I turn to face the wall under my scratchy sheets, and try again to fall asleep. Again, I fail. After what could have been hours, I finally give up. I know I will not sleep tonight. So I think. Being a daughter of Athena, it's what I do best. I think about Percy, my boyfriend. I think about the camp, along with Clarisse, we're the only campers staying all year. I think about my up coming twenty-fourth birthday. I think about Percy again, and how, despite the fact that we've been together for almost eight years, and I've hinted at it dozens of times, he still hasn't proposed. I know he's the one for me, so why won't he do it already? I think of my siblings, and their promise to beat him to a bloody pulp if he ever breaks my heart. I smile in the darkness. Sighing, I decide to pay him a visit. I sit up, and put my feet into my blue-grey slippers. I shrug on my favourite bath robe, the one with the owls on the pockets, and step out into the wintry cold.
I trudge through the freshly fallen snow to the Poseidon cabin. I gently open the wooden door, and peer into the warm cabin. Four sets of bunk beds, and a saltwater fountain adorn the quiet cabin. Well, quiet except for the muted snores coming from Percy's bed. I step over the threshold, and make my way to his bunk, being careful to hop over that one board that always squeaks. I sit down beside Percy, leaning down to kiss his forehead. His eyes flutter open, and his mouth breaks into a wide grin. "Hey, Annabeth," he says, his voice thick with sleep. "Hey, Perc." I say. I lean down again, and kiss him on the lips this time. He sits up, entwining one hand in my tangled hair, and pressing the other against the small of my back, pulling me closer. I drape my hands over his broad, muscled shoulders. We put so much passion into the kiss, that the room could have caught fire, and we wouldn't notice. I'm surprised it doesn't. We break apart, gasping for air. We flop back down on the bed, giggling like children. I lay on top of him, kissing him gently again. He looks at me adoringly, and I gaze back at him. I roll over and lay next to him. He puts his arms around me, and I snuggle in closer to him. I know that here, I will find sleep.
"Jackson! Percy! Chiron wants you now!" says a loud, unwelcome voice. I groan, and rub my eyes. I look at Percy, still sleeping soundly beside me. I think he must be immune to all forms of noise, so I lean over and kiss him full on the lips. He promptly wakes, and kisses back in earnest. I think the voice rings out again, but I am otherwise occupied. That is, until Clarisse bursts through the door. "Percy! Chiron-oh" she says, as she catches sight of us. I immediately break off the kiss, and Percy throws Clarisse an icy glare. "Alright, I get it. You guys are a little, busy," she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, and Percy throws a pillow at her. "Come on, Just give me a minute," he says. "Alright," Clarisse says, "But Chiron wants you and Annabeth in the big house ASAP." and without further ado, she runs out of the cabin, back into the cold of winter. I sit up, yawning. Percy gives me one last peck on the lips, before I make my way back to the Athena cabin.
"Chiron, what's going on?" I ask sleepily as I sip my coffee. The hot, creamy liquid slides gently down my throat, warming me and waking me up. "Yeah, what gives?" says Percy, suppressing a yawn. "We've found a son of Zeus," Chiron says gravely, "He was only just claimed. He is only six years old, and being chased by the pack of Empousi that devoured his mother." "So what do we have to do?" I ask, putting down my coffee, "Where is he? What's his name?" my mind goes into calculation mode, firing out the questions that will help me the most. "Yeah, what she said," says Percy, who I'm not convinced is completely awake. "Come on, Percy," I say, irritated, "Wake up, and take this seriously." he sighs, and grabs my cup of coffee of the table in front of me. He takes a long swig, and noticeably perks up. "Alright, Chiron, what do we know about this kid?" he says confidently. I roll my eyes. "His name is Damon, Grover's caught up with him in Mississippi . At last report, they were fighting off not only the Empousi, but the Hydra as well," says Chiron. There is an unmistakeable air of despair in his voice, "We need you two to go find them. Accompany them back to camp. Protect the child." I nod. "Is Clarisse coming?" says Percy, not even bothering to mask the disgust in his voice. Chiron shakes his head. "No, some campers were attacked yesterday, daughters of Demeter. She's leaving today to escort them to camp," he says. I take a deep breath. "When do we leave?"
"Are you sure you have everything?" Chiron says. I check over the contents of my backpack one more time just to make sure. I pull open the blue plastic zipper and observe what lies within. A flashlight, batteries, nectar and ambrosia, two boxes of chocolate granola bars, a bag of apples, some clean clothes, a fat stack of cash, and a tarp. Percy's bag is packed with the same things, and I triple check that he has Riptide, and his sheild watch from Tyson. He rolls his eyes, and says, "Geez, Annabeth. I have everything." I turn to Chiron, "We have everything." I say. He nods, "Good, good. You have a bow? Arrows? A knife? Your cap?" he says. I gasp. How could I have forgotten my cap? "I'll be right back!" I say, running back to my cabin. I grab it off the table next to my bunk, and run back down to the camp boarder. "Got everything," I say. I know my knife is in my belt, my bow and arrows now share the qualities of Percy's sword, courtesy of a friendly Hecate camper. They are pinned into my hair as silver crescent-moon, and star shaped hair clips. I tuck my hat into my pack. "Let's go."
The bus smells bad. The only available seats together are right next to the bathroom. A sweaty, middle-aged man who keeps running to the bathroom sits opposite us. Every time he opens the bathroom door, a foul stench pollutes the air. It smells like a combination of rotten eggs, the bathroom at camp the day after Mexican night, and a skunk's spray. "I think he should see a doctor," chokes Percy after the man bolts for the bathroom a fifth time. I giggle appreciatively, and he looks extremely pleased with himself. "Next stop, Blue Mountain," a voice booms from the speaker above the seat next to me. "This is us," I say. Percy stands as the bus grinds to a halt, opening the compartment to retrieve our bags. I feel my hair anxiously, making sure my clips are still safely attached to my hair. Percy shoulders both bags, and we hop out onto the side walk. After nearly twenty hours on the dim, smelly bus, the sunlight and fresh air is a welcome sight. I breath in the clear air, and take in my surroundings. The road is rough and cracked, the trees tall and mossy. It certainly has a southern charm. Percy takes my hand, and says, "Chiron said we should look for them in the swamp. Should we start looking?" I roll my eyes. Boys. "How about we find a map first?" I say politely, somewhat condescendingly. Percy looks around. "We don't need a-" he starts to say, but I silence him with a look. "You're right, Annabeth. Lets find a map," he says in a monotone voice. I smile, "That's better." We set out to find the local information desk.
"This map makes no sense!" Percy whines. I roll my eyes. "That's because you're holding it wrong, genius," I say sarcastically. I yank it away from him, and turn it the right way. "Look, this place is filled with swamps. Lets start at the biggest, and go from there," I say. Percy nods in agreement. "Come on. This way," I say, pointing to the area of mossy forest nearest to us. We make it about five miles into the woods before we find them. Grover's scream would have been hard to miss.