Chapter 9 (I Plunge To My Death)

We spent the next two days on the Amtrak train, heading west through hills, over rivers, past amber waves of grain.

We weren't attacked once, but that didn't make me relax. I had a feeling we were being watched, like something was just biding its time waiting for the most opportune moment to attack us.

We had tried to keep a low profile because Percy's name and picture were splattered over the front pages of several East Coast newspapers. The Trenton Register-News even showed a picture taken by a tourist as we got off the Greyhound bus. He had a wild look in his eyes, and his sword was a metallic blur in his hands.

The picture's caption read:

Twelve-year old Percy Jackson, wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago, is shown here fleeing form the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers. The bus exploded on the east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy may be traveling with two teenage accomplises. His stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture.

"Don't worry," I told Percy. "Mortal police could never find us." I was trying to make him feel better, but even as I said it, I wasn't so sure it was true. We'd caused quite a scene on the roadside back in Jersey.

Percy spent the rest of that day pacing the length of the train, and looking out the windows, like his ADHD was really acting up.

Our reward money for returning Gladiola the poodle had only been enough to purchase tickets as far as Denver. We couldn't get berths in the sleeper car, so we dozed in our seats. My neck got stiff.

Grover kept snoring and bleating and waking me up. Once, he shuffled around and his fake foot fell off. Percy and I had to stick it back on before any of the passengers noticed.

"So," I asked Percy. "Who wants your help?" Whenever Percy would doze off, he would mutter in his sleep. Most of it made no sense of me, but a couple times he would say things that would make sense.

"When you were asleep just now, you mumbled, 'I won't help you.' Who were you dreaming about?"

Percy looked reluctant to tell me, but he ended up telling me he was dreaming of an evil voice coming from a pit. He seemed relieved to get it off his chest.

I thought about it for a long time, "That doesn't sound like Hades. He always appears on a black throne, and he never laughs."

"He offered my mother in trade. Who else could do that?"

"I guess... if he meant, 'Help me rise from the Underworld.' If he wants war with the Olympians. But why ask you to bring him the master bolt if he already has it?"

Percy just shook his head. Grover snorted in his sleep and muttered something about vegetables, and turned his head. I readjusted his cap, so it covered his horns. "Percy, you can't barter with Hades. You know that, right? He's deceitful, heartless, and greedy. I don't care if his Kindly Ones weren't as aggressive this time-"

"This time?" Percy asked. "You mean you've run into them before?"

My hand crept up to my necklace, I couldn't help but play with the glazed white bead with Thalia's pine tree on it. My mind going back to the day were we arrived at Camp and Thalia had died. "Let's just say I've got no love for the Lord of the Dead. You can't be tempted to make a deal for your mom."

"What would you do if it was your dad?"

"That's easy," I said. "I'd leave him to rot."

"You're not serious?"

I fixed my eyes on Percy. "My dad's resented me since the day i was born, Percy," I said. "He never wanted a baby. When he got me, he asked Athena to take me back and raise me on Olympus because he was too busy with his work. She wasn't happy about that. She told him heroes had to be raised by their mortal parent."

"But how... I mean, I guess you weren't born in a hospital..."

"I appeared on my father's doorstep, in a golden cradle, carried down from Olympus by Zephyr, the West Wind. You'd think my dad would remember that as a miracle, right? Like, maybe he'd take some digital photos or something. But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient thing that had ever happened to him. When I was five he got married and totally forgot about Aehtna. He got a 'regular' mortal wife, and had two 'regular' mortal kids, and tried to pretend I didn't exist." I don't really know why I'd told Percy all of this, but I felt a little better.

Percy was quiet for a long time, looking our the window. "My mom married a really awful guy," he told me. "Grover said she did it to protect me, to hid me in the scent of a human family. Maybe that's what your dad was thinking."

I just kept playing with the beads on my necklace and the college ring that my dad have given me. "He doesn't care about me," I said. "His wife-my stepmom- treated me like a freak. She wouldn't let me play with her children. My dad went along with her. Whenever something dangerous happened- you know, something with monsters-they would both look at me resentfully like, 'How dare you put our family at risk.' Finally, I took the hint. I wasn't wanted. I ran away."

"How old were you?"

"Same age as when I started camp. Seven."

"But... you couldn't have gotten all the way to Half-Blood Hill by yourself."

"Not alone, no. Athena watched over me, guided me toward help. I made a couple of unexpected friends who took care of me, for a short time, anyway."

I got lost in the memories of Luke, Thalia and I making our way to Camp, our own little family. I got wistful whenever I thought about it, and in the end, Thalia had sacrificed herself for Luke and I, it never failed to make me want to cry.

Toward the end of our second day on the train, June 13, eight days before the summer solstice, we passed through some golden hills and over the Mississippi River from St. Louis. I craned my neck to see the Gateway Arch, one of the most interesting monuments in the United States.

"I want to do that," I sighed.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Build something like that. You ever see the Parthenon, Percy?"

"Only in pictures."

"Someday," I told him, "I'm going to see it in persona. I'm going to build the greatest monument to the gods, ever. Something that'll last a thousand years."

Percy laughed at me, "You? An architect?"

My cheeks flushed, embarrassed and a little put off. "Yes, an architect. Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention." Percy didn't answer, and I instantly felt bad for what I'd said. It wasn't Percy's fault.

"Sorry. That was mean." I said.

"Can't we work together a little?" Percy pleaded, looking at me with those sea green eyes. "I mean, didn't Athena and Poseidon ever cooperate?"

I thought about it, and then I remembered, "I guess... the chariot. My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses our of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete."

"Then we can cooperate, too. Right?"

I didn't answer right away. Percy was so hopeful, but there was a lot of animosity there. It wasn't Percy or my problem though, "I suppose," I said after a while.

We pulled into the Amtrak station downtown. The intercom told us we'd have a three-hour layover before departing for Denver.

Grover stretched, and before he was even fully awake, he said, "Food."

"Come on, goat boy. Sightseeing." I said.

"Sightseeing?"

"The Gateway Arch," I said. "This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?"

Grover and Percy exchanged looks. Percy looked like he wanted to say no, Grover just shrugged. "As long as there's a snack bar without monsters."

The Arch was about a mile from the train station. Late in the day the lines to get in weren't that long. We threaded our way through the underground museum, looking at covered wagons and other amazing things from the 1880s. It was all so interesting, I kept telling Percy and Grover interesting facts about how the Arch was built, even though I knew they didn't appreciate it.

"You smell anything?" Percy asked Grover.

"Underground," Grover said distastefully, through a mouth filled with jellybeans. "Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably doesn't mean anything."

Something felt wrong though, even though I was in a great mood, I had a feeling we shouldn't be here.

"Guys," Percy said. "You know the gods' symbols of power?"

I was in the middle of reading about construction equipment, but I looked over, "Yeah?"

"Well, Hade-"

Grover cleared his throat. "We're in a public place... You mean, our friend downstairs?"

"Um, right," Percy continued. "Our friend way downstarirs. Doesn't he have a hat like Annabeth's?"

"You mean the Helm of Darkness," I said. "Yeah, that's his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting."

"He was there?" Percy asked.

I nodded. "It's the only time he's allowed to visit Olympus- the darkest day of the year. But his helm is a lot more powerful than my invisibility hat, if what I've heard is true..."

"It allows him to become darkness," Grover confirmed. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or head. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. WHy do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"

"But then... how do we know he's not here right now, watching us." Percy asked. It was a good point, Grover and I exchanged looks.

"We don't." Grover said.

"Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," I said. "Got any blue jelly beans left?"

We finally got to the elevator car that would take us to the top of the Arch. We got stuck in the minuscule car with a big lady and her Chihuahua. We started going up, inside the Arch. I was exhilarated, it was such an amazing architectural feat.

"No parents?" the lady asked us.

The lady had beady eyes; pointy, coffee-stained teeth; a floppy denim hat, and a denim dress that bulged.

"They're below," I told her. "Scared of heights."

"Oh, the poor darlings."

The Chihuahua growled. The woman said, "Now, now, sonny. Behave."

Percy asked, "Sonny. Is that his name?"

"No," the lady told him. Percy looked extremely confused, but the lady just smiled at him.

At the top of the Arch, tiny rows of windows looked out over the city on side side and river on the other. The view was amazing, just thinking about all the supports that went into making the Arch was astounding. I kept telling Grover and Percy about all changes I would have made if I designed the arch: bigger windows, a see-through floor. I could have stayed up in the Arch for hours mulling over all the archeiture. But, the park ranger announced that the observation deck would be closing in a few minutes.

Percy steered Grover and I toward the exit, and loaded us into an elevator. He was acting really jumpy, I guess he wasn't a big fan of heights, or small spaces. Percy was about to step onto the elevator himself, when he realized there were already two other tourists inside. There was no room.

"Next car, sir." said the park ranger.

"We'll get out," I said. "We'll wait with you." I didn't want to leave Percy on his own, he seemed whacked out enough as it was.

"Naw, it's okay. I'll see you guys at the bottom.

Grover and I exchanged a nervous look, but we let the elevator door slide shut, and our car took off down the ramp. I felt like something really bad was going to happen, and Grover kept chewing on his nails. Once we got to the bottom, Grover and I stepped to the side and waited fro Percy. I was starting to get impatient. So naturally, that's when all Hades broke loose.

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Thanks everyone. You're all amazing :3

Updates may become a little infrequent unfortunately due to the fall semester starting up. But don't worry! I'm not going to abandon this sorry I have chapters typed up, I'm just trying to space them out for you guys :)

-xox Kirstie