Hey everybody! Thanks for reviewing! It really made my day, thanks a bunches and oobers and goobers and boogers. ;) Tongue Twister - Bad Black Bran Bread - Eeek. And Swimmy6, I can't do them either… We are twinsies! (along with probably a bunch of other people that can't do it either! :)) CHAPTER 9! (p.s. sorry about the cliff hanger in the last chapter... but what did happen? ;) I have it all planned out. Props goes to the one who obviously put two and two together and figure out she was shot with a crossbow... oops. You weren't supposed to know that yet... ;) )

Annabeth

My dream wasn't that simple… if you could even put the word "simple" into thought. It started out as dark, as you might've guessed, but then it processed into light.

I was walking through a tunnel, and it looked kinda like the hidden passageway underneath Athena's temple.

But instead of wandering down it, I felt like I had a purpose of something, rather than just exploring.

I kept on walking, and soon enough, I saw the end of the tunnel. I was surprised, cause I have never seen the end of the tunnel, for it got dark after ten feet ahead, so it looked endless. And kinda scary.

Anyways, I saw the end, and it was a door, with light coming through the bottom crack (A/N Bottom Crack… hehe. Wow. I'm pathetic.) I walked up to it, and pressed my ear to the door, to see if I could hear anything.

Nothing. It was all silent. I checked the doorknob. It was unlocked.

I took a deep breath, and turned the knob.

I swung the door open and… saw nothing. It was all pitch black.

"Annabeth!" I heard someone call my name, and I looked around, but it was impossible to see anything in this darkness.

"You need to wake up. Please wake up." Suddenly, something pulled me out of the black room, and back through the tunnel. It got really bright, and I closed my eyes to shield them from the light.

When I opened them up again, I was gazing at my ceiling.

I was in my room, more specifically, my bed.

I lay there for a moment, then I wiggled my head, just to see if I could move it. No matter how stupid that sounds, you should always check to see if you can move yourself.

I could move my head. I looked over and almost immediately shut my eyes and looked away. I had looked straight out to my deck, and apparently it was sunset, cause the sun was right there in my eyes.

I blinked a few times, trying to dissolve the big yellow spot in my eyes. After it had mostly gone away, I looked back, squinting.

But I didn't have to squint, for there was now something blocking the sun. I recognized the "thing" as Artemis. She was dozing in a chair next to my bed, and had apparently shifted in her sleep, blocking the sun from me. My gratitude towards her was great, but my thanks were discontinued as I remember why I was in my bed.

Actually, I didn't know why I was in my bed. I just remember blacking out, and of course, the mysterious dream.

I tried to think. What had happened? Then I recalled the black figure I had seen darting through the columns on my way to practice… and I also recollected the memory of the person that all those people had been restraining right before I had blacked out.

And he was holding a crossbow.

Had he shot me? Was that the pressure I had felt? Was that why there had been so much pain? What about the warm water? Or was that… blood? My blood.

The thought made me dizzy, and I realized my throat was extremely dry. I tried to sit up, but instantly fell back onto my pillow with a soft cry of anguish.

Tears sprang to my eyes, and the throbbing pain in my back right below the shoulder blade was intensifying. I lay still for a minute, waiting to see if it would go away. It didn't quite go away, but it did reduce to a small throb.

I tried to move again. The pounding rose a little, as if agitated, but it wasn't as bad as last time. I sat up.

Slowly, I pushed off my covers to realize that I didn't have a shirt on. But you could see nothing, for there was a bandage that wound around my left should and around my back, coming around my chest and redoing that path a few times. I touched the band gingerly, then tried standing up.

I grabbed my bed post to steady myself, then took a tentative step towards my dresser. Nothing happened, so I took another step.

Soon I made it to my dresser and pulled out one of my linen cream shirts. I didn't need any pants, for I had some wool legging capris on. The cream shirt that I had chosen didn't have a bottom hem, it's hem was a chain so that I could make the shirt tight around my waist. I tightened it, and then realized that I had lost a lot of weight… a lot.

The chain was on it's tightest loophole. I walked slowly over to my sink and grabbed the cup on the counter.

The water was welcomed to my dry throat enthusiastically. I soon finished that glass, and drank another one after that. When I was done, I ambled to my deck, anxious for some fresh air. I stepped outside and breathed in the ocean air. I loved the smell of the ocean. I listened to the waves.

"Well, you should've woken me," said a drowsy voice from behind me.

I turned around, "You looked like you were tired, with your mouth hanging open, and drool going onto my floor. I would've woken you, if it would get rid of the elephant snores, but I decided to be nice." Of course, Artemis hadn't done any of those things in her sleep, I was just playing with her.

Her sarcastic look directed towards me brought a grin to my face. The goddess of the Hunt sauntered over to me, and joined me at the railing.

"How do you feel?"

"Better now that I have drunk something, got a shirt on, and have had some fresh air. All I need is some food and I'll be good as new!" I replied.

Then I decided to bring up what was on my mind. "What happened, Art?" I asked curiously.

She sighed. For a moment she looked at the sunset, then looked at me, "Anna, do you remember anything of that morning?"

I knew what morning she was talking about, and I answered her, "Well, I remember everything until I felt… something… on my back. A crying nymph caught me, and the last thing I remember was seeing Mother rushing towards me and some people restraining a man dressed in black."

"Yes, that all happened. I guess I should tell you. You were assassinated."

I looked at her in shock. What? "What do you mean 'assassinated?' I'm still alive! Who did it? Where is he? Why would he want to assassinate somebody? Why would he want to assassinate me? Why-"

"Woah there! Hold up on the questions! I can only answer on at a time! And he attempted to assassinate you, but he failed."

I sighed impatiently, "Okay then, first question. Who?"

Artemis answer only got me more frustrated, "We know it was a male, with brown hair, a brown eye, and an eyepatch on the other eye, but he won't tell us anything. Athena's considering torture-"

"No! I don't care if he was my assassinator. I won't have anyone tortured because of me. Torture is… unhumanlike. I don't know why torture is even allowed, except for monsters. Why would you specifically hurt someone for- for information?!" I asked incredulously.

"Hmm, I can relate in someways, but some people deserve it. He did try to kill you. Anyways, Athena is extremely mad that someone would try to assassinate her daughter, and she is determined it was Poseidon. She has good evidence, as he was the one who murdered your father, but it still doesn't sound like Poseidon."

I don't think it was Poseidon. After all, he had been very nice to me. Unless he was playing the fake "nice" person act to just get to know me and what I do, then kill me… but it was still a doubtful thought in my mind. I pulled myself out of my thoughts and listened to Artemis' next words.

"Athena has called a council between the gods to figure out all… this. Your assassinator will go, and he will be charged with an attempted murder, most likely. And, I'm sure you don't want to, but you have to come. You were the victim."

I sighed. Well, this'll be great.

Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me if you like it! Love you all! 3