Disclaimer: PJO and HoO belong to Rick. I am just having fun with his characters. Please, don't sue me.
Author's Note: Thank you for your support.
13 - The Calls
I traveled alone back home when the winter break was over. Everybody wanted to come with me, to keep me company but I refused. I needed sometime alone. The last days, my friends took turns keeping an eye on me and I was just fed up. They treated me like a ticking bomb.
We kept searching for days. Nico and Hazel found nothing in Hades, Jason and Piper searched the bay area and nothing. Frank, Clarisse, Chris and Grover went to her old safe houses for over the country and nothing too.
I took a bus to New York and got at my home at night. I opened the door looking at mom and Paul playing with Sarah on the couch.
"I'm back" I said stepping in. My mom just needed one look at me to know something was wrong. She gave Sarah to Paul and walked to hug me.
"What's wrong, son? Where is Annabeth?" said my mom and I cried and sobbed on her arms. I felt her patting my back like when I was a kid.
"Mom, Annabeth is gone" I said softly letting sink in the reality. I lost the love of my life.
"What happened?" said my mom as she wiped her tears.
"I woke up on morning and she just wasn't at Camp. We had searched everywhere even Hades and nothing. She just vanished" I said looking down.
"Oh, son" said my mom and we both sat on the couch. Sarah was smiling and I couldn't help a small smile to my baby sister.
"I can't understand why she would leave. I thought we were happy" I said looking down trying hard not to break down in front of my parents.
"Percy, have you talked to her dad?" said Paul and I shook my head. I was really hoping to avoid making that phone call.
"I should" I said sighing.
"I can do it if you want" said my mom.
"No, I will do it. He must be worried. Annabeth usually talks to him at his hour" I said looking at the clock. Probably, her home phone was already ringing. I stood and used my new keys two floors up.
I walked into her apartment and I smiled sadly as I smelled her faint perfume lingering the place. Everything was neat and in place. Everything screamed Annabeth and I just sat on her couch and cried. I must have fallen asleep when the telephone ringing woke me up. I picked it up holding to a little hope of listening Annabeth's voice.
"Annabeth" said a male familiar voice. He sounded preoccupied.
"Mr. Chase" I said and heard him gasped in surprise.
"Ah, Percy… and Annabeth?" said Mr. Chase trying to hide his concern.
"Mr. Chase… I have bad news" I said as slowly and calmed as I could.
"Where is Annabeth?" said Mr. Chase panicking.
"I don't know" I just whispered with a shaking body.
"What do you mean you don't know? Where is my daughter?" yelled Mr. Chase. He was so angry and worried for Annabeth. I was the same.
"I don't know. She just disappeared" I said meekly.
"You got to be kidding me" roared Mr. Chase at me. I could hear him breaking down in cries and sobs away of the phone.
"I wished" I said hoping the same. I couldn't know if he heard me or not. I heard voices on the other side of the line. I couldn't understand a single word but I knew it was about Annabeth.
"Have you report her as a missing person?" said a female voice. I guessed it was Mrs. Chase.
"Yes" I said loudly. I could hear cries and sobs on the other side of the line of three people, so I guessed Annabeth's brothers knew that her sister was gone.
"Any clues?" said Mrs. Chase trying to sound firm but she was crying as well.
"Nothing yet" I said and wiped my tears.
"Where was the last time you saw her?" said Mrs. Chase.
"At Camp. She went to her cabin for the night and she was gone in the morning" I said.
"Oh God!.. Does Athena know?" said Mr. Chase again almost yelling at me with a broken voice.
"Yes, she can't find her either" I said as calmly as I could.
"Keep me updated" said Mr. Chase and hung up.
I sat again trying to calm my shaking body after the phone call. I was really running out of ideas and places to look for Annabeth. Then an idea hit me. I looked in Annabeth's bedroom for her prism and a drachma. I made probably the most important call in my life.
The IM showed me Thalia. She was in a very snowy environment. It looked super cold as cold wind blow around her making me shiver. She could be anywhere. Half of the country was buried in a blizzard. Thalia looked at me with puffy eyes and I knew she knew. I cut the chase.
"You better tell me what you know!" I yelled at her.
"I don't have to tell you a thing, kelp head" Thalia yelled back at me. She crossed her arms and stared at me like Annabeth.
"You are not her. It doesn't work on me, pinecone face" I said crossing my arms too.
"Whatever, I got to go" said Thalia walking away.
"Please" I said heartbroken and she turned walking again to me.
"Sorry, but I swore" said Thalia weakly. Her eyes were watering and she wiped her tears.
"Please" I pleaded. She knew something. She must have seen her and maybe helped her.
"Sorry" she said looking down. That was a first for Thalia. She couldn't face me.
"Could you tell if she is alive at least?" I said with a weak voice. I really needed to know that she was alive, that there was hope.
"She is fine. I hope… Sorry, Percy but I have to go" said Thalia and the image dissolved.
I slept in Annabeth's bed smelling her on the covers and pillows. I tried to have happy dreams but nightmares only found me like every day since she was gone.