Chapter 2 ~ Thaila's thoughts.
Changing
The day that she regrets almost more than her claiming. It's a day that people 'tease' her about, but it's a day that people look up to her, too. She knows if she didn't do it, her friends would have died.
Her day started out normal, or as normal as it can get on the run. Annabeth, Luke, Grover, and herself were sitting around a fire somewhere in the outskirts of Manhattan. She looked at her friends' faces with worry, because they looked like they knew they were going to die.
She scooted next to Annabeth, the youngest one in the bunch. "Hey, how are you doing? You seem sad…" was all she had to say before Annabeth looked at her with stormy gray eyes.
"I….I… wish we could leave now, and head towards Camp. Monsters are catching up with us! We need to move!" she yelled.
"I know, but we really need to rest. Get some sleep. I'll wake you up if anything happens," Thaila said.
Annabeth laid down in her sleeping bag. It seemed like it had been only 5 minutes when Grover yelled "Monsters, lets go, now!"
Thaila picked up Annabeth and started to run. Along the way she was screaming at Annabeth to wake up, but nothing happened. It was if the Fates were toying with her. She handed Annabeth to Luke and looked at Grover. "Which way to Camp? We need to get there as quick as possible!" she yelled.
Grover didn't even hesitate, "Run through the city, try to get a taxi or subway or anything that can get you out to the other side of the city! We have to split up! I'll Luke with me in a taxi, you get in a subway with Annabeth, now! Look for a pick your own strawberries sign."
She took Annabeth to the nearest subway. When she got on, she looked to see if any of the passengers were monsters. None of them seemed like monsters, but she kept rubbing Aegis anyways.
The subway kept going until it lurched to a stop. Something was blocking the subway tunnel. Thaila didn't take any chances and pried open the emergency doors. She dragged Annabeth with her and looked for the nearest staircase to the streets above.
When she got into the above world, she saw she was on the outskirts of the city. She didn't have time to catch a cab, so she started to run. The Camp was probably 4 miles away, but Thaila was very good at running. She didn't stop running until she saw the pick your own strawberries sign in the dim moonlight.
The hill was up ahead, and she could make out two figures screaming at her. They ran to her when she was close to the hill. She got to the top of the hill and turned around. She came face to face with a monster.
They started to circle her and her friends. Annabeth was just waking up, but she wouldn't help in a fight. Thaila looked at Annabeth, Luke, and Grover. She knew these friends would stand with her to the very end, but they would die trying.
She whispered to Grover, "Get out of here, grab Luke and Annabeth and run to the Big House. Don't look back, just.. just… tell them that I love them,"
Grover looked at Thaila with slit-pupils. He almost stayed behind to protect Thaila, but she would never forgive him if he did. He grabbed Annabeth and Luke and started running to the Big House. But he broke one of his promises and looked back.
Thaila was surrounded. She was using her spear and Aegis but nothing worked. When she looked like she would almost collapse, a tree started to form around her. Annabeth and Luke were looking too, but all of them didn't notice they were crying.