Chapter 18:

I looked around. I was happy to see a camp already built up. A small fire and two tents, one blue and one orange. Probably one for boys and one for girls. I felt a little sad when I remembered Sarah wasn't there but I would have to ignore that fact. Lauren got out of a tent just that instant and saw me. She waved and smiled. "Hey sleepy head, what happened to you? We couldn't wake you up. " My head ached and my heart did too. I felt really bad for the kiss. I had to tell someone and she was probably my best option, maybe she would help me understand. I yawned and then told her. "I had a kind of dream. I was talking to Sarah. She told me about…" she broke me off. "Wait a second? One of the sleeping brothers did this to you? Wow they are powerful." That kind of annoyed me a little. "Can we please just call the Stan and Sarah?" she nodded and I kept talking. "She said that she had a dream about some people talking, they wanted to kill me or something. Well most precisely want to kill me."

She looked at me hard; she knew I was missing something of the dream. I got down from the sleeping blackjack and sat down in front of the fire. Lauren sat beside me a looked deep into my eyes. "You are more scared than you want to show I know that but there is something else also. Something you didn't tell me. Common Percy I was your best friend. At least I thought we were. Maybe I can help." I wanted to tell her, but what would she think. Grover talked to all of them maybe she knew why I felt so guilty. Maybe she knew embarrassing stuff about me already, so I thought why not. "Well, we were talking and she was scared of her dream so I took her for a trip underwater. Apparently you can be anywhere in dreams but you can't do everything. If you die you wake up and she couldn't swim so I made a bubble. She got scared by a shark and then she kissed me. I don't know how I feel. I like her but I feel really bad. My heart aches and I feel like I am betraying someone. Maybe I'm betraying simply my past by moving to a new future or something." She was looking at me with a sad smile.

She then gave me an encouraging smile and said, "Maybe you should follow your heart. I know this is cliché but it happened to me too. I felt something in my gut when I was close to Kit but I couldn't do anything about it. If I had followed my heart we would have never really fought. Deep inside I knew he wouldn't cheat on me. The point is that even though you don't remember a heart never forgets. So I say let it do the decisions. Don't worry, I won't say anything, you probably don't want me to." I get out a small laugh, "You got that right." She got up and offered me her hand. I took it and pulled myself up. I went inside the tent where Kit was sleeping and Bobby was working. I wonder where Grover is, probably in the nature somewhere. "Hey Bobby, any ideas where we will start looking for Bessie?" He jumps at the sound of my voice and turns around. I obviously startled him. After a deep breath he turned back to his work and started talking to me. "Yeah, I have been thinking that Bessie probably is in some kind of cave. Obviously away from the national park, because if it were close Bessie would have been seen already. It is so powerful that even the mist can't hide it. I also think you will be able to feel where it is when we are close enough." I thought that was a good theory. And besides that when we get close we will obviously be attacked.

That got me thinking again about Sarah's dream. I had a feeling I had to mention it to Bobby but I was too nervous to tell him. I was glad Lauren had stayed outside, that way she wouldn't tell either. I knew I she told me she wouldn't but I wasn't completely sure if I should trust her. Bobby and I kept talking until he declared it was time to go. "If we leave now there will still be light and it will be almost empty for it is closing." I was getting out of the tent to go look for Grover when I tripped with Kits backpack. That got me thinking. Almost everyone had lost their backpacks and we gave the two Apollo girls and Bobby the other backpacks so that they could keep the healing stuff and Bobby all of his maps. Just then did I realize the one Lauren had was the one Kit had now. The one with the donuts. I had been dying for some junk food in a long time but I tried not to think about it. I turn around and Bobby was looking at me. He was probably confused by my falling and not getting up. I made a motion for him to come and he did. I opened the backpack and I only saw bags of ambrosia and nectar, gauzes, needles and a bunch of stuff like that. I couldn't see the bottom so I started taking stuff out. Bobby gasped and then turned to look at Kit probably wanting to punch him. He was crouching besides me now. At camp we couldn't eat junk food and here we had struggled and he had kept his donuts for himself and Lauren. I look at Bobby who was about to yell something. I motioned him to be quiet. You probably think we have no reason for getting this mad; well try not even remembering how they taste and still wanting one.

I started taking out the donut box and Bobby knew what I was doing. He quickly got his own backpack and emptied it. I quickly count the donuts left. There are six, and this box was for a dozen. I should have known. I quickly place the box inside Bobby's backpack and start putting everything back inside Laurens/Kits backpack. Bobby does the same thing with his.

We quietly get outside and I look over at the orange tent. There were arguing voices inside. I didn't have time to try and hear what was happening. "Guys! Who took my pipes?" yells Grover nervously. He looks around, and I see Bobby stiffen. He opens a small pocket of his backpack and puts his hand in. His face gets mad. I don't really understand what he is missing but he looked extremely mad. I shrugged and placed my hand in my pockets. I gasped, my pocket was empty. No riptide. I hadn't talked to anyone except Bobby and Lauren in the last 5 min. that's when it hit me. Lauren.

My pen should have already come back unless maybe someone was holding it. Maybe if it had contact to someone it couldn't simply disappear. My ears are roaring, I am extremely mad. Suddenly I hear an angry scream or something like that. It came from the blue tent. We all turn around, Bobby and I red faced with anger, Grover really scared because he lost his pipes. The tent is ripped by a knife and Kit comes to me. He grabs me by the collar of my shirt. He stinks to cow crap. That's when I see his brown stained clothes. "Why did you fill my stupid sleeping bag with…" he doesn't finish because he sees Lauren and Hazel come out. He lets go of me with a devil eye. I and Bobby turn to see Lauren and Hazel. Hazel's hair was blue. Grover seems to get what's going on but Kit has not the smallest idea. Lauren is crying. Kit sees her then Hazel then the rest of us. He turns to me. "What did you do? Did you just prank everyone here?" he takes out his knife again. "Don't." says Lauren slowly, "it was me." He looks at her to see if he heard her right. Hazel is next to speaking. "Every Apollo kid has a day or couple of days when he or she has to prank or steal. This is not even close to what I did on my day. Forgive her. She has everything and don't worry Kit you can shower later. Don't be mad at her. If I am not mad and my hair is blue you shouldn't be either." Lauren approaches us. She gives Grover his pipes, Bobby a small locked red box, and me Riptide and the whistle.

I hadn't even noticed the whistle was gone. She then turns to Kit and starts to cry. She mutters she is sorry and starts walking back to her tent. He goes to her, "Don't worry, you probably didn't really want to. You know what gets everyone in a good mood? Food, so I will go get our backpack and we will go for a small picnic of nature. Just natural food." He says and winks at her. My anger had all left and I had to hold back a laugh. I elbowed Bobby who was trying not to laugh either and mouth him Lets go! He announces its time for us to go and he runs to the pegasi. Hazel goes over as well and gets ready. I say goodbye and start laughing. They probably thought it was because of the pranks so didn't ask me anything. I climb on blackjacks back and tell him to fly.

When we are a good way in the sky I tell Blackjack I want a donut. Boss, I do too! Maybe we could find a Donut store somewhere here with a fly-through. "No need blackjack, look what Bobby and I found on a scavenger hunt." Bobby opens his backpack and takes out the box. Blackjacks happiness made me almost fall over for he was flying all around Bobby. When Bobby opens the box I take two donuts, one for me and one for blackjack. He does the same and gives one to sunshine who hadn't really talked to me. Then goes Hazel and gives one to her pegasi as well. Hazel says happily "wow, Hermes would be proud of you. He would be proud of Lauren too. It was because of some deal with Apollo that Hermes could make an Apollo kid steal and prank for a day. You have to forgive her." She touches her newly blue hair and sighs.

We flew for about an hour. Bobby decided where to land. I felt something. The image of Bessie went to my head. She was in some sort of water bubble or tank. It was probably magic. I was brought aback when someone called my name. Lord Perseus, do you wish for us to stay? I shake my head and all three pegasi go back to the sky. I followed Bobby. He told me to tell him if I felt Bessie near. After half an hour of walking I felt something. I knew Bessie was near and a wary feeling came over me. If Bessie was near I knew there probably was a trap near also, and I wasn't wrong.