Josh: Chapter 22-24

So, the 5 of us: Perseus Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Myself, Apollo and Artemis went to Camp Half-blood. Apollo had promised that he will take his sister twin more seriously.

Once we set on to going back to Camp Half-blood, everything is back to normal. The sun is shining, the moon is glowing silver, and the woods is once again free from monsters.

We travelled by foot, since we couldn't find any taxi to travel with. Artemis and Apollo agreed to escort us back to camp since there were a whole lot of monsters in the world hiding. But don't worry, the 5 of us will took care of them easily.

For once, I had known how it felt to have friends. I had just wished that it had happened in my childhood, but it didn't. I had just known that I'm a demititan when I came to this camp. I maybe am different, but at least I was accepted in my current community. I didn't feel lonely anymore, my confidence is stronger now. I felt like I was in a whole new world full of people who accepted me.

"Thank you Perseus, Annabeth, Apollo and Artemis, for helping me on this quest." I announced.

"You're welcome." They all said.

"Oh, and by the way," Percy said. "Just call me Percy."

"Ok Percy, will do."

We went through the woods, and it's a different house now. Now the house is really empty like the house is just been made. I decided to look around in the house again, who knows something is new. I told my friends to wait outside.

"Wait here," I told them. "Now, If I'm not back in 15 minutes, come and get me, ok?"

"Ok,"Percy and Annabeth agreed.

I willed my hand to produce a medium intensity light, and began exploring the house. The house is a 4-story house, so I went to the 2nd floor when a familiar voice said "Josh, get in here, fast! There's something cool that you need to see!"

I froze, the voice had came from the attic, and yet, I had already told my friends to stay outside. I'm sure that the voice belongs to Annabeth, so I listen for it again.

"Josh! There's something you need to see!" Annabeth's voice said.

Yep, definitely Annabeth's voice, so why did I smell a monster here? and yet, why do all of my instincts say run?

I went upstairs to the 3rd floor, and the voice becomes clearer. It's definitely Annabeth's voice. I approached the source of the voice, which was the 4th floor.

Then, Percy's voice called from the attic. "Annabeth, where's Josh?"

"Maybe he's still down there." Annabeth's voice said.

"Well, tell him to get up!"

"Josh," Annabeth's voice called. "It's okay, We won't hurt you."

"Where is Apollo and Artemis?" I shouted.

"We are right here." Apollo and Artemis's voice came from the top floor.

Okay then. Basically, I had told my friends to stay outside, but somehow, they had gotten in the 4th floor by some unknown reason. But they were my friends, I don't want to leave them behind.

So I walked to the 4th floor, I looked around and found a living room. There were old tables and chairs. There was also an old TV that must've been 30 years since it was made. Everything in here had to be at least 50 years old. There's also a typewriter, an early keyboard that's used to deliver message.

I looked for my friends, but no one is here. This is strange, I thought, and as I turned around, I saw multiple large monster that must've been at least 13 feet tall. They had builds more than an abominable snowman. The monster must've been a cyclops, because they had one eye in its forehead.

"It's okay Josh." The monster said, in perfect imitation of Percy's voice. "You're just in time for lunch."

I ran towards the stairs as fast as I can, but one cyclops had blocked the way. I pulled out my sword, but I wasn't aware that there were more than 1 cyclops in this room. The other cyclops seized my weapon and knocked me out with a silver club, and I blacked out.

When I came around, I couldn't move my arms and legs, and I also noticed that I couldn't speak. I opened my eyes, and looked around. I was in the same room, except that now it was steaming hot below me. Then I looked down, I was hanging 12 feet above the ground with my mouths gagged and is cocooned with chains from neck to toe. There's a giant bowl, readied with boiling water. I writhed and struggled with all my strength, but it was useless. The chains didn't seem to budge.

I stopped and listened for the signs of the cyclops, and they were coming this way.

"...this should be a powerful demigod that you capture, Troq. Or I'll have you for dinner." A heavy voice said from the other room

"Um.. this is-- is a powerful one, sir Edmund, This is even more powerful than the child of the big three." a voice that must've belonged to Troq said.

"More powerful than the big three eh?" Edmund mused. The sounds kept getting closer. "Then let's see what you've caught."

I fought and struggled against the chains even harder. I tried to scream as hard as I can, but it came out as muffled.

The lead cyclops, that must've been Edmund, grabbed me and studied me. I let out a muffled scream. "Indeed this meal is more powerful than the children of the big three. This one is a child of a Titan, no wonder he is powerful."

I started to panic. I needed to get to my friends as soon as possible. I writhed and struggled with all my strength, the cyclops started to laugh.

"No use of trying, boy." Edmund laughed. "You will be my first meal of the year."

I closed my eyes and began silently praying to Apollo. ''Apollo, if you can hear me. I am in serious danger right now. Please, help me.''

I looked at the cyclops pleadingly. I knew my friends will come up soon. I opened my eyes, and I saw my sword just over that table. If I could reach it, I could use it to slice the chains off, defeat the cyclops, and regroup with my friends. However, there's one problem. My hands are inside the chains so I cannot get them out.

"What are you waiting for? Let's cook him already!" The third cyclops said in exasperation.

"Patience, Arges. We will have to celebrate this feast. Since the children of the titans were extremely rare to find, we will hang him up there for 2 days, and then we'll feast on him. How's that?"

"But I'm hungry!" Arges said.

Edmund grunted, then reluctantly handed Arges with a piece of meat, which he swallowed whole. "Ah, delicious. I'm sure that the boy will be more delicious.

I strained to my limits. I started to twist my body side to side, struggling from the chains that held me, I let out a couple of muffled screams and it appears that the cyclops were amused by it.

Great, I thought. Just what my old friends liked to do to me.

Just then, I heard a crashing noise, and this one originated from the bottom floor, I tried to make noise as loud as I can.

"Up there!" A voice that belonged to Apollo said. "Josh is up there!"

I'm so relieved that someone had come to the rescue. The previous half-bloods? They're not so lucky to escape.

"Arges, Take care of the visitors for me, will you?" Edmund ordered.

"Aye, boss!"

And Arges went downstairs to confront my friends.

Edmund and Troq stayed with me. They walked back and forth, probably trying to figure out how to cook me. I couldn't stay in here much longer, the chains were starting to squeeze harder. It's been around 17 minutes since I had been confined in this chain prison.

"Annabeth, Percy?" Arges called in perfect imitation of my voice. "Where are you?"

"Josh?" Annabeth called.

I let out a muffled scream, hoping that they would hear me, but of course, the cyclops voice is much louder.

"Annabeth?" Arges called again. "It's all right."

"Shh... That's not Josh." Apollo whispered. Somehow, when I listened very carefully, I could hear quite loud whispers. I could tell from the source of the voice, and the intensity that they were in 2nd floor.

Arges went up again, still calling them in perfect imitation of my voice. "Percy, It's alright."

Footsteps become faster, which means that they were running. I could hear them coming up to the attic. Arges and troq went down the stairs, while Edmund keeps continuous watch over me, as if he's afraid to lose his meal.

He powered up the water heater, then the bottom of the bowl turned red, because it's getting hot. As I watched, the water began to boil, and it turned to steam after a couple of seconds. The heater must've been 2000 degrees celsius, because there's no way the water turned to steam after a couple of seconds.

"And now!" Edmund announced. "My first meal for the year!"

He slowly lower me to the bowl, I struggled with all my might to escape. I know that if I don't get out of here fast, I will end up being his meal. The closer I got to the steaming bowl, the more violent I fought. Apparently, Apollo had heard me along with my friends and Artemis, because I caught a glimpse of Annabeth with Percy, along with the twin archers.

"Josh!" Artemis said in surprise.

Edmund put the chains back in the holder, suspending me 8 feet in the air.

Artemis approached Edmund, but she didn't attack him. Why? Then, Apollo spoke in my head, Immortals are constrained by ancient laws, but a hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone as long as he has the courage. I wonder what that meant, then I realized that Artemis cannot attack the monster directly. She had to wait for the cyclops to attack first, then she can attack back freely. Edmund made a mistake of swinging a club at her. Artemis sidestepped easily and shot an arrow at the cyclops and the monster disintegrated.

Percy lowered the chains and got me off from the chains by slicing the chains off with Riptide, and Annabeth took the gag off my mouth. "You alright?" Annabeth called.

"Yeah," I said, though my chest and back still hurts.

I stumbled to my feet. I still felt pain all over my body. My head was still spinning, the fact that I was upside-down for more than quarter of an hour is enough to make me throw up, but I tried not to throw up in front of my friends. But I got the strength to get up.

"Thank god its you." I sighed, then I gave all of them a hug.

"Whoo!" Annabeth sighed. "Finally. We could get to camp half blood. I hope we got there in time." Then Percy turned towards me. "Sorry, I should've known, but..."

"Sorry?" I embraced her. "That's the most amazing thing I had ever seen, Annabeth! You saved my life! What do you have to be sorry about?"

Annabeth hugged me, and then took a step back. "For letting you go alone. I should've known that this is a cyclops lair."

"Hey, don't blame yourself Annabeth, no one will know instantly that this is the cyclops lair. But the thing is that you saved me, that's what it all matters."

Annabeth smiled, along with Percy.

I looked at the twin archers. "Thank you sir, and ma'am, for..."

"Shh..." Artemis put her index finger on my mouth. "Don't mention it."

"Well, okay." I decided,

And together, we continued our journey back to Camp Half-Blood