Mathew Faye was a handsome bachelor, living in California with great wealth when he had heard his uncle, Gregory, had passed on to the next life. This greatly saddened Mathew, since he and his uncle had a very close relationship together. When he was a child, his father killed his mother while he was drunk and angry, believing she had cheated on him with his best friend , and his uncle took him, caring for him with all his love.
At the funeral, Mathew shared a few words about his bond with Uncle Greg, starting to cry at the end. He lingered in the graveyard for an hour after the ceremony, ignoring the rain that was pouring down, just wanting to be with his uncle. His dedication to his loved one attracted a lady by the name of Maya. Maya ran into the storm and told Mathew to come into the funeral house with her. He gave in because, one, he was starting to get really cold, two, this woman looked fascinating to him, her off-white and dark clothing, her bleach blonde hair and natural makeup style made her look like a ghost.
No one was in the house, leaving the two of them alone. While Mathew dried, Maya started up a conversation with him. They hit it off and found out that they had many things in common. Mathew then asked for her number, the start of a relationship. After many months of dating, they decided to "do it". The next week, Maya found out she was pregnant with child. Mathew rejoiced and threw a huge party at his estate. That morning, Maya was nowhere to be found. After putting up a search and not finding her, the officials said she simply "vanished". Mathew never gave up hope and remained single, in case Maya came back to him.
One night, August 3, about 4 months after Maya vanished, Mathew was working at home and his doorbell rang. He opened it to find a black and white basket with a baby girl inside. A note was safely tucked into the cloth inside. It read, Mathew, I'm greatly sorry for leaving you. I had to leave for a reason I cannot name. Here is our daughter. Name her whatever, just love her and send her to a camp, Camp Half-Blood, a place for children like her (the address is below). I love you. With Love, Maya. P.S. Please love someone else. I'm sorry, but we just can't be together.
Astrid was greatly loved by her father. She loved to play in his office while he worked and they loved to play games with each other. Their time together faded when she was about five, and Mathew had to work more, he hired a sitter for his daughter. Astrid went to private school every year. She was an outcast and she didn't fit into any group at school. No one liked her and every one thought she was a creep. Her classmates called her names and played unfair pranks on her. She hated going to school, and usually faked sick. When she was 6, she held a birthday party, but no one came. She started to cut sometimes, when she was eleven, and wanted to end it all. Olivia made it worse. Mathew, when Astrid was 12 married a woman by the name of Hannah, who had snobby and arrogant daughter named Olivia. Olivia teased Astrid every day at home, yet acted like an angel in front of their parents.
Mathew got Astrid a dog the next year. It was a small beagle whom seemed to understand Astrid. Astrid learned to ignore Olivia's tauntings, and she finally felt happy.
When Astrid was thirteen, Christmas Eve to be exact, a knock on the door came. Mathew opened it and came in an harpy. The harpy immediately went for Astrid, but her father knocked over the table making an obstacle for the monster. Mathew, who thought the harpy was a crazed drug addict, took her hand and lead her out, just as the Christmas tree was knocked over onto a tray of candles, setting the place on fire, and trapping the harpy under the tree's great weight. The tree also injured one of the harpy's wings. The harpy was killed, but Olivia and Hannah were still inside. Mathew had to save them, but before he went, he told Astrid to swear she would go to Camp Half-Blood. She had learned about camp from the stories Mathew had told about her mother. Maya had told him how the children that went there loved it there and stories about kids she knew that went there; Mathew had told them to Astrid as bedtime stories though Astrid believed she wouldn't fit in there either. She swore and he went back into the burning house, and didn't come back out.
She left, and stayed in different motels along the way. Astrid realized her father had stuffed in her pocket the note left by her mother and a big amount of essential money that she saved, and bought much needed things, like clothes and other stuff. Having been questioned that she was too young to be staying all alone, she bribed the owners with some of her money. She departed for Camp, with the address her mother left for her father after she was born. Astrid realized it would help if she were to hail a cab, but when she tried, she couldn't get one, since being the quiet person she was, didn't have the loud voice and was usually pushed over by the busy people looking for a cab. She realized she would have to go on her own, with no means of modern transportation, since she didn't trust anybody at that moment. She made demigod friends along the way, who helped her survive and she learned how to use a Machete, which she had received from another demigod who had it as a spare. When she met demigods like her, she talked to them learning more about the gods, Camp, and Olympus, yet there would always be a monster attack killing her allies and leaving Astrid to escape. While traveling to camp, hungry and tired, coming from California, she stopped at the Lotus casino, for about a year and a half, before being rescued by a group of questing demigods. She escaped with their help, and departed back on her way. Astrid didn't want to disturb the questors as they were on a quest so she left by herself. She finally made it to Half-Blood hill after a year, and currently lives there. She is fifteen years old.
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