The Daughter of Poseidon

Ch. 17

                          Percy and Annabeth left after patting me on the back for killing the monster. Frank and Leo did the same. Everyone is gone except Nico. He still has our flag, shining bright. He sighs and walks over to where I'm sitting, "What did you pick up?" He asks me, "After, the monster died." 

                         He sits down and I give him the card, "Just this stupid jack of clubs. I don't even know what it's for." 

                         Nico flips the card in his pale hands, looking over every detail, "Who gave it to you?" 

                         I think about telling him, and I'm not going to until I just spill out, "Ever since I came here." I start off, "There's been this weird voice that comes into my head at random times and says things. When I do something bad it says bad move. When I did something good, well it gave me this card. It's like a chess game or something." 

                         Nico ponders on the chess idea. I'm desperate to start a different topic when the thought of the little door in the gym comes to my mind, "Nico," I quietly say, "Can I ask you something?" 

                         Nico looks away from the card and I stare at his death black eyes, "Yes." He mummers. 

                        "While Annabeth was practicing with me in the area, gym, thing, I saw a little door. Just a tiny one, under the towels and water table. Do you know anything about it?" 

                         Nico stands up, "I'll tell you what I know." He says, "But first, lets go clean up your arm." 

                        I follow him looking at arm. It was bloody but not horrible. I follow him threw the woods and we come out near the cabins. He leads me to the infirmary where I get my arm cleaned up. I sit back in my little bed and think about the card. 

                        Nico's standing next to me, "About the door..." he starts, "It's mine."

                        "What?" I ask, rubbing the bandage on my arm.

                        "It's not always easy," he says, "getting to the underworld. That's how I get there, to see my sister." 

                        Bianca. The name pops in my head, "But I thought... well, Annabeth told me that Bian-" 

                       "Yes." Nico says sturdily, "Bi- Bianca is dead. My da- well Hades recently gave me privileges to see her. Only for a certain amount of time, but still." 

                        "Oh." I whisper. 

                         We sit in silence for a few minutes then we leave the infirmary and Nico goes away, he doesn't tell me where he's going, and I go back to the Poseidon cabin. 

                         Percy isn't there when I walk in. I plop down on my bed and take out the card. A prize. The words keep ringing in my head. I sit up and stare at it's card looking at every separate detail. "I don't understand!" I say aloud in frustration, "What are you!?" 

                         In anger I walk to the trash can and tear the card in half throwing it in the trash. As I sit back down on my bed I hear a crash in the trash can. Pieces of the trash can fly towards me. As I look up I see my sword. Sitting on the ground. I thought I had left it in the woods. But no, it's sitting there. The two card  pieces gone. 

                         I'm about to get up with the card appears next to me. The same card! The card that I ripped up and threw in the trash. I stare in amazement. I pick up the card and rip it again. Throwing the pieces on the ground. Suddenly the sword disappears and reappears where I had ripped the card a second time. Then the card appears next to me. Again.