thunderstruck | a.c¹

2.08

CHAPTER EIGHT!
alternatively titled: charybdis and scylla

AURORA WOKE SCREAMING WITH HER HANDS CLUTCHING HER THROAT.

Immediately there was a stomping noise as Annabeth crashed back in through the doorway. Her eyes were frantic and her knife was drawn as she scanned for danger.

When she saw Aurora, her eyes turned concerned and she sheathed her knife. Slowly, she made her way towards the redhead, "Rory? What happened?"

The girl was hyperventilating, her hands still loosely holding her neck. She shakily pulled them away and clenched them into fists, "I just.... Nightmare.... Kronos... Choking..."

Aurora tried to get it out, but she could barely breathe let alone speak. Annabeth slipped her hand into hers and squeezed. Slowly, she managed to explain what happened, the blonde's eyes turned stormy, she looked worried.

"Its okay," Annabeth soothed, tucking a piece of Aurora's red hair behind her ear, "It's okay. I'll let you get ready and then come up above deck. Keiryn and Tyson are already up there, Percy's still sleeping."

Aurora nodded, "Okay, Okay..."

Annabeth smiled at her, squeezing her hand and walking out of the room. Aurora climbed out of bed and shook her hands to relax them as they were still clenched. She changed into a spare pair of clothes out of the duffel bag and then headed above deck.

Annabeth, Tyson and Keiryn are all standing next to the railing. Keiryn has his bow and arrows slung over his shoulder, while Annabeth grips the rail so hard her knuckles turn white. Tyson is looking intently into the distance.

Aurora walked up to stand next to the blonde, she put a hand on her back with a small smile. Alarm bells began to ring throughout the ship, red lights blaring in warning. This could only mean one thing.

They were approaching the entrance to the sea of monsters.

Percy joined them not long after, he had bags under his eyes leading the redhead to assume he didn't sleep much. Clarisse rushed up the stairs after him, but they both went out of their ways not to look at each other.

She grabbed a pair of binoculars from a zombie officer and peered toward the horizon. "At last. Captain, full steam ahead!"

Aurora looked in the same direction, but she couldn't see much. The sky was overcast and there was a thin mist hovering over the water. The air was hazy and humid, like steam from an iron. If you squinted real hard, you could just make out a couple of dark fuzzy splotches in the distance. The engine groaned as we increased speed.

Tyson muttered nervously, "Too much strain on the pistons. Not meant for deep water."

After a few more minutes, the dark splotches ahead of the ship came into focus. To the north, a huge mass of rock rose out of the sea—an island with cliffs at least a hundred feet tall. About half a mile south of that, the other patch of darkness was a storm brewing. The sky and sea boiled together in a roaring mass.