by Amy Laine
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We were running. Annabeth and Luke held hands and I ran behind them. The monster was chasing us- I think they called it a manticore. It had already destroyed our nearest safe house.
I stumbled over a rock, but didn’t fall. I watched where I stepped after that. Luke chopped down a path with his sword, trying to clear the area of debris.
“Luke!” I screamed. “Stop it! It slows us down and gives away where we are going!” Luke nodded and stopped chopping down trees.
Annabeth clutched her dagger tightly. “I’ll take care of the manticore.” She said bravely. “You guys go on. Thalia, you injured you’re leg.” She noted. I looked down and realized the rock must have cut me.
Once I saw it, pain flared up my leg and I winced. Luke grabbed Annabeth back. “Get out of here. Go hide somewhere. Take Annabeth with you.” He left to time to argue. I caught Annabeth’s hand and pulled her screaming Luke’s name away.
We crouched behind some trees and I could hear Luke. He yelled taunts at the manticore, and I could hear it roar in reply. I can’t describe what it looked like, because I didn’t want to look at it.
But I know it had a human face and a lion’s body. Its tail had long wicked thorns attached.
Annabeth struggled against me. “I have to help him!” She protested as I grabbed her ankle and pulled her back. My face was beaded with effort. She could easily kick me and rush out to help. My leg was in too much pain, I couldn’t concentrate.
“Don’t,” I whispered. Annabeth looked at me then dashed off- in the opposite direction of Luke. Well, that’s it. I failed to keep her safe. I thought dejectedly. I had to follow her. I scrambled upwards and then gasped in pain as a thorn flew out of no where and plunged into my already hurting leg.
I sat down abruptly. That was stupid. I cursed myself for standing up in a battle area. I heard Luke yell something like, “You’ll pay for that!” Or he said, “Monkeys are so fat!” I’m pretty sure it was number one.
I poked my head around the tree I was hiding behind. I needed to be in the fight, but my leg just wouldn’t accept it. “Don’t you even try to make me move!” It seemed to be saying. I watched as Luke feinted to the left and vaulted over the manitcores head. It swung up with a surprised look on its face. It brought a wickedly sharp looking paw into the air. Luke sprang off its face, using it as a spring board and landed on the evil cats back. He rode the manticore like a pro.
I wanted to shout, “Go Luke!” But I was afraid I might distract him.
That’s when Luke made his mistake. He tried to drive his sword into the monsters neck but a volley of thorns shot toward him from behind. “Look out!” I shrieked. I couldn’t do much more. Luke ducked and rolled of the monsters back but I could tell there were at least two thorns embedded in his back. He groaned and rolled off the beasts back. He landed with a sickening thump on the ground.
The manticore loomed over him. “Luke! Get up!” I didn’t care if I gave away my position now. I was in no condition to save him. I picked up my shield like a Frisbee. It was his only hope. I flung it -sort of like bowling- it where he lay and it skidded to a halt by his left arm.
He weakly grasped it but his head didn’t move. As the manticore roared in triumph and bent down -to eat him maybe- he raised the shield in front of his face. The pelted it with thorns which was a fault on his part, seeing as they ricochet back into the monster’s face. The manticore fell backwards and slammed into a pine tree.
The tree bent under its weight and then shot it back toward Luke, who still hadn’t gotten up. I didn’t have anything else to defend him. He sat up slowly with the picture of defeat on his face. Tiredly, he raised his sword to block himself. A weak attempt, but it worked. The manticore couldn’t stop its momentum. Its eyes reflected panic as it roared and tried to dodge to the side, of the sharp blade. The monster burst into dust before it even crashed on Luke.
Luke smiled to himself and then crashed back onto the ground. Annabeth came back and pressed some leaves against my leg. “Where did you go?” I demanded, the pain fading from the leaves.
“I thought you were in pain. I’m sorry.” Annabeth didn’t meet my eyes. She’s busy pouring nectar from her canteen onto the leaves. “This will help speed up the healing process, like times five with the leaves.” At the same time as she was talking, she pulled the needle from my leg. I screamed in pain. It felt like Zeus had used his Master Bolt to zap my leg to pieces.
I grinned weakly, despite my pain. “Thanks kiddo. But I think we should help Luke. Are there any more of those leaves?” Annabeth looked to where Luke was lying. Her face turned pale. “Yeah…yeah there are more leaves. By the stream…” She didn’t finish her sentence. She got up and ran back the direction she’d come.
I forced myself to walk and not crawl to where Luke was. I slapped his face. “Wake up.” I ordered. Luke’s eyes fluttered open slowly. He gripped his shoulder and I noticed there was a slight graze. The thorn hadn’t gone into him. I checked for any other thorns but he was lucky. One other deadly needle had gotten into his shirt, but it wasn’t a deep cut. I pulled it out easily.
“What were you thinking?” I cried leaning against a tree. Luke grinned uneasily. “Those needles…they have different types of poison on them. I think the first one, had sleepiness or something. The second made me see things in all huge colors and I felt really dizzy.”
I thought about what the thorn had felt like in my leg. “The one that hit me in the leg,” I said slowly, “Felt like fire racing up my leg and consuming every molecule inside of me.” Luke traced my wound lightly. “Are you okay?” I glared at him teasingly. “Do I look okay?”
He laughed and Annabeth handed him some ambrosia. “Eat these. Share with Thalia. Chew slowly.” She advised. It felt weird that she was taking care of us but I was happy she was here.
She poured more nectar onto the pale green leaves she insisted healed injuries and pressed them on Luke’s back and shoulder.
Luke healed in a matter of thirty or so minutes. I wasn’t as lucky. “It’s not enough.” He realized. “Our nearest safe house is in ruins. There is only one place we can go.”
We ended up going back to Luke’s house and Mrs. Castellan herself bandaged my leg. Annabeth played with a Medusa beanbag toy while Luke talked with Hermes in the living room. May Castellan finished wrapping my leg and smiled at me.
“So, are you Luke’s girlfriend?” She asked me sweetly. I must have been blushing because Mrs. Castellan laughed. “No need to be shy darling.”
She offered us a tray of burnt cookies. Annabeth took one but didn’t eat it. I declined politely. Mrs. Castellan didn’t seem to hear them or maybe she was pretending they didn’t exist.
“When Luke was a baby, oh he was the cutest!” Mrs. Castellan began. She poured us Kool-Aid into little Disney Land cups. I rubbed my bandaged leg and nodded uneasily. “Um…yeah.” Mrs. Castellan told us about the time he slipped in the bath tub, and his kindergarten graduation. Things, I really didn’t need to know about.
Annabeth held up her burned cookie for Luke to see. Can we go now? She mouthed. He glanced over and a smile flickered across his face for a moment. Then he turned back to where his father was standing.
I don’t know how long we sat there. May Castellan muttered things about Luke that were barely audible. I fiddled with my hair. Annabeth slashed the cookie in front of her to pieces with her knife.
Mrs. Castellan raised her voice, practically yelling at us, telling us how great her son was. “Yeah, that’s awesome.” I looked longingly outside. How long did we have to stay here? Annabeth didn’t talk but at Mrs. Castellan with that look of hers.
“THEN YOU DON’T CARE!” Luke yelled from the other room. We stopped talking.
“Luke?” Mrs. Castellan called out. “Is that you? Is my boy all right?” Annabeth and I looked at one another like this lady is nuts. Luke turned in the other room, but
I saw a tear trickle out his eyes. He was crying. I wondered why.
“I’m fine. I have a new family. I don’t need either of you.” Luke snapped loudly from the other room. His voice broke on ‘I don’t need either of you.’
“I’m your father.” Hermes insisted from the other room. Annabeth and I straightened up. I had the feeling that we were leaving.
“A father is supposed to be around. I’ve never even met you.” He sounded like he wanted to add ‘all you ever did was give us weapons. You didn’t help us!’ “Thalia, Annabeth, come on! We’re leaving!”
He stomped away from his parents. I got up to follow him and Annabeth was at his heels.
“My boy, don’t go!” May Castellan called after us. “I have your lunch ready!” It was a sad thought, actually. She was waiting to give her son a lunch he would never come back too.
We walked out the door and it slammed shut behind us. I didn’t ask Luke what had happened in there, but he always seemed different after that. Harder and more determined.
He wanted to pick a fight with every monster instead of getting away. Annabeth didn’t care- Luke was her hero. She wanted to be just like him. A satyr named Grover found us told us to follow him back to Camp Half-blood.
A lot of things happened before and after Annabeth, but they would take too long to write down. I know Luke kept a diary- he didn’t know I knew that he used the old Diary Hal gave him, but I did. I know he wrote down what happened, the mansion, the magic goat called Amaltheia, the automaton statues, the other demigods we met, Hal and his curse with the leucrota…everything. Even the time when Luke’s sword got melted into acid- which after awhile, he had to start using a golf club which he really hated. (https://www.epubbud.com/read.php?g=UY78LYHG&p=4&two=1)
I can tell you about my final stand on Half-blood Hill though. The monsters were chasing us. Hellhounds raced after Annabeth, Luke and I. The Furies cackled as they flew into the air, beating the air with their powerful wings. Plenty of monsters were after us, because I was a daughter of Zeus.
Grover trembled next to me. He hefted his wooden club and looked over his shoulder at us. “Go!” He told us. “I’ll…I’ll hold them off.” He gulped and started to race toward the monsters.
I shoved the satyr aside. “Shut up!” I told him. “Get Luke and Annabeth to camp.” I motioned for Luke and Annabeth to go. Luke opened his mouth in protest and Annabeth watched me with wide eyes.
“I’ll….I’ll meet you at Camp.” I lied. I knew there was no way I would make it. I had to at least let Luke and Annabeth get there. Especially Annabeth.
I didn’t let Grover argue. I singed him with my hands, which were shooting off sparks and told him to get out of here. Finally, he nodded and dragged Luke and Annabeth away.
I stood at the top of the hill watching the monsters advance toward me. If you love me at all, if there’s any room in your schedule for me…help me father. I prayed to Zeus as the first hellhound pounced on me. I called down a lightning strike and it melted into shadows.
I jabbed and slashed with my spear doing my best to hold them off, and keep the monsters distracted. My mind went on autopilot. Jab, roll, kick, lightning, wind. It wasn’t enough. I’d stirred up a miniature storm around me but I could feel my strength waning.
Well this is it. I thought as the monsters all pounced on me at once. I was overwhelmed and disarmed; my spear was at the bottom of the hill, most likely broken. I turned for a moment, forgetting the monsters and caught Luke’s eyes. He was racing for the entrance of Camp Halfblood. I wish I’d known what it would be like.
He looked at me. His mouth opened calling out to me, and I was buried underneath monsters. I waited for their teeth to sink in. I waited to be killed. I hoped I achieved Elysium or at least the Fields of Boredom- I mean Fields of Asphodel. (My bad-not.)
But no. I didn’t feel anything at all. Nothing at all.
House of Hades Beginning
Falling. Annabeth gripped Percy’s hands- the only thing that kept her sane- as they fell farther and farther into the pit of Tarturus. She could still feel the spider web connected to her ankle, pulling her down.
She forced herself not to scream, but the sensation was terrifying. Imagine going on the scariest roller coaster you’ve ever gone on, knowing that you were going to die or really hurt yourself at the end of it. Plus, an enormous pain on your ankle. Then multiply that by 100. You might get how Annabeth felt as they plunged towards nothing.
Oh yeah, and don’t forget the wind that seemed to be coming from the pit, sucking everything in a twenty foot radius into it’s gaping void. The wind felt like five million needles sticking into her arms and legs, jabbing and poking without mercy. Annabeth’s ears popped as they fell.
Athena- mother, I saved your stupid statue. A little help now, please?
How long until they reached the bottom? If they were still falling it would be impossible to climb back up. Annabeth did the calculations in her head. No way could they climb up without being sucked back in or slipping on sides. As far as she could tell, there weren’t any ledges or handholds to grab onto except for a few scattered far from one another.
She tightened her grip on Percy’s hands. “Percy…” She sobbed, her fears pouring out of her thoughts. She couldn’t think about it. “It’s okay,” Percy’s voice sounded tight and Annabeth could tell he was trying to be brave for her sake.
“Do…do you sense anything?” Annabeth yelled trying to be heard over the roar of wind. She listened herself, but she couldn’t tell. It was like trying to find Annabeth when she had her magic Yankee’s Cap of invisibility cap on. It was still in her cabin on the Argo II because her mother had made it stop working. (Anger issues.)
Percy didn’t answer for a long pause. Finally he said, “Yeah- there’s water down there. Maybe I can use it to slow our fall.”
Annabeth nodded her head frantically, even though Percy couldn’t see her. It was too dark down there.
They landed with a painful splash! in the water, at the bottom of Tarturus. “Ow,” Annabeth touched her broken ankle. Sadly, it had not been spared in the fall. Pain raced up her leg, like someone was poking her molecules with red hot barbecue tongs. She knew that falling that far, landing on water would feel the same as concrete but she was positive that Percy had tried to make it more or less of a soft thump. (Less.)
Percy winced as he stood up in the water. “Sorry about that.” He helped her up. Annabeth normally liked water, but this…seemed hostile. Almost evil, like it wanted to reach out and drown her. Percy seemed to be thinking the same thing.
“What’s wrong with this place?” He demanded looking around. The water reached up with evil clawing hands and grabbed hold of his orange Camp Halfblood T-shirt. Percy glared at the water and slapped it off of him. “Can you see?” He asked his girlfriend.
Annabeth shook her head. “No…why? Can you see where we are?”
Percy laughed despite the fact that they had no way of getting out of here. “Well duh, we’re in Tarturus! But yeah, I can see. I think the water thing is helping…” His voice drifted off.
“Annabeth, you’re laptop…and you’re dagger.” He splashed away leaving Annabeth alone.
“Percy?” Her voice was shrill, and she cursed herself for sounding scared. “Where did you go?”
Suddenly, a faint glow was warming her face. She touched her dagger. “I thought I lost this.” Annabeth admitted taking it back from Percy. “I can see again at least.”
Percy nodded and handed her Daedalus’ laptop. “I don’t know how this thing survived the fall. It’s not even cracked or anything. No water, nothing. Strange isn’t it?”
Annabeth stuck the laptop under her arm. She wished she had her backpack, but she didn’t see it down here. Was it possible it was still up in the chamber the Athena Parthenos stood in? She’d thought it had fallen when the cars and cement had come down (long story) but perhaps it had just been buried.
Suddenly, another
watery hand erupted from the area of water they stood in and grabbed her arm. With a yelp Annabeth was pulled down struggling into the body of water. Another hand grabbed her neck and started to choke her.
“PERCY!” She screamed kicking as her head went under. Percy frowned like he was concentrating and thrust his hand out. For a long horrifying moment, nothing happened. Then Annabeth shot out of the water and landed on the banks. Percy trudged after her, warding off the evil water as best he could.
Annabeth hated her luck. Percy on impulse took her close. “Hey,” He breathed down her neck, “At least we’re together,” He paused for a moment, “And alive.” Annabeth hesitated. “Yeah, it’s a good thing we’re alive…for now.”
He touched her skin and she immediately turned warm and dry. “The water,” Percy said uncomfortably, “I couldn’t control it as well. It was like something else was wrestling with me for control.”
Annabeth shrugged and spat out water from her lungs. “You won Seaweed Brain. Thanks for saving me.” Percy didn’t answer, he didn’t need too.
She looked around the pit. As far as she could tell, it went on forever. “Where do we go now? Nico barely survived this place, and he’s a son of Hades.” She put her head against Percy’s chest. Kill me now, before this get’s worse. She thought dejectedly to herself. Their quest seemed hopeless to her, but she would never admit that to anybody.
Percy patted her on the back, not the most comforting move, but better than nothing. “Well, I told Nico to lead the others to the mortal side of the Doors of Death. We’ll go through this way- it had to happen anyways. It’s just a piece of luck that we got down here.” He told her how they only had a month until Gaea watered one of the 7 demigods blood on the Ancient Stones.
“A month from now…” Annabeth calculated what day it was. “August first? I guess we destroyed July first but…?” She questioned. “Why those dates in particular?” Percy shrugged. “Why do the gods do anything? Nobody knows.”
“I wish I had a pizza.” He added looking at his stomach. “That Italian one was gross.”
Annabeth resisted the urge to smack her boyfriend. But her love for him overpowered her anger. Besides, all the things he’d done for her almost made up for the stupid things he said. Like when he turned down Reyna (the praetor of Camp Jupiter), jumped into Tarturus with her, and when he cared for her, like when she was hurt. Like right now.
Percy sat down and Annabeth did the same. They were both tired. “Gaea told me…” Percy moistened his lips. Annabeth looked at him. “What did she say? We need to know everything Percy.” She was deadly serious.
Percy nodded. “Okay, she told me that it didn’t matter when we fell. She just said that we WOULD fall and she would be there to collect us.”
Silence.
Annabeth looked down at her ankle and winced. Percy immediately moved forward to help her. “Are you okay?” He asked worriedly. Annabeth nodded. “I’ll be alright Percy. I had some ambrosia- it should heal in a matter of hours. Good as new, almost.” She winced as she talked. It certainly didn’t feel like it was healing.
He nodded. Abruptly, Percy’s back straightened in a flash. His muscles tensed.
“Something’s down here.” Percy drew Riptide in an instant. The celestial bronze cast an eerie light around the area they were standing. Annabeth thought she saw glowing eyes peek out at them from everywhere in the room, but when she blinked they were gone.
“Yes, someone is down here.” An inhuman female voice hissed in the darkness.
Annabeth froze. She knew that voice. She’d completely forgotten about Arachne the immortal spider (credit to Athena), who she had outwitted before they fell into Tarturus. The huge spider had fallen with them. “Show yourself!” Annabeth commanded, her voice shaking a little. Annabeth wanted to slap herself. Don’t sound scared! She scolded herself.
Percy stepped in front of her, which she absolutely despised him for. She could protect herself. Arachne answered in a voice that sounded like one million angry wasps all trying to talk at once but they kept getting tripped up. It was creepy and unsettling, and so Annabeth decided maybe a little protection wasn’t so bad.
“Arachne?” Percy guessed swiveling his head around, looking for the giant spider. They found her lying off to their right still in her Chinese Spider-cuffs.
“Let me out, and I will spin a web to carry all of us too the top.” Arachne promised still squirming in her trap. Percy glared at her and then turned to look at Annabeth.
“She’s lying.” He said. Annabeth nodded, Arachne thought she could fool them, but she couldn’t trick them with her fake promises. “There’s no way she could spin that much web.” Annabeth told Percy.
“No, you’re going to stay in there.” Annabeth said firmly. No way was she letting a blood thirsty giant immortal spider on the loose anyways.
Arachne wailed from within her tight jail. “I only want to feed on you, you violent little-I m…mean…I think you’re a lovely girl. We could chat about oh, um…things, if you just let me out! I could tell you the secret to defeating Gaea!”
Annabeth blinked. The last offer was too good to be true. “Tell us the secret to defeating Gaea anyways, or we’ll kill you.” She hefted her dagger, even though the giant spider couldn’t see it
Percy pushed his black hair out of his face. “She knows? Does she work for Dirt Face or something?” He asked accusingly. His face twisted up into a picture of distrust and anger. He was good at that face.
Annabeth nodded but didn’t say anything out loud. Arachne seemed to be trying to shake her head inside her enlarged model of Chinese Spider-cuffs. “You must let me out first, or you will hear nothing.
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. This was going no where. Her ankle still hurt, they were in Tarturus, she’d lost her friends and they were probably going to die. She really wanted some good news, like the secret to defeating Gaea.
Percy shook his head at her, but Annabeth wasn’t looking at him. “Fat chance Arachne,” She said, “We are not letting you out.”
Arachne heaved a great sigh and her spinnerets started working again. Annabeth realized a piece of spider silk was still attached to it. Arachne continued to talk, “You will never find out what will happen on August first- terror and destruction! Gaea will tear up the roots; getting to the bottom of the Olympians reign! She will wake and nothing can stop her! Her powers and rage will be one thousand times more powerful than Typhon!”
She heard Percy gasp behind her. They’d met Typhon before and he wasn’t one you would call a weakling. Annabeth felt a tugging on her ankle and she looked down. “Percy-cut the web!” She was an idiot. She’d fallen for the same trick twice. She raised her dagger but Percy was already on it.
Percy caught on quickly and slashed in a deadly arc of Celestial Bronze and the spiders silk was severed. Annabeth cried out in relief and pain. “Thanks,” She breathed. She realized Arachne had been trying to pull her toward her sharp spinnerets again.
Arachne cackled from her prison. “The essence of so many monsters here- I am….” She burst from her Chinese Spider-cuffs with an easy ripple of her leg muscles. “FREE!” She glared at Annabeth with her red glowing eyes. Her brown hair was tangled behind her and she started to comb it out with her human (more or less) hands. Annabeth had a crazy image run through her head like Arachne’s mother Idmon saying, now sweetie, when you are getting ready to kill defenseless demigods you must always look neat and tidy. Always comb your hair so you look respectable. Annabeth almost laughed out loud if not for the fact that her worst nightmare was looming over her.
“Daughter of Athena, you thought you could outsmart me. I would kill you now, but Gaea wants both of your blood spilt on the ancient stones.” The spider whistled. Thousands of monsters, more than Annabeth had ever seen in her lifetime crawled out of holes and crevices.
Percy whistled appreciatively as the monsters thundered toward them, too many to count. “Wow,” He commented, “Well that�
��s a lot.” It was a ‘duh’ statement, but Annabeth had the urge to say that too. She didn’t have the lungs to scream, the will to stand up to them, or the energy to run.
“So this is it?” She looked at Percy. He looked at her. “Whenever it may be, I’m not going down without you.” Annabeth’s smile was vague. “Me too.”
And the two demigods were swamped with a never ending flow of monsters.
Searching for Pan & Meeting Polyphemus
Grover had never felt more alone. He wished Percy and Annabeth were here with him; they could help him and tell him what he should do. He recalled their last adventure- retrieving the Master Bolt and hitch hiking across the U.S.
They can’t be here with you. This is a solo quest. Grover told himself. He was standing in an airport wearing his jeans and a red Rasta cap. He shifted his crutches underneath him.
He chewed on his crutch nervously. He had never really like planes, especially since his best friend, Percy Jackson, was the son of Poseidon they tended not to stick around air crafts.
They were too loud and polluting for his taste anyways, but they were the fastest mortal transportation he could get.
People passed by him, not giving him a second glance, laughing and sipping coffee. Some were running, like they were in a hurry to catch their plane, babies cried and little kids bounced restlessly in the waiting areas. If anything was defiantly not nature, it was this place. Everything was mortal made, with a few dead plants crumbling to pieces.
Grover frowned and took out his pipes. He had to help these poor plants. He played the Plants Can Live song because it was the only helpful one he knew. The Be Healthy song would have worked better, but he didn’t know that one. It had too many notes for him to study.
Florida, here I come. He thought as he boarded Plane 213.