RECLUSE - (n) a person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid other people.
MAISIE ELLIOT WAS ANGRY.
Angry at the world.
Angry at the Gods.
Angry at the demigods who seemed to move on too fast.
And when forced onto a quest with three stranger...
Where's Percy?" Annabeth demanded. "And the goat?"
Frank grabbed his knees, trying to breathe. His clothes were stiff and damp, like they'd been washed in pure starch. "On deck. They're fine. We're being followed!"
Annabeth pushed past him and took the stairs three at a time, Hazel and Maisie right behind her with Frank trailing, still gasping for air. Percy and Hedge lay on the deck, looking exhausted. Hedge was missing his shoes. He grinned at the sky, muttering, "Awesome. Awesome." Percy was covered with nicks and scratches, like he'd jumped through a window. He didn't say anything, but he grasped Annabeth's hand weakly as if to say, Be right with you, as soon as the world stops spinning.
Leo, Piper, and Jason, who'd been eating in the mess hall, came rushing up the stairs.
"What? What?" Leo cried, holding a half-eaten grilled cheese sandwich. "Can't a guy even take a lunch break? What's wrong?"
"Followed!" Frank yelled again.
"Followed by what?" Jason asked.
"I don't know!" Frank panted. "Whales? Sea monsters? Maybe Kate and Porky!"
"Who?"
"That makes absolutely no sense. Leo, you'd better get us out of here," Annabeth demanded.
Leo put his sandwich between his teeth and ran for the helm.
Soon the Argo II was rising into the sky. Annabeth manned the aft crossbow while Maisie looked over the railings for any threat. They saw no sign of pursuit by whales or otherwise, but Percy, Frank, and Hedge didn't start to recover until the Atlanta skyline was a hazy smudge in the distance.
"Charleston," Percy said, hobbling around the deck like an old man. He still sounded pretty shaken up. "Set course for Charleston."
"Charleston?" Jason said the name as if it brought back bad memories. "What exactly did you find in Atlanta?"
Frank unzipped his backpack and starting bringing out souvenirs. "Some peach preserves. A couple of T-shirts. This Keychain for Maisie,"
Franks hand extended to her, holding a small blue keychain in the shape of an Axolotl. It's small little plastic body fitting in the palm of her hand.
Maisie didn't have time to respond as Frank continued his souvenir haul.
A snow globe. And, um, these not-really-Chinese handcuffs."
"How about you start from the top—of the story, not the backpack," Annabeth said.
They gathered on the quarterdeck so Leo could hear the conversation as he navigated. Percy and Frank took turns relating what had happened at the Georgia Aquarium, with Coach Hedge interjecting from time to time: "That was awesome!" or "Then I kicked her in the head!"
