The 12 Days of Christmas - The Great Holiday Mystery

The Tenth Day of Christmas

~The Hephaestus Cabin~

'Leo!'

Annabeth knocked on the Hephaestus cabin door for what she felt was the millionth time. She was starting to feel a bit panicked.

She'd already checked the Hades cabin; Hazel was missing. That should've just left Leo and herself, but Leo wasn't answering. What if the messenger took both of them just to leave her all alone?

Annabeth sighed, 'Leo! Open up!'

Finally, she got so frustrated, she just walked in. That might not be so bad, but walking through the Hephaestus cabin without a guide was insanely dangerous. Untested machines and unfinished contraptions whirred and clanged, making strange noise and flashing weird colours.

Annabeth stepped very cautiously, and very slowly, towards a girl hammering something at the back of the room. She decided to call out from a distance. She didn't want the girl mistaking her for an intruder and hammering her in the face.

'Nyssa!' she yelled. 'Nyssa! Do you know where Leo is?'

Nyssa stopped hammering and faced Annabeth with a big grin. Her jeans and camp tshirt were splattered with grease stains and explosion marks.

'Hey, Annabeth,' she said, setting down whatever it was she was working on. 'What can I do for you? It's only a few days from Christmas, y'know; Hephaestus cabin's very busy.'

'I know,' Annabeth smiled. 'I was just looking for Leo. It's important.'

'He'll be in his room,' Nyssa rolled her eyes. 'Usually he's the first one up when we've got a big project. But he's been sleeping in lately. Must be a lot on his mind.'

'You have no idea,' Annabeth muttered under her breath. Then she asked: 'Where's his room?'

Nyssa winked, 'Watch this.'

Taking a deep breath, the daughter of Hephaestus shouted, 'Leo! Wake up! Someone here to see you!'

Annabeth took a step back as a circular chamber opened up from below and a bed rose on a platform, Not just any bed, oh no. This one was fitted with so many impressive gizmos and gadgets it would've given Crusty the Waterbed Salesmen a heart attack.

The two girls moved closer for a better view.

In amongst the sheets and machinery, a curly haired boy was visible, blinking sleepily with his hand resting on a remote control.

'Sup, Nyssa,' he mumbled. 'Hi Annabeth.'

'Come on, Leo,' Annabeth managed, still in awe of the super bed. We have work do to.'

He met her eyes and knew what she meant. Instead of getting to his feet, Leo just groaned and sank deeper under his covers. Nyssa snorted and went back to her hammering.

'All yours,' she called over her shoulder.

Annabeth sighed and shook Leo's shoulder, 'You need to get up! We have to find the next keys.'

'But I want to spend my last day in my bed,' he moaned. 'You're the smartest, you'll be the last one. I'm sure. It'll be me who vanishes next, so I want to spend my time in my room.'

He pressed a button and began to retract into the floor.

'No,' Annabeth lunged for the remote and pressed the button again. The bed stopped sinking.

Annabeth blew a strand of hair from her face, 'Leo.'

He heard her warning tone that said if he didn't get out of bed something bad would happen. With an exaggerated sigh, he pushed back the covers and wobbled to his feet, yawning.