ATLOP: Lessons in Water

Bonding Over Trauma

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OO OO OO OO

We dropped towards the ocean like a strangely shaped stone. Wind whipped past us. Arrows flew over us.

Annabeth's hair was in my face.

I scrambled for the bags. I fell.

"The flask!" I screamed.

The water was right below.

Annabeth clung to the boat.

"What!?"

Tyson yanked out the flask, thrusting it towards me.

"Hold on!"

"I am!"

"Tighter!"

I hooked my feet under the boat's inflatable bench. Tyson grabbed Annabeth and me, clinging tight.

I gave the Flask cap a quarter turn.

Wind whipped out. My breath was knocked from me.

A sheet of wind so strong it was visible shot from the flask, propelling us sideways so our downward plummet changed into a forty-five-degree crash landing.

The boat creaked dangerously as the wind shot us forward.

I wrapped it in my power, desperately holding it together.

We hit the waves with a boom, water spraying around us, on us, soaking us through.

The wind seemed to laugh as it rushed out. The sound almost drowning out the shouting from the Princess Andromeda.

And then we were away.

A risky glance back revealed the ship small as a toy and growing smaller with every breath.

Annabeth slumped, relief on her face.

"We made it."

OO OO OO OO

Annabeth suggested trying to contact Chiron, but I didn't think he'd be much help. In the end we decided against it.

I spent my time focusing on keeping the boat from falling apart from the force of the wind and water, and Annabeth spent the time muttering about how to reach our destination.

"Where even are we?" she wondered.

"Thirty-six degrees, fifty-four minutes, and twenty-nine seconds North, seventy-five degrees, fifty-six minutes, and three seconds West."

Annabeth turned slowly to stare at me.

"What?"

"Er..." I faltered. "That's uh.. where we are..."

"How do you know that?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it again.

"Mossst children of the sssea have a good ssssenssse of locatttttion in the sssea."

"Yeah... I guess it's that. I've always known where I was in the sea so-"

"Wow... that's- wait..." Annabeth's gaze was drawn to the side suddenly. "Is that Virginia Beach?"

I peered where she was looking, then winced as the flask was put off location.

We zipped by a coastguard boat.