SAM POV

"Just be careful. Won't you?" Percy asked Annabeth for the millionth time that morning. She just rolled her eyes and looked at me. "Sam, help me get rid of him, will you?" she asked.

It was 10:00 am and we were leaving for the quest. Percy, Nico, Thalia and Chiron had come to see us of at the camp borders. Stacey was talking to Chiron about something in the corner, Percy was badgering Annabeth with questions and Nico and Thalia were talking in a corner, silently. Stacey came over to me and said " Argus will be leaving us till the Empire State Building. Then we are on our own".

"You have any idea of what this it could be which is supposed to lead us?" I asked her. She just shook her head and said,"I'm not sure, though I've got an idea".

She was wearing a pair of black jeans, a dark blue tank top and a black jacket. Black is her favorite color but it is so depressing. She looked just like Nico's sister with the back clothing and the black mascara, which is the only piece of make up she uses.

"Ready?" Thalia came over to us, with Nico following. He glanced at Stacey and a hint, just a hint of a smile appeared on his face. "May the God's be with you". Chiron said to us and looked at Stacey and says, "You remember what I said, right?" Stacey nods her head and I saw a look of uncertainty on her face. But then it is gone and she turns to face us. "Ready?" she asked.

"Ready" Annabeth and I answer.

---

We got down in front of the Empire State Building and Argus waved to us and left. We looked around and spot a coffee shop in a little distance. "Let's have some coffee" Annabeth said and began walking to the shop and we followed her.

On the entrance, an old man, maybe 80 or 85 years old, saw us and smiled at us. Stacey turned pale when she saw him and tugged at my hand. "Get away from here" she whispered hurriedly.

"Why?" .

"Just leave. Now" she dragged me along with her into an alleyway. Annabeth came running over to us and said, "I saw you guys leaving. What happened?".

"Stacey suddenly decided not to have coffee" I answered and turned to Stacey. She was looking really pale and kept peeping outside to see whether the old man was following us. "What's wrong Stace?" I asked her. She didn't seem to notice my question and kept murmuring to herself.

"STACEY!" I shouted. "What?" she jumped up. "What is going on? Do you know that man?" I demanded. "Did he see me?" she asks. "Of course. He smiled at you. What is wrong?"

"If he is here and knows who I am, then.." her voice faltered. Annabeth looked at her, concerned. "Are you fine, Stacey? You should sit for sometime". "I think I'm fine. Lets move on". is all that she said. Annabeth looked at me. I just shrugged and followed her out.

We keept walking around for the rest of the day, looking for any likely places where anybody would be waiting for us. Stacey just kept looking around feverishly. It was around 3:00 when Stacey noticed the time and said, "Its pretty late. Shouldn't we eat something?"

"Glad you noticed" I said under my breath. I was getting impatient. We walked into McDonald's and ordered a meal. Stacey just asked for a box of fries and walked outside with it. "Do you think she is fine? She looks pretty disturbed", Annabeth askrd me. "I don't know. I've never seen her like this" I admitted.

Stacey suddenly came running inside, her eyes wide and her hair running askew. "Come quickly! I know where to go. Quick!". We quickly followed her outside, into a dark alleyway.

"Why have you brought us here?" Annabeth asked, puzzled. "'Through shadows and light it guides the one lost, it shows the way to those who seek, it will guide you through puzzling roads and creeks'" she finished, breathlessly.

"Why are you suddenly sprouting poetry?" I asked her. "'Coz its the answer to our quest" she replied. "Poetry?" Annabeth asked, clearly confused. "No, no! its the Wisp" Stacey says, excitedly. "What Wisp?" I asked. "The guide of the olden days. It led many through their missions. Merlin, The Three Brothers, and..."

"Wait, wait. Who are these people?" Annabeth interrupted. "You don't know about them?" Stacey asked, seriously shocked. "Wasn't Merlin a mythical magician?" I said, not wanting to look like an idiot. "SAM! He was not a mythical magician! Are you crazy?" she gasped. "Who was he then?" Annabeth asked.

"He was...look forget it. Right now we know how to reach the spot" she said. "How?" I demanded. "The Wisp!" she said, sounding exasperated. "But where is the Wisp?" Annabeth asked.

"I...I don't know", she admitted. "ARE YOU CRAZY, STACEY!!" I shouted. She flinched.

"I...I.."

"Sam, look" Annabeth told me in an awed voice. Stacey's right hand was glowing blue. Stacey stared at her hand in shock. "What is this?" I squeaked. "The Wisp is calling for me" she replied, still staring at her hand. "What?" Annabeth asked.

"I have to call it from deep within" Stacey whispered "Then call it" Annabeth adviced. Stacey closed her fist and eyes and concentrated deeply. Then she opened her hand and a wisp of blue smoke came from it and floated over head. "What is that?" I asked.


"The Wisp, I guess" Annabeth whispered in an awed voice. Stacey opened her eyes and looked up at it. She smiled at it and saif something to it in Gaelic. It started floating away from her head and into the road. "Lets follow it" she said.

---

"What are we doing here?" Annabeth asked to nobody in particular.

We had been following the Wisp for the past half an hour and it had led us to Tribeca. We were standing over a gutter with a grilling over it. "We have to go in it" Stacey replied.

"In there?" I asked, incredulously. "Yup, 'coz there is where it stopped".

"Lets go" Annabeth said. We lifted the grilling of it and descended into it. "Yuck" I said when my feet landed on the dirty water of the drain.

"Definitely yuck" Stacey agreed. We hiked down a little more when a sickly, sweet smell reached our noses. It was overwhelming. Annabeth suddenly coughed and looked hysteric. "What's wrong, Annabeth?" Stacey asked her.

"I know this smell" she was seriously losing it and looking for ways to escape. I then realized why Annabeth was going nuts. She had told me about meeting Arachne, the weaver. Could it be her? I could feel my knees shaking. "Come my dears, I have been waiting for you" a voice hissed from the end of the sewer. A figure came out of the shadows. I had a large hairy face, eight eyes and long fangs. She seemed to be emitting a sweet smell to lure us towards us. Annabeth fainted just at the sight of her. I knew who it was. And I was not glad to meet her. She was a nightmare.

It was Arachne.

Notes

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