands on her shoulders I rested my forehead against hers. "Breath. It's gonna be okay."

She nodded and sucked in a breath of air and grabbed my hand tugging me along. Thalia trailed behind slightly. No one was outside and it seemed oddly quiet considering the information I'd just been told.

Thia dragged me down a few streets until she pointed at a house with its lights off. "Her parents weren't home."

"Wait here let me check it out." The door was unlocked and I headed inside checking the downstairs rooms first before heading upstairs.

I found Marianna in the bathtub, her skin pale and her veins an icy blue. It was a sight no one should have to see. Kneeling next to the tub I checked for a pulse but there was nothing. I even tried shaking her gently to see if she was responsive.

There was nothing. Sighing, I stood and shook my head. In all of my years I'd never seen something like this. Glancing around the bathroom I spotted a crumpled note on the counter. Picking it up I scanned it.

Thia,

Thanks for your help with Jenna. You've been a good friend and I enjoyed your company but...I don't want to burden you or anyone else with whatever I am anymore. To be honest I'm not much of anyone really.

People say one person can make a difference in the world but can they really? I mean what can some stupid elephant loving deaf girl like me even accomplish? I don't think the world will miss me all that much but maybe somehow I'll make Jenna's life better. Could you tell her I'm sorry? For whatever I did to make her hate me so much?

Don't feel bad for me okay? I heard it's just like going to sleep. I'm okay with that. I lost so much sleep from crying I guess I can make up for it now. I know you'll probably be angry with yourself but please don't. You're a good person. It's not your fault. It's not anyone's really.

Consider it an extermination. A pest being removed. It helps everyone if I'm gone. Even those who don't like me. ~ Dumbo

I noticed dried splashes of tears on the paper. Sighing, I took a shaky breath and headed back outside where Thia and Thalia were waiting expectantly.

"Thia." I held out the note to her and she took it with eager hands eyes skimming rapidly over he text. She may have had ADHD but Thia lucked out by not having dyslexia.

"Dumbo." She whispered her eyes welling with fresh tears. "She signed it with that? Is this supposed to make me feel better?"

She glanced back up at me as if I was the reason for the note. It broke my heart to see her so upset and angry. "She wanted you to read it."

Thia's eyes hardened and she shook her head biting her lip to try and keep from crying anymore. "I'm going home."

"Thia wait-" but she'd already turned around and ran off.

"What are you going to do?" Thalia asked.

"I'll figure something out," I sighed. "Right now we need to find her parents and settle this before any false rumors spread. And after that we can talk to Thia. She's going to take this hard."

"Especially since she was the one who saw Marianna last. Gods." Thalia shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. "Why are good people punished?"

We both knew the answer to that question. We'd experienced the answer more than once ourselves. "Because good things never last."