The Godly Pursuant (A Percy Jackson fan fiction)

18 - Maggie Crowberry

When somebody talks about soft ground in New York, you’d immediately think they’re crazy because New York is made of concrete. The only soft ground here is in the flower pots propped just outside fire exits. You can’t earth-travel in them. They won’t get you anywhere.

So the closest to soft ground in this concrete jungle is in Central Park.

After that freakish conversation with Gaea in Rachel Elizabeth Dare’s ‘bedroom,’ I immediately ran out of the building without any explanation to her. I guess I could explain everything to her after we come back. After we come back alive, for that matter.

I knew I was running out of time. It was already night so when I came to the Central Park gates, they were already closed.

“Curses!” I swore. But really, I was so desperate that not even these closed gates stopped me. I could summon a big earthquake and bring them to the ground but I hesitated. I ain’t destroying Central Park! Percy’s gonna kill me. So instead, I just walked stealthily to a deserted part of the tall fence and jumped. I was able to cling on the edge of the thick wall with one hand until I hoisted myself up and leaped to the other side. My landing on the thorny bushes was horrible. Maybe I should practice some more sometime.

It was dark in Central Park. The moon didn’t shine tonight so I just counted on my earth abilities to guide me to soft ground. Finally, I was able to find one.

I treaded the ground to make sure it was soft. Luckily it was.

“What now?” I whispered to myself.

I felt the ground tugging in my gut. My stomach turned, like I was going to puke. I smothered my mouth. But it was then that the ground started to pull me under. The soil consumed my legs up to my waist, and I started sinking. It was like I was beginning to be a part of the terrain.

I didn’t get scared, honestly.

“Take me to Ellesmere Island,” I said under my breath as the ground finally got me further down. The darkness and the cold began to feel comfortable around me, the puking sensation started to go away. I smiled.

Earth-travel must be the best thing to ever happen to me.

It was cold and dark and relaxing, like I was in some spa. I moved my arms through the darkness and the soft dirt without difficulty. I breathed normally. But there was also this feeling that I was being pulled to one straight direction and never hitting anything along the way.

After about two minutes or something like that, the pulling stopped. I willed the earth to lift me up the ground.

I surfaced on a dark place—as if I haven’t had enough dark already—which seemed to be some sort of a cave. My clothes and backpack didn’t get dirty, which was amazing.

From my backpack, I pulled out Hello Kitty and it shimmered into a blade-ended staff. Chiron wasn’t able to train me with a blade-ended staff so I guessed that I might have to figure it out by myself. I’m pretty sure it’ll come out. My options weren’t really that many.