The Atlantic ocean was a familiar view to Coraline, she approached the lapping waves every evening without fail. It was indescribable, the tugging in every fibre of her body, screaming for her to wade in, to find out how she could have grown up. Coraline knew better than to follow her intrusive thoughts, as the shadows beneath the breaching waves haunted her every dream.

The pale, colourless view was cloaked in thick murky fog. The gauzy mist shrouded everything, from the foaming shore of grey waters and churning waves to the damp sand and shallow rock pools. the sea was laying to rest, waiting for a final sign before its slumber.

The sun and the sea met at the horizon, every morning and evening like clockwork.it was what coraline wells depended on, a ritual of hers was to watch them meet, like star crossed lovers forbidden from ever seeing each other. However, today the sun hadn't yet made an appearance, though she was sure it was there.her fears of the sun disappearing haunted her sleepless nights, convinced the boogeyman was out to get her.

The boogeyman lived in the shadows, in the darkness. It was a common fear for children of Apollo, to fear the dark, but it didn't make Coraline anymore comforted to know that she shared a childish fear that couldn't be fought with celestial bronze.

the thin translucent rays of light finally broke the surface, and she felt herself breathe again. colour flooded her vision as a miraculous painting of light and sky bloomed in front of her. the fog became nothing but a thin veil over the ocean, and she watched in pure awe as the sunlight led a beautiful dance with the lapping waves. coraline wells didn't think a goodbye could be so delicate and sure.

It was at times like this, watching the sun kiss the ocean one last time before night consumed the shoreline, coraline forgot her pain and torment. she forgot that this wonderful waltz between two elements had once been her parents in another life, an affair that never should have happened.

Coraline was better off than most demigods at camp, she was claimed after all. But because of her unorthodox bloodline she often felt excluded, but perhaps that was her own doing as she spent most of her time with Marley Ravani, who wasn't exactly a known chatterbox. She spent her days listening to music, watching the waves on the lake and the ocean from afar and choosing to absorb facts and retain knowledge about the sea and the solar system instead.

Coraline wasn't a fighter, she was a vigilant demigod of course, but because she had never left camp, even at age 15, she had no idea what the real world was like. And so her primary fear as she grew up other than monsters, was the boogeyman, whose skin was as real and stony as concrete.

The path back to camp was worn and familiar, it wound around the heavy trees, their width shrouding Coraline in near darkness.The daze of the wonderful sunset had faded, and the forest's walls felt suffocating. Every movement and every noise jolted a spark of fear down Coraline's spine.

her frantic speed walking stopped as she took off in a run, her ears were filled with the crunch of leaves under her feet. Her throat felt dry and sore, her ears felt cold and clipped from the sudden drop of temperature. the boogeyman was going to get her. The boogeyman was going to swallow her whole.

It was only when she could see where the path ended, did she slow down. her clammy face puffed hot air around her, her bright red cheeks got a few strange glances. nothing she wasn't used to, obviously. she never waited out the sunset that long, every day the shadows seemed to creep closer. it was like they were trying to scare her away on purpose, from what? she couldn't tell you.

camp half blood was bustling with foot traffic, sweaty campers left and right were either hitting the showers or cleaning their armour before another day of heavy training. Coraline weaved left and right, mumbling discreet 'sorrys' as she went against the flow of congestion like a swimmer against the tide.

to an outsider, or somewhere new, the sheer number of campers would have reassured them that they had a plentiful supply of gladiators on hand at any time. but the numbers were drastically dropping, people were joining their side, or just disappearing into the night. Almost as if the boogeyman had snatched them out of their beds, but coraline didn't like that idea one bit.

night was slipping into camp half blood, the last hues of the day hung like heavy curtains across the sky and coraline could just about see the shy evening stars staring down at her, as if they were asking for coraline to make a wish. But, much like the sea, the stars also held some of coralines secrets. the stars also knew that the last time coraline made a wish, was a very long time ago - and she was still waiting for it to come true.

her cabin stood out against the rest, its walls faintly glowed - literally. at different times of day you had to be careful around its deceivingly plain exterior, as now a few unlucky campers now have severe phobia of anything shiny.

the apollo cabin was filled with warmth, light and gold. The sun projected little rainbows through the crystal prisms hanging from the windows. the sunny bedding looked cheerfully inviting, and seemed to shine in the light. Its grey stone exterior looked painfully ordinary until the glorious moment when the sun directly hit it, casting a mirage over it, masking the structure in solid gold. the campers inside all looked alike in some ways : sunny blonde hair, dimples, charming splashes of freckles and long eyelashes. each bunk was decorated with similar lighthearted furnishings with flowers and artwork proudly framed and hung on the walls.

but at the very back of the cabin, where the only shadows in the whole room seemed to take refuge from the blisteringly happy sun, was another bunk. Its bedding seemed dull and cold, printed out poems and other literature were tacked up on the wall. A few personal pictures were tucked away, almost out of view. there was a mellow violin case precariously leant against the side of the bed, worn down with age.its contrasting subtle bubble of self pity compared to the sweltering golden light of the rest of the cabin felt like a cool oasis.

coraline flopped down on her bunk, silently grateful for the cool ac unit that was strategically placed right above her head. she sat up in her bed and watched as her siblings slowly trickled in. soon enough, it was a full house - or cabin, whatever.

lee fletcher, head counsellor and half brother to coraline, stood up. he had always been one to care about his appearance, a trait inherited from both of his dads. today his hair was in long twists of ebony with an orange bandana slicking them back, matching the patriotic colours of camp half blood. "alright guys, hit the showers then come back here for last room checks before night time inspections" there was a collective groan, which coraline was gladly a part of.inspections were awful when lee led them, and took forever to sort out. it was always the same 'who took the hairdryer?' or 'can someone please tell me why my ukelele is on the ceiling fan?' and someone always ended up stuck under a bunkbed after trying to get a loose sock.in short, it was worse than fighting monsters.

"Hey Coraline, do you have a second?" Lee called to her as she was under her bed, trying to decide if the socks under there had turned radioactive with mold. He tugged her ankles and pulled her out swiftly. "Hey!" She protested, moldy socks still in hand. "What the fuck is that" He held his nose, the stench was putrid. "Old socks, do you think Mrs O'Leary would eat them?" referring to Quintus' hellhound who was no more harmless than a domesticated lion. "I don't think anyone would touch them with a ten foot poll, please put them back oh my god!" He made a retching motion as Coraline threw the socks back into their moldy home.

"I just wanted to ask you something, want to go for a walk?" Coraline's heart beat a bit faster, had she done something wrong? "Yeah sure, let me find my shoes" Slipping on her beloved suede clogs, she slipped out the front cabin door with Lee.

Lee led her to a well worn path that Coraline knew took them down to the lake. "I just wanted to check up on you, I'm going to college in the fall... and i don't think i want to come back after that" Coraline hadn't once looked up from the ground, her heart slowly sinking "oh! well you're going to be a great doctor, and i'm really proud of you for seeing the outside world...i'm sure micheal will be overjoyed to-" She tried to find happiness in the situation, but Lee was always one of the few she found solace in. He was the one who made sure she ate three times a day, her activities were evenly spread throughout the week, and most importantly he made sure that no one else picked on her for being different. Lee Fletcher was truly like an older brother to her, and she loved him dearly."Micheal isn't going to be head counsellor." Lee laughed "He's been hinting at it all year, i've been telling him i'll be back every summer in college anyway"

The lake was in sight now, the sunset coraline had witnessed on the beach was long gone and the twilight had risen to its highest point. "The truth is, i want to see the real world, meet normal people, get a normal girlfriend maybe...i feel like i can't do that if i have a double life here as well" Coraline understood what he meant, being at camp all the time is isolating. Lee loved the time he spent in New Orleans with his father, but his responsibilities at camp meant he didn't get to spend his summers at his real home. "i get it, you need to get out of here and be like...what's the name of that doctor show you like? Greys Calamity?" Lee laughed with her comfortably "Close enough, but Coral..i wanted to ask you something"

They sat on the end of the Lakes dock, the closest Coraline ever got to the water. The naiads waved flirtishly from just under the surface, they both waved back. Coralines stomach was flipping, was he going to ask her to leave with him? But how would that work, she couldn't go to college at 15!

"Would you accept the honour of being head counseller when i'm gone?" Lee looked at her precariously, like she was glass about to shatter. Coraline's limbs felt numb "Are you sure you don't want Micheal to do it? He's more involved with everyone else and he gets on well with clarisse and that's an alliance with Ares we can't lo-"

"Micheal has a bigger ego than Zeus, i'd rather leave Apollo cabin in the hands of harpies than him!" Lee chuckled lightly, "I want you to be head counsellor, you know everything about this place, you're kind, humble and you're confident somewhere under all that shyness...you'd be perfect Coraline i know it."

Her heart swelled, she had never felt more considered in her life. Lee truly knew her, he'd seen her quiet breakdowns and anxiety and he still thought she was the perfect fit! Despite her own doubts, she knew she couldn't let him down. "Of course i'll take over, It would be an honour to replace you Fletch!" She tackled him in a hug, which was unlike her but felt right in the moment.

He smelled like campfire and healing herbs, Coraline knew he was going to be an amazing doctor and help so many people. Demigods like Lee who had dreams outside of making it past 16 were the reason why Coraline was desperate to get out and see the world somehow.

Lee pulled away, sniffing slightly "Look at you, you're all grown up!" He assessed her facial features lightly. "Don't let anyone doubt you Coraline Wells, you're going to get your shot one day, and i'll be there to cheer you on"

"You better send me stuff from the outside world, i don't know what i'd do without your guidance" Coraline got up alongside him, and they started walking up the pier. "oh please, i'm going to send you so much mail Chiron is going to have a nervous breakdown" They both laughed, and walked back to camp with their arms wrapped round each others waists. Coraline had never less alone, with her brother by her side

AN
hi my angels 💘 i've rewritten this
because i realised 3 years later that
i want this to go in a different direction and
i didn't want coraline to be completely emo haha xxx

let me know what you think / where you think this will go , love you 💗