The 12 Days of Christmas - The Great Holiday Mystery

The Ninth Day of Christmas

~The Poseidon Cabin~

Annabeth drew open the blinds in the Poseidon cabin and went through her morning routine of waking up Percy. That boy really needed to be able to wake up on his own, she had her own cabin to run!

'Percy,' she called, opening one of the windows and sighing as a gentle ocean breeze blew through. 'Rise and shine, Seaweed Brain.'

The wind whispered in her ears, a lingering chill that made her shudder. She drew her grey jumper tighter around her in hopes of being shielded from the cold. But it was never cold in the Poseidon cabin. It was usually a warm summery breeze that filtered through, no matter what the season.

She listened more intently to the wind as it whistled past, almost murmuring something in her ear.

Gone, she heard it sigh. Not here. Gone.

The wind swirled around, fluttering the covers on Percy's bed where he slept, deeply encompassed in sheets and pillows.

Or did he?

Annabeth refused to panic as she remembered what the wind had said. Gone. He couldn't be gone. Could he?

'Percy,' she shouted, a little more anxiously. 'You'll miss breakfast if you don't hurry.'

The bundle under the blankets didn't stir. She crept closer. They didn't even move to indicate breathing. She bit her lip and pulled back the covers.

Her eyes grew wide as she took in the mass of pillows piled under the sheets. But no Percy.

If he wasn't here, where was he? He never got up before Annabeth came around to wake him. He claimed he enjoyed her good morning, wake up kisses. But he wouldn't leave the cabin earlier without telling her not to bother. He must be-

'No,' she muttered. 'No, no, no, no. This can't happen! Not again!'

She felt tears sting her eyes, but she blinked them back. She couldn't afford to be weak just when Percy would need her most. Wherever he was, she was sure he would be with the others.

But if he was gone, that left her with just Leo and Hazel. Not that they weren't any help, because they were. Well, for Leo that was debateable. But then again, he had figured out the goblets and the canes on his own.

She ran out of her boyfriends cabin to find the remaining two.

Leo was herding the Hephaestus kids towards the Mess Hall where they'd found eight keys the previous morning. Hazel was just stepping out of her cabin, yawning and stretching.

'Leo!' Annabeth cried. 'Hazel!'

Judging by their expressions as they rushed over, they understood the hidden panic in her tone just fine. Hazel's eyes flickered to the cabin door behind Annabeth and she paled. Leo pulled a lug wrench from his tool belt and fiddled with it anxiously.

'Is Percy-' Hazel's voice stuttered to a stop.

Annabeth's heart threatened to break down, but she knew she couldn't do that to her friends. She needed them just as much as they needed her. It felt like Tartarus all over again; not being able to rest or falter because someone was always depending on you.

'Oh gods,' Hazel muttered.

'And then there was three,' Leo sighed. 'Latest note, anyone?'

Hazel held up a piece of crumpled parchment, 'I was coming to find you guys. It says, "On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, nine fairy fires, eight snowy messes, seven dancing canes, six Christmas goblets, five wooden sleighs, four working craftsmen, three volar reindeer, two wrapped up presents, and mistletoe up a pine tree." Is it just me or are they getting more confusing?'