AN: People, allow me to inform you that this is only the first half of the chapter. And yes, I can read your thoughts. Why is she only posting the first half? Because I'm not done with the second half. Well why not just finish it?

Here's why. It's been over a week since I updated. And a hell of a week it's been. However, November has begun, and November is the month with the most off days, so I should be writing more. Also, the quarter just ended, which means hopefully things won't be so intense.

As always, I own nothing, and enjoy. Review if you want, but I'm just informing you people that my story has NO REVIEWS right now. Also, I don't really have a formulated plan, so if you have an idea, drop me a line.

Have fun!

I Get Hunted and Haunted

Do you ever have a feeling that something's going to happen, right before it does? Like it's too late to really do anything, but just for the sake of entertainment you figure it out anyway?

That happened to me just before I woke up. I had this flash, despite the fact that I was asleep, that something bad was going to happen to me. Then the arrows started flying.

"Death to the enemy!" a voice cried out.

Great. Just a helpful hint, if someone says something that includes the word 'enemy,' you generally do not want to be in the area. Particularly if you happen to be traveling with, or even worse, you are, the person they are talking to.

"Kill the enemy half-blood!" another voice screamed.

At this point I jerked up. My mind started racing. They said "half-blood." They knew who I was, or my background at least. I jumped to my feet. Luckily, thanks to that Curse of Achilles stuff, all the arrows missed me. I pulled out Riptide and was ready to kick some major butt when suddenly a voice ordered "STOP!"

The archers stopped firing long enough for me to look at them and I realized that they were all young girls. There was only one group of hunters that was made up of only young girls and that was the…

"Hunters of Artemis, back to camp!" the same voice called.

I grinned because this time I recognized that voice. It came from the trees, where its owner was hidden.

The Hunters lowered their bows, but looked at me suspiciously.

"But ma'am," one said, "This one isn't at the camp, and he has no companions, so he is not on a quest. He must be an enemy."

"No," the voice of the leader called. "He is no enemy to us."

Then the speaker emerged from behind a tree quite close to me and smiled.

She looked the same as always. A small crown on her head identified her as Lieutenant. She wore dark eyeliner and her hair jet-black hair was styled as though she were a punk rocker. Her jeans were torn and her shirt advertised a Green Day concert.

"Thalia."'

"Percy," she said. "It's so great to see you again." She gave me a hug, which, strictly speaking, she wasn't supposed to do. The Hunters seemed stunned, but I figured it'd be all right. She'd hugged me before in front of Artemis, and the goddess didn't think it was a problem.

"I'm so sorry that you had be found by the novice group," she whispered to me. "Any other region would have recognized you from last summer's battle. I'm sorry they attacked."

I shrugged. "No big. Arrows just fly around me anway."

Thalia grinned. "Come back to camp with us," she said, "Artemis will be pleased to see you."

Most of the Hunters walked behind me, which wasn't surprising I guess. They were uncomfortable with boys, and they wanted to have their eyes on me. Thalia, however, had no problem walking by my side. We heard whispers from behind us.

"What does she think she's doing?"

"She acts like she trust him? How? How can she trust him?"

"She's darn lucky that we're here watching her back."

"She should have just let us shoot him and saved Artemis the trouble of turning him into an antelope or something."

"Sorry about them," Thalia said to me. "They don't know who you are, or they would not speak like that."

Then we reached the edge of the Hunters camp. It was huge, with at least 50 tents set up. Although it was only dawn, I could see the camp spread out. I saw one tent that was obviously a medical tent, with girls running in and out of it holding medicine and bandages. Another was clearly the dining tent, and I could smell the food from where I stood. One was the lounge tent. I could hear laughter coming from inside it. The others looked as though they were tents for sleeping in. The tents were arranged in a circle around a huge campfire. Directly behind the fire was the leadership tent, and that was where Thalia led me.

"Artemis!" she called from the door. "We have a guest."

"Who is it, cousin?" Artemis asked, as she approached the opening flap.

With that, Thalia dragged me into the tent.

"Percy!" Artemis said. "It is good to see you again. Although I am surprised that Thalia brought you to camp." She gave Thalia a wondering look.

"I had to find a way to apologize to him. He was found sleeping in the woods by the Novice Region. They fired upon him, thinking he was a run-away half-blood."

"Ah, I apologize Percy. We do not always take in the wisest in the Hunters, but always the purest of heart."

"It's alright," I said. "No big deal."

"Join us for breakfast," Artemis said. "It will give you and Thalia some time to catch up."

Somehow, it was at least a whole hour before Thalia asked me why I was out here. First she talked about how admissions were way up and she was thrilled. Then she asked about my mom and Grover, and finally, finally she asked about Annabeth.

"So, how's your dearly beloved?" Thalia said as I dug into more eggs. The Hunters had had a total feast for breakfast. Actually, to be totally honest, they'd had half a feast. I ate the other half.

"What? Oh Annabeth…" my voice trailed off and Thalia could tell something was wrong.

"Is she okay, Percy?"

I was frozen. I couldn't bring myself to tell her. I believe she was really gone again.

"Percy? PERCY?"

"She's… she's…"

"Percy, for the gods sake, just tell me what's wrong with her!"

"She's… she's been… kidnapped," I spurted; unable to make the words sound right.

"She's been kidnapped? Oh gods…"

"By monsters," I added stupidly.

"OH MY GODS, PERCY. WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME???"

I said nothing. I didn't know why I hadn't told her. Maybe it was because I was still adjusting to the idea myself. It wasn't going well.

Thalia saw that I wasn't handling the moment too well and tried to calm down.

"Hey, Percy," she said, attempting to sound calm. "It's alright."

"No, not really Thalia," I told her. "Not really."

"Here," she said, shoving more food onto my plate. "Just eat and tell me what happened."

It took a while to fill Thalia in. She was not at all pleased and was willing to go straight to Artemis and ask for permission to come with me to find Annabeth. Which meant that I had to suck it up and convince her not to come. Not that I wouldn't love company, I would. Seriously, I was desperate for someone who knew what they were doing, and Thalia definitely fit the description. But the prophecy said I had to go alone. And Athena had said I was the only who could save her. Did that mean that I wasn't allowed to have any help along the way? Probably, which meant that Thalia coming would screw things up.

"Thalia," I said, searching around desperately for my last scarp of patience. "You can't come! The prophecy says I have to be alone."

"It does not, Percy! Besides, she's my best friend too. I'm not just going to leave her there."

"Trust me to bring her back."

"Haha, sorry Percy, but there isn't a chance. As much as I trust you, it aint' happenin'.

"Thalia, come on. I can get her myself."

"I'm not caving without some kind of proof that you're going to bring her back safely. Some gesture of love or something stupid like that."

I sighed. It was bad enough to even have to think of a lecture of love, but to say it to a Hunter of Artemis about some other girl was pretty much suicidal. Fine! I'd come up with something…

"I got nothing." Or maybe not.

"Fine, then. What would you give her?"

I thought about it. What did she mean? I'd give anything I owned to have Annabeth with me, but I didn't think that was what she was talking about. Finally, I settled on something. It was stupid but it sounded romantic.

"I'd die for her."

Okay, so suffice to say that Thalia freaked and we'll just resume the story about an hour later with me leaving the Hunters.

"Well, Percy," Artemis said, "good luck."

"Thank you, ma'am," I replied respectfully.

Thalia came over to me, opened her mouth to say something, closed it, changed her mind, and started speaking.

"Percy," she spoke seriously. "You have to find her. If you can't, you have to promise to come find me, and I'll help you. But we HAVE to find her."

"I will, Thalia. I'll find her."

"Save her. Don't let her suffer anymore."

With that, Thalia gave me one last hug, and I was on my way out of the camp of the Hunters of Artemis, back into the deep unknown.