Hey...guys.

Okay, sorry, sorry! I know it's been a while! I don't really have much of an excuse, though...I didn't really do anything with my life the past week. I was just like this zombie, so I didn't post. It wasn't like I didn't want to post, I just...didn't.

Song that I listen to: Home - Phillip Phillips

Anyway! I have a chapter for you, and that's all that matters, right? Right? hahahahahahaha.

Let it commence.

Percy

I was glad that I was holding Annabeth's hand. I had been feeling faint from the river—probably because it was the thing that took away my memories in the first place—and I had unconsciously grabbed her hand for support. I had breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't pull back. Her hands were slightly calloused, and I guessed that was from using a knife for so long.

It was weird to think that she and I were supposed to be dating, and that we'd known each other for a long time. How was I supposed to act around her? Was I supposed to show affection toward her at all, or should I just pretend it never happened?

I decided to stop thinking about it. It was just making me feel strange, and we had a creepy dark cave ahead of us that I needed to worry about.

The Lethe was still running out from the cave, and we walked on a rock shelf that was above it. I could still feel its power from where I was standing, but holding Annabeth's hand, I didn't feel as affected by it. My headache had started to fade, and the scent of the poppies wasn't making me feel like I should just curl up on the ground and sleep for twenty years.

"What do you think we'll find?" Annabeth asked. "What will happen? Do you think there's some sort of guardian?"

"One question at a time," I groaned, slowing down. Apparently, holding Annabeth's hand didn't hold off the headache for very long.

Suddenly the light at our backs winked out, and we were submerged in darkness. The slushy sound from the Lethe was all we heard, and it was eerie.

"I think there's a flashlight in the backpack," Annabeth said. She let go of my hand, and a rush of pain took over my head. If there was light in the tunnel, I would have seen stars.

I fell against the side of the tunnel, my hand gripping my hair. Why was this happening? Annabeth didn't seem to be in any pain at all. Maybe it was because I was so exposed to the Lethe. Being so near to it gave me a headache. I could almost feel my thoughts get sucked out my head and get taken over by the sheer power of the river.

"Here we go," I heard Annabeth say. A faint click sounded, and the tunnel was filled with a dim artificial light.

She shone it around. The walls were slick with splashes of water, and it looked like the tunnel went on forever. The darkness swallowed the light after a few feet. There would be no way to tell if there was something coming after us until it would be in our faces.

The beam fell on me, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Percy, are you okay? You look awful."

"Oh, no," I said sarcastically. "I just enjoy feeling my head pound with every step I take. Thanks for asking."

"Hey, stop. I don't know what else to do, alright?"

"Take my hand," I said, sticking it out.

"I—what?"

"Just take it. And move the light out of my face. It's making my head hurt worse."

I felt her take my hand again, and the pounding headache subsided. I sighed, feeling better.

"Sorry I snapped at you," I said. "For some reason, you holding my hand makes my heard hurt less."

I saw her blush slightly. "Same to you."

We walked a couple more minutes in silence. I started to think about the questions that Annabeth had asked me before. What would we find? What will happen? Would Hypnos even agree to give our memories back, or would it be impossible?

I closed my eyes again, letting Annabeth guide me. I shouldn't let these thoughts rattle me. If it didn't work out, I would just think of something to do with my life. Come up with some sort of plan. I didn't know where I would go, let alone find my family—if I had one.

I shouldn't let these thoughts freak me out either. Just focus on the task at hand.

Annabeth interrupted my thoughts for the second time.

"Do you—do you hear that?"

I opened my eyes—I forgot that I had closed them—and strained my ears. There was this strange rushing sound, and then it sounded like it was being sucked in. I felt my hair stand on end.

"I don't know," I said quietly. Her grip tightened on my hand.

As we walked through the cave, the sound got steadily louder and louder until it was roaring in our ears.

Annabeth's eyes suddenly widened in surprise. "I think I know what the sound is."

"What?"

"Breathing."

I felt goosebumps rise on my arms. "Breathing?"

"Hypnos is the god of sleep, right? And this is his cave. It makes sense."

I had to agree with her.

"I just hope it doesn't get any louder. At least he's not snoring," I said.

I realized that we had been whispering the entire time.

The cave suddenly rounded a corner, and, my skin prickling, we turned.

It seemed the darkest yet, and the light from the flashlight seemed to be sucked away and absorbed in the darkness. The breathing was loud, and it echoed in our ears and off the walls. Annabeth shone the flashlight around, but there was no one in the cavern. The breathing was at its loudest, but there was no one in sight. Pillows were scattered all around the cavern, and the Lethe was running down the stone walls silently before pooling on the ground and turning into the river.

"Where is he?" I mouthed.

Annabeth shrugged. She cleared her throat.

"Uh, Mr. Hypnos, sir? We've come to ask a favor," she said loudly.

The breathing was cut off immediately, and the silence pressed against our ears. We sat there in the silence for several minutes waiting for a response.

Nothing.

"Hello?" I called.

An agitated sigh echoed in the cavern, and out of nowhere, a man materialized in the middle of the room. He had messy dark hair, and his eyes were like black pits, and they sucked up the light. They weren't scary, though. I thought I could see twinkling inside of them, like small stars. Wings were on his shoulders, and he was frowning at us.

"If this is another complaint about Clovis, so help me—" he started, folding his arms. His wings rustled, and several feathers floated to the ground.

"No," Annabeth interrupted, holding up her hands. His scowl deepened. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. "We need your help."

He sat down on a pillow, crossing his legs. "If you want my help, turn off that confounded flashlight. I can't help you if I can't even see you."

Annabeth looked confused, but clicked it off. We were thrown into the darkness, and I couldn't see a thing.

"Much better," he sighed. "Now I can actually see you. What do you want? You just woke me up from a five month nap, you know."

"Uh, sorry. And how can you see us? It's dark," I said.

He sighed again, sounding really annoyed. "I'm getting tired of all your questions, and I don't like getting woken up. Maybe a dip in the Lethe would help." The sound of the river surged, getting louder.

"No! No, no, that won't be necessary," Annabeth said quickly. "That's actually, uh, why we came to talk to you. We need your help."

"Just get to the point, girl. Children of Athena, I swear…"

"How did you—?" Annabeth said, surprise in her voice. "Never mind. I'm Annabeth Chase, and this is Percy Jackson."

"I love what you've done with the place," I said weakly.

"Oh, yes. I've heard about you," Hypnos said, ignoring what I said. It was weird talking to him when I couldn't even see anything. "You're the guy Hera messed with. She just doesn't know how to keep her nose out of things. Completely rude. Took your memories. But I reckon you've gotten them back. Gorgon blood."

"How do you know all this?" I asked. Even I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Dreams are incredible things, Perseus Jackson. They hold the answers to everything. Many of the world's geniuses came up with their answers through dreams. And, of course, a little help from me."

"Then you must know what's happened to us," Annabeth said. "We've lost our memories through the power of Lethe. We thought you might be able to help us, because Lethe is your symbol."

There was no answer. Hypnos didn't say anything, and I thought that he was going to knock us out with nightmares because we'd annoyed him.

"Can you?" Annabeth asked.

"Why should I do this?" he asked suddenly. His voice was sharp, and I felt a chill run up my spine. My eyelids started to get heavy, and I was about to collapse when Annabeth squeezed my hand.

Annabeth faltered. "I-I don't know. We had a note…and we—"

Her voice was choked off and she gasped. Her hand went slack in mine, and I heard a clatter on the ground.

The flashlight. She'd dropped it.

I snatched it off the ground and clicked it on.

Hypnos was standing in front of Annabeth, and he had his thumb pressed on her forehead, his other hand holding the back of her head. Her mouth was open, and her eyes were shining with tears. He had a look of concentration on his face.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled. Annabeth let out a little moan.

"The mind is amazing," Hypnos said. A light was starting to glow under his thumb on Annabeth's forehead. "So many nooks and crannies, places where things can be hidden. Lethe, of course, wipes it completely clean. Leaves you helpless, alone, and completely useless. Somehow, you've managed to retain some of your memories. You've gotten down here, found me. You still know how to fight. You know how to read. Something blocked the Lethe from taking it all away."

"Was it you?" I asked.

"No. I don't understand the power behind this." He sounded confused. "Perhaps there's more to you two than meets the eye…or the mind."

He removed his hands and Annabeth crumpled to the ground.

"What did you do?" I cried, shining the light in his face. The black pits of his eyes didn't look so friendly anymore.

"I've found your cause worthy. I simply searched her mind, and you both are strong enough to handle what will come later."

"Is she getting her memories back?"

"No. She is just sleeping. It was mentally exhausting for her, what I did to her. I need you to…do something for me, first."

"What is it?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"There is a beast that terrorizes the world above. I need you to dispose of it, and bring back the spoil of war to me. That way, I'll know that you've gotten rid of it. Only then will I return your memories."

I tried to hold back a yell of frustration. "What's the animal?"

"The leukrokottas. A horrible thing. Do you agree?"

I looked at Annabeth, who was lying on the ground. "Fine. How will we get back to you? I don't really want to deal with Charon again."

He held out his hand, and after a surge of darkness, a whistle was lying in his palm. "When you've killed it, blow this whistle, and you'll return to my cave."

I took the whistle from him, and almost dropped it. It was insanely cold. "It's ice!"

He didn't say anything. He knelt over Annabeth and touched her forehead again. She stirred and blinked her eyes. "What happened?"

"We've got to go," I told her, helping her up. "We've got a quest to do."

"What?"

"Good bye, Percy. I hope the Fates decide to let you live. You amuse me."

"Ha, thanks." I put the whistle in my pocket. "How do we get out of here?"

"Oh, don't worry," Hypnos said. "I'll take care of it."

He held his arms open, and with a surge of wind, smashed them together. His wings stretched out to their full span, feathers flying everywhere. The light from the flashlight was sucked away, and the wind roared in our ears. I felt my feet lift off the ground and my vision went black.

Do you know what the great thing was about this chapter? I could make up everything I wanted to about Hypnos! He's not mentioned in the books at all (until Annabeth and Jason go inside the cabin) so you don't know anything about him. I could make it up! Yay!

It was fun.

I really am sorry for not updating sooner. I guess that's the one bad thing about updating every day. You miss one day and your readers descend on you like a hungry pack of wolves I'M JUST KIDDING. DON'T TAKE EVERYTHING I SAY SERIOUSLY.

I believe I'm done here.

OKAY BYE.

R&R Hypnos...