Here ya'll go! I hope you like it.

Sorry if some of the stuff happens really fast. I tried to 'slow' it down, but I don't know if I did successfully.

And, I'm just not the Double R.

I slipped away before anyone else could talk to me. I quickly walked over to the pegasus stables. Butch was still where Festus had left, so I didn't have to worry about him.

I walked down the straw-covered aisle, looking for a certain stall.

I found it near the end. "Blackjack."

The pegasus was drinking from his trough. He looked up, water dripping from his nose and curiously walked over to me, his wings fluttering.

I patted his nose. "Could you do me a favor?"

He snorted. I reached into my pack and pulled out some sugar cubes. Percy had told me that he would do almost anything for one. I also knew that he could communicate with Blackjack telepathically. What I would give to be able to do it now.

Blackjack's eyes widened, and he leaned his head over the gate, trying to get to my hand.

"I need a way to get around to find Percy. Could you help me out?"

At Percy's name, Blackjack whinnied, almost sadly. I gave him some sugar and opened the gate, leading him outside.

I almost ran into someone.

Butch. Crap.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Sorry, Butch. I need to take him. Don't try to stop me," I said shortly.

"I don't think so," he said, pushing past me to reach for Blackjack.

Blackjack reared back and shot in between us, almost knocking Butch to the ground. He stopped a couple feet away, and I swear he was waiting for me to get on.

"Bye, Butch. Send me an Iris-message when Leo, Jason, and Piper get back," I said, swinging up onto Blackjack.

He stared at me. "Annabeth—"

"Go!" I shouted, and we soared into the sky.

xXx

I was seriously glad I was wearing my winter coat. The air was freezing, especially several thousand feet above ground.

"I need to talk to Mrs. Jackson," I told Blackjack. "Do you know where she lives?"

I saw Blackjack roll his eyes, like that was a stupid question.

"Sorry," I said. Who knew pegasi could be so full of it?

About twenty minutes later, I found myself standing in front of her and Paul's apartment. I told Blackjack to go on top of the roof. Annoy the pigeons or something, and keep a lookout for anything suspicious.

I tentatively reached my hand out to knock. For some reason, I felt nervous. But, I had this hunch that I should talk to her.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked.

Several minutes passed by with nothing. I was just about to leave when the door swung open.

"Annabeth?"

Mrs. Jackson, well, she looked seriously depressed. Her eyes were slightly rimmed red, and she had dark circles under her eyes. But when she saw me, her whole face lit up.

"Sally, who is it?" I heard Paul call from inside the apartment.

"I'm sorry to come by," I said, feeling self-conscious.

"Sorry?" Mrs. Jackson said. "Annabeth, come in!"

She stood aside, her face glowing, and ushered me in. It looked like she lost years when she saw me. She led me into the living room where Paul was sitting on the couch, worry-lines surrounding his eyes.

"Annabeth," he said. He stood up and gave me a hug.

"Hi, Paul," I said. "I'm sorry to just show up, but I just wanted…" I faltered. Seeing Mrs. Jackson and Paul so sad made me choke up.

He nodded, understanding.

"Do you want anything, Annabeth? I think I might have some lemonade in the fridge," Mrs. Jackson said.

"I—no. No thank you. I just wanted to tell you that…that I will not stop until I find your son. Until I find Percy. I'm about to go searching for him right now, and I think I have an idea of where he might be."

Relief flickered across their faces.

"I won't give up," I said.

Mrs. Jackson sighed, a smile on her face. "I know you won't, Annabeth."

xXx

I touched my back pocket before climbing on Blackjack, feeling my Yankees cap. It was the best gift that my mom had given me, and I knew that the gods didn't really talk to their kids, but I really needed reassurance from her.

Of course, the gods go silent when we—I— really needed them.

Gods, I hated admitting that.

The cap was a really good reminder, too.

I clambered onto Blackjack.

"We've got a long journey ahead of us," I told him. "You up for it?"

He snorted and bobbed his head.

"We need to get to California, preferably in about one or two days before the questers get back. Could you do your distance-bending when we need it?" I said, thinking about what Butch did to the pegasi when we were taking Jason, Leo, and Piper back to camp.

He bobbed his head again, stamping the ground. I hoped that meant 'yes'. I gave him a sugar cube.

"Well, then, let's go," I said, twisting my hands into his mane. I hated taking off.

He bounded forward, wings extended, and leapt off the side of the building. Before we could fully free-fall, his strong wings started beating the air, carrying us into the sky.

I had spent about an hour at Sally's house. It was probably about nine in the morning.

The first couple hours remained uneventful. Other than freaking out a flock of geese, nothing too bad happened.

I was starting to get suspicious. Nothing had happened to us for about four hours.

Blackjack and I were somewhere over Illinois. He was just barely starting to get tired, and it was about one in the afternoon. Plenty of time to make it to the central states.

"Hey, let's find some place to rest and get water, okay?" I said, patting his neck.

He grunted in response. We started to descend.

Something flashed in the corner of my eye.

Blackjack's ears perked up.

I pulled out my knife, holding it out, looking for what I had seen.

Nothing.

I wasn't about to let my guard down, and I didn't relax.

I saw it again.

I whipped around, looking for what it was.

Again, nothing.

Blackjack was starting to get nervous. He was starting to twitch, and he tensed up underneath me.

A ghost appeared out of nowhere.

It had a horrible face, its eyes bulging, its mouth open in a silent scream. Its skin was stretched and deformed, and it was bald.

A taraxippi, a spirit that scares horses.

Pegasi, apparently, were no exception.

Thunder cracked in the air, exploding my eardrums.

Blackjack reared backward in mid-flight, eyes rolling. I was flung from his back, and fell into the empty sky.

I admit it. I screamed. I screamed in absolute terror.

The ground came steadily nearer, and I was completely helpless.

I am going to die, I thought frantically.

I hit something hard, and the wind was knocked out of me.

Black spots danced in my eyes. I felt what I landed on.

Blackjack. He caught me.

Pegasi are not comfortable things to land on.

We fell towards the ground in a steep dive, the taraxippi right behind us, its scream now completely hearable.

I turned around on Blackjack's back, gripping his stomach with my legs, facing the ghost. I tore through my pack, which had miraculously stayed on my back during the free-fall, seeing if there was anything I could use.

Nothing.

"Blackjack!" I screamed. "Now would be a good time!"

My vision was filled with black. After a stomach-wrenching twist, we flew straight towards a mountain.

Ooh! Cliffhanger!

I have a couple ideas of what happens next, and I can't wait to share it with you guys! :DDDDDDD

It might take me a while to update again, what with school ending for me in about two weeks.

Extreme fight for getting my grades up. Just saying.

Leave me a review and tell me what you think! Did I do the thrill justice? Was it a good idea? Do you like that Blackjack is in it?

OKAY BYE.