Stay Right Here

xx

Hadley's guard started to laugh, but Hadley mumbled, "So dizzy." She fell backward and her guard lost her grip on Hadley's arm. 

"Not so funny now, huh Gracie?"

Gracie scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Lulu!" Doris yelled. "Help us with these lame girls."

The third guard jogged over and the one standing above Hadley sighed, "This is ridiculous." She grabbed Hadley's ankle and started pulling her toward the cages.

Hadley tilted her head back and watched the guards approach Hazel. Before they could haul her to her feet, she yelled, "Ooooh!" and flattened herself against the catwalk

Doris started to say, "Oh, give me a-"

The entire pallet of jewelry exploded with a sound like a thousand slot machines hitting the jackpot. Hadley closed her eyes as the jewelry flew in her direction and she felt the guard drop her leg. A tidal wave of silver friendship bracelets poured across the catwalk, washing Doris, Lulu, and Gracie right over the railing.

They would have fallen to their deaths but a new swarm of friendship bracelets lashed around their ankles, leaving them hanging upside down from the bottom of the catwalk, screaming like lame girls.

Hadley broke her bonds easily and got to her feet. Hazel stood only a couple of paces behind her, holding one of the guards' spears and they both turned toward the final guard.

"Should I kill you from here?" Hazel snarled, stepping forward to stand next to Hadley. "Or are you going to make me come over there?"

The guard glanced at Hadley who shrugged. "A kinder offer than I would give."

The guard turned and ran.

Hazel shouted over the side to Doris and Lulu. "Amazon cards! Pass them up, unless you want me to undo those friendship bracelets and let you drop!"

Hadley laughed and draped an arm over her shoulder. "I love you, Hazel."

A few seconds later, they had two Amazon cards. They rushed to the cages and Hazel swiped a card. The doors popped open.

Frank stared at Hazel in astonishment. "Hazel, that was... amazing."

Percy nodded. "I will never wear jewelry again."

"Except this," Hadley tossed him his necklace. "Our stuff is at the end of the catwalk."

"We should hurry," Hazel said. "Pretty soon-"

Alarms began wailing throughout the cavern.

"Yeah," she said, "that'll happen. Let's go!"

🌊 

The first part of the escape was easy. They retrieved their things with no problem. The second part was fun. They started climbing down the ladder. Every time Amazons swarmed beneath them, demanding their surrender, Hazel made a crate of jewelry explode, burying their enemies in a Niagra Falls of gold and silver. Hadley couldn't help but laugh every time. When they got to the bottom of the ladder, they found a scene that looked like Hadley's fifth birthday- where her dad had foolishly given her a jar of glitter with no supervision- and Armageddon. Amazons trapped up to their necks in bead necklaces, several more upside down in a mountain of amethyst earrings, and a battle forklift buried in silver charm bracelets.

"You, Hazel Levesque," Frank said, "are entirely freaking incredible."

Hadley wasn't sure what Hazel would have done if they weren't in the middle of an escape, but she didn't have time to worry about it as they ran back to the throne room.