Escaped Spirits

Annabeth Melts Away

Hey everyone, my name is Percy Jackson, and this is the summer I was 13, maybe it was 12, I can't really remember, my mind has been filled with so many other things, my age doesn't really matter anymore.
By now you probably know who I am. The ADHD kid, dyslexia, hot temper, and don't forget his sarcastic mouth!
Sorry, that was Annabeth, she and Grover are here sitting with me right now. The sky looks like it's about to dump a semi truck of water on us. Well, I need to go. Annabeth's giving me "The look", and if I don't go now, I know I'll be in a world of hurt, believe me... I know from experience, you should never make Annabeth wait, for being so wise, she sure is NOT patient. Oh, now she added in her famous eyebrow, for your information her face right now looks like the mix between a hellhound and a Disney princess. Don't tell her I said that though! Otherwise, I would be beat into a pulp, and that can't happen before the winter solstice dance. You'll learn more about that later, right now, I really really need to go! See you later!

I, Percy Jackson, looked up towards the sky, grey clouds covered the deep blue sky. Annabeth looked at me and scowled. "This is your fault." Her grey eyes pierced mine, and her mouth sat in a permanent frown. She really did need to lighten up. "Come on, just because I called Zeus insane he's going to punish us with a storm?" Grover moved back and forward in front of the park bench. A puzzled look on his face. "Yes." It was all Annabeth said before thunder collapsed through the clouds, piercing my ears. Grover yelped and looked up. He had been really on edge lately. "Grover, hey. What's up? What's wrong?" I asked and put a hand on his shoulder to stop his pacing. He was going to dig a rut in the sidewalk if he kept moving. I was surprised I was the calmest on this trip so far. Grover seemed on edge. Annabeth was angry all the time. And they didn't seem to see it. "Percy. Leave him alone. He's thinking." Annabeth shot me the same scowl she had at least a hundred times on the ten minute ride to New York. I was beginning to think her face was permanently stuck. "Wise girl, why don't you calm down?" Annabeth's face changed into something I had never seen before. Her face started to reform, and melt. Grover looked up and screamed. "Percy!" He yelled and sprinted for a tree, a few feet away. We were lucky to be in Central Park. "Annabeth?" I questioned. "Percy! It's not her, run!" Grover yelled and ducked behind the tree again as the... thing glared at him. The thing screeched, its deathly voice touched the deepest part of me. I shivered. This thing wasn't anything from Zeus. It seemed more like something of Hades. "You are to follow us." The voice echoed, and sounded more like three. "No." I stood my ground. "Run Percy!" Grover called from some place behind the tree. I had enough of running, this entire quest had been pretty much running. And I was done. "Where is Annabeth." The thing screamed. I hadn't figured out what it was yet. But whatever it was, it was terrifying the living daylights out of me. Especially since it had taken Annabeth. "Come with us and you will soon see." The voices crooned. "No. Tell me where Annabeth is first." I played with the pen in my pocket, ready to uncap Riptide if need be. "No. No. No." The voice hissed. "Come with us, and we will show you to her." I heard Grover muttering, cursing on the other side of the tree. "I will come with you, but only if you let Annabeth go." The voices started talking at once, as if they were discussing something. "Come." The things hand reached out and winded around my wrist, its hands were grey and Smokey. Almost transparent. This thing had most definitely come from the underworld. From Hades. If not deeper. "You will let Annabeth go?". "No promises." The voice hissed, deeper this time. "Grover, Go. Get help!" Percy called. Grover harrumphed but quickly took to the sidewalk, disappearing through the park. "Your now ours Perseus. Come." The thing drug me towards a grey, dusty van. Almost transparent, just like the things hands. This was not good. Not good at all. But I needed Annabeth back. So I would comply. For now at least. The pen still sat in my pocket, but my hand was trapped between the things fingers. "Come. We go now." The voice snickered. A shiver ran down my spine, and they shoved me into the backseat of the beat up van. The thing hissed at the driver, and the van sputtered forward.