Disclaimer: Cora Jackson is mine. The rest belong to Rick Riordan.
Author's Note: Still sad because this story is picking up really slow, but whatever, I should be cleaning my house instead of moping around.
7. Cora
Right after seeing Rachel, we travelled fast with my hunter sisters to Chicago. I never felt more anxious to get to a place before. I was so worried by the Rachel's pictures. Cabins and campers burned weren't exactly a good sign. If I could only find a way to save everybody…
Regardless our better efforts, we arrived at night at Chicago. Immediately, we found the metallic Bean in Millenium Park of my dream just half a mile of the lake Michigan. Thalia and I split the hunters to search in the harbors for Annabeth. I knew she should be close. For my dream, I saw the water just outside and the Bean at the far.
We searched for over one hour until Phoebe tracked a monster trail just outside of a yacht. As I got closer to where Phoebe said, I felt the environment saturated by a toxin. I felt dizzy but I kept going. I was on the right track since it was the same poison I felt in Alaska.
"Is here?" Thalia whispered at me as we all got closer to the yacht with our bows and arrows ready to shoot. I nodded to Thalia who made a signal to the rest to advance.
We attacked fast and stealthy. I moved right behind Thalia inside the 100 yards yacht running in the corridors and rooms. We found no resistance or monster at all in the upper floor of the gigantic vessel. I hoped to find my mom in the basement like any stereotyped story of damsel in distress. Phoebe and Melissa, another hunter who I really like, were with Thalia and me running throughout the place.
As we walked to the deepest part of the yacht meeting just lonely and silent rooms, I grew anxious fearing of finding my mom's corpse.
Finally, we reached the last room, the engine room. I opened the door with fear and we entered. Nothing at all. I stared at the small window, looked out of the window and it was the view of my dream.
"She is not here" said Thalia panting from all our running around the ship.
"She was here. This is the room of my dreams" I said
"There are no traces of fighting or struggle. That's good, I guess" said Pheobe as she looked around the floor. I nodded. Thalia leaned to the floor touching something.
"When she was here?" I said.
"Maybe yesterday until this morning, I think" said Phoebe.
"Then we just missed her" I said looking around for any clue of where she was taken.
"Don't worry. We will find her" said Thalia placing her hand on my shoulder. I touched her hand and smiled.
"What are we doing now?" said Phoebe as she saw the dead end we were right now. I shrugged since I was clueless myself. Everybody turned their eyes to our fearless leader, Thalia. She looked at us and shrugged too. We all exchanged looks expecting to someone to give some feedback, idea or anything.
"I'm hungry" said Melissa as her stomach growled.
"I think we must rest and tomorrow figure out a new plan" said Phoebe.
"Let's do it, Phoebe. We will rest in…" said Melissa as she was checking up a map.
"Can we go to Jackson Park?" I said suddenly. All three hunters stared at me like if I was freak.
"Why there?" said Melissa as she pointed the location in her map.
"I always kind of wanted to visit the Museum of Science and Industry… and the park is named with my family name" I said kind of embarrassed. Thalia ruffled my hair and nodded.
"It's kind of perfect. We need all the help we need, if the park 'inspires' you, the better" said Thalia.
In less of one hour, we had our tents set in Wooden Island inside Jackson Park. My sisters and I made a bonfire like every night and shared stories and jokes with food and drinks. Melissa and I talked until very late. I really like her. She is as funny as dad.
I dreamed tonight. I saw Derek by a roaring fire talking to someone. I couldn't see or hear the other person, but I knew it was there. My brother looked tired and thinner. He nodded and his smile was sarcastically evil. Was this other person the catalyst? Had he found it? If he did, everything was now in motion.
Then the dreamed changed. I saw my mom in my house. Everything was blurry and dark. It was like watching through the car window at night during a storm. I saw the hand of the giant Polybotes taking my mom through the gigantic open window like King Kong. Malcolm was already pinned to the mattress. He was still alive and bleeding out fast. I ran at him. I tried to take his hand but it passed through mine like a ghost.
He was staring at the ceiling with tears in his eyes as he was breathing loud and harsh as his whole body tried to remain alive. Someone entered the room and looked at him. This person was wearing a golden mask with snake hair and tusks, full combat armor and Imperial Gold sword. They stared at each other. Malcolm muttered something probably bad words. The man trusted the sword deeper in Malcolm's chest making him threw a blood muffled yell.
"You missed your chance" said Malcolm as blood poured of his lips.
"Maybe" said the man before tossing the note we found on the bed. Then he left the room leaving Malcolm fading slowly. I saw him dying alone and it was just heartbreaking.
Melissa woke me up by shaking me harshly. I looked at her confused. Everything was so vivid and bright instead of my dream.
"Cora, you were yelling. What did you dream?" said Melissa.
I looked at her worried eyes and blinked a couple of times trying to focus in the bright light. "I just forgot" I lied.
"Well, maybe it's better that way. Thalia wants you" said Melissa and I nodded. I got up not before stretching a little.
I found Thalia in her tent drinking hot chocolate and staring at maps, probably thinking for what direction to move.
"Good morning" I said. Thalia just raised her cup acknowledging me. She kept staring the map until she hit the table out of frustration. Some of her chocolate stained the map.
"I have no clue" said Thalia finally. She looked at the verge of panic attack.
"We will think of something" I tried to reassure her.
"We were so close" said Thalia.
"I know" I said. I thought of telling her my dream, but she didn't need more stress. "What did you call me?"
"I talked with your dad" said Thalia trying so hard to suppress a smile. "He is New Rome and looking for Derek as we speak"
"That's good. I hope he finds him soon" I said with a weak smile. I hoped my dream about Derek was days away and dad would get before the other person. Thalia stared at me for the longest time before talking again.
"Cora, I know that you are worry, but everything will be fine" said Thalia. I could tell she wasn't telling me something. I felt untrusted like if I was 5.
"Thalia. Don't lie to me. I know more that you think. I'm not a little girl anymore" I spatted.
"Your dreams?" said Thalia as she knew exactly what I meant.
"Yeah, when Artemis blessed me, I received more than just monster radar." I lied. I didn't want her to know what Apollo was the one who did this to me. "I hate my dreams. I see some much that I can't change. I dreamed of Derek talking to someone agreeing on something… I dreamed of Malcolm. How he died. How Polybotes took my mom. I hate what happened"
I felt my eyes watering as I remembered my dear Uncle coughing blood, how scared he was as his heart was slowing down. I tried to wipe the tears down fast but they kept coming. Thalia hugged me.
"I know. I loved your uncle too. He was like a brother to me too" she whispered as her hand patted my back softly as I was still 5 years old and I just woke up from a bad dream. I wanted to push her out, to tell her I wasn't a child anymore, but I just kept crying blaming myself for not being able to help him.
"I should have stopped it. If I knew in advance, if I was capable of controlling it" I whispered back over and over hoping for a different outcome.
Thalia pulled away and wiped her tears. "Rachel told you not to do it. It's dangerous. Apollo could curse you. I just don't want you to wear the python skin. It's not flattering for your skin tone" said Thalia cracking a joke. She wanted to make laugh a little, to lift my mood. However, I wanted to tell her that I felt already cursed by Apollo just like Halcyon Green. I was meant to see things I shouldn't change.
