The Tail

Iris Message

Annabeth's POV

Six days. SIX DAYS. That's how long Percy has been gone. After he dissappeared, the other demigods literally had to drag me screaming and crying from the cave. The ceiling had started to shake and and rocks were falling but I didn't want to leave, not without my Seaweed Brain.

[FLASHBACK]
After my friends had finally dragged me outside, we had immediately been flashed to Olympus to face the gods. There, my friends had told the story of how we were captured and kept as prisoners for a month, even though it had only been a day for them. Apparently, Percy had sent Poseidon a mind message saying that he was sad that he won't be seeing him again and that he loved Poseidon. Alarmed, Poseidon had called a council meeting. The coucil then called Camp and asked to see us but we weren't there. When we told Poseidon that his son had been captured, the Throne Room had shook and I was sure that the seas were raging in the mortal world. During all this time, I had been crying endlessly into my mother's shoulder.
[FLASHBACK ENDS]

I was getting desperate. So were Nico, Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank, and Leo. If the same thing was happening to Percy That happened to us, this meant that he had been there for 6 months. I sat back in my chair and looked at Bunker Nine's ceiling. I don't know what I'm going to do without Percy. I was his lifeline, and he was mine. I was startled out of my brooding at the sound of a person coughing. I turned to look and I almost had a heart attack.

It was Kronos.

(So tempted to stop here.)

I immediately yelled for help. In no time, the rest of the Seven, Nico, the mermaids and Poseidon stood behind me scowling angrily at the smiling face of Luke, no, Kronos. "What do you want, Father?" Poseidon snarled.

"What, no hello? How have you been since my son killed you?" Kronos smirked evilly. "Speaking of your son...." He stepped aside to reveal.....

Percy.

He was chained by his wrists and held off the ground. I could see that his clothes were tattered strips hanging off his thin body. He seemed to have several wounds, including a large hole in his abdomen that was sizzling slightly. Before I could study him even more however, Kronos blocked the view. "I'll let you have him back. IF you give me Olympus." Percy raised his head in the background and I saw the pain and determination in his eyes.

"Don't do it!" He choked out. My heart clenched for Percy.

"Never!" We screamed at Kronos in unison, except the Australians.

"Tut tut. I would've thought you valued your hero more. Remember, this is all on you." Then the Iris Message went black But we could still hear sounds.

Kronos laughed gleefully as we heard a whip snap. Percy yelled in pain as the whip snapped back again and again. Even though we couldn't see what was happening to Percy, it was clear he was being tortured. The snapping of the whip stopped. Percy's screams stopped. Then, it started again. Louder and more horrible than last time, it reverberated against my skull and echoed around Bunker Nine's walls.

I teared up and started sobbing again. Leo and Nico looked sick while Piper had burried her face into Jason's shoulder. Jason himself stared blankly at the wall as if too shocked to do anymore. Hazel had her hands over her ears and was crying almost harder than I was. Frank was holding her close. The Mermaids had long since fled from the room, and Poseidon had punched the wall in anger and golden ichor flowed freely from his kunckles.

After what seemed like forever Percy's screams stopped. The sounds started to get fainter and fainter. Before it dissappeared however, I heard Percy shout one last thing.

Polyphemus's Island.