On my second day at Camp Jupiter, I wake up earlier than normal. The whole camp is still asleep, the morning light only peeking through cracks in the sky. I make my way quietly over to Little Tiber, the rush of water welcoming, beckoning to me. I breathe a sigh of relief when I sit down on its bank. It feels good to just be alone with water for a little while.
I touch my hand into the water, playing with it. Though my memories are gone, my body still remembers how to control the liquid. The water swirls into a shimmering ball in my hand, which I toss back and forth. It's soothing.
The water in front of me starts to rise till it's almost like a screen. I drop the ball in shock, knowing that I am not controlling that. It's a shimmering wall of water, right in front of me. A rainbow cuts through it in a beautiful array of colors. I'm about to slash my hand through it, scared to death by what it could be, when an image seems to appear on the screen.
Somehow, pictured on the sheet of water is a girl, probably seventeen or so. She has long, blonde hair, tucked neatly into a ponytail. Her eyes are a stormy gray, steely yet comforting. They're surrounded by tears.
"Percy! Thank the gods!" the girl cried, her face flooding with relief, tears rolling down her face. "I've been so worried about you, Percy, you don't even know."
I looked at her in confusion, furrowing my brow. "Um . . . sorry," I started uneasily. Could she hear me? I assumed so. It was probably some sort of godly communication. "Who are you?"
Her mouth opened and her eyes sank, flooding with sorrow. She blinked a few times, tears clouding her vision, before tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You don't . . . you don't know me?"
I felt uncomfortable. Surely this girl was connected to me somehow. A friend? A sister? And I couldn't even remember her. "I'm sorry," I apologized, shrugging. "I don't really remember anything . . . who are you?"
If this girl really was part of my past, maybe she can help me figure this all out. Tell me who I am and what happened to me. Why my memory's gone.
"I'm . . . I'm Annabeth, Percy," the girl whimpered. "I'm your girlf-"
She was cut off by a flickering amongst the water-screen. Annabeth's picture went out for a moment before returning again, the connection still shaky. "Look, Perce, I'm running out of time. We're coming to save you," she said, her hands pressed against the sheet of water. It's like she's trying to break through, to join me here at Camp Jupiter. "We'll find you, okay? I promise, we'll find you." She was crying now, her hair falling into her face, shading her red, spotchy eyes.
"I don't-" I started, but the screen blinks out again. I thought it was gone forever, but Annabeth reappeared for just a moment longer. She whispered something that made me ache inside. "I love you, Percy. Remember that." Then she was gone.
