𝕚𝕧𝕪; annabeth chase

viii.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

footsteps pounded on the stone floor as the five teens ran down the corridor. behind them, the unmistakable sound of something running after them with heavy breathing was enough to send goosebumps down their arms and urge their feet to go that little bit faster.

maddie's mind was racing. with all that percy had told her, she counted herself lucky that she could still think of it all in one go. she was beginning to get seriously worried about nico, and she knew if this continued, the result would only be bad.

she was so deep into her trance that she didn't realize the others had stopped until she bumped into annabeth, nearly sending her to the floor if not for maddie's arm catching her around the waist just in time. taking in her bearings, maddie realized that the reason the had stopped was that their path was blocked by a giant boulder, damming the corridor all together.

"tyson," percy said through a heaving breath. "can you . . ."

"yes!" 

the cyclops slammed his shoulder into the stone, shaking the entire tunnel in the process. maddie sneezed as a giant cloud of dust scattered around them.

"hurry!" the satyr said. "don't bring the roof down, but hurry!"

just as the sound appeared to be right behind them, tyson managed to push the boulder aside. they all slipped through the crack as fast as they could, and once they were through, annabeth hissed, "close the entrance!"

maddie placed herself on the opposite side and pushed with all her might. with the effort of all five combined, the boulder rolled back into place much more smoothly, and they listened as the thing on the other side wailed in frustration. 

maddie blew out a breath of relief before turning around to face their new location. when she looked around, taking in the plain cement walls and iron bars on the opposite side, she slumped against the boulder in annoyance. they had landed themselves straight into a cell. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"what in the hades?"

the girl watched as annabeth yanked on the bars. she glanced down at her hands. they were shaking. she frowned. they never shook. she stared at them for a few more seconds before squeezing them into fists and crossing her arms in an attempt to calm them down.

maddie walked over to the bars, standing next to annabeth and studying the bars. they were thick and sturdy, not budging despite annabeth's relentless tugging. around them, she could see countless other cells, wrapping around a dark courtyard, indicating that they were in some sort of prison. 

"a prison," percy said, voicing maddie's thoughts. "tyson, maybe you can—"

"shh," grover suddenly hissed. "listen."

maddie paused. somewhere above them, a sobbing noise echoed in the prison. she could just about make out another noise too, a deep, raspy voice, speaking in a language that maddie couldn't make out.

"what's that language?"

"can't be," tyson said, eyes wide.

"what?"

the cyclops said no more, and instead walked over to the bars, and effortlessly bent them wide enough for him to slip through. maddie blinked.

"wait!" grover called, but tyson didn't seem to hear him. 

the other four ran after him, the dim fluorescent lights of the prison being their only light source.

"i know this place," annabeth suddenly said. "this is alcatraz."