Piper's Discovery

A Twisting Tail

Chapter 2

Piper's Discovery

Piper,Annabeth,and Hazel cruised the coastline,enjoying the salty spray in their hair and the sunlight glinting off the water.Piper scanned the horizon.Just as the coastline disappeared,a fog began rising.

“What's that?"Annabeth asked.

Hazel looked nervous.Piper knew why.She was thinking the same thing.“Olym Island."She murmured.

“Let's check it out."Annabeth doubled their speed,kicking up a trail of water in their wake.

“Annabeth,that isn't a good idea."Piper said nervously.Hazel went pale when the speed increased.“Slow down,"Piper said,“Annabeth,slow down!"Hazel had looked shaky enough to begin with,and obviously the speed wasn't helping.As Annabeth slowed the speed,Piper realized it didn't matter.They were just off the shore of Olym Island.

“We shouldn't be here."Hazel said quietly.“It's dangerous."

Annabeth shook her head.“It's just an island.How bad can it be?"

Piper knew the stories about this island.Horrible.

“Annabeth,we need to leave.Now."Hazel said.

Annabeth tried to start the boat.“Out of fuel."

“You said we had plenty!"Piper protested.“You have no idea what you're doing,do you?"

“I know what I'm doing!I just thought we had more fuel than we did."Annabeth said indignantly.“So,how are we getting to shore?"

Piper sighed and searched the back of the boat for anything to help them.

First aid kit...rope...life preserver...oars!Piper lifted the wooden oars and handed one to Annabeth.“Help me row.You got us into this mess,you get us out."

Annabeth took the oar and together they rowed towards the formidable island.Hazel tried to use her hands as paddles,though it didn't do any good.After a long time of rowing,Piper's hands were sore and she could feel the boat hit sand beneath them.She and Hazel helped push the boat onto the beach.Annabeth grabbed the first aid kit and stuffed it in her backpack - “Just in case" - and then pulled out her cell phone.

“We have to get to higher ground to look for a signal."She said.Piper and Hazel allowed her to take the lead as they went deeper into the fog.Piper felt the ground below her feet sloping upward.

Hazel trudged along behind her.“I knew it was a bad idea."she muttered.Annabeth was focused on looking for a signal.

Suddenly Piper slipped.Clearly through the fig she saw a gate and beyond it,a palace.Then everything went dark.

Piper groaned as she pulled herself up.She was in a cavern that sparkled bronze and gold and silver along the walls.Blue twinkled around her,and she could clearly see the sky.It was getting dark.How long had she been there.

“Okay,it's been too long,"she heard Annabeth say above her.“I'm going down to see if she's alright.you stay up here and..."Piper assumed Annabeth was talking to Hazel.“Use the rope to pull me up when I call for you."

There was a thud as Annabeth landed in the cavern.“Piper?"she called into the darkness.The glowing cavern seemed to shine slightly brighter for a second or two.Piper could clearly see her.“Piper?"

“Annabeth?"she groaned.Her back ached and her head throbbed.Following the sound of her voice,Annabeth sat beside Piper.

“You alright?"she asked,pulling out the first aid kit.

Piper nodded and instantly wished she hadn't as her head pounded as if someone were using it as a drum.“Where are we?"

“I dunno."Annabeth looked around the cavern,taking in the stones and the gold and bronze and silver.

Piper heard something.Some kind of sound or noise,what it was she wasn't sure but she knew it didn't belong down there.She stood,ignoring the pain in her head and went deeper into the cavern.The farther she went,the more silver decked the walls till a stretch of pure silver came,blue stone glowing overhead.

There it was.A small pool,filled with water that was pure silver.The color of pure moonlight.The blue crystals lined the edge of the pool,and the salty scent of the ocean was present.

“Annabeth,look!"Piper called.Annabeth ran down the cavern,trying to catch her breath.

Piper knew it was probably the stupidest thing she'd ever done,but she stepped into the pool.

The water was fresh and clean smelling,salty like the ocean.Even though the sky wasn't visible in this part of the cavern,she knew the stars were coming out.Almost as if she could see them.

“Where's Hazel?"Piper said.Annabeth told her Hazel was waiting for them.

Piper took a deep breath and went under the water.Despite it's silver surface,it was clear blue underneath.The salt stung her eyes but not too bad,and she saw a tunnel.She swam into it.It curved upwards and grew less salty as it wove on.After a short,flat stretch she was above ground.

Hazel wasn't to far from where Piper was standing.She was shocked to see Piper seemingly appear out of thin air.

“Hazel!"Piper said,“This is so weird,I found this passage between the cavern and this streambed..."She stopped when she realized how crazy it sounded.But she decided to go back down so that Anabeth would know where she had gone.So she dove into the passage.

When she surfaced in the pool,she laughed as Annabeth looked utterly confused.Then Piper realized Hazel was behind her.

“There is an underwater passage leading to the surface!"Piper said,which was sort of obvious at this point.

“So we can use it to get out of here?"Annabeth said.Again,obvious.Piper nodded anyway.

Annabeth slid into the water.Piper gasped as a weird feeling passed over her.Hazel shuddered.Annabeth looked confused.Piper could tell that the moon was going overhead.It was full and bright,siover as the water.

As the Moon passed directly overhead,the silver water turned into the sea-green of normal ocean water.But then it grew silver once more.The creeping feeling left.

“That was weird..."Hazel said.Third time's a charm.Again,obvious.

“W-we should leave."Piper decided.“Now."

Annabeth nodded and was first through the tunnel.Hazel followed her,and Piper,giving a last look to the cavern,swam through the passage way.

End of Chapter 2