Note: Hiya, guys! It's summer vacation! Yay! :D Me is soo happy! So anyway, this story popped up to me and I just had to write it! It's loosely based on the Pirates of the Caribbean, but only loosely, I promise! ;) So, I brought you the Prologue and Chapter 1, I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, sadly! :(

On with the story... :D

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Prologue

The breeze was salty and, oddly enough for her young lungs, refreshing.

She wasn't exactly fond of the deep, depthless water, but her young, nine-years-old mind, couldn't help but appreciate its beauty—the small ripple on the surface from the breeze, the crashing of the playful waves between her small toes, the infinity of it, and the bright, orange orb setting behind the horizon and creating the most beautiful, orange-yellowish carpet right in the middle of the blue.

It was a sight to behold.

Her small feet carried her along the shore, the waves slapping against her ankles every now and then, allowing the newly-wet sand to cling to the soles of her feet. The young girl did not mind in the least. She giggled when they did, and breathed the salty air.

Her blonde curls swayed around her face and she looked around her for shells and starfishes. She found one shell and, delighted, bent down to take it. It was hollowed, and the little girl brought it up to her ear, and pressed it there for a few seconds.

She could hear the ocean, just as loudly as the ocean in front of her. Or was it that she was simply hearing the ocean in front of her?

She frowned, and placed the shell in her small bag that she carried across her shoulder, promising herself that once she got home, she'll try again. And then, she continued her journey.

There were a few scattered rocks around the shore, but that wasn't any surprise. They were always there when she came, but this time, something was different. The rocks seemed to…glitter?

Fascinated and with wide eyes, the young girl got down on her knees and began looking through the rocks. They were glittering! She thought they looked like diamonds. However, she knew that they could be just quartz. She had read about quartz usually found along beaches, but did they always sparkle brightly? They were so beautiful.

Maybe it's just the setting sun, she thought to herself, smiling. Nature is sure a strange force.

She collected some of the quartz on her palm, making sure to select the gray and the yellow ones. They were the ones shining brighter than the rest. She reached for the last one—it was a yellow stone, bigger than the rest, and shining brilliantly. However, it wouldn't budge.

The young girl frowned, and using her hands, started digging around the rock, in hopes that it would move a bit if the sand around it was removed. But then, something odd happened. The more sand she removed, the smaller the rock seemed to get and its luster and shine seemed to reduce. Fascinated and curious, the girl kept on digging until she hit the land.

Her gray eyes widened.

It wasn't a rock, it wasn't yellow, and it wasn't big. It seemed to be an amulet—small, circular, and connected to a silver chain. Curious, the girl reached out and her fingertips landed on top of the circular medal. It pulsed under her fingers, and she shivered.

It's almost time, my daughter, the wind whispered, and the girl stood up, shocked. It's almost time…

The nine-years-old looked down at the amulet, eyes as wide as saucers. Her precocious mind told her to stay away—this thing was dangerous. However, she felt an unexplainable force pushing her to take the amulet. To keep it safe. It wasn't supposed to be here. It wasn't supposed to stay here, when anyone can come and take it. But why could she take it? Didn't the rule apply to her as well?

Her hand reached out and took it, feeling its smooth surface. She turned it, and was surprised by its back. It had the design of a sun with its rays flickering in every direction. In the middle of the orb, a simple word was engraved: ελπίς.

Somehow, the young girl understood the word.

Hope

It was written in Ancient Greek.

The young girl ran her fingertip across the word, frowning ever so gently. She'll have to research it once she gets back to her house, but for now—

"Annabeth!"

Hastily, the girl slipped the silver chain around her neck and tucked the amulet under her dress. It pulsed, and she shivered once more. She looked over to the horizon, and saw that the sun was almost completely gone. The ocean looked as calm as ever, but with the amulet now around her neck, pulsing against her skin, she wasn't sure…

"Annabeth, there you are!" a shrill voice echoed down the shore and the young girl, Annabeth, looked up.

Her nanny was here. She was an old woman, in her fifties, with thinning gray hair and wide eyes that always looked that they were about to pop out of their sockets. She reached out and took Annabeth's wrist.

"Your father is worried sick about you, young lady," her nanny scolded, her eyes flickering along both sides of the beach. "Don't you know that your father has a lot of enemies? They could be anywhere."

"I can take care of myself, nanny," Annabeth mumbled, but allowed the old woman to lead her back towards the black limo.

As her nanny continued rant nervously, Annabeth looked back out towards the infinite blue ocean as it touched the twilight painted horizon, and could almost hear the voice in the wind again…

It's almost time, my daughter…

It's almost time…

-.-

Note: So? x_x