Chapter Twenty-Five
We Are Rescued From the Cyclops But Still End Up in Danger
ANDREA POV
I whimpered as I snuggled close to Matilda. All I wanted in the world was my Daddy. No one loved me like he did. I mean, I know other people loved me-Matilda loved me, but nothing could pass my Daddy's. Suddenly, the stone moved, and the cyclops guy came back in. It laughed giddily.
"I see you started the fire for me! Hee, hee, hee!"
He clapped his hands, sat down and threw meat over the fire.
"We gonna have some nice mutton! You ever had lamb before? Polyphemus lamb beat all others!" He boasted. I held Matilda's hand tighter. I tried not to whimper. After a while, he pulled the roasted lamb and bit a chunk off, not even waiting for it to cool.
"Mmmmm! Good! Here, eat, my desserts. I need you plump!"
He handed the meat to us, when suddenly, there was a large POP! His eye fell out onto the food. I shrieked in terror and lurched back. Another pop, and his body transformed into dust. I yelped, until I saw someone in the front entrance. A small boy with a gun hand.
"Andie?"
I gasped. Lucas! My best friend had come! I was so happy, I didn't even bother to ask how.
"Lukey!" I cried, running over to give him a hug. He was a year older than me, but we were the same size. He squirmed in my embrace. He was weird about things like that. Mom said it was just a phase that boys had.
"You saved us!" I cried again.
Matilda came over and said thanks as well.
"How did you get here?" Matilda questioned. Lucas scratched his head.
"I don't really know...I just came...I think my grampa sent me. He called it shadow travel..."
I smiled broadly.
"You're the third!" I said excitedly. "Matilda, he's the third, he has to be!"
"But the Prophecy said he would come near the end. We've only been here a day!"
Lucas was confused.
"You've been gone for a week!" He exclaimed.
"A week! That's not possible!" Matilda said with just as much surprise.
Lucas bit his lip.
"My dad says time is different in monster's lairs," he announced.
I didn't know how to take that. Why hadn't Daddy told me and Matilda that before he sent us off? Why wasn't he with us? I began to doubt him, and I didn't know why. He was the main person in the whole world that I trusted.
"Let's just get out of here," I suggested. I was tired of the dark. They agreed. Exiting the cave proved to be difficult though. Dozens of sheep blocked our path. We skirted around them, and they ignored us mostly. It was just very hard to wade through them. Suddenly, Matilda tripped and landed on a sheep. It turned and bit her leg with razor sharp teeth. Sharp Teeth? This was a sheep with fangs! Matilda screamed, and clutched at her bloody leg.
"Matilda!" I said
Every sheep in the flock twisted our direction. We backed away slowly. They all seemed to have fangs. I figured we were about to die, when a cannon ball exploded, killing several livestock.
"Kill the Bastards!" A voice hollered from atop the rocks. "No, not the children, you idiot! The sheep you just shot at!"
Our heads swiveled in their direction. A group of men stood firing shots at the animals. One by one, the sheep were killed, and then men came down to us.
"Hello, children, I am Captain Gruff. And you?"
He was tall, and lean, with a curly cue moustache.
"A-Andrea, my sister, uh, Matilda, and, my friend Lucas." I informed him. I always called Matilda my sister, because thinking of her as an Aunt was weird.
"Okay, good. Now that the formalities are out of the way, you are our prisoners. Chuck, cuff them."
Chuck advanced toward us.
"What?! What are you!" I demanded. "My sister is hurt!"
Captain Gruff turned back to us.
"We are pirates, Missy. And we do not like demigods. You will be tortured nicely. And, since we are modern pirates, we will use modern conveniences. Throw them in the brig, and we'll leave this gods-forsaken island."
Didn't like demigods? Isn't he one? He could see the monsters. I had so many questions to ask, but a gag was shoved over my nose and mouth. There was a strange smell on the rag. I took a few sniffs and was knocked out.
I opened my eyes again to a blinding sunlight. I blinked, trying to see clearly. I held a hand up to block the sun and adverted my gaze.
"Matilda? Lucas?" I called. No answer. I curled into a pitiful ball and took in my new room. It was a cell, like in a jail, and the bars were just close enough to where I couldn't squeeze out. The light was coming through a single crack in the wood. In the entire room, there were dozens of cells. All were empty. There was sound coming from above, and I realized I was in the hull of a ship. So, this is what a real brig looked like. I had only heard of one in stories.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! AHH! AH! AHHHHH!" Screaming came from above deck. A shrill, high pitched voice. It sounded very much like Matilda.
"MATILDA!" I hollered. A scraping came down the stairs, and a man with a peg-leg scowled at me. I was seeing every pirate cliché today. He hobbled over, opened the door, and grabbed me by the neck, crushing my throat.
"Uungh!" I managed, clawing at his dirty fingers. It made him grin and choke me harder. He dragged me upstairs, and threw me down on the deck next to a very injured Matilda. She had singed body parts, like she had been poked with a hot stick. Lucas was bound next to her.
"Let them go!" I demanded, with nothing to back it up. The crew laughed. Captain Gruff spoke up.
"Matilda, we are all mortals who can see through the mist. Demigods like you always treated us like trash, beating us, calling us names. We were mistakes of Fate. Now, every time we find defensesless Half-Bloods, we return the favor. Now that you're awake, you can watch our proceedings before we hurt you!"
He picked up a weed eater and started the motor.
"I did tell you we were modern pirates, correct?"
Says the guy who shot cannonballs at a sheep. He took the machine, and shoved it in Lucas' stomach. Blood squirted out and landed on my face. I screamed along with Lucas and shut my eyes. Tears spilled out.
"Lucas! Stop it! Stop it!" I yelled uselessly, flinching at the blood still landing on me. Oh gods, what was happening?! My breaths came out rapid and heavy. I was hyperventilating. Moments later, the engine was switched off.
The captain spoke again. "Now, it's your turn, Missy. We'll start out easy like we did for the others!"
"Daddy..." I sobbed. I wanted to go home. And for the first time in my life, I wanted to die.
We should have died, but they knew what they were doing. They tortured us to the point of near death, then let us recover so they could continue. Currently, I was hanging upside down in my cell. I tried to get out, but I couldn't. There were guards posted to prevent that. The guards tonight, though, were drunk. They thought they were whispering, but they were quite loud. They had started out making jokes. Mostly rude and obscene ones about girls. However, they eventually changed topics.
"So, ya hear the Captain? Says we'll be helping Gaea out soon." A short, pudgy man said.
"Yeah, they say she's weaker than last time, so she's got to wait for Kronos to rise. The Giants and Titans are s'posed to work together, s'posedly." The other one said.
"Yeah, and rumor has it, she's not the only ancient being rising."
"You don't mean-!"
The fat one nodded.
"Yep. We're hoping he doesn't. Legend has it someone has to wake him though. He wakes, and Gaea's down and out."
What were they talking about? Who's he? I looked over at Lucas and Matilda, but they were out cold. They had bigger injuries than me. I cocked my head to hear more, when Captain Gruff's voice called them.
"Welch! Cal! Enough guarding for tonight! They ain't goin' nowhere!"
I'm lucky he did, because once they got their stumbling selves up the ladder, an Iris-Message popped up.
"Andrea?"
"Daddy!" I whispered, overjoyed.
"What's going on? Why are you upside down? You haven't called us in weeks. This is the first Message to get through to you!" My dad asked.
I burst into tears. I was so joyed to see him, but he had to see me like this. I wanted him with me so bad.
"Andrea, Baby, what's wrong?" He squinted. "Is that blood?"
I tried giving him a rundown of what happened. He grew furious the further I got into the story, and he looked like he was about to come through the message and kill all the pirates.
"Baby, do you know where you are?""
I shook my head, still crying.
"No, Daddy! You've got to come help! Please" I begged. I needed my Daddy.
"I am going to do everything I can Andie. Just, hang in there for me. You're a tough girl, an I-"
He was cut off by a man yelling at me.
"Prisoner making communication, Captain!"
He hurried over, swiping his hand past the message, and slapping me in the process.
"You whore! Captain don't take nicely to prisoners who break the rules," he said, giving a smile eviler than Hades. I shuddered.
"I-I-it was just my Daddy! He-he messaged me!" I protested. My body hurt like crazy. I was hungry and weak.
The captain strode up, stroking his facial hair.
"Well, he should have thought twice, for your sake. Give 'er thirty with the Cat 'O Nine."
There were claps of approval. I know it wasn't the time, but for modern pirates, they sure did use a lot of old names and techniques. Suddenly, a loud crash was heard. Captain Gruff rushed away, as another grabbed a whip, and flicked it. It struck me, making bumps on my skin. I winced. All of my clothes were ruined. I had half our pants and half my shirt left. Another flick, and I groaned this time. My skin was on fire.
"Ow! Please, stop!" I begged, shutting my eyes tight. I knew they wanted me to beg. I couldn't help it. I waited for another lash that never came. I heard a few grunts and opened my eyes to a wonderful sight.
"T-Tyson!"
"Andie! I have found you. Daddy sensed an unusual ship in this area. We came to inspect. We don't like pirate ships so we hop on board to destroy and search. Now, I have found you!"
I let the information soak in.
"Grampa is here?"
Tyson nodded.
"Oh yes! He killing evil men right now!" He looked closer now, noticing Matilda and Lucas.
"Did they do this to you?" He asked.
"Y-yes."
I had never seen Uncle Tyson angry before, but pure hatred shone in his eyes as he cut the rope binding my ankles. He sat me down in a chair.
"Wait here. I will help Matilda and Lucas." He said sternly.
I actually chuckled softly. There was no way I was going anywhere. I wanted to get up and check on Lucas, but I couldn't move. I hoped that nobody ever had to feel like this. Then, I saw Grampa climbing down the ladder.
"Andrea? Matilda?" He gasped. He immediately noticed our wounds. "I don't think I hurt those pirates enough!" He gripped his Trident tighter.
"G-gramps!" I stuttered out. I figured out why, too. When I tried to stand, the blood was rushing down from my head and the pain was increasing. I also think I figured out the Prophecy.
"Y-you're Father," I said, referring to the last line of the Prophecy. Grampa came over and placed a hand on my shoulder. I hadn't seen him in forever until the quest happened. That was still only briefly. Matilda seemed to hate him. I wondered what had happened. Daddy had never really said anything in detail.
"You need rest, Andrea. I only wish there was a way for me to heal you completely. Alas, the Ancient Laws restrict me. Even in my own realm..."
The last thing I heard was him cursing. Then I passed out.
Sun graced my vision again when I woke. I was in a hospital bed. Scabs covered my entire body, and no open wounds were visible, although you could still see where they had been. I recognized the room as the Camp Half-Blood infirmary. I stepped out of bed. I shivered as my bare feet touched the cold floor.
"Hello?" I called. "Someone?" I took a step and fell on my face. My legs felt like they were gone. I looked down to make sure they were still there.
"Ow!" I exclaimed. There was some shuffling of feet outside, and a screen door creaked open.
"Andrea!" My dad's voice said.
"Daddy!"
He scooped me up in his arms and nestled me close. I cried tears of joy.
"Oh, gods, Baby! We were so worried!"
He rubbed the back of my head, down my neck, and to my back repeatedly, trying to soothe me.
"I'm okay, Daddy," I croaked out, "It's just a few scratches," I tried to sound tough. Secretly though, I never wanted to leave Daddy's arms.
"Grampa and Uncle Tyson rescued us, Daddy."
"Tyson brought you in and told us, Baby." He reassured me.
I scanned the empty room. I felt instantly selfish.
"Where are Lucas and Matilda?" I asked. "They were hurt more than me!"
"You were unconscious longer, Baby. They've been up for a day now. Do you need to see them?"
Another figure stepped through the door as he asked.
"Percy what's taking so lo...Andrea!"
"Mommy!" I leaped from Daddy to my mom, falling on my face again. Mom picked me up and hugged me tight.
"Oh, Andie! I missed you so much!" She whispered through tears.
"I know, Mom." I replied. She laughed, a more relieved laugh.
"That's it? No 'I missed you too, love you'?"
I shrugged. "Love you, Mom." And I meant it.
"Oh, she's definitely fine, Percy. Still acts like you," Mom commented.
"I take that as a compliment, Annabeth."
"It is." They kissed, and this time, it didn't bother me at all. I was happy to be alive, and happy to be home.
They took me to see Matilda and Lucas (who was being chewed out for leaving, kind of.) Apparently, his dad didn't send him. He tricked his dad into teaching him Shadow Travel.
Matilda hugged me and nearly broke my spine.
"We made it, Andie!" She said.
"You're welcome!" I said with a smile. Mom mumbled something about how I had Daddy's wit. Lucas hugged me as well.
"I'm sorry I couldn't kill the pirates," he said. "I really wanted to."
"It's okay, Lukey. They were bigger than us."
He nodded. "Hey, you want to see my stomach?"
He lifted his shirt, and I saw a sunken in hole that had been sewed together. It was purple and made me want to vomit.
"The medic said I would have a permanent scar. How cool is that!"
I was glad someone wasn't letting it bother them. Finally, our parents stopped our reunion.
"I know you might not want to talk about it, but you need to. What information did you find out about the Great Prophecy?" Daddy asked.
Matilda and Lucas shrugged. I spoke up.
"I...heard some, some of the pirates talking about some other man that might be rising."
"Kronos?" Aunt Thalia interjected.
"No, they mentioned him, but this other guy they never said his name. They said he was very ancient like Gaea, though."
Something seemed to click with my Mom. She crossed three fingers over her heart.
"Thanks, Andrea," she said. "Just forget about the quest now."
I tried but I kept wondering who that man was.
When I went back to school, Daddy used some sort of mind trick, and no one ever seemed to think I was gone. I really wanted to learn how to do that. I got back in the swing of things, until one day I saw some big kids picking on the twins. It made me angry. They were super smart but had never really learned how to fight, and one of the kids held a knife to them. They were four years old
"Hey!" I shouted, going over to them. "Get your hands off them!"
The oldest kid with freckles looked at me. Why did bullies always have freckles?
"We're Sixth graders, punk. This school is ours. Screw off and act like you never saw us. We're just taking their money, and we need their brains for our homework."
I stood in front of Will and Kate. I wasn't scared of him after what I had been through. His two friends laughed.
"No. This is my family, and nobody messes with them." I responded firmly.
"Move!" The boy said again, obviously not use to resistance.
"Over my dead body."
"Fine then."
He swung the knife, I ducked, and kicked his groin. He fell over. Before his goons could react, I tripped them both, and punched them in the face a few times. A whistle blew in the distance.
"ANDREA ATHENE JACKSON! STOP THAT THIS INSTANT!"
Long story short, I ended up in the office with Daddy. Miss Higgins, the principal told him the story.
"Mr. Jackson, we have video evidence that your daughter beat up three young boys today."
Daddy gave me a stern disappointed glare. I looked at the floor. Nobody would believe me. She pressed play, and the video monitor displayed security footage. Then, Daddy gave a different look.
"Wait, doesn't that kid have a knife? And he's threatening my other children! Andrea stepped in to help them!"
"Well, er, yes. But we have a strict 'No Violence' policy. Andrea should have simply told them to stop and then gotten a teacher's help. She must be suspended."
"Walk away and have her siblings murdered?" Daddy challenged.
"Mr. Jackson, you are looking at this incorrectly."
Daddy stood up.
"No I am not. Those kids threatened my children. I teach them to stand up and watch out for their family. If you want to punish them for doing the right thing, you're out of your damn mind!"
"Mr. Jackson!" Miss Higgins huffed out. "We do not tolerate that language in this school! Andrea must be suspended, and I recommend doing something about that mouth! No wonder your poor child resorts to violence growing up in a house like that!"
I knew Daddy had grown up in a terrible home, because I could hear him and Mom talking some nights, and that comment didn't go over well with him. Daddy was very mad. He tried his best to protect us every day.
"Miss Higgins, I am withdrawing my children from this school, and will be telling anyone who asks about it, not to go here." He tried to keep a calm, cool voice. I knew that was hard for him "Come on, Baby, we're not putting up with this sh- stuff." He corrected, giving Miss Higgins an unpleasant look. I smiled at her on the way out.
"That's my Daddy." I said.