Suspected Terrorists

《27》

So sorry it's late guys. I actually have no excuse I just completely forgot. :-/

《<>》

Rachel

I picked up my paintbrush and stared at the blank canvas for at least five minutes. I was stuck. My usually vibrant artistic expression seemed, blocked. I knew what this meant. It was time for Rachel Elizabeth Dare to go away.

I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. I loosened my grip on the paintbrush and trapped myself in meditation. "Come on Oracle," I told myself, "what is it you want to show me?"

Suddenly my hand flew to the canvas and glided across it, leaving a trail of paint. I opened my eyes and watched as the brush painted flowing black swirls across the white background. I moved the brush from the canvas and dipped it in a new, unknown paint. Suddenly the canvas was covered in sharp, red lines. Next colour, yellow. Then purple. Then orange. Then grey. Then...nothing. My now aching hand dropped the brush and fell limp at my side. I stood back and admired my work. I tried to figure out what it was. As abstract as the oracle was, when I painted, it usually made sense to me. I stepped closer, identifying individual shapes. Maybe a hand? Claws? I could see the shadow of a body. A figure of sorts. But it was strange. Like there were faces hidden in the skin. But the body had no face of it's own. The figure seemed to draw everything else inward. Forcing your focus on it. The cave seemed colder than it did before. Like the heat was drawn into the painting.

"Rachel," a voice called from the entrance. A voice I knew quite well.

"Come in Percy," I yelled back. I took off my apron and threw it over the chair then undid my ponytail and let my frizzy mess free over my shoulders.

Percy and Annabeth walked in with the crew (minus Jason and Leo) trailing behind them. "Hey guys. Frank, Hazel, it's good to see you."

They smiled and greeted me. Percy began to speak.
"Hey Rachel, we kind of need some help."

I rolled my eyes. "Obviously. What d'ya need?"

"We kinda need a..." he froze mid sentence. His eyes locked into something behind me and widened in...fear? He clutched Annabeth's hand tighter. I looked at her and saw she had frozen in fear too. Staring at something behind me. They both seemed scarily pale.

"Guys?" I clicked my fingers in front of their faces to try and get a reaction. Nothing. I signalled the others who came over.

"What's wrong with them?" Asked Hazel worriedly.

"They seem...petrified," Piper whispered, confused and a little scared herself.

"What in here could they possibly be scared of?" Asked Frank.

"I dunno. I honestly have no idea," I told them.

"Hey guys," an overly annoying voice called. "Do we have a super simple, understandable prophecy yet?"

"We're in the middle of something Leo," I yelled as he walked in with his arm around Calypso.

"What's going..." he paused when he noticed Annabeth and Percy had not turned to glance at him. "Are they okay?"

"We don't know," I said.