𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒¹

𝑈𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛

‧̍̊˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡ °.𓆞 ·˙‧̍̊

"WAKE UP, LITTLE LADY," Tyson said as he shook the sleeping girl. Astoria's eyes snap wide open and she looks left and right. They were still in the ocean, but she could see a lining of a beach not too far away.

"Where are we, again?" Astoria asked.

"Miami, I think," Annabeth answered. "But the hippocampi are acting funny."

Astoria ignored the horse-like creatures swimming in circles while whining and scanned her brain, remembering what happened next in the book. Oh.

"This is as far as they'll take us," Percy interpreted. "Too many humans. Too much pollution. We'll have to swim to shore on our own."

The group thanked the sea animals, but Tyson had a very emotional farewell. He cried as he unfastened his belongings and hugged Rainbow around the neck. Astoria could only pat his back awkwardly while holding onto him to avoid drowning.

After the goodbyes, the hippocampi's white manes disappeared and the six swam to shore. With Percy's help, the waves pushed them to the beach where the docks were bustling with people on vacation.

Annabeth ran to the nearest newspaper box and checked the date. She cursed. "June eighteenth! We've been away from camp ten days!"

"More like months," Astoria muttered.

"That's impossible!" Clarisse said.

"Thalia's tree must be almost dead," Grover wailed. "We have to get the Fleece back tonight."

Clarisse slumped down on the pavement in defeat. "How are we supposed to do that?" her voice trembled. "We're hundreds of miles away. No money. No ride. This is just like the Oracle said. It's your fault, Jackson! If you hadn't interfered-"

"Percy's fault?!" Annabeth exploded. "Clarisse, how can you say that? You are the biggest-"

"Stop it!" Percy interrupted.

Clarisse buried her head in her hands and Annabeth stomped her foot in frustration.

"Astoria," Percy asked. "What was the last line of the prophecy again?"

"You're finally thinking," she jested. "It's 'And fail without friends, to fly home alone.'"

"Ouch," Grover mumbled.

"No," Percy said deep in thought. "No.. wait a minute. I've got it." He searched his pockets. Astoria glanced at Tyson and tapped his bag.

"Open it," she whispered.

The Cyclops complied.

"Does anyone have any cash?" Percy asked the group.

Annabeth and Grover shook their heads. Clarisse pulled out a soggy Confederate dollar. Astoria shrugged, feigning ignorance.

"Cash?" Tyson repeated hesitantly. "Like... green paper?"

Percy looked at his brother. "Yeah."

"Like the kind in duffel bag?"

"Yeah, but we lost those bags days a-g-g-" Percy stuttered as Tyson rummaged in his saddle pack and pulled out a Ziploc bag full of cash.

"Tyson!" Percy shouted wondrously. "How did you-"

"Thought it was a feed bag for Rainbow," he replied. "Found it floating in sea. but only paper inside. Sorry." He handed the cash.

Percy ran to a nearby taxi and yelled, "Clarisse, come on. You're going to the airport. Annabeth, give her the Fleece."