Luminesence (Slow Updates)

006

In a way, it's nice to know there are Greek gods out there, because then there's somebody to blame when things go wrong. For instance, when you're walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it's raining on top of everything else, most people might think that's just really bad luck; when you're a half-blood, you understand that some divine force really is trying to mess up your day.

Annabeth, Grover, Percy and Phaedra walking through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of New York City making the night sky yellow behind them, and the smell of the Hudson reeking in their noses.

Grover was shivering and braying, his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled and full of terror. "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."

But Annabeth kept pulling them along, saying: "Come on! The farther away we get, the better."

"True." Phaedra responded.

"All our money was back there," Percy reminded her. "Our food and clothes. Everything."

"Well, I have food and clothes...for me. And I have money. I kept my stuff like a smart person." Phaedra said.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight-" Annabeth ignored her and told Percy

Did she just ignore me? Fine if they want to ignore me, they can starve. Actually, I'll feed Grover.

"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?" Percy retorted.

"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine." Annabeth said. Phaedra groaned in annoyance.

Can you guys stop this Romeo and Juliet shit? It's getting annoying.

"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but fine."

"Shut up, goat boy," said Annabeth.

"Ok Annabeth. Let's not be rude to Grover. He doesn't deserve that." Phaedra said, giving the girl a pointed look.

Grover brayed mournfully. "Tin cans...a perfectly good bag of tin cans."

They sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry.

Phaedra walked next to Annabeth. "What is your problem?" She asked

"What do you mean?" She responded.

"What's your problem with Percy? When he got here, you acted as if he was your saving grace and did a fucking 180."

"Our parents hate each other-" she was interrupted

"Let me stop you right there, Annabeth. You do realize that, had he not come here, you wouldn't be out of camp at all. He is the only reason why you are on a quest. You at least owe him some type of respect. Or be nice. Because he could have left your ass at camp and took some one else."

Annabeth looked away because she knows Phaedra is right.

"Get over yourself and be grateful you're here. Anyways, I have some money-"

"Wait, how do you have money?"

"Well, if you had been paying attention to what I was saying rather than playing tit for tat with Percy, you would have known." Phaedra said frustrated and she walked to be next to Percy.

Percy looked at her as she fell in line with him. "I'm sorry about Annabeth. I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave. If you hadn't come back, who knows what would have happened."

"We're a team, right?" He said with a smile.

Phaedra was silent for a few more steps. "It's just that if you died...aside from
the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be me and Annabeth's only chance to see the real world."