The lost sister: A Caspian Jackson story

Talking to the waterlady about what happens next

Annabeth had a crazy idea; we got into a taxi (Grover was stuck next to the driver), and Annabeth told him Los Angeles. He looked at her as if she were crazy.

"That's 300 miles, a drive like that you gotta pay up front." Percy pulled the Lotus Casino card out of his back pocket and i looked down ashamed. I let some random hotel/casino/thingie drug me and kidnap me for five days.

"You accept casino debit cards?" Percy said slyly, hoping the man would accept and we could get to Hades before tomorrow. I really didn't want to go to hell today, but I guess that's where we're going. The man shrugged and pulled the cigar out of his mouth.

"Some of em'. Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe em' through first." Annabeth took the card from Percy and the man swiped it. His eyes widened and he looked at Annabeth with a look of fear. Which i thought was funny; a grown man being terrified of Annabeth Chase. Then i realized i too was terrified of Annabeth Chase. I can see how Athena is her mother...

"W-Where to in Los Angeles... your-your highness?" Annabeth sat up straighter and grinned as she proudly spoke-

"The Santa Monica Pier. Get there fast, and you can keep the change." She shouldn't have said that. The man put the car in drive and hit the gas; we kept in the high 90's the whole drive. Percy told all of us his story about his dream he had while i was basically unconscious. I could see the gears working in Annabeth's eyes as Percy spoke and i really hoped they would start dating soon. This is so hard to watch!

"The Silent One? The Rich One? Both are nicknames for Hades." Percy looked down and played with his pen and i silently prayed we didn't it a bump that made him lose the cap. I really do want to keep my head today.

"That throne room sounds like Hades'." Grover turned to us from the front. Percy shook his head and i gave him my ring to fidget with. I had learned a couple years ago that this was just a fancy anxiety ring. He looked at me confused.

"Put it on and spin it around." He put it on his ring finger, hesitantly and used his thumb to twirl it. The ring spun and i watched his eyes light up as his brain finally had something to do with all the extra energy. I decided to bounce my leg and mess with my necklace.

"Somethings wrong, the throne wasn't the main part of my dream. And that voice from the pit-" He shivered as he continued, "it doesn't feel like a God's voice." Annabeth's eyes widened and i turned to her with a 'tell me or else I'll haunt your dreams' expression.

"Oh... nothing. I just- No. It HAS to be Hades. Maybe he sent this thief, this invisible person, to get the Master Bolt, and something went wrong." I adjusted myself to see her face better (I should have specified- She's on the far-left seat, then Percy in the middle, and myself on the right).

"Like what?" Annabeth shrugged and rolled her head. I heard a pop and assumed she popped her neck.

"I don't know. But if he stole Zeus's symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods were hunting him, i mean, a lot of things can go wrong. So, his thief had to hide the bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway-" I forget that Annabeth also has ADHD and Dyslexia. She's so smart and brave, but she's still like me, she gets sidetracked.

"To threaten Hades." HOLY JESUS GODS! I TUNED THEM OUT! YOU'RE AN IDIOT, CASPIAN!

"You have evil thoughts for a goat." Percy cat-called Grover, who blushed and mumbled a small 'thank you'. Annabeth looked dazed and worried, scratch that- terrified.

"But the thing in the pit said it was waiting for two items. If the Master Bolt is one, then what's the other?" Percy looked at Annabeth, then slowly asked her his next question. "You have an idea what may be in that pit, don't you? I mean if it isn't Hades." I felt like i didn't belong, I've been unconscious or zoned out for almost all these conversations.