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( Chapter Nine ━━━ There Is A Swelling Storm ! )
Almost immediately after jumping off of the Arch, I came to terms with death. I was going to have to sooner or later and I figured it was better to do it before Percy and I smacked into the water of the Mississippi. Then, I thought something more rational: AHHHHHHHHH!
Percy's grip on my hand was nearly tight enough to break it. I'm sure mine on his wasn't much looser as the river raced toward us like a train. As soon as we hit the water, we would probably die fairly quickly.
Well, I thought that anyway. The impact was soft as if the water had caught us, cradling us like we were babies again. Percy and I sank through the murk of the Mississippi, settling on the bottom of the river. Silt and trash floated around us.
It took me a few moments to notice that I could no longer feel the Chimera's poison and the flames on my clothes had gone out. I was also completely dry. I could feel the water around me, it was cold. When I touched my clothes, they were perfectly dry.
Percy found a cigarette lighter. When he flicked it, a tiny flame appeared. At the bottom of the Mississippi River, the lighter sparked and formed a flame. He grabbed a soggy McDonald's hamburger wrapper. When he picked it up, the paper dried and he lit it with no problem. As soon as Percy let it go, it became soaked again.
I already knew I could breathe perfectly fine underwater, but I'm sure it was a big shock to Percy. It freaked me out found when I first figured it out too.
Gently, I let out a sigh of relief. We should have been dead, both of us. The fact that we were still breathing was a miracle. A women's voice I had never heard before found it's way into my head: Kids, what do you say?
Percy must've heard it too because he glanced at me. "Thank you... Father," we said at the same time.
Why did our dad save me? Did he really care for me all that much? I mean, I was grateful and all. I liked that I hadn't died at fourteen. Percy and I hadn't stood a chance against the Chimera. It was too powerful and no amount of training could have prepared anyone except for the best of heroes for that battle. Percy and I were no heroes, no matter what anyone said.
A riverboat passed above us, making the river darker. Not even five feet away, the hilts of our swords were glimmering as the blades were embedded in the mud.
The woman's voice worked its way back into our heads: Children, take the swords. Your father believes in you. I knew I wasn't imagining it now. Her words rippled through the water around us as Percy and I looked around, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.
"Where are you?" Percy called out to the voice.
Right after, in the murk of the water, we spotted her. She was the same color as the water, seemingly transparent, how you would expect a ghost to be. She had long hair and though her eyes were barely visible, they were as blue as the ocean. They were the same as Percy's, the same as mine when they changed color.
