Child of the Moon

We Hang The Sheepskin Rug

The Hippocampi slowed to a stop.  I shook Annabeth, who was passed out behind me with her arms around my waist.  She yawned and rubbed her eyes.  In the distance, the sun was setting beyond a city skyline.  There was a distant beachside highway lined with palm trees, store-fronts glowing with red and blue neon, a harbor filled with sailboats and cruise ships.

YN: So... I'm guessing by the palm trees that we're probably in Florida.

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

Sure enough, our fishy friends had slowed down and were whinnying and swimming in circles, sniffing the water.  They didn't look happy.  One of them sneezed.

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

YN: Oh goodie.

We thanked Rainbow and his friends for the ride.  Tyson cried a little.  He unfastened the saddle pack he'd made, which contained his tool kit and a couple of other things he'd salvaged from the Birmingham wreck.  He hugged Rainbow around the neck, gave him a soggy mango he'd picked up on the island, and said good-bye.  Once the hippocampi's white manes disappeared into the sea, we swam for shore.  In no time we were back in the mortal world.  We wandered along the cruise line docks, pushing through crowds of people arriving for vacations.  Porters bustled around with carts of luggage.  Taxi drivers yelled at each other in Spanish and tried to cut in line for customers.  If anybody noticed us, six kids dripping wet and looking like they'd just had a fight with a monster, they didn't let on.  Now that we were back among mortals, Tyson's single eye had blurred from the Mist, and Grover had put on his cap and sneakers.  Even the Fleece had transformed from a sheepskin to a red-and-gold high school letter jacket with a large glittery Omega on the pocket.  I walked over to the nearest newspaper box and checked the date on the Miami Herald.  Shit.

YN: June eighteenth.  We've been away from camp ten days!

Clarisse: That's impossible!

But I knew it wasn't.  Time traveled differently in monstrous places.

Grover: Thalia's tree must be almost dead!  We have to get the Fleece back tonight.

Clarisse slumped down on the pavement.

Clarisse: How are we supposed to do that?

Clarisse looked like she was about to cry.  I sighed, stepping forward.

YN: I'll take Clarisse back.  It's her quest, she has to be the one to return the fleece.

Grover and Annabeth's eyes widened.

Annabeth: No way.  You're not doing that.

Grover: YN, remember what happened last time?

YN: When I did that I had five other people. This time I'm just taking one.  It'll be okay, guys.

Annabeth threw her arms around me, kissing me on the cheek.

Annabeth: You'd better not die.

YN: I won't.  Clarisse, follow me.

Annabeth handed her the fleece.  We walked over to a palm tree.

YN: Camp Half-Blood.

I grabbed Clarisse's arm and sprinted between two close together palm trees.  There was a flash of silver light.   When we could see again, we were standing on Half-Blood Hill, right next to the tree.  Clarisse doubled over, vomiting.   I stumbled, grabbing the tree before I could collapse.  I felt my energy return and stood up straight, helping Clarisse to her feet.  Horns sounded in camp, and dozens of people ran up the hill to meet us.  Tantalus was at the front of the crowd.

Tantalus: YOU!

Tantalus stormed towards me.  I grabbed my bracelet and his eyes widened in fear.

Tantalus: How dare you... you can't threaten me!  You're exiled!

Dionysus: Actually...

Tantalus spun towards Mr. D, who was walking up the hill with his hands in his pockets.

Dionysus: I just received a message from Perry Johnson, with proof that Chiron was not in fact responsible for Theresa's tree.

YN: You mean Thalia...

Dionysus: That's what I said.  Theresa.  Regardless, your services are no longer needed, Tantalus.

Tantalus screamed and vanished.  Every camper present cheered.  Clarisse tossed the Golden Fleece up and as it landed on a branch, almost instantly the tree's leaves turned a vibrant green.  A cool breeze blew through the air, and the moonlight seemed to brighten.  A burst of golden energy exploded from the tree, flowing along the lines where the border would be.  Everything came into sharper focus.  The glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the straw-berry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach.  For the first time in months, I felt... safe.  The campers all cheered again.  I talked to Sean, who told me everything that had happened the past two weeks.  The arts and crafts cabin had burned to the ground from an attack by a Draco Aionius, which as near as I could figure was Latin for "really big lizard with breath that blows stuff up".  The Big House's rooms were overflowing with wounded campers.  The kids in the Apollo cabin, who were the best healers, had been working overtime performing first aid.  Everybody looked weary and battered, but just about everyone was smiling now that we were safe again.  A few hours later, the others returned.  Percy was riding Chiron, and the others were riding various other centaurs... all of whom were dressed like frat bros.  Chiron immediately ordered a twenty four/seven guard duty on the hilltop, at least until he could find an appropriate monster to protect the Fleece.  He said he'd place an ad in Olympus Weekly right away.  In the meantime, Clarisse was carried on her cabin mates' shoulders down to the amphitheater, where she was honored with a laurel wreath and a lot of celebrating around the campfire.  Nobody gave the rest of us a second look.  It was as if we'd never left.  In a way, I guess that was the best thank you anyone could give us, because if they admitted we'd snuck out of camp to do the quest, they might have to expel us. And really, I didn't want any more attention. It felt good to be just one of the campers for once. Later that night, as we were roasting s'mores and listening to the Stoll brothers tell us a ghost story about an evil king who was eaten alive by demonic breakfast pastries, I snuck up behind Annabeth.

YN: ANNABETH!

Annabeth screamed, turning and shoving me playfully.

Annabeth: You asshole!

I laughed and she giggled a bit.

Annabeth: Hey, I never said thanks.  You saved my life.

YN: Come on, Wise Girl, you're my best friend.  Besides, you'd do the same for me.

She grinned.  I suddenly realized how close our faces were.  Our faces began moving closer and coser together, and...

Sean: Guys!

We jumped apart, turning towards Sean.  I've never wanted to waterboard anyone before, but right now... I'm considering it.  Then I realized he was out of breath, and looked like he'd just seen a ghost.  He struggled to catch his breath and stood up.

Sean: You gotta come... the tree... you have to see.

We sprinted up to the tree.  At first I didn't see what was wrong, but then I saw her.  Laying against the trunk...

YN: Holy shit... Thalia?