Chapter 1

It had started out a normal day. Which is exactly why I should have been paranoid. But as always, I didn't suspect a thing. I was working my job as a cashier at grocery store. Soccer moms, cranky old dudes, your drunk college kids destroying the store and getting arrested, you know, the usual. My shift had just ended and my co-worker, Annabeth, was on her phone with her dad.

"Really, dad! I don't have another ride home! Can't you put it off for 15 minutes? Alright fine, I'll find another ride."

Being the fine and upstanding gentlemen I am, I decided to give her a ride home. The other reason was that she was super hot and I wanted her to like me. Big mistake. I should have just gone straight home. But I HAD to just try and impress her.

"Need a ride Annabeth?" I asked innocently.

"Yeah, I guess I do now. My dad had some "business" to take care of." Annabeth said, putting air quotes around business.

We walked out to my brand new car, a 2006 Dodge Neon. Not much I know, but it worked. Most of the time. Anyways it did work this time. Annabeth and I were jamming out to Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk, when she said the those words that will haunt me forever.

"Aww, that baby in that woman's stroller is SOOOO cute!"

Ok not that line.

"Hey, why are there three black suburbans behind us, they have completely tinted windows. Isn't that, like, illegal?"

I slammed on the breaks. There was a stop sign there, so I didn't look like a total spazz when I did it. I looked out the rearview mirror. Sure enough, there were three suburbans following us. And I was pretty sure I knew why. I remember thinking, God I hope I'm wrong, but, as always with me. No such luck.

From that point on, I was nervous. I wouldn't sing along with Annabeth in the car, I was breathing heavily, my palms were sweaty. All I could focus on was the suburbans. Everywhere we went they followed us.

"Percy, what's wrong?" Annabeth asked.

"The suburbans, .. they keep following us." I nervously said back.

"It is kind of creepy, actually." Annabeth said, frowning.

She began to look back at them.

"DON'T LOOK BACK!" I shouted, "WE CAN'T LET THEM KNOW WE SEE THEM."

"Percy, what the he-"

I cut Annabeth off, "look, im going to drop you off on the next block. I want you to get out and walk as far away from me as possible, if one of those suburbans follows you, or if you see someone suspicious following you, call me, IMMEDIATELY, ok?"

"Percy you're scaring me."

I looked over at Annabeth. Her stormy gray eyes were filled with fear.

"It will be okay, alright Annabeth. Here we are at the block." I said.

"Percy I-"

I cut her off again, "Annabeth, please, please, please, don't ask questions. And if anything happens, ANYTHING, call me, promise me?"

"Percy-,"

"Promise?" I responded, looking her straight in the eyes.

"O-Ok I promise," Annabeth stuttered back. "Be safe, ok, you're really scaring me."

And with that she got out of the car and began to walk away. I watched her, and as soon as she was far enough away, I floored it. I weaved in and out of traffic like those dumbasses who pass people on the right lane on the highway. I got so many horns honked at me it was unbelievable. But I managed to lose the suburbans. By the time I got back home, I had almost convinced myself it was nothing. I heard the phone ringing, I didn't want to answer it though, so I just let it go to voice message. That's when I heard his voice. It was clawing a chalkboard.

"Hello Percy, we found out where you are. We could just come to your house and kill you, but I thought it would be more fun to take your little girlfriend instead."

Cackling laughter gave way to Annabeth screaming. The phone cut dead. Nothing but silence. For five straight minutes. I was filled with dread. Then my phone rang with a text message. It was from an unknown number, and it had coordinates on it. I got my keys and left.