Andy Jackson: Child of Land & Sea

These Childish Games

Act IV — To Stop The Tide

Part II — It scared me out of my wits, a corpse falling to bits, then I opened my eyes and the nightmare was me!

The Demeter kids were sweeping out their cabin and making fresh flowers grow in their window boxes. The guys in the Hermes cabin were scrambling around in a panic, stashing dirty laundry under their beds and accusing each other of taking stuff.

Over at the Aphrodite cabin, Silena Beauregard was just coming out, checking items off the inspection scroll. She was nice, but an absolute neat freak, the worst inspector. She liked things to be pretty. Problem was—Andy didn't do pretty.

The Poseidon cabin was at the end of the row of "male god" cabins on the right side of the green. Andy dashed inside and found Tyson sweeping the floor. "Andy!" he bellowed. He dropped his broom and ran at her.

"Watch the ribs!" She asked as he crushed her with his big cyclops arms.

"You okay?" he asked. "I'm glad you're here, Andy. Now we can eat peanut butter sandwiches and ride fish ponies! We can fight monsters and see Anthony and make things go BOOM!"

"I dearly hope you don't mean all at the same time, Tyson..." Andy took a look around and sighed in relief. Tyson had cleaned pretty much everything.

"Oh, my," Silena Beauregard said, entering the cabin. "Well, I had my doubts, Andy. You kind of look like a slob. But you clean up nicely. I'll remember that." She winked and left the room.

***

In the afternoon, Andy had sword practice with Quintus. The guy was good! Andy was doing her best, but he'd always finish the match with his sword at her throat.

"You're good," he told her. "But your guard is terrible."

"Have you always been a swordsman?" she asked.

"I've been many things," he answered looking over to where Tyson was playing with Mrs. O'Leary, who he called the 'little doggie.'

Andy eyed the mark on his neck and realized it had a definite shape—a bird with folded wings, like a quail or something. "What is that on your neck?" It wasn't a tattoo, she noticed. It was an old burn; like he had been branded or something.

"A reminder," he said. "Now, shall we go again?" and he pressed Andy harder.

***

Andy was having trouble sleeping, so she sat by the window, watching the sea, until she noticed a strange light in the room. The saltwater fountain was glowing. Rainbow colors shimmered through it, and a pleasant voice was saying, "Please, deposit one drachma."

Tyson was snoring real loud. Intrigued, Andy tossed a coin through the mist. She saw the dark shore of a river and a boy squatted at the riverbank, tending a campfire. The flames burned blue. Nico was throwing pieces of paper into the fire—his old trading cards. He looked older than he actually was. His hair had grown longer; it was shaggy and down to his shoulders. His eyes bared no emotion, as if he was dead inside.

"Useless," he muttered, tossing another card into the blue flames. "I can't believe I ever liked this stuff."

"A childish game, master," another voice agreed. Andy couldn't see who had spoken.

Nico stared across the river and Andy recognized where he was: the Underworld. He was camping at the edge of the River Styx. "I've failed," he said. "There's no way to get her back." He raised his head, waiting. "Is there? Speak!"