The Untold Story of Annabeth Chase

Chapter 12

We traveled much like that day for about a week. We would get along, Luke would have a fit and try to kill all the monsters, Thalia and Luke would fight, they would make up, we would all be friends, and the cycle would start all over.

I found myself taking watch more and more often, just to have a moment to myself that was never interrupted by yelling or crying or "I didn't mean to scare you, Annabeth."

Grover and I were often the ones standing awkwardly at the side and watching the fights unfold, so we became pretty good friends. He told me more about camp, and I found that I was actually excited to get there, to get away from the fighting and the bad feeling.

Unfortunately, we had a problem.

Grover had no idea where he was going.

He had a general idea of where our destination was, but he didn't seem too sure of how to get there. He was constantly backtracking and doubting himself and having us turn around only to realize that he had been right the first time.

Luke liked to call him out on this, and Thalia and I would defend him. It was one of the main things we fought about. Luke would often ridicule and yell at Grover for taking us in the wrong direction, but Thalia and I knew that he was doing his best, and the monster scent was confusing him. Often times, Luke would get angry at Grover, and Thalia defending him would lead to a fight. Then Luke and Thalia would realize I was there and apologize to me. I would get mad and walk away, and Luke and Thalia would begin a full-on screaming match. I would go and find Grover, and attempt to comfort him while he cried and mumbled that he was a terrible navigator.

Sometimes, this would all unfold while we were walking, and that's what happened the last time.

The worst time.

We were in Brooklyn, slowly making progress towards Long Island. Grover and I were walking ahead of Luke and Thalia, who were arguing about something or other. Grover was distracted, and we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Grover and I faced each other to talk, and when we looked back up, we were standing in an alley.

"Um," Thalia said slowly, fear creeping into her voice. "How did we get here?"
"I don't know," Grover replied, looking around in awe.
"Well, where are we?" Luke this time.

"I don't know."

The alley was completely closed off in every direction but the one facing the street. We turned, but the opening we had come from seemed to have disappeared. There was one door, green metal and rusted. Probably the back entrance to a shop or apartment building. There was no light coming from under the door, and it seemed abandoned.

"Okay," Grover said, his voice small. "No big deal. We can just go this way and.." he faltered when we looked the way he was pointing.

At the mouth of the alley, grinning and snarling, was a huge Cyclops.

Thalia swallowed. "O-kaay, how about the door, then."

Luke lunged forward and put his and on the doorknob. Nothing happened.

The door appeared to be rusted shut. I wasn't sure if Luke could get past rust, but he closed his eyes and concentrated. The Cyclops grinned and began to stomp towards us.

"Faster, Luke," Thalia urged as the door began to glow. The lock clicked and Luke shoved the door open.

He ushered us all inside and closed the door behind him.

"Thank the gods," Grover breathed, leaning against the wall.

"Yes, thank the gods, for their offspring are so easily tricked."