Why was the man staring at her? Rachel Dare kept trying to ignore him by at the dirty, gray floor, secretly trying to untie the knots that kept her hands tight against a wooden pole. She could feel the skin on her wrists slowly start to bleed and rip.
They were in a sinkhole that was hidden below the Underworld. The hole was filled with a unnatural red smoke, filling Rachel's lungs and the space around her. She was feeling dizzy from it and sagged against the pole. Rachel could barely make out anything, but for some reason, she could see the man clearly. Which was the exact thing she didn't want to see.
"You never know; you never know. Die from the winds, the ice, and earth itself! You will not make it, at least YOU won't. HA HA HA!" the man howled, laughter filling the sinkhole. And it wasn't happy. No, it was evil.
The man wore only a red tunic, a muscular body beneath it. His hair was fiery red, a strong chin and nose with an angular point to it. His mouth was smiling with pure power. But his eyes were what scared her even more. They were red pits, with what seemed like fire reflecting in them.
The man moved forward and-
Rachel woke up with a start. She looked around. Her cave at camp never felt so comfortable before as she recognized the same table and bags and her beloved seeing ball.
Was that a dream-or a vision? she thought to herself. It felt real and she started rubbing her wrists. She looked down-there were red rings around them.
Those were NOT there before.
Rachel screamed so loud that a groggy Annabeth appeared at the cave's entrance. "Rachel? You good?" She was still in her blue camp pjs and her hair was a mess, her eyes half open. It was 4 in the morning, and all the campers were still sleeping.
"No! I'm not!" Rachel grumbles. "Look, I'll tell you at breakfast. You're not going to hear it yet anyway, with you sleeping on my welcome mat."
"Hmm?" Annabeth snapped her head up from the mat. She had curled into a ball and was snoring on the floor. "What did you say?"
"Tell you later! Go to your own cabin and sleep, okay?" Rachel felt a little uncomfortable that she didn't tell Annabeth yet, but it was best that she told her when she was awake.
After all, what could happen?