Percy's POV
I was at school (believe me, It wasn't my idea) in math class, which like all my other classes, I suck at. We were half way through learning the Pythagorean theorem, when the room phone rang. My teacher Mr. Colin sighed and reached for the phone. "Hello. Yes, yes I have him. Ok. Percy Jackson" he called my name. That little part of my brain that wasn't befuddled by the math sent out an alarm. Something was wrong. I raised my hand. "Yes?" "Percy, you're being dismissed, your mother is at the office." I stood abruptly. Normally, people were typically embarrassed if their mom showed up at school, but my mom was awesome, and I didn't care much about the school kids and bullies. I collected my stuff and strode out the room. I stuck my hand in my pocket, just to make sure riptide was still there. Thankfully, it was. In 5 minutes, I was at the office. My mom stood next to the secretary, wringing her hands, the way she does when she's nervous. "Oh gods." I thought. "Percy!" She sighed with relief. She nodded at the secretary and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "Camp" she muttered in my ear so quietly I almost missed it. My heart sped up. Mom NEVER took me out of school. We got into the car and I glanced at her, waiting for her to explain. She started the car and when she pulled out of the school lot, she stared talking. "Travis Stoll called." She began, and then rushed on. "He said—he said that they already sent out a search party. That, Chiron went with them." My heart was in my throat by now. I felt like I was being suffocated. I already new the answer, but I forced the question out anyway. "Who are they looking for?" My mom sounded close to tears. "Annabeth" she murmured.
About an hour and a half later, my mom pulled over across from Half Blood Hill. We agreed that I would Iris Message her with news as soon as possible. I kissed her goodbye and trudged up the hill. I reached the crest and said hello to Peleus, our guard dragon of the Golden Fleece. He growled contentedly as I scratched his head. Annabeth and I had been dating for the best 2 1/2 months of my life. It was 4 days to Halloween and I knew Annabeth had come to visit camp for the week. (Don't ask me why, but Annabeth had some how, probable the mist, convinced her school that she should be given a week off) she wanted to talk to Chiron a bit and catch up, and I was going to be meeting her here Saturday. Major Change of plans if you ask me.
Travis and Connor Stoll were waiting for me on the wrap around porch of the Big House. Dionysus was nowhere to be seen, which I thought kind of odd. Of course, I'm not complaining. "Tell me everything." I demanded immediately. So they did.
"So I was heading over to the camp store to nick— umm, I mean buy, some supplies. When I heard something across the lake." Said Travis. "It was a girls scream. When I turned to find out what it was, I saw Annabeth. I started running towards her." By now, my stomach was already tied into knots, and this was NOT helping. "But before I could reach her, this huge, scaly hand reached out of the woods and grabbed her. She fought, but was nothing against it because she didn't have her knife. It was lying in the ground a few feet away. I picked it up." He showed me her knife. "Then, it just dragged her in." I felt like the world was spinning. I sank down into a patio chair before my knees could buckle. "I ran over to where she had been dragged in and searched the near areas, but there was no sign of anything ever being there. They had just disappeared." Travis finished. "OH Gods. Oh Gods on Olympus." I muttered.
Just then, I heard the familiar clopping of hooves and clanking armor. A troop of campers and Chiron leading them, marched into camp. Then I realized, a girl, a blonde girl, was lying limp of Chiron's back! "Is it her?" I murmured to myself. I stood up and sprinted toward them. In the moment my heart had momentarily lifted, it sank just as fast. It wasn't Annabeth. It was one of her sibling. She was ok, just knocked out. "Chiron, you—you didn't..." I stammered. "I'm sorry Percy. We had no luck, but, may the gods help us, we may find her tomorrow. When it is light out." "But. But Chiron! She was captured! We can't just—just leave her out there all night!" I gasped incredulously. "I'm sorry Percy, but it's too dangerous to search at night! That is my final word." His eyes looked so pained, I realized that this choice was not one he wanted to make. I nodded. And Chiron galloped off. A bunch of the searchers spread out and wandered off too. Many of them had cuts and bruises and dented armor. But one stayed. Clarisse approached me. Conner and Travis rushed off. "Jackson, I know she's your girlfriend. And I know you can't let anything happen to her. But you can't put others at risk for one person. You gotta step up if you don't like Chiron's decision." I stared at her. Clarisse had just told me to disobey Chiron. I nodded. "Good luck then Jackson. May the gods be with you." She said, and stalked off, grumbling about stupid cold showers.
The rest of the day, which wasn't very long, consisted of a small meal. Where I scraped a portion of it into the fire pit. "Please. If Poseidon and Athena could work together once, let it be tonight." I murmured. Then, we went down to the campfire. There were barely any of us, so we really didn't sing. Most of us headed off to bed. I did. But I did not go to sleep.
When I was sure everyone was asleep, I got up and quietly dressed. I grabbed my shield off the hook on my wall and strapped it on. Pulled out riptide and clicked the pen. My deadly sword sprang to life in my hands. Silently as I could be. Which wasn't very much. I crept towards the woods, Riptide glowing slightly, lighting the way. I reached the edge of the woods. For barely a second, I considered my plan. It was completely reckless, and stupid and insane. But I was good at making those kinds of plans work. Sort of. With one look back at the darkened camp, I plunged into the woods. It was even darker than night. No moon shown through the dense trees and my sword was the only light. I tripped and cursed probably a bit too much. But nothing seemed to stir. No animals followed me; no wild Greek crazed monster attacked me (which I found extremely odd, because they all seemed to love attacking me) I walked on and on, listening for any sound that might lead me to Annabeth. None came.
I had been walking for about an hour. It was probably close to Midnight, and I hadn't heard nor seen any sign of Annabeth. When I was considering turning around, and searching for her in the morning, I heard something that made me freeze.
I heard a moan. A girl's voice, a horribly pained moan. "Annabeth" I thought. I crept forward, keeping behind trees and bushes. I reached a clearing. As I stood behind a tree. I peered out. The sight turned my godly blood to ice. A small figure lay slumped at the base of a huge oak. And towering above the figure was a lizard like creature. It had an elongated head like a cobras, with long fangs protruding from the roof of its mouth. Its body was that of a lizard also, just it had humanoid arms. With horrible Claws as long as my hand. Its tail was that of a lion, curled and flexible, just lined with deadly spikes. It was a bit taller than me as it stood on its frog-like back legs. It snarled in a hissing, snaky way. "No one isssss here to sssave you. Ssssilly girl. You will dieeee now." It shrieked. Then, it lashed out. I lunged from behind the tree, yelling for its attention. But, before it turned around, it made sure to claw at Annabeth angrily. Her scream was the worst thing in the world. A horrible, agonizing, yell that cut through the woods silence and me like a knife. She jerked wildly and thrashed around in pain. I felt like I was being torn in two. I could almost feel annabeth's pain. I attacked the snake creature full force. I slashed and dodged as it clawed and screeched at me. Thank god for invincibility. After about 3 minutes of us clashing, I knew I had to kill this thing, Annabeth needed help. Fast. Gathering all my energy, I sprang upward at the beast and landed on its head. It screeched again and tried to grab me, but I plunged my sword into its scaly neck with an angry roar almost as frightening as the monsters. I fell from its back and landed in a pile of monster dust. I jumped up and sprinted towards Annabeth. She lay on her side.
Annabeth was injured much more than I ever expected. The back of her shirt was torn in three long arches, under the torn fabric; her back was slashed in the same way. Bleeding. I rolled her so she was on her back. Her stomach was cut also, but not as deeply as the back wounds. Her right leg looked dislocated from its crooked position and she wore no shoes so her feet were caked with dry mud and grass. Every open inch of skin looked as if an angry chipmunk had clawed it. Little cuts like paper cuts traced her face, neck and arms. Her left arm had a horrible gash tracing its way from her shoulder to her elbow and her dirty matted hair was stained dark red by her right temple. Her nose seemed to be broken and her lips were cracked and dry. Her eyes were closed and her chest rattled with every breath. In other words; Annabeth was on deaths door. My gut twisted when I saw how injured she was. Not because she looked revolting. I thought she looked incredible beautiful and brave like that. But because I had let this happen to her. I hadn't been there to protect her.
I capped riptide, which was probably dangerous, and tapped my shield. It shrunk back into a watch: 1:30 AM. Gingerly, I bent down and scooped her into my arms. Even in the past day, she had lost weight. I began to make my way back to camp. I knew the way because it was straight backwards from the way I had come. I had gone immediately forward the whole time. So I just did the opposite. I walked for I don't know how long. Annabeth grew heavy in my arms, but I kept going. She would shudder every now and then, and I just wanted to heal her. But I knew I couldn't. Dawn was coming by the time I reached the river. The sky was lightening quickly as I trudged though the river. When I finally stepped into the current, I realized how exhausted I was. Power surged through me and I pushed ahead. Minutes later I reached the border. Just as the sun peaked the horizon. I swear I saw Apollo in his tricked out chariot. "Help!" I screamed. "Someone! Quick! Help me!" Campers came running and Chiron galloped up to me. "Percy! What—" he faltered when he saw Annabeth." Quickly." Was all he said. And we sprinted towards the infirmary. I don't really remember anything that happened after this. It's all a muddle of images and emotions. What I do remember is the 4 Apollo campers there and Chiron began on healing Annabeth. I collapsed of exhaustion the moment they took Annabeth from my arms. I started sobbing. Then I blacked out.
When I woke up, I thought I was in my Cabin. Then I remembered. Emotions crashed over me in waves. Annabeth was injured. I had passed out. I didn't know if she was ok! I sat bolt upright and groaned. My head throbbed painfully and I sank back into the pillow. Chiron clopped over and leaned over me. It reminded me disturbingly of how the snake creature did the same to Annabeth. "Annabeth? Is she ok?" I croaked. "She is in a sort of Coma." He said. "We haven't been able to wake her, but we have fixed her broken nose, the small scratches, her cracked skull and her dislocated leg. We are still working on her back, stomach and arm." He told me. But that didn't make me feel much better. So the next 2 days, I wouldn't leave her side. I slept in the infirmity next to her, and sat next to her bed, listening to her easy breathing for hours. I knew that if she stayed in a coma for much longer, she would never wake up.
I iris messaged my mom and almost started crying, but I managed to hold it together. All the healers at camp and Chiron tried everything for Annabeth. But no such luck.
On the 2nd night, I fell asleep pretty early, Annabeth still out cold in the bed over. But in the middle of the night, my eyes flew open. I don't know what happened that woke me up. But I heard a whisper. "Percy! Percy is that you?" It was Annabeth. I sat bolt upright in bed to find her sitting up in the same position across from me. Her eyes were wide with fear and she sounded close to tears. I could see she was shaking in the moonlight. "Oh gods. Annabeth! Your awake!" I yelped. "Percy, Percy what— what was that creature and pain, and, and everything was so horribly lonely!" She gasped. I swung my legs out of bed and moved to hers. I sat down of the edge and whispered, "Come here wise girl. It's all right. We're together and alive." And she fell forward into my arms and I embraced her. She had a burning fever and she kept shuddering. She sobbed into my shoulder and I stroked her hair and held her.
We didn't let go of each other until morning. But that night, we lay back in bed and held each other and when Chiron came, he found us right there. I woke to his hooves yet again and gently shook Annabeth. She yawned and opened her eyes. "Oh thank the gods!" Said Chiron. "I'll leave you too for a bit longer." He said looking slightly embarrassed. I sat up with Annabeth, and before Chiron could come back murmured in her ear. "Never. Do that to me again. Please?" And then we kissed and everything seemed to be solved. At least for now.