Chapter 3.
Did you know, you are officially reading an original idea *le bow.* *(:D)~ (Gnome grin!) Enjoy! And it's going to be Annabeth's POV for quite a few chapters now. ;) Just so you know
"You realise Mr. D has probably already arranged for us to be shrunk to the size of squirrels, then to be run over in his SUV as soon as we're caught." Grover says as I begin to make a fire. I shrug
"And?"
"Didn't realise your life ambition was to be run over by a God while you're the size of a woodland creature." I laugh quietly
"Chiron would never allow it. He'll be mad but I can already picture his speech now. 'That was very irresponsible of you Annabeth, and you too Grover for joining her. But at least the three of you came back safe. Now get to the dinner hall while I try to convince Mr. D not to kill you as soon as he sees you.' It'll be fine." I explain, not stating the fact that only two of us may return.
"Well I just hope you're right…" He begins to nibble on some bark off a willow tree while I eat an apple from my backpack. I throw a bite into the fire as an offering to the Gods;
"For mother, Athena." I'm about to eat again when I sigh, taking a few extra pieces of apple from the core and begin to chuck them in.
"For Poseidon. We will return to Camp Halfblood with Percy safely," I promise, then throw another piece in
"For Zeus and Artemis. I hope Thalia's doing OK with the hunters." May as well get as many God's on my good side as I can. And hey, I do hope Thalia's doing OK…
Another bit's thrown into the blazing fire, it turns a vivid green for a third time – the scent of apples lingering as I say;
"For Hermes. Sorry I didn't have any rats for George and Martha…" I wanted to say 'Sorry the way Luke turned out…' But the words just wouldn't form.
The green fire dies out, so I help myself to the rest of my apple. Even forcing down some willow bark that Grover insists is good and the human system can take. Well…at least he was right about the fact I could digest it.
"C'mon. We'd better get to sleep." Grover came up behind me. I didn't even realise that I'd been staring into the fire for about an hour, one more inch forward and I'd be hotter than Ares flaming eyes. I smile weakly
"I'll take first watch." I offer, sleep was beckoning me, but I'd have nightmares. Knowing my luck they'd be about Percy.
"No, I will. You look shattered, get some rest before you actually fall into the fire." He had a point there, I rested my head on my backpack – my eyelids sliding shut – sleep dawning me almost immediately.
"No! Leave me please!" A woman was pleading. She was curled up into a ball in what seemed to be like a cave, blonde hair in a mess as she shivered. Her appearance almost shifted from reality, one minute she was human, the next minute she was floating around the space as fog.
"I'm real." Someone was saying, though it was so dark I couldn't recognise them, even see their features.
"You always say that. No other Hero has made such an impression," her rough voice made it obvious she'd been crying, or maybe she still was.
"Try me. I'm real as, Cal." The person says, I manage to hear that the tone is deep, therefore male.
The girl looks up, revealing nothing more than sapphire-blue eyes as the rest of her remains tucked behind her small, skinny knees. She looks about twelve, but it's clear she's older than this. She begins to lift her hand, the man reaches out his, but her shaky stature pulls her away before they each touch.
"I'm staying Cal. I promise" He walks forward and touches her arm – causing shivers to erupt down his spine – clearly her skin is freezing. She makes out a small gasp
"You've never touched me before."
"Let me guess. I've gone straight through you" the girl nods, causing the man to smile.
"Enough proof for you now?" He takes her small hand and holds it with both of his. She smiles but all I can do is scream as I get a glimpse of the man for the first time since the nightmare occurred.
"PERCY!" I scream, sitting bolt upright and drenched in sweat.
"Mai-aih!" Was what I got in response as Grover woke up – obviously from passing out on first watch – he then looked over to me, talking in English this time.
"What happened?" I began to explain to him about the crying girl and how Percy was comforting her.
"Any theories?" I asked the satyr, who looked as white as a sheet.
"A few. But only one seems to fit the bill, but Gods I hope I'm wrong…"
"What?"
"Was a name said?" I shake my head, he looks almost relieved till suddenly a light bulb goes off in my head.
"Yeah actually, Cal…"
"Oh, well-that-could-mean-anything-actually. Doesn't-really-mean-that-it-means-that-it's-her. Percy-will-be-OK..." He says in a rush.
"What?!"
"Nothing. Mai-ah!" He gnaws wildly at a tree, even though it's only from what I judge to be three in the morning I'm wide awake.
"For the love of Zeus Grover, stop that and explain!" He stops chewing his way through the willow, the leaves swaying two and fro as the tree threatens to fall over, and faces me - a worried look planted on his face.
"If 'Cal' is short for what I think it is…Then Percy…He's been washed up on…Oh not again!" He stares longingly at the willow, but I snap him out of it.
"GROVER!"
"Mai-ha! Sorry! Well…Calypso's island..." What? Where's that? I've never come across it before...
"Who? What?"
"I may be wrong, Annabeth. But Calypso is a small spirit demigod. Daughter of Atlas. She lives on the island of Ogygia – it is her prison cell of sorts. The island is beautiful, everything she could ever want at the blink of an eye. All except company and freedom. No one is with her, she cannot leave the island, and as the Gods have punished her onto it, all travellers are instantly repelled from coming to the island." I shrug
"And? Percy cannot be there then. If people are instantly repelled…And so she's a little lonely? She must've done something bad to get on there."
"Oh no. She was simply punished for being a child of Atlas. Zoe would've been punished onto the island as well, if it wasn't for the fact she was part of the Hunters of Artemis."
"That's so sad…But still. Where does Percy come into this?" Grover's expression turned grave.
"Every century or so the Gods tease Calypso by sending a Hero to the island. They can stay with her, but there is always a reason they cannot. She's a spirit, she falls in love easy – and the fact it'd have been the first time she saw human company in years… – she becomes attached. It breaks her heart when the hero sails away…"
"You still aren't getting it, are you Grover? INSTANTLY repelled, can NEVER stay. There is no way this is to do with this Calypso." I sigh, getting impatient.
"You have not heard the worst, Annabeth."
"And?"
"Well, you see he has already been to the island." WHAT?!
"WHEN?!" I demand
"When he blew up the volcano where Typhon was imprisoned. The Gods sent him there, while we all assumed he'd died - blown to smithereens - he was nursed to health by Calypso. He spent quite a while healing, the impact of that explosion against a mortal would take more than a few doses of Ambrosia and Nectar. Then Calypso cared for him, food…fun…Paradise – like being on holiday with only one person. She was enjoying the company, so she was trying to make him stay as long as he could. Naturally though, Percy begun to press questions, eventually she broke down and told him about her curse – of course he felt sad – but our cause was far greater. He opted to leave, and she sat alone on the island once again..." Grover explains
"Where did you hear this?" I hiss
"He told us, you know, why you were in another rage..."
"Look. Get to the point!" I snap.
"Ah. Well...The sirens. Chiron says they moved...The only logical explanation is the fact that they moved to Calypso's island somehow, there must have been a loophole, a glitch of some sorts, in the commotion of the war that they got on. Of course the place appealed to them, practically no one had ever visited, so of course there were no myths to scare travellers away. Their song domineers Calypso's curse, pulling victims to the island. Or, of course, dying on the way there. But Percy reached the island, Calypso would've been ecstatic to see her friend again, so she'd of helped save him. There is one problem there though…"
"And that would be?"
"The sirens dull out your life, so you'd forget the most important aspects of it. It all depends how far into the…Let's call it 'the process'…Of murdering Percy they were, he may have forgotten us…"
I finally cotton on
"And therefore have no reason to leave!"
"Yep."
"And we can't rescue him."
"As we'll subconsciously avoid the island."
I nod slowly, before passing out. The last thing I hear is Grover swearing and bleating, stamping on the split-ends of my blonde hair as they caught on fire, falling into the flames.
Don't worry, there will be some action. Just thought I'd establish what had happened :3 Oh, and next chapter will also be Annabeth only – as shall the other – but Percy will be back I promise thee!