Percy Jackson's Twin Sister

Sword of Hades: 3

The underworld does not get one in the Christmas spirit. The dead spirits in the fields of asphodel were seriously depressing. I was suppose to be at my moms house right now celebrating Christmas.

Nico led the way since his blade could cut through the dead. I was behind him and Percy, carrying the carnation, was behind me and Thalia was in the back grumbling about going a quest with boys.

It had seemed strange to me that hades hadn't given us this quest himself and in the green world there were no suspicions. Something was wrong there.

Nico forged ahead. No matter how crowded the fields were- and if you've ever seen time square on New Year's Eve  you have a pretty good idea- the spirits parted before him.

"He's handy with zombie crowds," Thalia says, "I think I'll take him along next time I go to the mall."

"So," Percy says to me, "how's camp?"

"Good. How's mom and Paul?" I ask.

"Good. Moms been exited to see you for like two weeks now. She'll be disappointed that you didn't show up,"

"She'll know, especially when you don't come home, that some quest happened."

Percy nods.

"And the big question- how's Travis?" Percy asks.

"He's good. Probably worried since my Pegasus flew off with me in front of a bunch of young campers and I assume Moonbeam went back without me," I say.

"Honestly, Mrs. O'Leary got me out of my English finals."

"I do not miss school one but."

Another petal falls off the carnation as we march on.

I wasn't happy that the flower pointed towards the fields of punishments. I was hoping for Elysium.

The carnation tilted its face towards a hill on our left.

"Up there," Percy says.

A loud grinding noise came from the other side of the hill. Then the hill shook and a man was yelling curses.

Thalia looks at Nico, "Is that who I think it is?"

"Afraid so," says Nico, "the number one expert on cheating death."

Before I could ask what he meant , he lead us to the top of the hill.

The dude on the other side was not pretty, nor happy.

"I won't!" He screams, "No! No! No!"

He started to walk away but an invisible force pulls him back to the boulder. He bangs his head against it.

"All right!" He screams, "But this is the last time! Do you hear me?"

Nico looks at us, "while he's between attempts."

We scramble down the hill.

"Sisyphus!" Nico yells.

The guy looks up in surprise, "Your not fooling me with those disguises. I know your the furies!"

"We're not furies. We just want to talk," says Percy.

"Go away. It's to late to apologize!" Sisyphus yells.

"Look," Thalia says, "we just want-"

"La-la- la- la - la - la. I'm not listening!" The man yells.

We play tag with him around the boulder until I finally catch him.

"Stop it!" I yell, "I'll move your rock. Just shut up and talk to them!"

Sisyphus stopped fighting, "you'll move my rock?"

"Yes. Just make this conversation quick," I say shoving him towards my friends.

I go to the rock and start pushing the rock up very slowly.

It hurt terribly but it better have been worth it. I could feel the sweat beads forming already in the hot underworld air.

I push my feet into the ground keeping my traction.

Their conversation went on but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I was about halfway up. I grit my teeth and keep going.

I keeping watching while I push trying to take my mind off the boulder on my back.

I see Sisyphus try and run. I guess their conversation was over. I let the rock go.

"Incoming!" I yell.

Sisyphus gets the rock and I rush down the hill.

"Take it," he wails, "Please, I can't hold it!"

"Not again," I gasped, "you're on your own."

I look at the rock. I though j had it when I got to the top. I thought I could get it to stay. There was an itch that says try again.

"Melanie's cave is this way," Nico says.

"If this thief really does have one eye," Percy says, "it could be Ethan Nakamura, son of nemesis. He's the one who freed Kronos."

"I remember," says Nico, "but I'd werecfacibg melinoe we've got bigger problems. Come on."

As we walk away Sisyphus was telling, "ok! This is the last time!"

I shuttered. It was hard to walk away.

"You ok?" Percy asks me.

"I guess..." I hesitate a little, "Perc, the scary thing is when I got to the top I thought I had it. I thought this isn't so hard. I can get the rock to stay. And as it rolled down, I was tempted to try again. I figured I could get it the second time."

I look back at it. Percy grabs my wrist and pulls me along.

"Come on," he says, "the sooner we're out of here, the better."