GODS Are Called MYTHS For A Reason
Needles Make My Head Hurt
Well, packing wasn't all that hard considering my duffle was still set from when Mom had put it together back in California. I didn't know what else I would need so I left my bag as it was. Hopefully wherever we were going had some sick waves and- "Uh, Percy? Where exactly are we going?"
He was on all fours searching under his bunk for something. He glanced up at me and blinked. "Ya know, I'm not really sure. It's your quest."
I shot him a dirty look. "Well I don't know what I'm doing. How should I know where we're supposed to look for three old hags?"
"It's in the prophecy," Annabeth interrupted making me jump. I whipped around to the cabin entrance where she stood leaning against the doorway. She smiled. "Knock, knock. Sorry I scared you."
"You didn't," I lied defensively.
She let out a chuckle. "Anyway, about your question. The answer is in the prophecy, but it's not always obvious. Think about it for a second. What exactly did it say?"
My eyes narrowed at her. Annabeth remembered it much better than I did. She smiled and answered her own question. "The three old maids have little time. They've been trapped in the needle's eye. It's up to the six to return destiny. Or Fate is lost for eternity."
"It's a stupid poem and I hate poetry. How am I supposed to figure this stuff out?"
Percy zipped his bag and threw it over his shoulder before grabbing Annabeth's from her. "That's what we're all here to help you with. C'mon, let's go meet the others and we'll talk it out there. I'm sure that Annabeth will already know the answer by the time we get there."
Annabeth waved him off, consumed in her own thoughts. I could see her muttering to herself and her face was totally concentrated. Percy rolled his eyes and draped an arm around her shoulder to help guide her. Tyson walked ahead of them and I followed at a much slower pace. What the hell was I supposed to do about all these myths? My biggest wish was to surf the perfect wave and now I had to rescue three old crones from some kind of needle.
Nico and Grover were already waiting at a huge oak tree that stood at the Camp gate. Chiron was there in his wheel-chair and a half dozen Pegasi were waiting. Nico smiled at me when I approached, making me blush.
"Yo boss," Blackjack asked, "where we headed?"
"Good question," Percy answered. "Annabeth? Any idea where we're going?"
Annabeth's expression soured. "No. I keep trying to figure out someone can be trapped in an eye of needle but I'm not coming up with anything. Anyone else got any ideas?"
I thought about it for a second. "Well, I know that the Eye of the Needle in Christianity is the gate to Jerusalem. But that can't be right, can it?"
Annabeth nibbled on her lower lip. She doubted that I was right but didn't want to flat out say it. "That's not it," Nico insisted. I was actually glad that someone had the courage to correct me rather than worry about hurting my feelings. "Olympians moved everything west. It's got to be somewhere here in America. Besides, Greek and Christian myths hardly mix."
Grover let out a bleating laugh. “You can only remember the Big Three from cartoons but you can remember that fact from another religion?”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “I went to a Catholic school in Vatican City for an entire year when I lived in Italy. Shut up, Grover, or you’re uninvited.”
He laughed again and held up his hands in surrender. “Okay. Okay. Sorry. But we still have to figure out where this mysterious needle is.”
I bit my bottom lip and glanced at my duffle. “It’s somewhere dark and cold. And it’s really high off the ground.”
“How do you know that much?” Nico asked.
“I had this really weird dream last night and I think that someone was trying to show me where they were. There were definitely three women there nagging at me.”
“So how does that relate to an eye of a needle?” Annabeth asked. She was getting a little wrinkle in her forehead from trying to come up with an answer to the riddle.
"Well the only other thing for a needle's eye that I can think of is where you stick the thread at the end of a sewing needle..." I trailed off. My dream rushed back to me but I was paying more attention this time. The room was still just as dark and cramped but now I could smell the salty spray of the Pacific and hear rain and the golden glow of a city trying to creep through the closed up windows. "They're at the end of the needle, but it's not like an actual needle."
Everyone looked at me like I was completely insane. Maybe I was, but my gut was telling me that I was on the right track. My mom had said to trust my instincts so that was what I was doing. I closed my eyes and held onto the senses I was getting from the dream. "Seattle Space Needle? The Needle's eye is just talking about the top of the building. It's got to be there. Right?" I didn't sound quite as sure by that point. I was starting to doubt myself. Who actually thought that I’d be able to do this? Not me.
"Well it's worth a shot," Nico finally shrugged. I shot him a grateful smile.
Chiron nodded at me and patted my shoulder. "Well it seems like you've got this quest thing figured out. You have your quest and you have each other. You had better hurry before there are irreversible consequences to the Fates’ absence. Good luck children."
"Alright!" Blackjack exclaimed excitedly. "Let's get this show on the road. Who wants to take the Cyclops?" I rolled my eyes at the winged horse and Percy shook his head. Good thing that Tyson couldn't hear what they were saying about him, but I guess that's just how Pegasi acted during a quest. Who was I to judge when I was just making this stuff up as I went.
He was on all fours searching under his bunk for something. He glanced up at me and blinked. "Ya know, I'm not really sure. It's your quest."
I shot him a dirty look. "Well I don't know what I'm doing. How should I know where we're supposed to look for three old hags?"
"It's in the prophecy," Annabeth interrupted making me jump. I whipped around to the cabin entrance where she stood leaning against the doorway. She smiled. "Knock, knock. Sorry I scared you."
"You didn't," I lied defensively.
She let out a chuckle. "Anyway, about your question. The answer is in the prophecy, but it's not always obvious. Think about it for a second. What exactly did it say?"
My eyes narrowed at her. Annabeth remembered it much better than I did. She smiled and answered her own question. "The three old maids have little time. They've been trapped in the needle's eye. It's up to the six to return destiny. Or Fate is lost for eternity."
"It's a stupid poem and I hate poetry. How am I supposed to figure this stuff out?"
Percy zipped his bag and threw it over his shoulder before grabbing Annabeth's from her. "That's what we're all here to help you with. C'mon, let's go meet the others and we'll talk it out there. I'm sure that Annabeth will already know the answer by the time we get there."
Annabeth waved him off, consumed in her own thoughts. I could see her muttering to herself and her face was totally concentrated. Percy rolled his eyes and draped an arm around her shoulder to help guide her. Tyson walked ahead of them and I followed at a much slower pace. What the hell was I supposed to do about all these myths? My biggest wish was to surf the perfect wave and now I had to rescue three old crones from some kind of needle.
Nico and Grover were already waiting at a huge oak tree that stood at the Camp gate. Chiron was there in his wheel-chair and a half dozen Pegasi were waiting. Nico smiled at me when I approached, making me blush.
"Yo boss," Blackjack asked, "where we headed?"
"Good question," Percy answered. "Annabeth? Any idea where we're going?"
Annabeth's expression soured. "No. I keep trying to figure out someone can be trapped in an eye of needle but I'm not coming up with anything. Anyone else got any ideas?"
I thought about it for a second. "Well, I know that the Eye of the Needle in Christianity is the gate to Jerusalem. But that can't be right, can it?"
Annabeth nibbled on her lower lip. She doubted that I was right but didn't want to flat out say it. "That's not it," Nico insisted. I was actually glad that someone had the courage to correct me rather than worry about hurting my feelings. "Olympians moved everything west. It's got to be somewhere here in America. Besides, Greek and Christian myths hardly mix."
Grover let out a bleating laugh. “You can only remember the Big Three from cartoons but you can remember that fact from another religion?”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “I went to a Catholic school in Vatican City for an entire year when I lived in Italy. Shut up, Grover, or you’re uninvited.”
He laughed again and held up his hands in surrender. “Okay. Okay. Sorry. But we still have to figure out where this mysterious needle is.”
I bit my bottom lip and glanced at my duffle. “It’s somewhere dark and cold. And it’s really high off the ground.”
“How do you know that much?” Nico asked.
“I had this really weird dream last night and I think that someone was trying to show me where they were. There were definitely three women there nagging at me.”
“So how does that relate to an eye of a needle?” Annabeth asked. She was getting a little wrinkle in her forehead from trying to come up with an answer to the riddle.
"Well the only other thing for a needle's eye that I can think of is where you stick the thread at the end of a sewing needle..." I trailed off. My dream rushed back to me but I was paying more attention this time. The room was still just as dark and cramped but now I could smell the salty spray of the Pacific and hear rain and the golden glow of a city trying to creep through the closed up windows. "They're at the end of the needle, but it's not like an actual needle."
Everyone looked at me like I was completely insane. Maybe I was, but my gut was telling me that I was on the right track. My mom had said to trust my instincts so that was what I was doing. I closed my eyes and held onto the senses I was getting from the dream. "Seattle Space Needle? The Needle's eye is just talking about the top of the building. It's got to be there. Right?" I didn't sound quite as sure by that point. I was starting to doubt myself. Who actually thought that I’d be able to do this? Not me.
"Well it's worth a shot," Nico finally shrugged. I shot him a grateful smile.
Chiron nodded at me and patted my shoulder. "Well it seems like you've got this quest thing figured out. You have your quest and you have each other. You had better hurry before there are irreversible consequences to the Fates’ absence. Good luck children."
"Alright!" Blackjack exclaimed excitedly. "Let's get this show on the road. Who wants to take the Cyclops?" I rolled my eyes at the winged horse and Percy shook his head. Good thing that Tyson couldn't hear what they were saying about him, but I guess that's just how Pegasi acted during a quest. Who was I to judge when I was just making this stuff up as I went.
I love, love, LOVE your story (and I'm only on the 11th Chapter!) :) :D :P
PS- You got Rachel's eye color wrong. -_-
2/17/15