When Sun Meets the Sea ~ PJO 1

~20~

        ~Percy's POV

        When Percy finally reached the bottom of the river, he saw a catfish the size of his stepfather lurch away from the gloom. Clouds of silt and disgusting garbage swirled around him, and he immediately felt disgusted.

        At that point, he realized that he wasn't wet. He could fear the coolness of the water but when he touched his shirt, it felt perfectly dry as if he wasn't lying at the bottom of a murky river.  He saw an old cigarette light float by, and he quickly grabbed it, flicking the lighter on and watching it spark but as soon as he let it go the flame sputtered out.

       "You are frightened. It's alright." A voice spoke from within the water and when Percy looked, he saw a glowing figure approaching him. It was a woman, who glowed a vibrant blue. "Your father sent me to tell you, it's alright. Just breathe."

       Percy held his breath as he struggled, he bent down trying to free his foot until he saw a lock of golden hair pass by him. He looked up, seeing Andie floating by lifelessly. Percy's eyes widened, grabbing hold of Andie and pulling her close. 

        "Your father is here. He's always been here." 

        He looked at her face, seeing some scraps and cuts on it from her fight with the chimera and he also noticed that her shoulder was popped disgustingly out of place.

        "It's so hard for him to stand back. To see you struggle." 

        Percy laid his head on Andie's chest, trying to listen for her heartbeat but he couldn't hear anything with the water in his ears. 

        "It's so hard for us all. But he's here. And he's so very proud." 

       Finally, Percy decided to check her pulse in her neck and for a second Percy wanted to scream but then he felt a faint thump in her neck and when he looked at her face, she saw her eyes moving under her closed lids. 

       "Trust him." The woman commanded and Percy looked up, still holding onto Andie. "Trust yourself. Just...breathe." 

        Percy didn't want too, but there was something deep down that told him he'd be okay, so he took a deep breath in. He expected his lungs to fill with water and for him to choke but it felt like just normal breathing and Percy sighed in relief.

        The woman smiled whispering something about going to Santa Monica before she disappeared and Percy quickly freed his foot from the rock before, he grabbed Andie's good arm and swam up to the water's surface. He popped out on the shore right near the end of the boardwalk and pulled Andie onto the sand. 

        Percy put his hand on her neck to feel her pulse and sighed in relief when he could feel it, he went to go do CPR on her but the second his hand touched her chest, water came shooting out from her mouth and her eyes shot open as she began to cough. She leaned over on her side and coughed into the sand, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. 

        "Am I dead?" Andie asked allowed and Percy couldn't help but laugh. 

        "Not yet anyway." He replied and she turned, staring at him for a moment before she threw her arms around him. She had basically tackled him into a bear hug as he laughed on the ground. "Hey, hey, I appreciate the 'thank you' hug, but you have to be careful of your shoulder."

        It was as if him saying that brought her back to reality because she quickly looked down at her shoulder and bit back a scream. Percy watched as she reached over with her other hand and cracked it back into place with a yelp, making Percy's eyes widen. 

        "You're crazy." Percy said as he watched Andie rub her shoulder. 

        "Crazy to get away from the water and the sky." Andie said as she scrambled up, using her good arm to help Percy up and soon they had heaved themselves over onto the board walk just as their friends came into view.

        "Percy! Andie!" Grover shouted as he and Annabeth ran over. 

        "Hi." Percy smiled and then immediately remembered what he had done to Annabeth. "Look, I'm sorry about shoving you in the stairwell. Even hearing myself say that sounds really bad, but I just knew you'd never agree and there wasn't enough time and I'm sorry for somehow pulling Andie in-

        Annabeth cut him off with a hug which surprised Percy a lot, but he hugged her back. He looked to his right and saw Grover and Andie hugged before they let go and Grover put her magical healing wrap onto her shoulder to let her heal it. 

        It seemed as though Annabeth realized what she was doing, and she quickly let go of Percy, going over to Andie and hugged her tightly who yelped as she had touched her bad shoulder that she was trying to heal. 

        "So, you're not as dead as we thought you'd be." Grover said and Percy smirked.

        "Surprise." He replied. 

        "That was a negative one million out of ten experience. I never want to do that ever again." Andie spoke, tying her wrap around her arm since she had finished healing her arm. 

        "What happened?" Annabeth asked. 

        "Short version, we need to go to Santa Monica." Percy replied and he watched as the rest of them knit their eyebrows together. 

        "Okay, uh, just one problem with that." Grover said and he pointed over his shoulder. Percy looked seeing tons of police cars, firetrucks, and ambulances as well as multiple news companies all surrounding the arch which was releasing a dark black smoke. "The police think that we crashed an Amtrak train and then did that." 

        "The cops are after us?" Percy asked. 

        "Jeez, I thought that water would've healed your brain too. The cops have been after us since the bus incident, fish boy." Andie said and Percy rolled his eyes. 

        "I knew that." 

        "Did you? Did you know that?"

        "I just saved your life, and this is how you repay me?" 

        "You wouldn't have had to save my life if you were such an idiot-

        "Guys!" Grover cut in, glaring at the two. "I thought we talked about the arguing." 

       "Sorry, Grover." The two chorused. 

        "Now, we can't get any trains or buses, or anything so let's go. Now. We have to start walking."