The Thief // pjo

Chapter Four // Percy and I Fight an Enchilada and Attempt Synchronized Diving

    I really did try to sleep.

    We had been on the train for almost two days, having bought tickets with the reward money for returning Gladiola, heading to Los Angeles.

    I spent most of my time sitting next to Percy, both of us jittery and completely scatterbrained. He tried to keep a pretty low profile, knowing that his stepdad was trying to find him.

    Another thing that did not help either of our mental states was that we were on the front of a bunch of East Coast papers.

    The picture was from that guy in the Hawaiian shirt from the bus explosion; it was of Percy, who was holding his sword that, because of the Mist (Annabeth explained this more to me, and I thought it was pretty cool), looked like a baseball or lacrosse stick. He was pulling me out of the bus, both of us standing out in the rain, along with Grover and Annabeth, who was too blurry to see.

    I prayed to the gods that my aunt and uncle did not see the paper, or they actually listened to my letter and left me alone.

    I had reread the article quite a few times, my leg bouncing as I did so:

    Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago, is shown here fleeing from the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers. The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy may be traveling with three teenage accomplices, one of whom is in the picture but has not been identified other than that they are female. Jackson's stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture.

    "Don't worry," Annabeth told Percy and me. "Mortal police could never find us."

    I had given her a sharp eyebrow raise but not said anything.

    But the rest of the time, I fought against sleep and stared out the windows at the speeding landscape.

    A couple of times I saw some centaur families racing by the windows, waving at us, and then I thought I saw something huge running through the woods, but both times it was awesome.

    I could not help but be a little mind-boggled by the appearance of both species, my heart racing with excitement.

    But the excitement, the chatting with Annabeth and Percy, or the stories from Grover did not help me stay awake.

    The couple of times I did fall asleep, it was on Percy's shoulder, and every time I woke up with a slight gasp, my heart racing and my head echoing with the voice from the pit. Percy had the same reactions whenever he woke up from his quick naps, and I could only assume we were sharing the same dream again.

    I really wanted to get moving again.

    I needed to run or do something, but I was stuck on this train and was about to blow a gasket.

    Annabeth, who had just leaned over to put Grover's fake foot back on, gave Percy and me, who had just woken back up, a look and asked, "Soooo...who wants your help?"

    I pinched my lips a little, tilting my head in question, "What do you mean?"

    "When you were both asleep just now, you guys mumbled, 'I won't help you.' Who were you two dreaming about?" Annabeth's gray eyes peered at us, carefully watching our reactions as we looked at one another. Her brows shot up, "Are you having the same dream?"

    "Percy was the one to explain the dreams to her, describing the pull and the voice.

    Annabeth was quiet for so long I thought she fell asleep, "That doesn't sound like Hades. He always appears on a black throne, and he never laughs."