Gone Girl.¹

𝟬𝟯𝟮. birthday presents

gone girl.
━━━ chapter thirty two.

❀

It seemed like forever until they saw the beach at camp. They thanked the hippocampi and waded ashore, only to find Argus waiting for them. He stood in the sand with his arms crossed, his hundred eyes glaring at them.

"Is she here?" Percy asked. Under different circumstances, maybe Amaryllis would have been a little jealous, but she found herself just as worried about Rachel as he was.

He nodded grimly. "Is everything okay?" Amaryllis asked. "Is Rachel...?"

Argus shook his head and they followed him up the trail. It was surreal being back at camp, because everything looked so peaceful: no burning buildings, no wounded fighters. The cabins were bright in the sunshine, and the fields glittered with dew, but the place was mostly empty.

Up at the Big House, something was definitely wrong. Green light was shooting out all the windows, just like she had seen in her dream about May Castellan. Mist-the magical kind-swirled around the yard. Chiron laid on a horse-size stretcher by the volleyball pit, a bunch of satyrs standing around him and Blackjack cantered nervously in the grass.

Rachel stood at the bottom of the porch steps. Her arms were raised like she was waiting for someone inside the house to throw her a ball.

"What's she doing?" Annabeth demanded. "How did she get past the barriers?"

"She flew," one of the satyrs said, looking accusingly at Blackjack. "Right past the dragon, right through the magic boundaries."

"Rachel!" Percy called, but the satyrs stopped them when they tried to go any closer.

"Percy, don't," Chiron warned. He winced as he tried to move. His left arm was in a sling, his two back legs were in splints, and his head was wrapped in bandages. "You can't interrupt."

"I thought you explained things to her!"

"I did. And I invited her here."

"You don't get it," Amaryllis seethed. "There is a curse. She'll get hurt! We can't-"

"Rachel had a vision about the curse of Hades. She believes it may be lifted now. She convinced me she deserves a chance," Chiron said.

"And if the curse isn't lifted?" Percy shouted. "If Hades hasn't gotten to that yet, she'll go crazy!"

The Mist swirled around Rachel. She shivered like she was going into shock. "Hey!" Percy shouted. "Stop!" He ran toward her, ignoring the satyrs. He got within ten feet, but then he bounced back and landed in the grass.

Rachel opened her eyes and turned. She looked like she was sleepwalking-like she could see them, but only in a dream.

"It's all right." Her voice sounded far away and it caused Amaryllis to shiver. "This is why I've come."

"You'll be destroyed!"

She shook her head. "This is where I belong, Percy. I finally understand why."

It sounded too much like what May Castellan had said.

The house rumbled. The door flew open and green light poured out. Amaryllis had been inside the Big House before, back when she was much younger and it scared her so bad that she had nightmares about that place for months. Mist curled into a hundred smoky serpents, slithering up the porch columns, curling around the house.