Ellie's POV:
My heart thumped in my chest as I made my way across the strawberry fields to the Big House. Hayley had requested I'd meet her there, though I wasn't sure why. She had sent me some jumbled warning via our empathy link some time ago, but it was hard to comprehend.
I'd gotten: He, pah, meh, stick un loggy vy eee-wheel wooooo mwaon named – and then blank. For the past twenty-eight hours I had been trying to figure it out and piece it together, but it just wouldn't take form in my ADHD mind.
As soon as I stepped in the door, I was yanked behind the door and my mouth was covered. "What has she told you?" A voice, not hers, whispered in my ear. I was losing oxygen fast. "What has she told you?" she screamed-whispered this time.
I started gasping, searching for any air that might squeeze its way through. I did the only thing I could think to do – I bit her when she was trying to get a better grip on me. She squealed in outrage.
"What has who told me?" I asked hurriedly.
"The girl, Hayley Jackson. What has she told you?"
"Nothing," I said, back towards a small desk that sat in the room. Where was Mr. D and Chiron? Outside playing Pinochle no doubt…
"LIAR!" She lunged, knocking me down, and I clawed around for my dagger.
"If you know that she may or may not have told me something then why don't you know what it is!" I hollered, kicking the desk, hoping to gain someone's attention.
"She refuses to tell me! I lifted the curse; she should be bubbling by now, drunk on the mist!"
"I wouldn't tell you, either, you psychotic beast!" I kicked her in the stomach, slight guilt showering over me, but mostly hopefulness as she doubled over on her knees.
"You…idiot!" she panted, as if that was going to insult me. I was the daughter of a prank-player and thief; nothing scared me.
A new facial feature erupted, and the eyes lost their dimness. "Ellis?" It was Hayley's voice now, and I could tell it was actually her. I nodded and she pushed herself off of me. "You've gotta go, now. Get Mom and tell her what's going on! Hurry – I can't hold her off much longer – "
She froze mid-sentence, and I used that as my get away. I ran as fast as I could, afraid not only for my life, but for MJ's.
What had happened to my best friend?
I'll…explain…later…A faraway voice said in the back of my head. Then it clicked off as if it were an intercom.
I never stopped running.
Chelsea's POV:
Immediate relief flooded through me as Tommy rubbed this gel-looking stuff on my hands. It was greenish in color, and felt like Aloe.
"Thank you," I breathed, smiling at him, the first time I'd ever really smiled at a boy without feeling nervous. He smiled back.
"Like I said, no problem, you can stop thanking me, oh, stop it," he teased, acting as if I was saying it non-stop. And I might've been, under my breath or something. But I was really grateful, superbly grateful, and I just didn't know how to express it.
"What is this stuff, anyway?" I asked in an attempt at keeping conversation. I didn't know why, but his voice was soothing, like Mom's.
"Fire-Gel, obviously," he said, smirking.
"No, I know that. I mean just…what's in it?" I didn't feel embarrassed, either.
"If I told you that, well, I just might have to kill you."
"Seriously."
He sighed, and for a moment I was afraid I'd irritated him. "Honestly? I don't know. Something the Stoll's kids whipped up."
"You mean like Ellie, Connor Jr. and Carter?"
"Yeah, those guys. My cousins, I guess you could say. Although, I tend to stay in the Ares cabin with Mom. Where do you reside, Chelsea?"
"With Dad in the Poseidon cabin. I'm not one to hang around all the smarts of Athena."
"Why not?" He sat on the bunk next to me, looking thoroughly intrigued.
"Well, I guess it's just not my style. I'm more of a loner, like Dad was way back when."
"I see," he said, after thinking for a moment. "So, how old are you?"
"Eleven," I answered without thinking.
"Oh." He mumbled. "I thought you were like fourteen or something…"
I snorted "Please, me? No. I'm nowhere near. What would make you think that?"
"It's nothing," he said. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, anyway."
Silence consumed us.
"I'll be twelve in a couple of months, though, August 22."
"It's not that. It's just…" he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, I've gotta go. Mom wanted to take me into the woods and uh…yeah."
Tommy stood and made his way for the door, pausing and looking back at me and saying, "At some point you'll understand that you're intelligent, mature, and quite beautiful. Someday, sometime, somehow, you'll see."
He left before I could say another word.
Annabeth's POV:
"ANNABETH, ANNABETH, ANNABETH, ANNABETH!" Ellie burst into the Athena cabin, making me jump.
"Ellie –"
"No time, not enough, come with me now, your daughter, Hayley, in danger, need help…" she began practically hyperventilating as she tried to tell me what happened.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said. "Elizabeth Stoll, take a deep breath. Count to ten. And then, try telling me that again, slowly so I can actually understand."
She gasped in a huge breath, count to ten superfast, and looked me dead in the eye. "Hayley's been taken over by some psychotic-witch-lady, and she's controlling her body. Hayley's not even really there, unless she can overpower the other one, but that doesn't happen often and she's got her under some kind of curse and Annabeth you have to come right now, get Percy and let's go!" She grabbed my wrist and yanked me towards the door, but I was still trying to comprehend what she was saying.
"COME ON COME ON COME ON! Ugh, PERCY!" She screamed out loud to the whole camp. "COME GET YOUR DADGUM WIFE BEFORE I HAVE TO KILL HER!"
"Ellie."
"PERCY PERCY PERCY! ANNABETH'S DYING COME SAVE HER!"
"Ellie!"
"NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW HAYLEY IS IN DANGER YOU NO GOOD GODMOTHER LET'S GO NOW!"
"ELLIS!" I screamed louder than her, and she paused in her steps, Percy ramming into her and knocking us all down on top of one another.
"Oh, Percy, thank God, Zeus, all of the above, we have to go save Hayley."
Percy gripped her shoulders tensely, glaring at her. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, Ellie," his voice was hoarse.
"Oh, cut the crap and come on!"
"Explain what's going on," Percy looked to me, his hands still attached to Ellie, keeping her in place.
"The dream." I spoke two words and he glanced back and forth between Ellie and me.
"Ellie," his voice was soft yet demanding. "Where is Hayley?"
"She was at the Big House a few minutes ago. I…she told me to run while she still had the chance, come get Annabeth and I guess you, too. She didn't get to say anything else because she froze and I was sure the Voice was taking back over."
Percy nodded his head stiffly, turning to face me.
He spoke five simple words. "Annabeth, we need a plan."
I couldn't help but agree.
I don't own PJO. Hope you enjoyed!
~Future
PS, Any more guesses? I've got her picked out, and I've changed my mind; it's no longer the Undine. She was just a minion of the "Voice". :)