──── chapter ten

{ 🔮 }  · we got a dam . ݁ ٬٬ ࣪

GRIEF COMES IN WAVES. At first they are so strong you feel so swept away, so out of the place. They come at such random moments, replacing a feeling of normalcy with those familiar tears. Yet in time those waves lessen and let the good memories flood in instead, they allow for waves of smiles and warmth, those funny or sweet things that were said. So, ride that wave, ride it in that boat called love. For heaven loves you always and heaven loves them too.

At the edge of the dump, the group found a tow truck so old it might've been thrown away itself. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of gas, so they decided to borrow it. Thalia drove. She didn't seem as stunned as Zoë or Grover or Percy. Endora was in the middle of this whole mess. She knew death was to come, yet she couldn't do anything about it, she couldn't just change what the Fates already had set

"The skeletons are still out there," Thalia reminded them. "We need to keep moving."

She navigated through the desert, under clear blue skies, the sand so bright it hurt to look at. Zoë sat up front with Thalia. Endora, Grover and Percy sat in the pickup bed, leaning against the tow wench. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather just seemed like an insult after losing Bianca. 

Endora was playing with one of her many rings ─ black obsidian, one Alabaster got for her. Alabaster; she didn't even come to think of her brother. The grief was similar to one she is experiencing about Bianca, but not the same. The girl didn't know if her brother was even alive or. . . she couldn't even say it. She didn't want to say it. He couldn't be. He's strong. They learned together, yet Endora could always feel a small bits of jealousy in her brother's aura. But why? She was nothing special. If something, she was dangerous for everyone around her. Why would anyone be envious about her.

Brother.

Nico. Bianca's brother. Oh, gods. . . Poor little boy.

"It should've been me," Percy said. "I should've gone into the giant."

"Don't say that!" Grover panicked. "It's bad enough Annabeth is gone, and now Bianca. Do you think I could stand it if. . ." he sniffled. "Do you think anybody else would be my best friend?" 

"Ah, Grover. . ." 

Endora summoned a clean cloth and handed it to Grover. "Thanks, Dora. I'm. . . I'm okay."

But he wasn't okay. Ever since the encounter in New Mexico ─ whatever had happened when that wild wind blew through ─ he seemed really fragile, even more emotional than usual. The girl was afraid Grover might start bawling again. Yet, she was ready to comfort him in any way.

The tow truck ran out of gas at the edge of a river canyon. That was just as well, because the road dead-ended. Thalia got out and slammed the door. Immediately, one of the tires blew. "Can't you summon some fuel and tire."

Endora rolled her eyes, "Like I said, that's not really how my magic works. I can summon something that is in my bag, Basil can summon other things."

"So those jackets were in you bag this whole time?" Thalia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I truly don't know what is in my bag," the witch shrugged, "It's endless. A lot of stuff can fit in. Lou Ellen probably put them in without me knowing."

Thalia pitched the bridge of her nose, "Great. What now?"

Endora scanned the horizon. There wasn't much to see. Desert in all directions, occasional clumps of barren mountains plopped here and there. The canyon was the only thing interesting. The river itself wasn't very big, maybe fifty yards across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. The rock cliffs dropped away below them.

"There's a path," Grover said. "We could get to the river."

The girl tried to see what he was talking about, and finally noticed a tiny ledge winding down the cliff face.

"That's a goat path," Percy said.

"So?" he asked.

"The rest of us aren't goats."

"We can make it," Grover said. "I think." 

Endora pursed her lips. She looked over at Thalia and saw how pale she'd gotten. Her problem with heights. . . she'd never be able to do it.

"No," Percy said, looking at Thalia too. "I, uh, think we should go farther upstream." 

"But ─ "

"Oh, come on, Grover," Endora said. "A walk won't hurt us." 

Endora glanced at Thalia and smiled. Thalia returned it.

They followed the river about half a mile before coming to an easier slope that led down to the water. On the shore was a canoe rental operation that was closed for the season, but Percy left a stack of golden drachmas on the counter and a note saying IOU two canoes.

"We need to go upstream," Zoë said. It was the first time Endora'd heard her speak since the junkyard, and she was worried about how bad she sounded, like somebody with the flu. "The rapids are too swift."

"Leave that to me," Percy said. 

They put the canoes in the water. Thalia climbed in with Endora and Grover and before they knew it, the naiads each chose a canoe and began pushing them up the river after Percy talked with them. They started so fast Grover fell behind Endora with his hooves sticking up in the air. Endora leaned over a bit, looking down at one of the naiads and waving at her. The creature waved back and disappeared back into the depths of the water.

"You're way to nice," Thalia said, leaning over too.

"People would say the opposite." Endora said.

"Then they don't want to get to know you. The real you. Not the 'destroy the whole universe' you or 'the cursed child of Hecate'. Now that is too much."

Endora laughed and shrugged, "Guess I got used to it. All the name calling, I mean. I've been at Camp for seven years now. Of course news and gossips spread."

"But, how does it not bother you?"

"Oh it does." Endora said and looked down at her lap, "But. . . I mean it's true what they're saying. I am Hecate's cursed child and the holder of dark magic that wants to destroy the world. I guess it just. . . I'm meant to destroy it after all. And I know that. So, what other people whisper behind my back doesn't get to me. I already know the truth. You get me?"

"Maybe the prophecy will turn out differently," Thalia said, "Maybe, in the end, you're not going to make us go poof."

Endora smiled, "Maybe. . ." she said, "It's just. . . It irritates me that no one will tell me."

"It's for the best," Thalia said, "Knowing what it's about. . . It can get to your head."

The witch hummed and fell silent after that.

The canoe was slowing down. Endora looked ahead, and she saw why. This was as far as the naiads could take them. The river was blocked. A dam the size of a football stadium stood in their path.

"Hoover Dam," Thalia said. "It's huge." 

The group stood at the river's edge, looking up at a curve of concrete that loomed between the cliffs. People were walking along the top of the dam. They were so tiny they looked like fleas. The naiads had left with a lot of grumbling ─ not in words Endora could understand, but it was obvious they hated this dam blocking up their nice river. Their canoes floated back downstream, swirling in the wake from the dam's discharge vents.

"Seven hundred feet tall," Percy said.

"Built in the 1930s." Endora said, titling her head.

"Five million cubic acres of water," Thalia said.

Graver sighed. "Largest construction project in the United States."

Zoë stared at them. "How do you know all that?"

"Annabeth," Percy said. "She liked architecture."

"She was nuts about monuments," Thalia said. "Spouted facts all the time."

"Had one book fixed for her about this place," Endora said, "She couldn't stop talking about it after."

Grover sniffled. "So annoying."

"I wish she were here," Percy said.

The others nodded. Zoë was still looking at them strangely, but Endora didn't seem to care. It seemed like cruel fate that they'd come to Hoover Dam, one of Annabeth's personal favorites ( how did she remember that? ), and she wasn't here to see it.

"We should go up there," Percy said. "For her sake. Just to say we've been."

"You are mad," Zoë decided. "But that's where the road is." she pointed to a huge parking garage next to the top of the dam. "And so, sightseeing it is." 

The group had to walk for almost an hour before they found a path that led up to the road. It came up on the east side of the river. Then they straggled back toward the dam. It was cold and windy on top. On one side, a big lake spread out, ringed by barren desert mountains. On the other side, the dam dropped away like the world's most dangerous skateboard ramp, down to the river seven hundred feet below, and water that churned from the dam's vents.

Thalia walked in the middle of the road, far away from the edges. Grover kept sniffing the wind and looking nervous. He didn't say anything, but Endora knew he smelled monsters.

"How close are they?" Percy asked him.

He shook his head. "Maybe not close. The wind on the dam, the desert all around us. . . the scent can probably carry for miles. But it's coming from several directions. I don't like that."

Endora didn't either. It was already Wednesday, only two days until winter solstice, and they still had a long way to go. They didn't need any more monsters,

"There's a snack bar in the visitor center," Thalia said.

"You've been here before?" Percy asked.

"Once. To see the guardians."

She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues. They looked kind of like Oscar statues with wings.

"They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built," Thalia said. "A gift from Athena." 

Tourists were clustered all around them. They seemed to be looking at the statues' feet.

"What are they doing?" Endora asked.

"Rubbing the toes," Thalia said. "They think it's good luck."

"Why?"

She shook her head. "Mortals get crazy ideas. They don't know the statues are sacred to Zeus, but they know there's something special about them."

"When you were here last, did they talk to you or anything?" Percy asked.

Thalia's expression darkened. Endora could tell that she'd come here before hoping for exactly that ─ some kind of sign from her dad. Some connection.

"No. They don't do anything. They're just big metal statues." 

"Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoë said. "We should eat while we can."

Grover cracked a smile. "The dam snack bar?"

Zoe blinked. "Yes. What is funny?"

"Nothing," Grover said, trying to keep a straight face. "I could use some dam french fries."

Even Thalia smiled at that. "And I need to use the dam restroom."

Endora rolled her eyes, but she let out a laugh too. Maybe it was the fact that they were so tired and strung out emotionally, but Percy, too, started cracking up, and Endora, Thalia and Grover joined in, while Zoë just looked at them. "I do not understand."

"I want to use the dam water fountain," Grover said.

"And. . ." Thalia tried to catch her breath. "I want to buy a dam T-shirt." 

Endora laughed out loud now, covering her mouth with her hand. She and the rest would have laughed the whole day, but the sudden, Moooo, caught her attention.

"Did I just hear a cow?" Grover asked.

"A dam cow?" Thalia laughed.

"No," Grover said. "I'm serious."

"I heard it too." Endora said.

Zoë listened. "I hear nothing."

Thalia was looking at Percy. "Percy, are you okay?"

"Yeah," the boy said. "You guys go ahead. I'll be right in."

"What's wrong?" Grover asked.

"Nothing," Percy said. "I. . . I just need a minute. To think." 

After all his crazy ideas, Endora couldn't leave Percy unsupervised. She followed after him, instead of going with the others, keeping an eye on his moving figure. He was fast, Endora will admit, but her sight was better then that. The girl saw him talking to water, before hairs on the back of her back stood tall.

Something was wrong.

And Endora saw what it was. Two men were walking slowly towards Percy. They wore gray camouflage outfits that flickered over skeletal bodies. They passed through a group of kids and pushed them aside. A kid yelled, "Hey!"

One of the warriors turned, his face changing momentarily into a skull.

"Ah!" the kid yelled, and his whole group backed away.

Percy turned around and almost bumped into Endora as she went to grab his hand and pull him back.

"Dora, what ─ "

"No time," Endora said and grabbed his arm firmly, "Must run."

They ran for the visitor center. The pair were almost to the stairs when Endora heard tires squeal. On the west side of the dam, a black van swerved to a stop in the middle of the road, nearly plowing into some old people. The van doors opened and more skeleton warriors piled out.

The girl trusted her hand up, sending one of the skeletons up in flames. The others looked at the ash that now covered the ground and then up at Endora. She smiled innocently before bolting down the stairs and through the museum entrance pulling Percy with her.

The security guard at the metal detector yelled, "Hey, you two!"

But they didn't stop. They ran through the exhibits and ducked behind a tour group. Endora looked for the rest, but she couldn't see them anywhere. Where was the dam snack bar?

"Stop!" the metal-detector guy yelled. 

Endora raised her arm and said, "Confundo."

The metal-detector guy stopped running and looked around confused.

"Cool trick," Percy said.

"Thanks."

There was no place to go but into an elevator with the tour group. The pair ducked inside just as the door closed.

"We'll be going down seven hundred feet," their tour guide said cheerfully. She was a park ranger, with long black hair pulled back in a ponytail and tinted glasses. Endora guessed she hadn't noticed that she and Percy were being chased. "Don't worry, ladies and gentlemen, the elevator hardly ever breaks."

"Does this go to the snack bar?" Percy asked her.

A few people behind me chuckled. The tour guide looked at Percy, then at Endora. Something about her gaze made Endora's skin tingle.

"To the turbines, young man," the lady said. "Weren't you listening to my fascinating presentation upstairs?"

"Oh, uh, sure. Is there another way out of the dam?"

"It's a dead end," a tourist behind them said. "For heaven's sake. The only way out is the other elevator."

The doors opened.

"Go right ahead, folks," the tour guide told them. "Another ranger is waiting for you at the end of the corridor."

Percy and Endora looked at each other. They didn't have much choice but to go out with the group.

"And you two," the tour guide called. The pair looked back. She'd taken off her glasses. Her eyes were startlingly gray, like storm clouds. "There is always a way out for those clever enough to find it."

The doors closed with the tour guide still inside, leaving them alone. Before Endora could think too much about the woman in the elevator, a ding came from around the corner. The second elevator was opening, and she heard an unmistakable sound ─ the clattering of skeleton teeth.

"I fucking hate skeletons," Endora muttered.

Still holding onto each other, they ran after the tour group, through a tunnel carved out of solid rock. It seemed to run forever. The walls were moist, and the air hummed with electricity and the roar of water.

They came out on a U-shaped balcony that overlooked this huge warehouse area. Fifty feet below, enormous turbines were running. It was a big room, but Endora didn't see any other exit, unless she and Percy wanted to jump into the turbines and get churned up to make electricity. 

She didn't.

Another tour guide was talking over the microphone, telling the tourists about water supplies in Nevada. Endora prayed that Thalia, Zoë, and Grover were okay. They might already be captured, or eating at the snack bar, completely unaware that they were being surrounded. And stupid Percy: he had trapped himself and Endora in a hole hundreds of feet below the surface. 

The pair worked their way around the crowd, trying not to be too obvious about it. There was a hallway at the other side of the balcony ─ maybe some place they could hide. Percy kept his unoccupied hand on Riptide, ready to strike. Endora was ready to use her magic in any way.

By the time they got to the opposite side of the balcony, Endora's nerves shot. The two backed into the little hallway and watched the tunnel they'd come from. Then right behind Endora, she heard a sharp Chhh! like the voice of a skeleton. Without thinking, Percy uncapped Riptide and Endora sparked her hands with magic, ready to roast some skeletons.

The girl Percy'd just tried to slice in half and Endora to burn yelped and dropped her Kleenex. 

"Oh my god!" she shouted. "Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?" she looked at Endora's hand, which her sparkling with black sort of mist, "Why the fuck do you have mist circling you hands?"

The first thing that went through Endora's head was that the sword hadn't hurt her. It had passed clean through her body, harmlessly.

"You're mortal!" Endora said, letting her magic disappear.

She looked at her in disbelief. "What's that supposed to mean? Of course I'm mortal! How did you get that sword past security?"

"I didn't ─ Wait, you can see it's a sword?" Percy asked.

The girl rolled her eyes at Percy, which were almost the same shade of green as Percy's. She had frizzy reddish-brown hair. Her nose was also red, like she had a cold. She wore a big maroon Harvard sweatshirt and jeans that were covered with marker stains and little holes, like she spent her free time poking them with a fork.

"Well, it's either a sword or the biggest toothpick in the world," she said. "And why didn't it hurt me? I mean, not that I'm complaining. Who are you?" she looked at Endora, "And whoa, what is that you're wearing? Is that made of lion fur? Are you two dating? Like Bonnie and Clyde or some other shit."

She asked so many questions so fast, it was like she was throwing rocks at them. Endora's head begun to hurt from so much questions, she made a pinching move with her hand and the red-haired girl stopped talking. Her eyes widened and she tried to crawl her throat.

"My head will explode." Endora said.

"What did you do!" Percy yelled, looking at Endora who was messaging her temple with her other hand.

"Just silenced her for a few minutes," Endora said, "I need to sort out my thoughts."

"Give her voice back!"

Endora released her hand and the girl gasped for air. She looked horrified at Endora, "H-How did you do that?"

"Magic," the brunette said and snapped her fingers, "You don't see a sword," she told the red-haired girl. "It's just a ballpoint pen. Nothing strange happened."

She blinked. "Um. . . no. It's a sword, weirdo. And you took away my voice."

Endora cursed, "Clear-sighted aren't you?"

"Who are you?" Percy demanded. 

She huffed indignantly. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Now, are you going to answer my questions or should I scream for security?"

"No!" Percy said. "I mean, we're kind of in a hurry. We're in trouble."

"In a hurry or in trouble?" 

"Um, sort of both."

She looked over their shoulders and her eyes widened. "Bathroom!"

"What?"

"Bathroom! Behind me! Now!" 

Percy was about to argue, but Endora pushed him inside the boy's bathroom, keeping her hand clasped over his mouth and one on the lock of the door. She grimaced at the state of the bathroom, but that was the least of her worries now.

Endora heard the clattering, hissing sounds of skeletons as they came closer. 

"Oh my god! Did you see those kids? It's about time you got here. They tried to kill me! One had a sword, for god's sake and the other ─ my god! You security guys let a sword-swinging lunatic inside a national landmark? I mean, jeez! They ran that way toward those turbine thingies. I think they went over the side or something. Maybe they fell."

The skeletons clattered excitedly. Endora heard them moving off. She removed her hand from Percy's mouth just as Rachel opened the door. "All clear. But you'd better hurry."

She looked shaken. Her face was gray and sweaty. Endora peeked around the corner. Three skeleton warriors were running toward the other end of the balcony. The way to the elevator was clear for a few seconds.

"We owe you one, Rachel Elizabeth Dare." Percy nodded.

"What are those things?" she asked. "They looked like ─ "

"Skeletons?"

She nodded uneasily.

"Do yourself a favor," Endora said. "Forget it. Forget you ever saw us."

"Forget you tried to kill me and took away my voice?"

"Yeah. That, too."

"But who are you?"

"Percy ─ " the boy started to say. Then the skeletons turned around. "Gotta go!"

"What kind of name is Percy Gotta-go?" 

They bolted for the exit. 

The café was packed with kids enjoying the best part of the tour ─ the dam lunch. Thalia, Zoë, and Grover were just sitting down with their food. They were all perfectly fine.

"We need to leave," Percy gasped. "Now!"

"But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said.

"Screw burritos!" Endora said.

Zoë stood up, muttering an Ancient Greek curse. "They're right! Look."

The café windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave them a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill them. Endora counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols. But their immediate problem was a lot closer. The three skeletal warriors who'd been chasing Percy and Endora in the turbine room now appeared on the stairs. They saw them from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.

"Elevator!" Grover said. 

The group bolted that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico and a few Endora blasted. They were completely surrounded.

Then Grover had a brilliant, totally Grover-like idea. "Burrito fight!" he yelled, and flung his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton.

Now, if you have never been hit by a flying burrito, count yourself lucky. In terms of deadly projectiles, it's right up there with grenades and cannonballs. Grover's lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. Endora was not sure what the other kids in the café saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming.

The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere. In the chaos, Thalia and Percy tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table and Endora sent two up in flames. Then they all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past their heads.

"What now?" Grover asked as they burst outside. 

No one had an answer. The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction.

They ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues, but that just put their backs to the mountain. 

The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent around them. Their brethren from the café were running up to join them. One was still putting its skull back on its shoulders. Another was covered in ketchup and mustard. Two more had burritos lodged in their ribcages. They didn't look happy about it. They drew batons and advanced.

"Five against eleven," Zoë muttered. "And only Dora can kill them."

"It's been nice adventuring with you guys," Grover said, his voice trembling. 

"Whoa," Percy said, staring at something. "Their toes really are bright."

"Percy!" Thalia said. "This isn't the time."

But Percy Jackson couldn't help staring at the two giant bronze guys with tall bladed wings like letter openers. They were weathered brown except for their toes, which shone like new pennies from all the times people had rubbed them for good luck. Good luck. The blessing of Zeus. 

Endora's brain went back to the tour guide in the elevator. Her gray eyes and her smile. What had she said? There is always a way for those clever enough to find it. Her eyes widened. That couldn't be her, could it? How many gods and goddesses are they going to see on this quest?

"Thalia," Percy said. "Pray to your dad."

She glared at him. "He never answers."

"Just this once. Ask for help. I think. . . I think the statues can give us some luck."

Six skeletons raised their guns. The other five came forward with batons. Endora sent one up in flames, leaving only ash behind. Her body was working against her as she tried to kill two more. Her mind swirled in black.

Fifty feet away.

Forty feet.

"Do it!" Percy yelled.

 "No!" Thalia said. "He won't answer me."

"Thalia, do it!" Endora yelled, her head throbbing. She bit her lip to stop the groan leaving her lips.

"This time is different!" Percy said, catching Endora's figure as she started swaying side to side.

"Who says?" 

"Athena." Endora and Percy said at the same time.

Thalia scowled like she was sure they'd gone crazy.

"Try it," Grover pleaded.

Thalia closed her eyes. Her lips moved in a silent prayer. Endora put in her own prayer to Annabeth's mom, hoping she was right that it had been her in that elevator ─ that she was trying to help them save her daughter.

And nothing happened. 

The skeletons closed in. Percy raised Riptide to defend himself with his free hand, the other one holding onto the brunette. Endora, despite her headache, sparked her fingers with magic. Thalia held up her shield. Zoë pushed Grover behind her and aimed an arrow at a skeleton's head.

A shadow fell over them. 

The skeletons looked up too late. A flash of bronze, and all five of the baton-wielders were swept aside. The other skeletons opened fire. Endora raised the lion coat for protection over her and Percy, but they didn't need it. The bronze angels stepped in front of them and folded their wings like shields. Bullets pinged off of them like rain off a corrugated roof. Both angels slashed outward, and the skeletons went flying across the road.

"Man, it feels good to stand up!" the first angel said. His voice sounded tinny and rusty, like he hadn't had a drink since he'd been built.

"Will ya look at my toes?" the other said. "Holy Zeus, what were those tourists thinking?" 

A few skeletons were getting up again, reassembling, bony hands groping for their weapons. 

"Trouble!" Percy said.

"Get us out of here!" Thalia yelled.

Both angels looked down at her. "Zeus's kid?"

"Yes!"

"Could I get a please, Miss Zeus's Kid?" an angel asked.

"Please!"

The angels looked at each other and shrugged.

"Could use a stretch," one decided.

And the next thing Endora knew, one of them grabbed Endora, Thalia and Percy, the other grabbed Zoë and Grover, and they flew straight up, over the dam and the river, the skeleton warriors shrinking to tiny specks below them and the sound of gunfire echoing off the sides of the mountains. 

niki speaks!

i need to write this series more,
i miss it.
endora telling thalia she's not bothered
when in fact it gets to her heart too much.
thalia & endora = best girls.
i don't really have anything else to say
except that i make too much edits
so someone tell me to stop.

have a nice day/night!
bye!