Hope you guys like this chap.

PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM. THANKS

Annabeth's POV

Camp is a mess. Campers are running around frantically. They are helping the wounded or cleaning up the mess. But I'm sure everyone was doing a job. Even the Stolls which is a surprise.

Usually, they would be trying to prank the Ares cabin or are already running away from them. But this time, they're helping their brothers lift up planks of wood out of their cabin.

Every cabin was trashed. Either the cabins had dents and burn marks or the cabin was smashed by a rock. The most damaged cabins were the Athena cabin and the Poseidon cabin. Just my luck.

I prayed to almost every god that no serious damage was inflicted on the Athena and Poseidon cabin. I hoped that my posessions were still intact.

But what bothered me was that I seemed to care more about the Poseidon cabin.

I looked for Chiron. Maybe he will be able to give me some answers. But I doubt that he knew about that mysterious guy. Everyone was shocked after he disappeared, leaving us all dumbfounded.

After he saves our lives, he decides to just vanish and leave us there. He just left. Making us clueless. No one had a clue who he was. I hoped Chiron did.

I remember that we can only see his mouth down to his neck. The rest of his face was covered in shadow while his body was covered with dark clothes.

I also remember his voice. The familiarity of it. Like it was something that I heard so many times before but just can't remember now. The mysterious man was like a distant memory.

I kept walking towards the Big House. Occasionally, I'd come across a crack and will have to jump over it. There were a lot of cracks on the ground. Mostly where the boulders hit. But I had no problem avoiding and jumping over them. Even if I had to pull my foot out of a crack it got stuck in.

I spotted a figure in the forest, holding something to his mouth and had a tree nymph standing beside him.

Grover is using woodland magic to heal most of the burnt trees. Of course, he started on Juniper's tree. She had her head on his shoulder while he's playing his reed pipes. He played a tune that sounded like acoustic and the burn marks on the trees slowly disappeared. The cracks sealed up.

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before he started to work on the others.

Some of the knocked down trees grew back roots which dug themselves underground. The roots stopped digging down and tightened. I saw what they were doing. The tree's body elevated slowly until it was standing tall on a fixed spot.

Grover kept doing this to every knocked down tree. He also sealed up every crack on the ground. He must've gotten that idea after one of his hooves got stuck in a crack. Same as what happened to me.

I caught a glimpse of the hybrid plants that Grover summoned earlier in the battle. The hybrids had the head of a Venus flytrap, their arms and legs were that of a human's but theirs were green. Their bodies were that of a tree's.

Now there are only four of them. When they were first summoned, there were eight of them. PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM.

They growled and snarled at everyone except Grover. Grover gave them orders and none of them did any salute or bow or anything like that. They just hissed then spread in different directions.

Grover made them help the others with the mess. They helped lift broken pieces of wood. But the campers weren't comfortable with the hybrids helping them. After all, they had the head of a Venus flytrap.

Each camper was working on their cabin.

I saw Malcolm and my siblings pulling out the smashed wood from our cabin and putting them in a pile. Everyone else is doing the same. A pile of broken or burnt wood is collected in a pile in front of each cabin.

"Annabeth!", I heard someone say.

"Oh hey Rachel.", I replied.

Her jeans were blue but they seemed faded. She was wearing a red shirt that had green spots. She looked like she just ran a thousand miles. She was breathing heavily. She crouched down and kept herself up by putting her hands against her knees.

"Rach-", I started but she interupted me by holding up a hand with her index finger raised and the other fingers down. I was pretty sure that it meant "1 second".

"Give me a few seconds.", she choked out.

It took a few seconds before her breathing evened. She straightened up.

"Chiron wants to see you in the Big House.", she said, a little out of breath.

"Actually", I started. "That's where I'm going right now."

"What? You mean I ran all around looking for you...for nothing?"

"Uh pretty much.", I replied. "Why were you running anyway."

"Because. I am in urgent need of a bathroom.", she said as she darted away in a diferent direction. Then she turned her head to face me. "See ya later!", she yelled. Then she faced front and continue running.

I gave a small chuckle before making my way to the Big House.

When I (finally) got there, it seemed like a walked hundreds of miles. My feet hurt and I collapsed/sat on the chair nearest to me.

I saw Chiron, Nico, and Rachel right beside me. PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM.

Chiron was still in his battle armor. He had his bow slung over his shoulder and a quiver half-filled with arrows strapped to his back.

He was observing an unconscious Nico who lay on a bed. Thalia was holding his hand while sitting beside the bed. She, like Chiron, was still in her battle armor. Her spear was strapped to her back.

Nico, on the other hand didn't look so good. His skin was pale white. It was a sick kind of white. Like fish-belly white. It seemed like he was drained of color. But he was stripped off his armor. He had a black shirt on with the picture of a skull. His pants were embroidered with red flames.

His Stygian iron sword lay beside him.

"Guys?", I said.

Thalia slightly turned her head to look at me. "Oh hey.", she said. It was clear that she wasn't in a good mood.

Chiron spun around to face me completely.

"Annabeth, I'm gonna be asking you a few questions.", he said.

He approached me slowly, his hooves making a cloppering noise on the wood.

"Actually, I was gonna ask you questions too.", I said. "But, maybe you should ask first."

"Very well.", he said, stopping a few feet away. "Do you know who that mysterious man was?"

I was taken back by his question. I straightened up and said, "I was literally gonna ask you the same thing." Chiron's eyes widened and he gave me a confused look. "Seriously Chiron. Like literally, the exact same question."

There came an awkward silence. Chiron suddenly developed an interest on the floor. I waited for him to straighten up and say, "Oh! Now I remember who the man was." But no such luck.

Finally someone broke the silence.

"Are you sure Annabeth?", Thalia asked. "Because it seemed like the guy was looking directly at you. And during the battle, I saw him with you twice."

I held up my hands in surrender. I didn't know someone saw me with him. "Really, I don't know who he is. During the battle, he only comes to me to save my life.", I said. "I have no clue at all who he is."

"Then why is it that so many of us died and he didn't come to save them?", she said. "Why was it only you?"

"I don't know.", I replied. "But I have this wierd feeling that I know him. When he talked to me, his voice sounded so familiar."

"And what exactly did he tell you?", Chiron asked.

"He just told me to stay out of trouble."

"That's all?", Thalia asked.

"Yes.", I exclaimed. "I'm telling the truth. I promise."

Thalia studied me carefully. Her gaze was piercing through me. "Fine.", she said. But I'm not sure that she believed me.

I remembered that I had something to ask Chiron. When I recalled it, I quickly blurted it out. "Chiron, how did those monsters get through the camp borders?"

Chiron sighed. "That's the 47th time that someone asked me that."

"Uh sorry?", I said. But it came more like a question.

"I don't know why Annabeth. This never happened before."

"Do you have any clue at all how it happened?", I asked. He just shook his head.

I sighed and stood up from the chair and approached the bed where Nico lay.

"How's he doing?", I asked Thalia.

"Not so good.", she replied, stroking his hair. "I've never seen him summon so many."

"Yeah. Me too.", I said as I sat down on the bed beside her. "He's gonna be okay. Don't worry."

"I hope you're right Annabeth.", she sighed. "I don't know how I'll do without him."

Just as she said that, Malcolm came bursting in. He looked around and when he saw me, he said "Annabeth you better come quick."

"Why?"

He gathered his breath then cleared his throat. "You know about the boulder that hit our cabin?", he asked.

I nodded.

"Well the place that it damaged the most was your bunk."

That statement got me. I hastily stood up and ran to the door, leaving Chiron and Thalia. Malcolm followed and ran as well to keep up with me.

I burst through the door and kept running. I didn't stop for anything or for anyone. It was like I was being chased by a lion. Or a tiger. Maybe a wolf. Well you get the idea.

I noticed that the piles of wood were gone. But I decided to ask Malcolm about it later. Now, everyone was talking, laughing and walking as if nothing ever happened. Was I the only one who was not enjoying?

I heard a few "Hey"s and sometimes Malcolm would cry out and ask me to wait for him. But I didn't stop. I kept running, ignoring everything and everyone. I didn't have a care in the world. I had already left Malcolm in the dust.

I spotted the big hole in the roof of the Athena cabin.

I put on a burst of speed and jumped through the door. I went up the stairs, jumping 2 steps at a time. Before I knew it, I was up.

My siblings were blocking my way and my view. They were looking at and covering one thing in particular. My dresser. One of my half-sisters noticed me. But she seemed so nervous. Like I was gonna eat her.

"Annabeth!", she exclaimed. "Hi." PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM.

I didn't even greet them hello. "Please move it.", I said, a little too harshly. They divided into two and made an opening big enough for me to go through. I hastily walked to my dresser.

But as I saw it, I wanted to curl up into a ball and hide at the bottom of a dark hole.

My dresser was completely crushed. If you can still call it a dresser. Now, it's just a pile of shattered wood. Now I know why all of them seemed so nervous. I tend to get very angry if my stuff is bothered with. Let alone destroyed.

But I didn't start yelling angrily. I just stared at my devastated dresser. Some of the stuff that might have been crushed can never be replaced.

I dug through it and searched frantically through the broken pieces. Then I found what I was looking for. But I didn't like it. It was the Ipod that Percy gave me.

Some of the buttons were missing. It's screen was full of cracks and scratches. The body was deformed and most of the wires were sticking out. It's like it was just run over by a 10-wheeler truck.

My knees buckled and I fell on them. Now I was kneeling. My eyes started to water. Next thing I knew, I was choking back sobs. I just stared at the destroyed device.

"Don't you have another Ipod?", Malcolm asked. I didn't notice that he had already arrived. But he was breathing hard.

"Yes I do!", I cried. "But this one was given to me. By Percy. This one is more important. It's one of the few things I have from him.", I said, referring to the device. "I would trade a million dollars just to have this back."

I didn't know what to do. I kept crying.

"We could buy you a new one.", Malcolm suggested. "Same kind, same color, same songs."

Then I heard a noise which sounded like one of my sisters slugging Malcolm on the arm. It made a resounding noise that echoed throughout the quiet room.

"Idiot. Where did that come from?", she hissed at him, in a whispering manner.

"I was only trying to make her feel better.", he whispered back.

"Well then your trial was a fail.", she retorted.

In the corner of my eye, I spotted a different king of wood sticking out of the pile. It was a lot darker than the ones in the pile. I pulled it out carefully.

It was the picture of Percy and I. The wooden frame was dented and the glass was cracked. But thank the gods! The picture was still intact. I turned the frame around and looked for the opening behind. I found it covered in dust.

I brushed the dust off and held the opening. I lifted it up to get the picture. The picture fell to the dusty ground so I picked it up carefully. So as not to damage it.

I held it to my chest and cried. My head hung down and the tears streaked down my cheeks and then to my neck.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry Annabeth.", Malcolm said, his voice cracking. "I really am."

No one said a word after that.

I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up and ran back down. I jumped 2 steps at a time again. I needed to go somewhere quiet and peaceful. Somewhere where I could think. I knew exactly where I needed to go.

I jammed the door open and slammed it as went out. I ran as fast as I can to the...beach.

That place always gave me peace of my mind. When I needed to think and get my head on straight, I always go to the beach. The beach is my favorite place in camp. It reminded me so much of him. Of Percy.

The moment I stepped on the sand, I slowed down. I kept walking until I was near the water. I slowly sat, letting my shoes become wet in the water.

I was still holding the picture. I just stared at it. Percy's smile and his arm wrapped around my shoulder.

I fingered my necklace. Like I usually do. With the Ipod gone, the necklace is the only thing I have from Percy. I still remember the moment when he himself put the necklace around my neck. I remember the feeling of his warm breath on my bare shoulder. I remember when we danced at his mom's wedding. I remember when he hugged me. When he kissed me. (If you read the first and second part of the trilogy, you'd know about these moments.)

I couldn't take it anymore. I took my gaze away from the picture. And I cried.

But I had a funny and strange feeling. Like someone was watching me.

I used my sleeves to dry my eyes then I looked to my right. And I couldn't believe what I saw.

It was him!

The man in the hood.

As usual, his eyes and face couldn't be seen. Covered in darkness. Only his mouth down to his neck was visible. He was wearing the same black, long-sleeved jacket. His black shoes and pants. I even wondered if he was a son of Hades. Considering his obsession with the color black. But then again, he could control water.

The man just stared at me. At least, that's what I think he's doing. After all, I couldn't see his eyes.

But I was still surprised. I jumped up but I didn't run or call for help. I stood my ground and stared at him. But one of my hands crept their way to my knife. I gripped my knife tightly, just in case.

"Who are you?", I asked.

He didn't say anything. He just stood there like a statue.

"Annabeth!", I heard someone call. I recognized the voice. It belonged to Grover.

Apparantly, the man didn't want anybody to come. His head shot to where the voice came. I turned my head to look as well. I could already make see Grover's figure.

I turned to look at the man. PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM.

But he was gone.

I could hear Grover coming closer. I knew because his voice was getting louder.

"Annabeth.", he said.

"What?"

"Let's go to the dining pavilion. It's almost time for dinner.", he said.

I didn't notice it but it was getting dark.

"Right.", I said. "Let's go."

We walked to the dining pavilion, leaving the beach behind. I decided to keep my mouth shut and keep the man's appearance to me a secret. I figured that if I tell them, they'd think I know the mysterious man. Since he appeared to me.

I realized that I was still holding the picture. I folded it then tucked it in my pocket.

When we got to the dining pavilion, almost everyone was there. Chiron and Mr. D were playing pinochle on a table. Grover tudged over to them. He's probably gonna tell Chiron something.

The Stoll brothers were talking to each other in a secretive way. When one of them talks, they cover their mouth. Those two were probably planning their next prank.

The Aphrodite campers were fixing their hair. Or their nails.

Each cabin was doing something. I walked over to the Athena table. Rachel was already there. She was talking and laughing with Malcolm. I always notice that Malcolm is happier when he's with Rachel.

Rachel seems happier too.

I decided to ask them questions about it later.

Malcolm noticed me. Rachel did too. They made a space between them big enough for me to sit. But I saw that they were both disappointed.

"Hey Annabeth.", they both said.

"Hi guys.", I replied blankly.

I sat between them then stared at the table.

"Everyone!", Chiron announced. "You may start."

Everyone cheered then ordered their food. Rachel asked for spaghetti. Malcolm asked for chicken. I asked for chicken too. Our food came pretty fast. Everyone's food did. Then everyone dug in, stuffing their mouths. Except me. I just stared at my food.

Rachel noticed this but she didn't say anything. Malcolm did too. They kept eating but would ocasionally glance at me. Sometimes glance at each other.

I felt my stomach grumble. I moved my hands to grab the utensils. Then I ate, joining the others.

Then I asked for coke. Blue coke to be exact. I've ordered blue drinks ever since Percy's... . Ugh, I don't want to think about it.

I realized that Thalia wasn't here. She's probably in the Big House with Nico. I hoped that he'll get well soon. I was still amazed that he was able to summon so many skeletons.

The dining pavilion was filled with noise.

"EVERYONE!", Chiron yelled. Everyone became quiet and stopped eating to look at him.

"I just need to make sure that everyone has packed their things. Except for the year rounders.", he said. I wondered why.

"Because tomorrow.", Chiron said. "You go back to school."

PLEASE READ THIS. IT'S IMPORTANT.

From those who answered the question in the previous chapter, 7 of you got the correct answer.

Now I want you guys to choose.

-THIS STORY WILL BE AN 11 CHAPTER STORY.

-15 CHAPTER STORY

-THE LONGEST I CAN MAKE IT.

Everyone could vote.

But I'll pay more attention to the votes of the winners. If some of the winners didn't vote, I'll count the vote of the other reviewers.

Please choose and include your answer in your review.

The winners who answered the question from the previous chapter will soon be announced. Maybe I'll announce them near the end of the story.

Everyone please review and include in your review your vote.

And to those who are wondering if I'll finish this story: I promise that I'll finish. But I still want reviews. If the story has been abandoned, the only reason is I'm dead.

Peace!

I'm out.

-E.B.