The Ghost of a Guardian

Chapter Seven: Following Annabeth

Annabeth hurried through the dark streets of the town. It was almost midnight, but she knew one store that would be open. Her best friend owned the shop and would no doubt let her in. She walked up to the door, knocking on it quietly. After a minute or so, a man opened the door looking confused as to why someone was at his door.

"Who's there?" The man squinted, his eyes not yet adjusted. "State your business for coming here at this ungodly hour." He turned on a gas lamp that was situated next to the door. Once the light was on, he was able to see who it was. "Annabeth?" He looked as if he had just been talking to a ghost.

By the rumors that were probably being spread about her disappearance, the look probably wasn't that far off.

He opened the door letting Annabeth come in as he walked to his room to wake up his wife. Quickly, his wife met with her in the dimly lit kitchen and offered Annabeth a place to sit at the table. She had a worried yet somewhat relieved aura about her. Worried about her best friend who had mysteriously disappeared, yet relieved that she was at least alive.

"Annie whatever are you doing here, and where on earth have you been?" Her best friend stifled a yawn.

"People are saying you died, no one has seen you in months." The husband spoke from the doorway of the kitchen. "We had the feeling that you were still out there, but it wasn't hard to believe the rumors."

"I know and I'm very sorry, but a friend of mine is very sick and I need your help." Annabeth explained, holding her hands in a praying position. Her friend sighed and fastened her dressing robe.

"Can't you at least tell us where you've been?" The wife asked, worried for Annabeth. "We've been worried sick." There was genuine sorrow in her eyes, Annabeth hated to see it.

"Just know that I am safe, and there is no reason to come try to find me." She gave a convincing smile. "I really need your help, he is very sick and needs your medicine."

"Alright." She sighed, defeated. She then began to pull out ingredients that she could possibly need.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Christine." Annabeth shifted in her seat, feeling the husband's eyes burn into the back of her head.

"You're welcome." Christine looked hesitant. "Now tell me, what is wrong with your friend?" She asked fiddling with her ingredients.

"You see, that's the thing. I'm not sure what's wrong with him." Annabeth tapped her chin in thought. He was fine a couple minutes then suddenly, he got weak kneed, started vomiting, and claimed to be freezing but he was burning up." Christine smiled smugly when Annabeth mentioned that Erik was a man. "Don't give me that look, he's just a friend." Annabeth scoffed. Christine rolled her eyes.

"Has he been outside frequently without the proper clothing?" Christine asked trying to get more information about how sick Erik was and the causation behind it.

"Well yes and no, he only went out once to help me." She rubbed the back of her neck, not sure how to explain the incident with Christopher. "I got into a scuffle with an intoxicated man, and he came to defend me." Both Christine and her husband tensed up, worried for their friend. "I was coming back with groceries when it happened, he was helping, he got hurt but it didn't look to be that serious."

"My goodness." Christine threw some things into a bowl and grinded them together. "It sounds like his wound may be infected." She added water, which made a very thick paste that made Annabeth almost gag. "What did you use to clean it?"

This made Annabeth think back to that moment, making her question her idea to clean the wound with the water from the cave, which was most likely filthy, and that she was the cause behind his illness. She immediately felt very guilty and embarrassed.

"Just water, like I said, I underestimated how serious the wound was." Annabeth mumbled.

"Just to be safe, give him this." Christine scooped the paste into a jar and handed it to her. "Apply it once every half hour or so." She held a finger to indicate there was more. Turning around she grabbed some more ingredients and mixed them together. "Have him drink this as soon as you get back, it should settle his fever and calm his chills."

"What is it?" Annabeth hiccupped, covering her mouth.

"It's to help his body fight off whatever is going on." Christine smiled gently, Annabeth smiled back and hugged her friend.

"Thank you again, how can I repay you?" Annabeth asked, digging in her pockets for some form of payment.

"Just knowing you're alive is enough for me." Christine placed her hand on Annabeth's, stopping her from taking out her money. Annabeth smiled in understanding as she headed out the door, down the street and into the opera house without a peep.