The woman led them to the house. If it looked huge and advanced outside, it was more impressive inside. When the woman opened the door the first thing that they passed was the living room. It is located on the left side of the door. Leather sofas and padded chairs surrounded a mahogany table with glass on top. Then, mounted on the wall at the back of one of the sofa is a wooden cupboard filled with antique figurines and photographs.
"Sit down, everybody." the woman nodded to the set of chairs. She sat herself also and studied the tree of them but her eyes settled mostly on Annabeth.
"Um, not to be rude but do I know you?"Annabeth asked.
The woman nodded"I was one of the people who watched you grow up. Or in other words I'm your Nanny."
"Oh."Annabeth replied. She looks calm on the outside but on the inside the gears on her brain are whirring.
The woman stood up and walked towards the cupboard and picked up a picture frame. "You're parents entrusted you to me. I was supposed to go with you in the van but I wanted to save your parents. But that didn't happen. I was a fool for even thinking that." Her eyes were filled with tears.
Annabeth shifted in her seat. At first she couldn't speak but she immediately found the words. "You shouldn't be too hard on yourself. What is done is done. And besides my parents will be happy because I'm still alive, Nanny." She smiled at her Nanny and for a moment memories of younger Annabeth flashed into the old woman's eyes. She smiled back and hugged the little girl she thought she would never find.
Later that night, Annabeth tossed and turned in bed. There was only one available room with one bed and they don't want to sleep in the carpet so the three of them decided to sleep together. Annabeth was on the edge of the bed gripping the sheets so tight because she was afraid to fall off. Grover was sleeping like a starfish beside her. Then, Grover shifted and Annabeth fell off. She got up from the floor and went out.
The staircase had a lot of steps but Annabeth knew how many. She counted while she walked. When she reached the last step, she fumbled for the light switch under the stairs. Lights under the stairs illuminated and Annabeth could make out the couches in the living room and the grand dining hall on the corner of the house. She looked at the floor looking for the trapdoor that will lead her to the basement. She stepped on a block that made a noise. She opened it and a ladder appeared.
She descended the steps to the basement. It was like a typical basement: Full of boxes old stuff but the boxes weren't just thrown about. They were sorted and they were placed properly.
She approached the first box beside the wall that held her old toys. She wasn't fond of dolls so her toys were mostly cars and legos. She took some of her toys and then she realized it was weird for a sixteen year old girl to carry around toys. As she was putting it back, her clumsiness took over and she knocked down a box. The contents scattered. Papers covered the floor. She bent to pick them up but then she noticed the pictures. They were her parents but it was stolen pictures. Pictures of them walking outside the office, drinking coffee in the nearby café and their cars. The last one was the most painful of all—her mom's office walls were painted with words and she was pretty sure they didn't use paint. Things like 'Mission Accomplished' and 'You Rule Bozz' filled one section of the wall. Annabeth almost cried when she saw all those pictures. She wasn't sad but she was angry. How could someone do something so inhumane? She shook her head and picked up the box. There were still papers and pictures of her when she was younger but she was too angry to observe them.
"Annabeth?" a voice asked.
Annabeth turned and saw Percy. "Hi. What are you doing here?"
"I heard something plus Grover took all the space in bed. Why are you here?"
Annabeth smiled weakly. "Well Grover and when I couldn't sleep I always go here."
"Ah." He gestured at the papers and pictures.
"I accidentally found them. And they are related to my parent's death." She hesitated then handed the pictures.
"This is interesting." he mused.
"Yeah, but the last one is far from that."
He made a face. "Your right. It's gruesome." He looked up at her. "Did you ever wonder what's these doing in here?"
"No, but now that you said it, yes." Percy gave her a cocky smirk. She punched him on the shoulder. Then, they heard someone walking.
"We better go. We don't want questions." Annabeth said.
The air at camp was hot. All the people gathered at the plaza. Campaign materials scattered and almost everyone was wearing shirts with the candidates faces.
Guards started filling the stage. In the center, the newly elected mayor of camp grinned and waved to people. The campaign manager rushed forward and handed a microphone to the mayor.
"Friends, poverty and hardships have come to end and it was all because of you! I promise you all that we will live in prosperity as long as I'm here!" The crowd stood and cheered enthusiastically. Some tried to get in the stage and but the guards were quick. As for Calvin, he just sighed and decided to leave.
He found out that her daughter left yesterday. He wasn't angry about it because he knows that she will be safer if she's away. And their new mayor didn't seem to be nice. His dad has warned him about an angel in disguise at camp that seemed to be focused on Annabeth but he didn't tell who it was.
He decided to go up to his room but he couldn't resist peeking in Annabeth's old room. It was tidy—just like the way she left it—and there was a note on top of the bed. He never bothered to remove it there because he wants to remind himself that she left. He picked up the note and read it again.
Dad,
Thank you for all the things you've done for me.
I'm sorry that I left. I love you!
P.S. I always tell you where I am.
-Annabeth
He was still puzzled about the last line. Then, he turned the paper and saw that she had written an address. He immediately went downstairs to burn it. Just as he was beginning to light it in the backyard, he heard gunfire and then a lot of screaming.