Trapped | ✓

Chapter 20

Things got less boring when I started getting visitors. Piper opened the door and came straight over and sat on my bed.

"Hey," she said.

"I'm bored," I complained, stretching out the word. She laughed.

"Look, what my mom said to you-"

"How would you know what she said?"

"I can take a wild guess," she winked. "Anyway, kid of the messenger god has made me the messenger," she said rolling her eyes. "Big chicken out there told me to come in to tell you that he really likes you, blah, blah, blah."

"Gee, thanks Pipes."

She laughed. "Maybe he didn't quite say it like that. I am serious, though."

"Seriously?" I giggled.

"Yes, I'm seriously serious," Piper laughed back. "But, you like him back, right? Even before we left for the quest, I saw how much time you'd spent together. You're definitely both so into each other."

I slowly broke into a grin. "Yeah. Maybe."

So, technically I got to accomplish every fangirl's wildest dream. I'm dating a fictional character! I'll spare you the cringey details, mostly because although it was cute, I was really awkward and I'm not about to tell you about that.

Plus, you're probably saying, hey Emily! I don't care about your love life! I wanna know how you get home! You're still trapped in that world, right?

Well, kiddos, shut up, I'm getting to that. In fact, I'm getting to that right now.

Around an hour later, a camper I didn't recognise came in to tell me Chiron wanted me. I left immediately, glad for an excuse to go.
I met Chiron in front of the big house, who was stood there with Rachel, the Oracle.

"Hey," I said. "What is it?"

"We got ourselves some answers," Rachel said, breaking into a grin.

"But," Chiron interjected. "It's complicated."

"I'm not really bothered for complications at this point, as long as it works. I'd just really like to get home please," I said tiredly.

Chiron chuckled. "Of course, of course. Well, you can get home, but not completely."

"Huh? What, do I have to leave an arm or a leg behind? What if we go with a toe? I don't really need ten toes, do I?" I babbled.

"It's not quite a body part, as such. It's more like the whole thing?"

"Huh?" I said again. "What does that mean?"

"Well, each time you go into a different book, your soul, or at least part of it, can't leave. You can make it so part of your soul stays and the rest of it goes, so theoretically, splitting your soul apart."

"Like Voldemort? Cool!"

"Uh, sure. It's like making, ah, clones. A new body will be formed for each part of the soul, and you can split your soul as many times as you want, and each will create a new body which stays in the book."

"Right."

"So about actually leaving," Rachel said. "I can manage that. Ready to go?"

"Can I say goodbyes first?"

"Well, I mean, technically you'll be staying anyway, but you'd want to tell them, I suppose."

I rushed off to find my friends. Most of the people I wanted to address was conveniently gathered around the unlit campfire, chatting. I explained everything to them, and they were elated for me.

"So I can go home, but I'm also staying! It's perfect!"

Percy grinned. "I finally have a sister. And not even a half-sister, but my actual sister, and it's not temporary," he smiled, and I could see tears glistening in his eyes. Mine started to fill up too, and I hugged him tight.

I then proceeded to find Connor, as he was the only one not there at the time. I told him, and he was pretty happy too.

"So I'm not actually leaving," I said with a grin. "Yay!"

"That's good news," he said happily. I hugged him tightly, before heading back over to Chiron near the top of Half-Blood Hill.

When it was time for me to leave, there was a cluster of my friends, gathered to see me off. Well, part of me, anyway. It was confusing, no doubt.

"Ready?" Rachel asked. I nodded. "Okay, so you've got to think of home really hard, and I'll do the rest, alright?"

I did as she instructed, and suddenly a thin layer of mist seemed to surround me closely, just like in the vision I had had upon my arrival.

Suddenly I blinked and I was lying on the floor, my face on a book. I looked around - definitely my bedroom.

I wondered how I could 'go back' to Camp Half-Blood, so I focused really hard, as Rachel had instructed me to do moments before, and suddenly I found myself back, stood with Piper and Annabeth, chatting. I was sure in the very back of my head I had heard their voices, and realised it was this conversation.

"So can you hear us? Are you back home at the same time?"

I explained to them what just happened, about the voices in the back of my head, and focusing really hard, willing my most conscious form to go back there.

"Wait, Chiron?" I called.

"Yes?"

"If I travel to another book, will I remember this?"

"Vaguely. Not much, but all you'll remember is you have been in another book before and you know how to get out. You won't really remember people from this world very much. Only while you're in a different book," he added. "When you're in your real world, you'll remember all your adventures."

"Ah, okay. Thanks, Chiron."

I willed myself to go back home, and I clambered into bed to a well-earned rest. Maybe I could go into another book tomorrow. But right then, I needed my bed.

Mmm, I thought, tucking myself in. Smells like home.

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Yay! Another story done! I hoped you enjoyed it, and I think I'm probably doing The Maze Runner next! Hope you liked it, and please vote! Love you all lots!

Kay xx