Chapter Four

When I woke, it was still dark. My plan was simple, but with luck, it could work as well as any complex one. I waited for sunrise, going over what I was about to do again and again. Truthfully, though, I knew I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I tried to calm my nerves—a pounding heart wouldn't be any help. Ever so slowly, the sun inched its way over the horizon, seeming to take forever. I waited in total silence, sitting on the ground, unmoving. I sat so long, my legs started to cramp. But I ignored it, I had to wait in complete silence. Finally, after what felt like several hours, I heard the slithering.

I quickly got into position, sprawling myself dramatically across the cave floor, my fingers curling tightly around the long, bronze knife concealed up my sleeve. I tried to relax. I closed my eyes and, as the slithering grew closer, began to breathe shallowly and silently, trying desperately to keep my chest from rising and falling normally. I wasn't getting nearly enough air, but I reminded myself I only had to keep it up for a short time. I almost flinched at the telltale, ear-splitting CLANK of the door slamming open, but caught myself and willed my body to stay painfully still.

What issss thissssssssss? rasped one of the two dracaenae whom I supposed had just entered my prison. Why doessss ssshe sssssleep?

Sssshe doessss not sssssleep. hissed the other, Watch her closssssely; sssshe doesssss not breathe. I held my breath to stop any tiny motions that my shallow breathing would have caused. My heart pounded furiously, I was sure the dracaenae could hear it loud and clear, but to my relief, they didn't seem to notice.

They advanced slowly, the sound of scales scraping against rock becoming louder and louder, until it was so close that I felt the vibrations in my skull. My mind was racing, I risked a quick breath. The first dracaena coiled her tails, bending over me. Just as I felt her cold, reptilian breath on my face, I snapped my eyes open, slashing my knife in a wide arc in her direction. I saw the look of utter shock in her horrible, slit-pupiled snake eyes, before she disintegrated into a heap of dust.

Before the second one could get over her initial shock, I was on my feet, brandishing my knife. She smiled, showing pointed teeth. We circled the cave, the snake woman clutching her long spear.

What a nasssssty little trick.She hissed threateningly, Too bad you can't trick me, you'll be dead in a few short minutes!She leapt at me with surprising agility, launching herself from the tips of her twin snake trunks. I reacted quickly, but not quite in time. I took a distracted swipe at her, but she landed hard on top of me, knocking the blade out of my hands with the butt of her spear, sending it skittering away, just out of reach. Gasping, I stretched out my fingers, trying desperately to grasp the hilt of the knife, but the dracaena knocked it even further away, and had begun to coil her snake tails, binding my wrists in scaly flesh and pressing them to the cave floor above my head.

You, half-blood, are sssso much more trouble than you're worth she whispered. The knife was inches from my right foot, I slowly slipped it out of its shoe, moving it, inch by inch, towards the long, gleaming blade. I think I'll dissssspossse of you now!Just a little farther! She unsheathed a tiny dagger at her belt, and held the cold blade against my throat, savoring the moment. Finally reaching it, I clutched my knife between my first and second toes. I felt her slowly pushing on the dagger now, beginning to cut off my airway, I could feel a thin cut beginning to appear on my neck.

Die, child of Athena!she shrieked. I screamed and kicked upwards with all my might, plunging the knife into the back of her skull. She screamed as she transformed into a million bits of dust, her blade clattering to the ground. I gasped and picked myself up, trembling. That had been way too close, my hand flew to my throat, where the dagger had been pressed moments before. I shook my head. I had just killed a monster with my feet.

I picked up my knife and brushed the monster dust off my sweatshirt. Though a bit rough, my plan had actually worked! The door was wide open, I bolted out. The mountain air was cool on my skin, I pulled my thin sweater tighter, glad to have it. The weather in San Francisco was usually fairly warm in the winter, but it was much cooler on the mountain. I was standing on a narrow ledge outside the cave. Gripping the bars for support, I leaned over the edge to have a look. The drop was steep and the bottom was covered in jagged rock. I caught my breath, pulling myself back up and pressing myself against the mountain. That was very far down. I began to follow the ledge.

Soon enough, It began to slant upwards and widen into a path of sorts, I could hear a faint hissing noise. I shrank against the wall, hoping that it wasn't another dracaena coming to see why the others hadn't returned. I stood there, taking shaky breaths for several minutes, gripping my knife. If anything came around the corner, there was no cover, I either had to kill, or send myself hurtling over the edge of the cliff. Nobody came, so I rounded the corner.

I immediately wished I hadn't. I found myself only feet away from an open doorway. The ancient Greek writing etched into the door frame read, "Monsters' Quarters," and just through the wooden frame, two pairs of dracaenae eyes were glaring at me in surprise. I didn't give them long enough to ponder what I was doing. I fled, their hisses of, The girl issss free! and, Notify Masssssster Luke!following me down the mountain.

I scrambled down, tiny rocks breaking free and cascading over the rocky ledges. I heard shouting behind me. A wave of panic hit me; they were after me. The shouting was drawing nearer, I turned onto a narrow ledge and began to edge sideways. I had a good head start, but they were gaining. They had reached the ledge and were following, single file, Luke in the lead. My heart pounded. The ledge was widening, I began to sprint. They were right on my tail, I could hear Luke breathing heavily, only a few feet back..

I rounded a bend and my mind didn't register the cliff's edge until I was skidding over it. The thin rock crumbled under my weight. But before the scream had even left my mouth, a rough hand closed around my wrist, nearly jerking my arm out of its socket, but effectively cutting off my fall. Luke pulled me back up to solid ground. The second my feet were planted, the point of his knife was at my throat.

"I knew you would run, Annabeth." said Luke simply. "Put her in chains," His eyes fluttered absently to my sweater sleeve. "and disarm her, if you would." he added.

"She's more trouble than she's worth, Luke," spat what I recognized to be an empousa, "Why can't we just kill her now and get it over with?" I considered running, but I was completely surrounded by monsters.

"The General told us to keep her captive, not kill her." Luke replied. "Take her back to the cave."

My knife was torn from its small sheath that I kept strapped to my left wrist, and my arms were grabbed roughly by a cyclops and pinned behind me. I felt the cold steel cuffs tighten on my wrists ("No need celestial bronze for you, half-blood!" the cyclops grinned), and I was half escorted, half dragged back to the cave. When the heavy door slammed shut, any sliver of hope I might have had left was destroyed. I let it sink in. I was going to die in two days, and I knew nothing could stop it.