Missing Pieces

Chapter 5

I woke up with a start. I looked over at Percy to see him awake.

"Nightmares?" he asked me. I nodded. "Yeah, I had one too. Is that Grover talking to a pink poodle?" I followed Percy's gaze to see what he was looking at, to see Grover talking to a pink poodle.

"Grover, why are you talking to a pink poodle?" I asked him.

"This poodle is our ticket west," Grover replied.

"You can talk to poodles?" Percy asked him.

"Satyr powers be nice," Grover shot him a look. "Gladiola this is Percy and Val. Percy and Val, meet Gladiola the poodle."

"Hello Gladiola," I smiled and went over to pet the poodle.

"I'm not saying hi to a poodle," Percy said.

"Percy, I said hi to the poodle," Annabeth said. "You say hi to the poodle."

"Yeah Percy, don't be mean," I said. The poodle growled at Percy.

"Okay Okay, hello Gladiola," Percy said. I laughed at the look on his face.

Then Grover explained how he came across Gladiola in the woods. The poodle had run away from a rich family who'd posted $200 reward for his return. He didn't want to go back to his family, but he was willing to if it meant helping Grover.

"How'd Gladiola know about the reward?" Percy asked.

"He read the signs," he said.

"Oh, yeah."
"So the plan is," Annabeth explained. "We get money and we buy tickets to Los Angeles."

"Not another bus," I said.

"Nope," Annabeth replied, as she pointed towards a train track. "There is an Amtrak station half a mile away. The westbound train leaves at noon."

After we turned in Gladiola, we bought tickets and then got on the train. Then we spent the next two days, heading west. We passed through hills, and trees, and rivers, and lakes.

Percy's name and picture were splattered over the front pages of the newspapers.

The picture caption read:

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 assaulted several elderly women. The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy maybe traveling with three companions. His stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture.

"Don't worry, mortal police will never be able to find us," Annabeth reassured him.

It was now night time, and we all tried to doze off in our sleeps. I tried to fall asleep, but I couldn't so I just stared out of the window.

Then after a while, Percy woke up. "Can't sleep?" he asked me. I shook my head. Then it was quiet for a while until Annabeth spoke up.

"Who wants your help?" Annabeth asked Percy.

"What do you mean?"

"When you were asleep just now, you mumbled 'I won't help you," who wants your help?"

Percy told Annabeth and I about the dream he just had about an evil voice from a pit. I frowned.

"That doesn't sound like hades," Annabeth said. "Hades always appears on a black throne and he never laughs."

"He offered my mother in trade. Who else would do that?"
"Why would he ask you to bring him the lightning bolt, if he already has it? Percy, you can't barter with Hades. He's deceitful, greedy, and heartless."