Hello my lovely readers! I loved all your reviews thank you so much it means the world. It's nice to see all the new faces too:) One question: Where did my regulars go? Don't disappear! My birthdays today:) Did you know the Blood of Olympus comes out October 7th? Thats only 211 days away! Yay! By the way, some terminology. Port is the left side of a ship, starboard is the right.
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Chapter 17
Previously: Then the cables started flying around on their own undoing themselves. The canvases unrolled, wooden pulleys creaked. I ducked under a flying cable. "How in the world Percy?" Instead of answering he silently commanded the ship to move. We took off at superhuman speed into the Sea of Monsters.
Sometime after midnight I woke up to the gentle rocking of the hammock. Groaning I untangled myself from the covers and paddled to the upper deck.
Off the port side was a small smoking volcanic island.
"One of Hephaestus' forges, where he makes his metal monsters." I narrated.
"The bronze bulls?" Percy asked.
I nodded hugging my queasy stomach. "Please go around, far around."
Percy steered far around the island. We stood in peaceful silence until the volcano was a red spot in the distance.
"So," Percy started. "The reason you hate Cyclopes so much, the story of how Thalia died. What happened?"
I sighed, I hated this story and was reminded of it nightly during my nightmares.
Finally I said. "I guess you deserve to know. The last night Grover was bringing us to camp he got lost, took a few wrong turns. He told you? Right?"
Percy nodded slowly.
"Well the worst wrong turn ended us up at a Cyclops's lair in Brooklyn."
"There are Cyclops in Brooklyn?" Percy asked.
"You wouldn't believe how many Cyclops there are. Anyways this Cyclops was smart, he tricked us. He could sound like anyone he wanted to, Percy. Just like Tyson. He lured us away one at a time. Thalia thought she was helping Luke, Luke thought he heard me scream. Finally, it was just me. Only seven years old alone in the dark. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't find a door or a lightswitch anywhere."
I nervously brushed the hair out of my face. "Finally, somehow, I found the main room. Thalia, Luke and Grover were tied up, gagged and hanging from the ceiling. The Cyclops had his back turned, he was building a fire underneath them to roast them. I grabbed my dagger, but he heard me. Turning to face me he smiled.
Speaking in my father's voice he said. "Now, Annabeth don't worry! I love you. You can stay with me, forever."
Percy shivered. I wasn't sure if it was because of the weather or my story. "What did you do?"
"I stabbed his foot."
Percy gawked. "You stabbed his foot? Seven years old and you're stabbing Cyclops. Whata women."
"He would've killed me otherwise. I surprised him, he didn't expect that. It gave me just enough time to cut Thalia free. She took care of the rest." "Yeah, but that was still really brave, Annabeth." he said glancing at me.
I shook my head. "We hardly got out alive. I have nightmares nightly. It was just the way the Cyclops talked." I shivered. "It was because of him, that we took so long getting to camp. The monsters that had been chasing us caught up with us. That's why Thalia died. If it wasn't for that Cyclops Thalia would still be alive."
We laid on the deck soundlessly pointing out constellations. After awhile I told him to go rest.
"Go down, you need rest." I said getting up.
Percy nodded his eyes heavy. He waved goodnight and disappeared below deck.
After about two hours later I could see a small island. We were approaching the island of Sirens. I needed to hear the Sirens, I needed clarification I just needed to know. I went below deck to wake Percy. His eyebrows were clenched together, he tossed and turned in his hammock, he was having a nightmare. I shook his shoulders.
"Ah!" he woke up yelling.
"You were having a nightmare. Get up." I said stiffer than I meant to.
"What's wrong? What is it?" he said rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"Land, we are approaching the island of the Sirens." I said grimly.
Above deck I could faintly make out the island, it was really just a faint spot in the mist.
"I need you to do me a favor." I said turning to Percy. "We will be in range of the singing soon-"
"No problem." Percy reassured. "I can plug our ears, there's candle wax downstairs-"
"I want to hear them." I interrupted.
Percy blinked, his eyebrows scrunched. "Why?"
"The Sirens sing the truth about what you desire. They tell you things you didn't even know. That's why they are so enchanting. If you survive you become wiser somehow. How many times will have I this chance?" I explained.
I told Percy my plan and he helped me get ready.
As soon as the rocky coastline of the island came into view, Percy ordered the ropes to wrap around my wrists trying me to the foremast.
"Don't untie me, no matter how much I plead. I'll want to jump off and drown myself."
"Are you trying to tempt me?" Percy asked raising his eyebrows at me.
"Ha ha." I laughed sarcastically.
Percy promised then plugged his ears with candle wax. I nodded my head and smiled. Letting him know that the earplugs were a real fashion statement. Percy stuck out his tongue and turned back to the wheel.
The silence was eerie. I could hear faint hissing from the rocks as Percy steered the ship closer to the jagged rocks. At first I couldn't hear anything. Then, it started.
"AAAnnnnnnnaaaaabbbbbeeeeetttttthhhhh!"
My body involuntarily jerked against the ropes trying to escape. I needed to get to that island.
"Percy!" I screamed. Percy didn't even look. Didn't he want to help me? "Hey Annabeth! Remember me? It's Luke!" I was pleading now, tears running down my cheeks. "Annabeth! We are having a picnic. Come join us!" my mom called.
Then I remembered, my knife. I laughed to myself wiggling the knife into my hand. As quickly as I could I sawed the ropes. I climbed onto the side of the ship and jumped into the water. The cold water was a shock to my system. Come on Annabeth you're almost there, I thought.
I had always been a strong swimmer. I was so close, I could see my parents happily back together and Luke sitting in Central Park without a care in the world. Behind them was Manhattan, but it wasn't. It had been rebuilt in sparkling white marble, the biggest and best it had ever been. It was better than Mt. Olympus and I know I was the one who had designed it.
Then something grabbed my ankle and started pulling me backward.
"No!" I yelled. I kicked and kicked till finally my foot connected to something. It didn't stop so neither did I.
Then I started sinking. I stopped thrashing, my head hurt. Then we rose above the waves again.
"Annabeth!" Luke called. "Come on!" he said waving me over.
This thing grabbed my waist and we shot down under again. I fought and struggled for breath now.
Suddenly, I could breath again. My body began convulse. I shuddered feeling somewhat back to normal. I looked up at my captor. It was Percy, then I knew the spell was broken. I began sobbing. Percy pulled me to him and I laid my head on his shoulder. I was so close, so close.
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