AN: I would just like to inform you all that I know this part is weak. I CANNOT GET ANNABETH TALKING TO HERSELF RIGHT. If you know a way to make it work, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME.
As usual, I don't own anything. I also realized that you may be wondering why all the titles are like, chapter 2, chapter 5. That's because a) I didn't know you could customize chapter titles until right this minute and b) I'm trying (and failing) to recreate the epicness of Rick Riordan's titles. They are just too long to fit in that tiny space. And yes, for the immature ones like me, That's what she said.
ALSO: I may not post anything again for a long time. All of what I posted before was prewritten material, but this is the last of it. Everything from now on I still have to write. And it's pretty much the end of the quarter so I have a million tests, plus I have to make my Halloween costume, and being lazy, I still haven't memorized all the pep songs I need for band. If you really want to read more, write to my Spanish teacher and request that she give me less homework.
Happy reading.
I Have a Dream
Today's entertainment comes to you in three parts, or rather the telling of my dream does.
It started off with an unusual twist, a flashback.
Wherever I was, I was underground. There was almost no light whatsoever. Then I realized that I was in a room, because there was a thin strip of light down low. I felt around until I found a doorknob and opened the door.
I have to admit, I've seen some pretty darn weird things, but this one takes the cake. I was staring at myself, looking wound up tight, as if I was waiting for something to happen. Except I looked younger, maybe 13 or 14. Beyond me, I saw a girl with frizzy red hair. She sneezed, and I watched as I pulled out Riptide and cut her in half.
Completely bewildered, I looked around. Then I realized that I was watching a scene from my life. This was the first time I meet Rachel, inside Hoover Dam. I watched as she hid me from the skeletons and then as I ran off and back to the top of the dam. Rachel looked confused, but not that confused. It seemed that what had just happened didn't make sense to her, but it happened often enough.
Then a voice flashed across my dream, a voice that sounded familiar, but I couldn't recognize it. It said…
"Come on, Percy. You can figure this out."
Another scene flashed, as if it was going to continue, but it was interrupted, and suddenly I saw Grover's face. He was in a park, some place in the north. He was surrounded by pine trees, and I could see a lake in the distance.
"Percy! Please be able to see me! I haven't done this in ages, but it was to work!"
My dream-self nodded, and Grover looked relieved.
Grover had grown up a lot since I'd last seen him. All chance of pretending to be human was gone, because his horns were really pretty long now. His peach-fuzz goatee was actually starting to look like a real goatee, and his acne was starting to clear up. He looked aged, like the world was wearing him out. He also seemed really anxious.
"Percy, all I can feel is that you're angry and scared, what's going on?"
And so, against my better judgment, I told Grover all about what had happened to Annabeth. I ever threw in the prophecy, and for good measure, Athena's clues.
"Oh my god, Percy! What are you going to do? Where are you?"
"I'm somewhere in Colorado, and for the record, I have no idea what I'm going to do. I don't even know where to begin."
"Well, about Athena's clues. You've been looking at them separately. What if they go together? What if it's something about a mortal in an elevator? That would definitely narrow down the number of mortals that it could apply to."
"Yeah, but what am I supposed to do, just go and find every elevator in the western U.S.?"
Grover looked crushed, but admitted I had a point. "Well, maybe it'll make sense when the moment comes."
"Yeah probably," I responded. "But I still have no idea where to go."
Grover sighed. "Percy, made you should try to send an Iris-message to Olympus. The gods aren't supposed to help you, but you have nothing to run on. Some of the less orthodox gods might be willing to help you. Maybe Hermes or you dad. I don't know, I just think you should try."
I nodded. "I'll think about it."
"Alright cool. I gotta go, there are a bunch of dryads here who want to talk about water conditions."
"Alright, G-man," I said. "I'll catch you later."
Then the dream changed again, and suddenly I was looking at Annabeth. She was still chained to a chair. Just seeing her made my blood boil. The two evil cretins who were holding her hostage weren't there, and she looked so lonely.
She was horribly skinny, as if she hadn't eaten in a week. Her hair had gone from it's usual full, beautiful blond curls to a dank mud-colored mess and there were huge bags under her eyes.
She sighed and glanced around the room. Annabeth looked as though she might cry.
"I can't believe I got myself into this," she whispered to herself. "Why? How? How did I get into this? Why do they want Percy? Oh, Percy. If only he could hear me. If only I could tell him."
A tear dropped from her face to her lap. I tried desperately to move my dream-self, but it just wasn't happening.
"Percy," she cried quietly, "Percy, don't come for me. They want to kill you, and they know how. It's too late for me. You can't come. Please gods, if only you could keep this from Percy. Never tell him what happened. Let him think I left, never put him the danger that rescuing me would entail. Please gods, keep Percy safe…"
The door banged open.
"Well, girl!" it was the devil character. "You ready to tell us where your dear Perseus Jackson is?"
Annabeth sniffed, and her face went hard. "Never."
"Are you sure we can't convince you?" the monster said, manically stroking something that looked horrifyingly like a torture chair.
Annabeth glanced at the chair, then back at the devil with a look full of hate.
"You'll have to kill me. I'll never tell you where he is. You'll never catch him."
"Brave. Very brave. But stupid. We will kill you, girl. We'll kill your precious Percy too. But you'll die together, one last scene, destroying the two most monumental half-bloods of the century."
I wasn't sure whether to be flattered or offended, but Annabeth snarled.
"You'll never get Percy. You may have me, but you'll never, ever get Percy."
"What, you think he is too smart for us?" he laughed. "Remember, girl. We caught a daughter of Athena. We have been catching and killing heroes for centuries. Oh, we'll catch your dear Percy. We'll catch him and we'll kill him. Perhaps we'll kill him first, so that you can grieve for him for a couple days before we kill you. But rest assured, we'll get him, with or without your help. So do yourself a favor. Save your life and tell us where he is!"
Annabeth clenched her jaw and looked away. As the monster left again, she whispered something.
"Please, Percy. Don't come. Please be safe."
