I listened impatiently. The nereid was getting on my nerves, sometimes speaking in a fast pace so much that I couldn't understand a word she was saying, other times pronouncing the words so slowly it was like I was in preschool, her being the teacher of course. The nereid didn't seem to notice my discomfort though, carrying on speaking and I checked the sky, noticing the sun starting to fall. How long was I here for?
If my calculations were correct (never saying that again, I sound like Albert Einstein's female wannabe), nightfall would be nearing. Definitely sure that some of the campers would be looking, I decided to speed up her little 'storytelling'. Truth be told, I hadn't heard a single thing she said.

"What do you think?" The nereid asked, a smile plastered on her face though I knew it could turn into a frown as easy as a snap of her fingers. Her eyes glinted mischievously, and I chuckled nervously. One wrong sentence and I'd probably be washed out to sea.

"Wow," I exaggerated, throwing my arms up and trying hard not to stutter. "You're a really good um . . . storyteller?"

"I know," she replied modestly. Within a moment, her face darkened to a cloudy grey and I cursed inwardly. Did I say something wrong? "Now what do you want?"

"What?" I asked uncertain. "I didn't come here to get something. Came here to ask a few questions and -" she began to sneer. "Wait, just hear me out! Anything you want -that I can give -I'll find a way to answer your request."

"Swear on the river styx." She smiled maliciously, and I wondered if I had made a mistake.

"I swear on the river styx." The sky rumbled, sending a shiver to my spine and I prayed to my mom I'd be able to do it. The nereid, however, squealed and clapped her hands, jumping on the surface of the water.

"You're going to die!" She said in a sing-song voice. "You're going to die!" She giggled. "Father's going to be so pleased. He hates you, you know. My old man thinks that a child of Athena shouldn't be so close with Poseidon's son." She turned around, cupping her hands and starting to whisper. "He wants you to -you know." She maimed slicing her throat.

"You swore on the river styx," she continued. "On something that no man or woman has been able to give me." The sky rumbled. "I want to see you die, Annabeth."

"Wait!" I shouted, my right hand behind my back, making its way to the dagger sticking out of my bag. Her eyes found their way to my hand, which apparently I was not good at hiding.

"It's not easy killing a nereid, you know. Most people who try usually end up at the bed of the sea. You want to take a look?" Her eyes glinted mischievously.

"No thanks," I muttered, taking a few steps back. My hand crawled its way to the hilt of my dagger, pressed against it firmly in case she had any other ideas.

The water sloshed against the nereid's feet, the sand making its way to her toes and she wrinkled her nose.

"Don't you want to know what I want?" She didn't wait for me to answer. "I want you to clear waters of all man," her smile deepened as she noticed my eyes raise upwards.

"That's impossible!" I cried. The nereid laughed, and the sky rumbled as she spoke.

"You swore on the river styx, child. There's no going back from here." She sent me one last smile, before the water lapping against her feet towered into a raging wall, and submerged her. By the time the wave had calmed down, the nereid was nowhere to be seen.

I already knew the outcome, and it was clear as ever. I was going to die, my name forgotten as probably one of the stupidest deaths ever. Harshly, I kicked the sand with my boot, expecting soft sand to kick upwards, though my foot thronged as it met with a box.

Ignoring the pain coursing through my legs, I muttered deliriously as I knelt down and dug furiously against the sand, the box was starting to look more shaped now. Half encased in sand, I heaved and heaved until the box was out, holding on to it as I found my breath.

To my dismay, there were no initials marked on the box, and a keyhole present in the middle. I cursed as the lid didn't budge, my head hitting the surface with a thud, and the sound echoed in the lonely waters.

It looked fairly old, the box's width larger than my head though the length about as long as my legs, it would take a bodybuilder to heave this along, and my arms throbbed in pain after all the thrashing. Yet again, I ignored the dull stabs and waddled to the water, washing my sand filled nails and stinging as my cuts met the saltwater.
They soothed a second later though, and I turned back to the box, staring at it curiously.

There must have been something magic to do with this object, though no peculiar sounds were coming out of it and it looked rather harmless. Then again, I mistook the nereid to be harmless and now look where I was.

I jumped as a large tree branch snapped, moving to the side as it felt where I was sitting. The tree donning the branch looked fairly healthy, it's long luscious leaves dragging against the wind, and its bark a good-enough colour. So why did it fall?

The box clanged, and in shock I threw my dagger at it, and my eyes widened as all the rust and dark aging metal withered away from the box, leaving a bronze shine to the object. The keyhole had disappeared and I quickly knelt in front of the box, praying to the gods as I tried to open it.

It still wouldn't budge though, though the content inside seemed much lighter than before, easy enough for me to hold. The branch made a snapping noise again, and I grabbed it whilst using my other hand to hold the box firmly in my hand.

With a sigh, I smashed the branch to the side of the box, and surprisingly enough the keyhole started to wobble out of its place. With a newfound burst of energy, I carried on smashing the box, till after one particularly hard blow, the keyhole fell beside my foot.

"Yes!" I shouted, holding the box for a second. My curiosity gave better than me, and I swung open the lid, tossing it to the side with a clang.

A large telescope lay in the middle of the box, more food supplies and a mysterious glowing orb. The orb was of a pale grass colour, and it lit the inside of the box with a dull green.

A small note lay at the side and I opened it, curious as to what it said.

Lost, half dead or alive?

Well ya must be since that's what's given me to ya. Avoid the bad grammer, I've been stuck here for the past twenty years, my English isn't really up to date.

Leaving camp without permission, Annabeth, how dare you?! I really should give you back but you're the reason I'm here so I might as well be grateful.

Well I'm the . . . . (drum roll please, I'd be rather unhappy if you don't)

G.O.T.H

Oh my gods! I hear you say, you gasp and cower in fear as you hear my name.

Well fear not, lost traveller. My contents shall be suited to your needs whenever you like, just carry me around and the chances of you dying drop by about thirty percent, now it's only seventy!

"Is this a joke?" I said aloud.

Another note popped up in the box, and I read it without any hesitation.

No it's not a joke, you idiot.

"So you can communicate and be witty?" I asked the box, wondering how insane I'd look if a passerby saw me.

Another note was delivered.

It's one of my finest qualities.

Now no dilly-dallying Annabeth! Use your telescope, press the lens three times and throw it lightly across the river.

You can thank me later.

I crossed my eyebrows, still confused nonetheless. If this box was my only way of survival, I might as well listen to it, no matter how strange it seemed.

I grabbed the telescope, gingerly tapping the lens three times and tossing it down the river a couple of meters ahead of me. What happened next was either sheer mechanics or magic performed.

The telescope broke into four large pieces, what confused me was that they were bigger than before. Those four large pieces started to disassemble even more, till I was met with a large metal boat, wondering how on earth it wasn't sinking.

A note fell from the box and I read its contents carefully.

What are you waiting for? Go, get in your boat -bring me of course!- and sail your butt out of here!

Quick, the boat shall be drifting off soon!

It took me five minutes to throw everything on board, running against the waves as I thrashed and pulled, making it on board though my pants clung to me harshly, and the cold water made me shiver.

A note was stuck in my hand, though I was pretty sure I wasn't holding one before.

You can't remember anything can you?

I shook my head, "no."

I can't remember anything either, you know. Hundreds and thousands of years ago.

"You weren't always a box were you?" I asked.

No, a maiden, eh. Can you believe that, amazing G.O.T.H being a maiden, the horror!

"Do you like your new self?"

There was a long pause before another note came.

Where do you want to go, Annabeth? I can set the boat to wherever you wish.

I thought for a second. "As far away from here as you can take me."

You sure? I don't think that would be suitable.

"Just take me, please."

Alright, but don't say I didn't warn ya.

"Warn me of -"

"Annabeth!" Leo's voice startled me, and I shrieked foolishly. There was no doubt he was coming now.

Leo stepped into the clearing, noticing my boat and he crossed his eyebrows. His scruffy clothes and hair undone shocked me. Not the hair, I don't think he ever laid a brush on it. Realisation dawned into his eyes. "Annabeth, Annabeth wait!"

"Annabeth!" He called again, thrashing against the waters, trying to get to the boat before it drifted into the ocean. His eyes softened as he realised he wouldn't make it that far.

"I'm doing you a favour!" I cried, and Leo shook his head.

"You won't see me again and -" Leo cut me off.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked defeated, looking down at the ground. His voice was undeniably quiet.

"You didn't find me, okay?" I urged. "You looked around the island and there was no trace of me to be found. Presume that I'm dead."

"They won't believe that!" He had to strain his voice for me to hear.

The boat was drifting faster, I was reaching the ocean now. "Make them!" I cried, as a large wash washed over and I was now in the ocean, a small black dot making its way back to the forest.

A note lay on the floor.

Wanna hear a knock knock joke?

. . .

Seven hours: somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean:

"How much longer?" I asked, my voice laced with fatigue. The cold had crept up on me, and I hadn't brought anything to pass the time.

Turn around. The note said. I crumpled up the paper, turning my head like the note said and my eyes widened and my face red in outrage.

"Why are we here?" I demanded.

I'm sorry, Annabeth.

I expected maybe a small island, or a civilisation in a whole different country. But instead, I was met with New York, the Statue of Liberty right in front of the boat. How I didn't see it before, only the gods know.

"Why are we here?"

They told me to send you here, it's for your own good.

We hadn't gone anywhere, instead we had spun circles in the ocean, and I was foolish enough to believe a box. A box, for Gods' sake.

"What happens if I throw you overboard?" I asked, determination clear in my voice.

I'll stay there until someone picks me up again. And -

I stopped reading after the dreaded sentence, kicking the box overboard and trying to change the course of the boat. I vaguely remembered driving a boat, and a- a helicopter? The water was so cold it was starting to make me hallucinate.

"Hey! Hey!" A tourist guide at the steps of the tourist attraction said, pointing at me with a frown. "You got a licence for that?"

I didn't answer, still trying to work out the controls of the boat. The tourist guide was coming closer, if he wasn't careful he'd be tossed into the water.

"Get out of the water!" He cried. "The boat isn't sturdy!"

The only thing that were not sturdy were my hands. They'd been exposed to the freezing water for so long that they couldn't stop trembling. It was taking me double the time to move the steering board.

The boat wasn't going anywhere but circles, and my eyes narrowed in defeat. "I'm getting out!" I called, watching the tour guide carefully.

With a sigh, I went over to the lens that was now a window, tapping it three times and jumping into the ocean. The boat was transformed into the telescope in seconds, and I grabbed the object and swam back to shore. The tour guide did not look happy, I was sure he was frothing at the mouth.

He nodded to the entrance. "Come on, you're coming with me."

"Why?"

"A ruddy boat with no license. I blink once and then it's gone." He raised his eyebrows. "What're you playing at?"

I needed to create a diversion. Fast.

A small family walked by us, a little kid looking about the age of nine holding a toy airplane. He made fake whoosh! noises as the plastic plane dipped up and down.

"I'm so sorry about this," I mumbled. I snatched the boy's airplane, clasping it into the tourist guide and turning around without a second glance. The tour guide arched an eyebrow, holding the airplane at its end as if it were toxic.

"Hey -what the . . . is this some kind of joke?"
He didn't finish, having to turn at a woman's shouts.

"How dare you take my son's toy?" She grabbed the plastic plane from the confused guide's hand, her red face shifting into a frown.

Now was my chance. This was a pretty popular place, buzzing with hundreds of tourists looking to see the famous statue. A long line of waiting, mostly sweaty, tourists were at the entrance, some complaining from the blazing heat. I would blend pretty well here, my clothes weren't too shabby except for the few odd dirt stains, and my hair had been kept in a ponytail since my departure from camp, there was no way I knew how the back of it looked- probably a rat's nest.

The tour guide was still staring at the angry mother, confusion etched onto his face. I would've felt sorry for him if not for the superiority held on his face when addressing me. Adrenaline coursing through my veins, I rushed off to the dock of the small island. There had to be a boat departing soon, I'd be able to get to Manhattan if then.

"Hey! Come back here!" The tour guide had caught up with me, his legs wobbling from running for so long, face surrounded with drops of sweat, resembling a washed tomato. Some tourists turned around at the sudden noise, pointing at me with gasps and stares. I'd underestimated the state of my clothes.

The security around the entrance were looking over quizzically, I could tell I'd be caught if they'd come up.

"Don't look for me!" I cried as using the rest of the newfound burst of energy, I jumped from the dock. The boat was nearing, tourists were screaming and everything seemed to go in slow motion. I remembered hearing that that's what you saw the last few seconds before you die, the wallowing emptiness of defeat submerging, holding my eyes shut as sure enough I would fall unconscious from the cold temperature of the water and -

Instead, my legs throbbed as I met with a hard surface, nearly falling off as I stood on the edge of the boat.

Kids were laughing and screaming, their parents holding their beloved close to themselves, even the driver paused to see all the commotion.

"Are you all right?" An elderly woman cried, helping me get down to the ground, and holding me close. "You could've died, Annabeth. What were you thinking?"

Huh? I'd never seen this woman before.
"Who are you -" I didn't get to finish, the woman hugging me tight and I struggled to breathe.

"Your ignorance shocks me." I looked up from the hug, her eyes wide open as she stared down at me. Her grey eyes glinted as she narrowed them.

She raised an eyebrow. "Follow me if you want to live."