Sea of Monsters - My Way

Rescued by Zombies

I made a perfect dive into the water. I rose to the lifeboat and jumped in. They already had the thermos out.

"Hurry hurry hurry!" I yelled. Percy grabbed hold of the thermos.

"Hang on!"

"We're hanging on!" Annabeth and I shouted.

"Tighter!" He yelled back. He gave the cap a quarter turn and we flew off. We bounced across the water like a skipping stone. Pretty soon the Princess Andromeda was out of sight. We tried to Iris message Chiron several times. The water was turned into mist by the wind with the sun rising so we were able to get a perfect rainbow. But our connection was poor. His relatives seemed like actual wild animals because there was music blasting and strobe lights and shouting everywhere. He mentioned something about the Fleece and Miami. Then the connection was smashed apart. An hour later we spotted land.

"That's Virginia Beach! Oh my gods how did the Princess Andromeda travel that far overnight? That's like-"

"Five hundred thirty nautical miles," Percy and I said together. Annabeth stopped.

"Clair I can understand. But Percy how did you know?" Annabeth asked. She put on her best thinking face. "Percy what's our position?"

"36 degrees, 44 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west," we said immediately. Then Percy stopped.

"Wait how did I know that?" He asked.

"Because of Dad," I figured out.

"We need to go into Chesapeake Bay. I know a place we can go," Annabeth said. She led us into a river. I could feel the change from salt to fresh water instantly. I grew tired like I was off a sugar high. I slumped and looked at Percy. He looked at me. I'm pretty sure he felt it too. Annabeth directed the boat into a swampy area. We steered the boat at the foot of cypress tree. The weather wasn't that nice but I was used to it since I've experienced this before when I went camping with my mom. Annabeth led us to a half blood hideout which was so cool. I reorganized my backpack. Percy told Tyson to go find powdered donuts in the wilderness. When Tyson was out Percy and Annabeth started talking.

"Hey. I'm sorry about you know seeing Luke," Percy said.

"It's not your fault," she responded quietly.

"He let us go to easily," Percy pointed out.

"I was thinking the same thing. When we overheard him talking about a gamble and 'they'll take the bait'... I think he was talking about us," she mumbled.

"The Fleece is the bait? Or Grover?" Percy asked.

"I don't know Percy. Maybe he wants the Fleece for himself. Maybe he's hoping we'll go through all the hard work then steal it from us. I just can't believe he'd poison the tree," Annabeth said.

"What did he mean Thalia would've been on his side?" Percy asked.

"He's wrong."

"You don't sound sure," a small silence followed.

"Percy and Clair for that matter. Do you know who you guys remind me of the most? Thalia. You three are so much alike it's scary. I mean either you would strangle each other or be best friends,"

"Let's go with best friends," I chimed in.

"She got mad at her dad sometimes. So do you two. Would you want to destroy Olympus because of that?"

"No," Percy and I answered.

"There. Neither would she. Luke's wrong," I heard a soft thud. I looked up. She stuck her knife in the dirt. Then Percy asked about the Cyclops thing Luke mentioned. She was about to tell the story when Tyson walked in. He found powdered donuts. When we asked where he got them he brought us to it. Annabeth explained that some chain stores are linked monsters. Then I froze. So did Annabeth. I felt a presence behind us.

"No. Sudden. Moves. Turn. Slowly," Annabeth and I said immediately. It was a hydra. Then Tyson stepped on a twig. The heads whipped to our direction. "Scatter!" I dove to the left just when a stream of acid shot toward me. After a little bit of dodging and rolling a weird sound rang out.

"What was that?" Annabeth asked.

"Steam engine!" I yelled. A boat sailed in. I heard a familiar girl's voice shouting commands to shoot the monster. A minute later the monster was dissolved and a boat was floating in front of us. The name was CSS Birmingham. It was run by a zombie crew. And standing on deck glaring at us was the one and only daughter of Ares Clarisse.

"Losers. But I guess I have to rescue you. Come aboard."