Last chapter…

I was tied at a mast. In the middle of the ocean. I had to keep my knife close to me. Suddenly, it all clicked together, and my eyes widened as I realized what my challenge was going to be.

The Sirens.

Chapter 8- The First Test

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. I couldn't panic right now.

What did I know about the sirens?

They sang, telling you what your heart desired the most... And so they lured sailors and they drowned trying to reach them...

My heart beat fast against my chest, the rhythm making me deaf. I remembered a story Annabeth had told me at camp. If you survived the sirens, you became wiser.

How long would I last without rushing towards the water?

I didn't have time to answer because the most beautiful music reached my ears and my sight got blurry. As I blinked I saw the living room in my apartment where my dad and Patrick were talking cheerfully. They noticed me and motioned me over.

"Come on Dan! We've been waiting for you to tell us how your application test went!", my dad said. He never looked better. He was so young, no wrinkles...

"Did you pass it?", Patrick asked, smiling brightly. I looked at them, blinking again several times. I'd forgotten how much I'd missed Patrick.

But why could I miss him when he was right there? He'd never gone anywhere. And my dad, well he was probably just coming home from work.

I tried to move towards them, so I could hug them and tell them that I'd pass my test and that I had been accepted into Brown, but something prevented me from doing it. I looked around me, frustrated. I tried again, and again, but I couldn't move anywhere.

"Come on sweetie!", my dad encouraged me.

I looked down at my feet, and as I moved whatever was holding me felt raspy and itchy against my skin. Invisible ropes? A reflection on my left blinded me for a second.

My knife! If my trap involved ropes I could cut them loose and be free to go wherever I wanted.

I reached my hand to get the weapon, stretching as far as I could. I was almost there when the sound of a seagull stopped me.

A seagull in my apartment? That didn't make any sense.

Someone screamed my name. Who was that?

A memory hit me suddenly.

A guy with electric blue eyes was laughing as he chased me at the shore of a beach somewhere. I screamed as he splashed me with the cold sea water, and I laughed as I tripped and landed on the wet sand.

"Drew! Stop it!"

Drew?

I shook my head and continued to reach for my knife. It almost hurt to see my dad and my boyfriend so close to me and yet so far.

"...Danielle! Come on!"

There was that voice again. It sounded so far away, it didn't make any sense either. I looked around.

"Do you guys hear that?", I asked them.

My dad and Patrick exchanged a confused look.

"No", Patrick said, the confusion still on his face.

Another memory.

Standing in the woods, the same blue-eyed guy stand before me."... I like you too much!"The guy looked shocked as I said rest of the conversation was kinda muted, and then I stormed away.

I blinked twice. Patrick was smiling charmingly, and motioning me over with his hand.

Something wasn't right.

I looked down again and I noticed my locket was gone.

"Guys have you seen my locket?'

"You mean the locket I gave you before you left this morning?", Patrick asked. At first it sounded like a strange statement, but as I thought about it, it made sense.

Patrick had given me the locket before I had left to present my application test.

And it was gone.

I wasn't going to settle this time. I had to find it. stretch as far as I could and I grabbed my knife. Good thing my hands weren't on my back. I started cutting whatever was holding me , and a few seconds later I was free.

I ran over to hug Patrick and I felt as if I'd fallen down. The vertigo ended shortly after, and I found I had some trouble breathing. I assumed it was because of the ropes which were too tight. As I approached them, I looked at the floor to see if I could find my locket, but there wasn't any sign of it. As I realized that, I decided I would search it later and I focused on Patrick, which was waiting for me with his arms open. I tried to run, and I wasn't as fast as usual. It was as if I was moving through Jell-O. Or water... My feet hurt too, but I kept moving forward, not standing the distance between us. My father looked at us, a proud and amused look on his face. Suddenly, I felt a plug in my ears, and my sight got blurry again. My vision kept changing from Patrick to something I couldn't recognize because water got in my eyes. It all happened at once then. My chest ached, my eyes stung, I couldn't breathe and at last, darkness blinded me.

I woke up feeling so tired I wondered why I'd even done it on the first place. I felt like I had been a whole day out in the sun at the beach. My mouth tasted funny, and my feet and arm hurt a lot. I opened my eyes slowly only to find a rocky ceiling above me. It took me a minute to realize where I was.

I tried to sit up, but my arm hurt so badly I couldn't do it. Someone beside me noticed my efforts nonetheless.

"She's up!"

I winced at the shouting, but I recognized the voice right away. Jasmin.

Someone helped me up, and I had to hold my head and close my eyes before the cave started spinning.

"Hey sis", my voice was hoarse and raspy. "Did I pass the test?", I opened my eyes and saw Calypso kneeling in front of me with concerned eyes, and Jasmin on my left smiling brightly. No sign of Drew.

"You did!" She squeaked.

A smile spread across my face. I had done it. But how?

"Tell me everything" I asked.

My sister took a deep breath.

"Well it was scary as Hades, but you were amazing. You stood there a few minutes, with a puzzled look on your face and then you tried to reach for you knife. A seagull flew by and you got distracted. We saw how you started mouthing sentences (we had plugs on) and how you started crying from anger later. Drew tried to call you several times too. There were times when your face was completely blank, and after the last time you did grab your knife, releasing yourself. Drew got worried, and as he saw you weren't coming out, he swam towards you and pulled you to the shore. He hit his head badly when he reached for your locket on the boulder. You dropped it at some point. but he's fine, don't worry."

I looked around and I saw Drew sleeping peacefully with a bandage on his head on a hammock I put a hand to my neck. My locket was safely hanging from its necklace. I let out a breath I didn't remember taking.

"Calypso informed us that mother had approved your victory, although she did seem a little skeptic about Drew saving you", Jazz continued, but I was barely listening. He had saved me. I owned him my life.

I thought about what the Sirens had showed me and I realized I had started crying. As I wiped the tears away the pain struck my arm again. I noticed it was the elbow I had scraped. Guess it hadn't been that superficial after all. I looked at my feet and frowned as I saw they were bandaged too.

"Drew managed to say you walked on the corals when you were underwater", Calypso explained. "You hadn't much skin left when you arrived at the shore."

I winced. I had actually skinned my feet soles. Ow.

'How long was I out?' I asked.

"This is the morning of the second day", Jazz answered.

"And how is he?", I asked looking at Drew.

"He hasn't woken up either, but he's fine", Calypso said. "Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. You need to leave for your second test tomorrow", she added.

My eyes went wide. "What?!"

"Yes, your mother said clearly that she only allowed you to have one day of recovery after you had woken up", she explained blushing.

I looked up. Thanks mum. How thoughtful of you.

"Wait", Jasmin said. "What about Drew?""He'll stay here to fully recover", Calypso stated."But that's not fair!", my sister complained. I looked away, sort of annoyed. I didn't like the idea of Drew hanging out with calypso "till he was fully recovered".

I also remembered the instructions Chiron had given me.

"It kinda is, sis", I told her, and reminded her of our mother's words.

Jazz frowned.

'Still, not fair' she said.

I spent the next morning resting and talking to Jazz about the next test. I had opened the other instruction already, and it was a encouraging as the first one.

Strength already had its time

So now you must open your mind

Are you for real your mother's daughter?

Complete this one without a stutter.

Now you will have to leave your sister,

Although I know that you will miss her.

Jazz, of course was in denial.

"I'm not letting you do this alone!"

I rolled my eyes for the tenth time. "It will be the only way for me to go on, so please Jazzy. A bit of understanding, will ya?"

She frowned, and barely nodded.

I sighed. "Thanks." I wiggled my toes. The nectar and the ambrosia had healed my feet, and I loved to be able to move them.

I looked behind my shoulder. Drew still slept deeply and wasn't showing any signs of waking up any sooner. I wanted to say goodbye to him before I left tomorrow morning.

"What do you think the next test will be like?", Jazz asked quietly.

I shrugged. "No idea. Mum seriously surprised me in this one. I didn't see the Sirens coming at all."

"Well of course you didn't. You heard them", Jazz joked.

I rolled my eyes, and laughed despite myself.

I woke up the next day not ready to leave, but I said goodbye to Calypso and I gave Drew a last hopeful look, hoping he would wake up. He didn't even stir. Figures.

Jazz and I faced the ocean, and we held hands. The blinding light surrounded us, and we left Ogygia behind us.

The second test was to prove mi intelligence. But since the sirens had been my test of strength, my second test could be absolutely anything. So I decided, I wouldn't even guess.I breathed in deeply and flinched as I heard my sister gasp beside me. What had mother prepared for me this time?

Sorry^10 !! I seriously hate school. Review! And what about what will happen next? Let's see what you think! Hit that green button! :]