Chapter 3: The Ocean Beckons

It was just turning into night when I woke up. I could see moonlight, coming from a window. It splashed across a wooden floor.

"That must mean," I mumbled. "I'm inside somewhere. . ."

I took it slow this time. I didn't try to get up until I was sure I wouldn't faint. I must have laid there for the longest time. Finally, when I did get up, I thought at first that I was alone. Then I saw someone on a bed across the room, snoring. I took a couple steps towards them, trying out my legs. Nothing hurt.

There was mirror over a basin in another corner. I took a quick look at the person's face before going to the mirror. It was a boy, but too dark to see clearly.

The mirror was beautiful, as was the basin. It had seashells as the frame, and was made with marble. I looked in the mirror, partly afraid, partly hopeful. Luckily, the moonlight allowed me to see myself.

I was normal. No blood, no cuts, no pain. I took a huge breath, relieved beyond belief. I poked at my cheeks, pulled at my curly hair, and checked to see for any scars. I held my breath. There was one, at my hairline. I squinted, trying to see it. It was reddish, and long. I shuddered. I hated to think what must have caused that. Then, I remembered the snake-lady.

I threw up a little outside. Then I went to the basin and washed my face. When I looked up, I was paler than before. That can't have been real. It must have been a dream. But when I looked at the scar, I knew it hadn't been a dream at all. It had been far too real.

I felt safe in that cabin. I explored as quietly as I could, trying not to wake up the boy. I looked out the window to see a wide expanse of sea. Fresh, beautiful ocean air rushed in when I opened the window. I took a deep breath.

I ventured outside, wanting to see this haven. It was wonderful. There were cabins scattered across this place, and I saw what might have been a stable. There was a stadium, and a race track. Then I looked back out to sea and relaxed yet more. The ocean was calm, and it sparkled from the moonlight. There was a path of moonlight on the water. I walked closer to the sea, walking on the sand. I looked down. My shoes were gone.

The foamy water felt wonderful on my feet. I bent over and touched it gently. It was warm.

Without thinking, I threw myself into the waters, arms spread wide. I started to laugh

feeling a rush from head to toe. I dove down, squirming in delight. I could open my eyes and see everything. There it was. The deep sea, blue, misty and mysterious. I felt a yearning to dive deeper, become one with that infinite blue, but I felt that if I did I would drown. I hadn't noticed yet how I wasn't having trouble with lack of air, and I had been submerged for far too long already.

Then someone grabbed my arm and pulled me back up. I spluttered angrily, kicking whoever it was. They yelled and grumbled something. I resisted. They were far stronger than I was, and they dragged me back to the shore.

"What in the name of Poseidon were you doing?" said a familiar voice angrily. I shook my hair out, ignoring the person's question. "I said, what were you doing? You had been under the water for who knows how long! Were you trying to drown yourself?"

"No!" I snapped back. "I was just, just looking at the sea. At, the blueness of it."

"The what?"

"The blueness," I said, feeling foolish. "I, was looking at it."

"You were drowning, that's what."

"No!" I stood up, almost falling down. I looked at the boy, feeling anger in every part of my body. "That's not true. I don't drown! In fact," I thought fast, hating to be wrong. "I bet I can hold my breath longer than you can!" He started to laugh. I glared at him.

"You think you can hold your breath longer than I can!" he laughed even harder, doubling over. I turned away, furious.

"You're just afraid you can't do it! I've won every contest I've ever been in for staying underwater the longest!"

"Sure, sure," said the boy, still smirking. "C'mon, let's head back, and I'll explain everything to you."

"No!" I stamped my foot. "I challenge you!"

"You challenge me? Right, okay, c'mon, let's go."

"No!" I said again. He rolled his eyes.

"Do you ever say anything other than no?"

"You're afraid, aren't you? That's why you won't do it! You know you'd lose. Typical of a boy, I guess," I said, hoping he'd take the bait. That stopped him from walking away. Aha! Got him.

"What do you mean, typical?" he said, turning around. "It's not typical, I'm just being mature."

"Oh, is that what you call it? Alright, fine, okay, you win," I said in my best humouring voice.

"Hey!" he said. "I can stay underwater forever you know!"

"Prove it," I said with a grin. He paused, and then walked to the water's edge.

"Okay, fine. We'll have a short contest to see who can hold their breath for the longest time."

"Good, you're on!" I snapped. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was smiling. I shook my head, disgusted. Turning back to the ocean I took a deep breath. I felt an instant calm come over me. He glanced at me sideways. The moon illuminated his face for a second. I stopped breathing. Why did he look so familiar?

"Go!" he dove into the waves only seconds before I did. I felt that wonderful rush. I remembered times at the public pool before my mom died. I was the best swimmer. Always was, always have been. Always will be.

I looked to my right and saw the boy floating there. He looked like a ghost, staring at me. I stared right back. We stayed there, and I started to notice how I wasn't holding my breath anymore. I looked around and opened my mouth. No bubbles came out.

The boy swam closer, looking at me intently. I could see his face clearly now. I could see very well underwater. Strangely well.

"Well?" I said, not expecting to be heard. The boy looked so taken back I said, "What?"

"I can hear you. Why can I hear you?" he said, looking confused. I shrugged, pulling my floating hair out of my eyes.

"Are you deaf, or something?" He gave me a look.

"No, it's just-" Suddenly the waters began to change. The boy stretched out his fingers and his eyes widened. "We have to get out."

"No," I said, frowning at him. He didn't take that as an answer.

He grabbed my wrist and dragged me upwards. When we broke through the water's surface, I felt the crackle of electricity in the sky. There was a thickness to it that was there only before a thunder storm.

We scrambled out, myself dripping wet. I glanced at the boy, but he wasn't wet. He stood, listening for something. "C'mon."

We ran back to the cabin, and that was when I heard the shouting. I couldn't see anyone, until they came out of the cabin. It was a girl, with long blond hair and stormy gray eyes. At the moment she looked pretty angry too.

"Percy, what in the name of Athena were you doing?!" shouted the girl. Percy, the boy, backed up a step. I think he might have been a little afraid of her. "Why did you let her leave?" I bristled when I realized they were talking about me.

"Look, Annabeth, it's no big deal! We were, we were just. . .she said she could hold her breath longer than I could. She challenged me," said Percy, his excuse sounding really lame. He knew it too.

"What?" shrieked the girl. "And so you actually, you, I, ugh!" Annabeth threw her hands up in disgust. "Get inside!"

We all walked inside, and Annabeth began pacing. I stood in a corner, watching hesitantly as they began to argue.

"You know, it's not a big deal, Annabeth!" said Percy, voice rising. Annabeth, looking like a storm cloud, came down on him with her fists, hitting him with each word.

"You. Have. No. Idea. How. Dumb. You. Are!" she yelled. I stepped even further into the corner.

"Have you really lost your mind? Do you not know who she is?" she whipped her hand in my direction. She marched over, grabbed my hand, and pulled me into the moonlight. "How can you not see it? Honestly, Percy, how?"

It took him more than a second. Maybe more than two seconds, but after that he saw whatever it was he was supposed to see. I glanced at Annabeth, who looked a little less angry, but her chest was still heaving from her yelling. There was some sort of light that clicked on in Percy's brain. I saw it in his eyes. Wait, were they my eyes? No, that was ridiculous.

Then I knew where I'd seen him. He had my eyes, and my hair. The same curly hair. I'd seen him in every mirror I'd looked in. He could only be my. . .

My brother!