The Sea // pjo

Chapter Three // We Almost Die in the Car From Hell

    The second my brother and Tyson came running up, the tension was astronomical.

    "Where'd you find him?" Annabeth snapped at my brother, glowering at Tyson.

    "He's our friend," Percy shot back at her.

    "Is he homeless?"

    "What does that have to do with anything? He can hear you, you know. Why don't you ask him?"

    "He can talk?"

    "I talk," Tyson nodded, his big eyes on Annabeth's face. "You are pretty."

    Instead of reacting like a flattered schoolgirl, she practically launched herself away from Tyson, shrieking, "Ah! Gross!"

    I gave her an incredulous look, getting ready to chew her out for being rude, when Percy suddenly said, "Tyson, your hands aren't even burned."

    I turned to the boys, furrowing my brows, "What do you mean they aren't—"

    "Of course not," Annabeth snapped quietly. "I'm surprised the Laistrygonians had the guts to attack you with him around."

    The name sparked a memory from Annabeth and I's history lessons this past summer.

    "Annabeth," Percy questioned, "what are you talking about? Laistry-what?" He looked at me, "Do you have any idea what she's talking about?"

    "Laestrygonians are like these cannibal monsters who live up north." I scratched my head, trying to explain clearly as my mind was running way too fast at the moment. "I think Odysseus ran into them once?"

    Annabeth nodded in confirmation while Percy just stared at us like we were crazy.

    The blonde had smacked Tyson's hand away from her hair when she said, "I've never seen them as far south as New York before."

    "Laistry—I can't even say that." My brother was about to lose his mind. "What would you call them in English?"

    I looked at my best friend, and she pinched her lips before replying, "Canadians. Now come on, we have to get out of here."

    "The police'll be after us," Percy nodded at me. At my confused face, he said, "They saw you fleeing the scene."

    I groaned, "Dangit...We were so close."

    "Tell me about it."

    "What are we—"

    "That's the least of our problems," Annabeth pulled our attention back to her. "Have you been having the dreams?"

    My brother and I looked at one another once before he asked, "The dreams...about Grover?"

    Her face turned pale, her eyes widening. "Grover? No, what about Grover?"

    I told her about our dreams, and when I finished, she looked ready to pass out, and I asked her, "Why? What were your dreams about? Is everything—"

    "Camp," She interrupted me, her eyes stormy. "Big trouble at camp."

    "My mom was saying the same thing!" Percy shuffled on his feet, his forehead puckering with anxiety. "But what kind of trouble?"

    "I don't know exactly. Something's wrong. We have to get there right away. Monsters have been chasing me all the way from Virginia, trying to stop me." She looked back at the two of us from the glass bottle she had planted her eyes on. "Have either of you had a lot of attacks?"