"Hey" Percy jumped about a foot in the air when my voice interrupted his frantic pacing.
"What took you so long?" He demanded. I rolled my eyes and casually strolled past him, looking out at the ocean, lit by moonlight.
"I got held up, okay? Chiron was talking and I couldn't help but listen." He still looked pissed, so I gave in. "Im sorry! We can get going now!"
It was Percys turn to roll his eyes, which he did, and then stomp out to the edge of the waves. There, he whistled, and two shapes appeared out of the water. They skimmed the water towards us, and I saw that they were Hippocampi. "Beautiful." I whispered in awe, then stepped forward to join Percy at the waters edge.
The next thing happened so quick I barely saw it. One moment I was standing next to Percy, watching the Hippocampi glide closer, and the next there was a 20 foot minimum wave rushing in towards me. I couldn't move from fear, paralyzed. I could feel Percy push me behind him, his arms up protectively, and then the water was upon us. But not really, because where Percy and I were standing was a dome of air, shielding us from the water.
"Holy shit." I said, fear making my voice shake. Outside of our dome were about 5 sharks. And they were all looking at me, hungrily. Not one even glanced at Percy. Nope, they only had eyes for me. Until Percy started backing up, the dome following him, and pushing me back with him. Then their eyes followed me every step of the way. I was transfixed, scared out of my wits. I didn't notice when the dome broke the surface, only when the sharks recceded, their hungry stares still fixed on me. Percy broke the silence first.
"What the Hades!?" He yelled, right next to my ear, making me jump and almost burst into tears.
"I-I don't t-think your d-dad likes me." I said, voice shaking so much it was hard to discern my words. Percy politely turned away when the waterworks came loose, and after a couple of minutes of me sniffling I went back to him. "Do you know what that was?" I asked, forcing my voice to sound calm.
Percys eyebrows furrowed, and he looked me over. "Did you do something to my dad? Or do anything that might remotely make him mad?" I shook my head, then thought back to the conversation between Chiron and Mr. D. I repeated it to him, but he only looked more confused, and im sure I looked the same.
I heaved a sigh, then asked "Okay, can we just keep in mind not to fly or swim? Just get going?"
He nodded, then asked something I had just been pondering myself. "How are we supposed to get from here to California? We can't take a plane, boat, pegasus, pretty much everythings ruled out." I raised my eyebrows at 'everything.'
"How do you feel about trains and buses?" I asked.
"With what money?" Percy responded. I simply took out the Aphrodite credit card and fanned myself with it.
"I think well be okay."
"Chugga Chugga Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!" The trains whistle interrupted Percy and mys hasty sprint onto a train that was not the one on our ticket. We figuered it would be the only way to throw off Aphrodite if she looked at the records. So instead of heading to Jacksonville, Florida, we were going to San Francisco, California. It was going to be a long ride. Luckily I had salvaged my Ipod before I left India, but Percy wasn't as lucky. He was stuck looking out the window for 3 days. Not that there wasn't anything to look at. Clouds brewed, menacing and dark, lightning struck in the distance, and thunder rumbled every few seconds. Zeus was pissed, I could tell. The storms were almost as bad as when we passed a bridge over open water. It churned catastrophically below us, making me dig my fingernails into the seat everytime I looked down. I tried not to do that that much.
3 days together gave Percy and I alot of free time, which we usually spent talking. Within the first hour on the train, we had dissected the Oracles prophecy, down to the very last word.
Two shall go to the fortress of dark- That meant the Titan's fortress on Mount Tam.
and attempt to make their mark.- I knew what this meant, but Percy didn't.
A desperate girl will follow- We were both stumped on this, though I had my ideas.
in loves dangerous sorrow.-I knew who the love was, but Percy blushed and changed the subject whenever I brought it up.
One will make the ultimate betrayal- Percy didn't have a clue.
while the other is doomed to fail- We didn't really talk about this one.
without their lovers avail.- Said lover mentioned above.
In the end true beauty will be bourn- We didn't talk about this one either, though I had my ideas.
with plenty left to mourn.- This was the one that scared us the most.
After we had talked about the prophecy, a long awkward silence stretched on, neither of us knowing what to say. I finally said the completely wrong thing. "Sooo, you and Annabeth?" Percys cheeks turned the brightest shade of red possible, and he started stuttering. I held up a finger and tapped my head "Daughter of Aphrodite, remember?"
His shoulders slumped and the will seemed to go out of him. "Is it that obvious?" I nodded, and he went on. "Well, do you know if she likes me?"
I didn't want to really get involved, so I gave a shrug. "Let's just say, my mothers having alot of fun with you two." After that, he stopped talking at all, focusing on the outside scenery. I put my headphones in.
But even with my Ipod to drown out the world, I couldn't drown out the dark thoughts, always lurking in corners of my mind. The nightmares haunted me everytime I closed my eyes. All the possibilities, of what could go wrong. I must have stayed up for at least 42 hours avoiding the nightmares, because I closed my eyes to blink and was out in a dreamless sleep. I woke, bleary-eyed and confused, many hours later, to a whistle. Percy was sleeping too, and for a second I stared at him, touched by a sudden feeling of fondness. 'Save him if you can' I promised myself. I felt the train slowing, so I reached out and poked his shoulder. He immediatly jerked awake, and looked around.
"Welcome to San Francisco," I said in a cheery voice, "Population: An army of bad people and a few Titans." He gave me a vague smile, and the train came to a stop. We got a taxi, and we soon left standing in front of a thick cloud of mist.
"The Garden of Hesperides?" I asked, and he nodded. "Well, here goes nothing."
A/N: Literally, here goes nothing. Hahahah. Im hoping for another chapter tonight. Thank you(:
Song- Designer Skyline by Owl City.