Annabeth Chase and the Sea of Monsters

Chapter 23 - We attack a whirlpool

The ship gradually came to life as I stood and stared out at the horizon. I liked the way the sun touched the sea, bathing it in a brilliant array of oranges, yellows and pinks. It was almost a shame when all the zombie crew began bustling around, making it impossible to keep my centre of peace as the tranquility burst.

If that wasn't bad enough, Tyson turned up not long after, wanting to stand next to me seeing as the rest of the crew still scared him. I wish Percy would turn up, or even Clarisse, just to get him away from me.

I still didn't know why he liked me especially after the way I'd treated him. I'd done my best to get rid of him, or at least express how much I felt revolted by him, but he just kept coming back. It reminded me of my Doberman, Maxi. She's was the most loyal dog I've ever met, loyal to point that I couldn't do anything wrong in her eyes. I could yell at her or ignore her, but she'd still come back and turn her adoring eyes on me.

I shook my head and turned back to stare at the horizon. It was almost as if my thoughts reflected the weather for dark clouds started to roll across my line of sight until it was dark and overcast, a sure sign that something bad was going to happen.

I didn't have much time to ponder on what that might be when I heard footsteps on the steel ladder behind me. I turned to see Percy trudging slowly up, a concerned and haunted expression on his face. He looked terrible, like he hadn't slept or washed in days, which we hadn't actually.

"What's wrong?" I asked by way of greeting. "Another dream?"

He nodded, but stayed silent. I studied him closely. If all he was worried about was his latest dream, then he wouldn't normally have a problem in telling me. It seems like something else was on his mind. Something not connected with the quest.

Clarisse suddenly stormed up the steps, looked rattled under the persona of disdain and arrogance she usually wore. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. Whatever had Percy looking so worried had something to do with Clarisse. But what?

Clarisse snatched a pair of binoculars off a nearby zombie officer and pressed them to her eyes. I was half-hoping that when she pulled them off she would have black rims, but no such luck.

"At last," she exclaimed, looking pleased. "Captain, full steam ahead!"

I didn't bother ask what it was she had seen. I knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't answer. I was just going to have to wait and see.

The engine started to groan worse than before as we started to pick up speed. We were chugging along so fast that I could actually feel the ship creaking and see some bolts rattling.

Tyson looked as nervous as I felt. He chewed on a massive grimy fingernail. "Too much strain on the pistons. Not meant for deep water."

Percy gripped the railings tightly, his jaw clenched. I knew that if the son of the Sea God was worried about something when we were in the water, it was something bad.

Trusting to the zombie crew to keep us safe, I watched as our surroundings started to change. Large craggy shapes appeared out of the darkness, gradually revealing themselves as impossibly sharp cliffs and pointed rocks. Facing it was a swirling mass of water like a storm brewing, but with a lot more rage and chaos.

I seriously didn't like the look of that storm.

"Hurricane?" I asked Clarisse.

She sneered at me. "No. Charybdis."

The realization of where we were hit me like a Cyclops fist. All the blood drained out of my face and I stared at her in shock. "Are you crazy?"

"Only way into the Sea of Monsters. Straight between Charybdis and her sister Scylla." She pointed at the cliffs and I realised what they were.