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chapter x.
( the lightning thief )
❝ the fall ❞

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      I REMEMBERED HEARING SOMEWHERE that hitting water from a high distance is like hitting concrete. But when Percy and I did hit the water, all I felt was freezing cold. To say that the water of the Mississipi River just splashed when we went under is an understatement. We created a small wave of water that crashed against the banks and washed up rubbish onto the sand.

      I didn't feel any pain. Maybe it was because of the shock, or maybe the cold disguised it. Maybe I was too focused on the horrible smell that filled my nose or the dirty water that got into my mouth.

      I still clung onto Percy tightly as we drifted slowly down to the bottom of the river. I refused to open my eyes, as I didn't think it would be good for my health if I did so. I already got some of the horrible, dirty water in my mouth, I don't want to ruin my body even more.

      But that was when I realised that my body wasn't aching, and my shoulder wasn't burning. I couldn't feel the poison swimming through my veins anymore. I peeked my eyes open, and I didn't feel the water rush towards them. In fact, I was completely dry. Around me, was a bubble of air large enough to fit Percy and me inside. I took a breath, and I nearly panicked. I could breathe. I didn't understand it, I could breathe underwater.

      I glanced to Percy. He must have been doing this. It must have been his powers that kept me safe along with him. I caught his sea-green eyes, and I realised that I was still holding onto him. In an instant, I pushed myself away. The bubble broke, and the water came rushing at me. My eyes stung and my clothes soon became drenched.

      I quickly started to kick my legs and pull myself upwards towards the surface of the water. When I thought my lungs would burst, I resurfaced, gasping.

      I glanced around. The Eads Bridge was a few feet away, and not one mortal that passed the streets along the shore seemed to notice a soaking demigod in the water. I felt a little bad leaving Percy alone in the murky water below, but he was the Son of Poseidon, and I felt that he needed to be by himself in this moment.

      I sighed and started to make my way to the shore, and when I neared, I could see Annabeth and Grover waving me over. When I reached them, they helped me from the water. Annabeth pulled me into a hug and Grover let out a long sigh of relief. I pulled away from the hug and I looked to the Arch. Helicopters had surrounded the burning building. Every emergency vehicle in St Louis surrounded the Arch. A large crowd of onlookers pushed and shoved each other to see what was happening. I swallowed hard. I hoped the family and park ranger were all right.

      "What happened!" Annabeth demanded. "We leave you and Percy alone for one second. Did you two try to kill each other or something?!"

      I shook my head, feeling suddenly tired. "T-there was a Chimera ... we fell ... two hundred feet ..."

      "Two hundred?!"

      "Where's Percy?" Grover said.

      "He's still in the water," I pointed back to the river. "He ... he saved me."

      I glanced back to the water, and at this moment, I started to have a whole new regard for Percy Jackson. It was hard to explain, but, after someone saved your life, you would feel it too. Somethings you go through you can't not come out together as friends. I may still be hesitant to the idea, but we were getting somewhere.

      Annabeth pursed her lips, taking my hand. "Come on, let's see the commotion."

      I knew we had found Percy when I heard the little girl point excitedly to the water and say to her mother, "Mama! That boy walked out of the river!"

      "That's nice, dear," her mother said, craning her neck to watch the ambulances.

      "But he's dry!"

      "That's nice, dear."

      At those words, I shoved through the crowd, not caring to apologise. Annabeth and Grover did for me.

      A news lady was talking for the camera: "Probably not a terrorist attack, we're told, but it's still very early in the investigation. The damage, as you can see, is very serious. We're trying to get some of the survivors, to question them about eyewitness reports of two people falling from the Arch."

      Survivors. A surge of relief washed over me. So the boy, his parents and the park ranger was alive. I breathed a smile. I continued to push through the crowd, craning my neck over the shoulders of adults to look for Percy.

      "... an adolescent boy and girl," another reporter was saying. "Channel Five has learned that surveillance cameras show an adolescent boy and girl going wild on the observation deck, somehow setting off this freak explosion. Hard to believe, John, but that's what we're hearing. Again, no confirmed fatalities ..."

      That was when I saw Percy, and Annabeth, Grover and I rushed towards him. He was standing amongst the crowd, backing away and keeping his head down.

      "Perrr-cy!" Grover bleated.

      He turned and got tackled into a bear hug by Grover. Annabeth and I stopped behind him. "We thought you'd gone to Hades the hard way!"

      I stared at Percy. I didn't know what to do. Was a simple thank you enough? He had saved my life, how could I answer to that? Annabeth glared at him, trying to look angry, but she was so relieved it didn't work.

      "We can't leave you and Claire alone for five minutes!" She said. "What happened?"

      "We sort of fell," Percy replied.

      "Percy! Two hundred metres?"

      I stepped forward towards Percy awkwardly. I tried to say something, but it ended up more like this: "I-I-I – well – I mean – I-I guess ... w-well ..." I felt myself growing warm. Should I hug him? Fall to my knees screaming for his thanks?

      Definitely not that last one.

      I took a deep breath and instead held out my hand to Percy. He gave a small smile and took it. "Thanks," I told him awkwardly. "For saving my life, I mean."

      Percy's ears went pink. "I-It was no big deal."

      I nodded, feeling my stomach spin and my cheeks heat up. I was glad when behind us, a cop shouted, "Gangway!" I slipped my hand from Percy's grasp and watched as the crowd parted. A couple of paramedics hustled out, rolling a woman on a stretcher. I recognised her immediately as the mother of the little boy, and I let out a sigh of relief. They were safe.

      "And then this huge dog, this huge fire-breathing Chihuahua –" She was saying.

      "Okay, ma'am," the paramedic said. "Just calm down. Your family is fine. The medication is starting to kick in."

      "I'm not crazy! This boy jumped out of the hole after his friend and the monster disappeared!" Then she saw me and Percy. "There they are! That's the boy and his friend!"

       Percy and I quickly ducked our heads and pulled Annabeth and Grover after us. We disappeared into the crowd.

      "What's going on?" Annabeth demanded. "Was she talking about the Chihuahua on the elevator?"

      Percy and I told the whole story from meeting Echidna and her son Chimera and the fall. Then Percy went on about his talk with an underwater lady's message from his father.

       "Whoa," Grover said. "We've got to get you to Santa Monica! You can't ignore a summons from your dad."

       Before Annabeth or I could respond, we passed another reporter doing a news break, and we all almost froze in our place when he said, "Percy Jackson. That's right, Dan. Channel Twelve has learned that the boy who may have caused this explosion fits the description of a young man wanted by authorities for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago. We have also found out identification of the mysterious young woman at his side: Claire Moore from Miami, Florida. And the boy and girl are believed to be travelling west. For our viewers at home, here are two photos of Percy Jackson and Claire Moore."

      I cursed under my breath as we ducked around the news van and slipped into an alley.

      "First things first," Percy told Grover. "We've got to get out of town!"

      Somehow, we made it back to the Amtrack station without getting spotted. We got on board the train just before it pulled out for Denver. The train trundled west as darkness fell, police lights still pulsing against the St Louis skyline behind us.

*

      THE NEXT AFTERNOON, June 14, seven days before the solstice, our train rolled into Denver. We hadn't eaten since the night before in the dining car, somewhere in Kansas, and I was starving. We hadn't taken a shower either since Half-Blood Hill, and I was pretty sure that was obvious.

      "Let's try and contact Chiron," Annabeth said. "I want to tell him about your talk with the river spirit."

      "Good idea," I agreed with her. "He needs to know."

      "We can't use phones, right?" Percy said helplessly, I flashed him a cheeky grin.

      "She wasn't talking about phones."

      We wandered through downtown for about half an hour, and my stomach grumbled every time we passed a restaurant or café. The air was hot and dry, which felt weird after the humidity of St Louis. Everywhere we turned, the Rocky Mountains seemed to stare at us, like a tidal wave about to crash into the city.

      Finally, we found an empty do-it-yourself car wash. We veered towards the stall furthest from the street, keeping a look out for police patrol cars. We were four adolescents hanging out at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure we were up to no good, quoted by the kept brain Percy himself.

      "What exactly are we doing?" He asked as Grover took out the spray gun.

      "It's seventy-five cents," he grumbled. "I've only got two quarters left. Annabeth?"

      "Don't look at me," she said. "The dining car wiped me out."

      Grover looked to me, and I shook my head. "Nope, I used it up when we went up the Arch."

      Percy fished out his last bit of change and passed Grover a quarter.

      "Excellent," Grover said. "We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection isn't as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping."

      "What are you talking about?" Percy frowned.

      He fed in the quarters and set the knob to fine mist. "I-M'ing."

      "Instant messaging?"

      "Iris-messaging," I corrected. "The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If you know how to ask, and she's not too busy, she'll do the same for half-bloods."

      "You summon the goddess with a spray gun?"

      I rolled my eyes.

      Grover pointed the nozzle in the air and water hissed out in a thick white mist. The afternoon light filtered through the vapour and broke into colours. "Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow."

      Annabeth held her palm to Percy. "Drachma, please."

      He handed one over.

      She raised the coin over her head. "O goddess, accept our offering."

      She threw the drachma into the rainbow. It disappeared in a golden shimmer.

      "Half-Blood Hill," Annabeth requested.

      For a moment, nothing happened. Then Camp Half-blood shimmered into view. The strawberry fields shone in the afternoon sun, and I could see Long Island Sound in the distance. We seemed to be on the porch of the Big House. Standing with his back to us at the railing was a sandy-blond haired buy in shorts and an orange tank top. He was holding a bronze sword and seemed to be staring intently at something down in the meadow. I grinned.

      "Luke!" I called.

      He turned, his eyes wide. His scarred face broke out into a grin when he saw me. "Claire!" He said. "Percy! Is that Annabeth, too? Thank the gods! Are you guys okay?"

      "We're ... uh ... fine," Annabeth stammered. She was madly straitening her dirty T-shirt, and trying to comb the loose hair out of her face. I stifled a giggle. "We thought – Chiron – I mean –"

      "He's down at the cabins." Luke's smile faded. "We're having some issues with the campers. Listen, is everything cool with you? Is Grover all right?"

      "I'm right here," Grover called. He held the nozzle out to one side and stepped into Luke's line of vision. "What kind of issues?"

      Just then a big Lincoln Continental pulled into the car wash with its stereo turned to maximum volume. As the car slid into the next stall, the bass from the subwoofers vibrated so much, it shook the pavement.

      "Chiron had to – what's that noise?" Luke yelled.

      "I'll take care of it!" Annabeth yelled back, looking very grateful to have an excuse to get out of sight. "Grover, Claire, come on!"

      I frowned. "Hey, wait –"

      I had no choice, Annabeth took my hand and dragged me to my feet. Grover protested as well.

      "What?" He said. "But –"

      "Give Percy the nozzle and come on!" Annabeth ordered.

      Grover muttered something about girls being harder to understand than the Oracle at Delphi. I glared and smacked his arm as he handed Percy the spray gun. I barely had time to say goodbye to Luke before Annabeth pulled us away.

      I could just hear, "Chiron had to break up a fight ..." before we disappeared into the next stall.

      I saw the man who was washing his car. His vehicle's door was wide open and the music blared out. He was tall with dark hair and a leather jacket with an AC/DC shirt on with black jeans and studded boots. He had tats that could be seen on his neck. I crossed my arms at him.

      "Turn the music down!" I shouted at him, and he turned to look at me, Grover and Annabeth. He frowned, possibly wondering what three twelve-year-olds were doing in a car wash before he let out a grin.

      "And what are you gonna do about that, huh?" He taunted. I glanced to Annabeth and Grover, my brow arched.

      I was clutching my sides as the man screamed and got back into his car, speeding away. Grover shouted something as he left and slipped back on his fake feet and cap. Annabeth howled with laughter as well and the three of us made our way back to the stall where Percy was talking to Luke.

      But our happy moment was gone when we saw Percy's face. Luke was gone, the spray bottle laid limp in Percy's hand.

      My smile faded. "What happened, Percy?" I asked him. "What did Luke say?"

      "Not much," he replied, but I could tell he was lying. He wasn't really good at it, he was almost as bad as Grover. "Come on, let's find some dinner."

a/n: short chapter, sorry, but I wanted the talk with Ares to have its own chapter.