Melancholy Kaleidescope | PJO

Ch. 8: Disaster Train Ride

Toward the end of their second day of the train, just eight days before the solstice, they passed through some golden hills and over the Mississippi River into St. Louis.

It was mid morning. The four of them sat at a booth in one of the train cars. Percy and Jinora sat on one side, with Jinora sitting by the window. Grover sat across from her and Annabeth across from Percy.

Jinora reached over the table and tapped Annabeth's hand, pointing out the window at the arch in the distance. Annabeth grinned at the structure.

"I want to do that," she sighed.

"What," Percy asked. Jinora listened as she watched the city come more into view.

"Build something like that," Annabeth answered him. "You ever see the Parthenon, Percy?"

He shrugged. "Only in pictures."

"Someday, I'm going to see it in person," she determined. "I'm going to build the greatest monument to the gods, ever. Something that'll last a thousand years."

Percy let out a short laugh. "You, an architect?"

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes, an architect. Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down. Unlike a certain god I know."

She paused for a moment before apologizing. "Sorry, that was mean."

Before he could say anything, an officer walked up to their table. "Excuse me. Can I see your tickets, please?"

Annabeth, who had been holding onto the tickets, pulled them out of the backpack and handed them to the man in uniform. He looked over the tickets then back at the woman, who Jinora assumed to be his partner.

"You're in cabin 17B?"

The four of them eyed each other nervously before Jinora answered. "Um...yes?"

The man asked them to come with him. He led them down the halls and through the doors separating the train cars. Finally, they got to the door of their cabin. When they looked in, the window had been smashed in and the cabin had been torn apart.

"You want to explain?"

"Wait, you think we did this," Percy asked as he looked from the messed-up room back to the officer.

The officer seemed to grow more irritated. It was clear that he'd already made up his mind. "Did you?"

"How could we have done this," Jinora asked. "And why would we?"

"Sir," Grover cut in. "When we left to get breakfast, everything was intact. We don't know how this happened."

The officer grumbled something under his breath before turning. "We have a witness here who says she heard the window smash and heard children's voices."

"Oh, come on."

"Can you tell me what time you left the cabin," the officer asked.

Jinora went to answer when Annabeth held her hand up and looked up at the officer. "Are we under arrest?"

The officer clenched his jaw and turned toward Annabeth. "I don't think you want to take that tone with me, little girl."

Grover had to grab Jinora by her shoulder to keep her from doing anything stupid. Annabeth straightened her posture and asked again.

"Are we under arrest?"

The short answer: technically, no. But they were detained, and they were being monitored at a booth in an empty train car. The two officers and the lady who claimed to be a witness were the only other people with them, along with a travel carry-on for pets.