The Underworld's Curse

“Yeah. I told you guys. I was right, there’s nothing. Hear me? Nothing.” Melissa smirked at Jennie.
For once, Jennie ignored it. “There was something,” she said, chewing her lip. “There was something, you heard it, didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“Well, you two are just wrong, aren’t you, because we’ve been up and down this little foresty thing for ages and what have we found?”
“Yeah, yeah, nothing, we get it Melissa!” Lee gritted his teeth.
And it was true. The seven of us had raced into the forest after the cry and found nothing. Well, nothing apart from a little bunny rabbit hopping along.
Scarlet came up to me. “Let’s go back now, huh?” I nodded at her, smiling, but really my attention was focused on Nico. He seemed pretty weak almost; I had noticed it from the moment we had seen Melissa and Jennie arguing. It reminded me of when the zombie had come. How Nico had fallen to the floor.
“Aw, come on everyone, we’re not going to find it. Let’s go,” I beckoned with my hand and they followed me back to the camp.
Where Chiron met us wearing his ‘No. 1 Centaur’ shirt. Man, was I jealous of his t-shirts.
Chiron was standing next to Rachel Dare. And both of them looked pretty grim.
And what made it worse was that they wanted Nico and me to go with them.
So, anyway, ten minutes later we were in the Big House, sitting round the table. Some cookies were placed hopefully on the surface, but we were all ignoring them.
Chiron stroked his curly hair. Rachel traced the grain of wood on the table. I ate a cookie.
“Nico,” began Chiron. “I’m sure you know about…everything that’s been going on recently.”
Nico frowned. Did he mean losing Capture the Flag? Percy flooding the toilets? Nico’s sword slicing Mrs O’Leary’s rubber chew toy in half?
“The zombies,” explained Chiron, and Nico’s face closed down. He knew where this was going and his eyes narrowed in anger. I ate another cookie.
“And, well, we were thinking that maybe…”
“You’re thinking wrong! It isn’t my dad! He wouldn’t do this! He wouldn’t!” yelled Nico.
Chiron leant forwards. “Nico, my dear boy, who else could it be?”
“It isn’t him!”
“But…”
“Shut up!”
Rachel grimaced and rolled her eyes. I took another cookie. I eat when I’m nervous.
Nico was on his feet now and about to stride out of the room when his dramatic exit was spoiled. A tall black shape with leathery wings and a bun (her hair was in a bun, she wasn’t holding one that you get from the bakers) appeared in front of him.
Nico glared at her as she gripped his arm and dragged him over to Chiron.
“Ah, hello Alecto,” smiled Chiron. “Won’t you sit down and join us?”
Um…
Alecto looked pretty dangerous in my opinion. Like, with all the black wings and black everything and the look of evil on her face and the way she was gripping Nico tightly. She didn’t exactly look like a person you’d want to sit down to tea and biscuits with.
Alecto ignored him. Maybe she didn’t like chocolate digestives.
“Hades, Lord of the Underworld has called his son to come to him,” she announced in a hard, grating voice.
Chiron frowned. Rachel’s eyes widened.
“Fine,” said Nico fiercely. “Fine. Good. I don’t want to stay here in this stupid camp anyway.”
He was about to storm off when I stood up.
“I’m coming with you.”
I didn’t know what made me say it. Perhaps I was worried about Nico being able to stay out of danger in the Underworld, which was pretty stupid of me as his dad is the Lord of the Underworld. Perhaps it was me wanting to see the Underworld (though I doubt it, it sounds scary). But anyway, I stood up and told Nico.
Nico paused, staring at me. “Really?”
“Yeah. Course. What – you were thinking you could go off to the Underworld without me?”
He grinned. “Come on then.”
I got up from my seat, suddenly very nervous. I eyed Alecto. Was she going to grab us and force us downwards.
The door of the room suddenly burst open.
“Hey, what are you guys doing?” Will frowned at us.
Chiron sighed. “It’s none of your business.”
“It is my business! If Kalindi’s going on a quest, I’m coming too!”
I blushed.
“It is not a quest, Will, it is a call from Hades.”
“I don’t care, I’m coming!”
Nico rolled his eyes. I peered round the door and saw Lee, Scarlet, Jennie and Melissa standing there.
“Don’t tell me,” grinned Nico. “You’re all coming too?”
“Don’t try to stop me, buddy,” grinned Lee, running a hand through his short blonde hair.
“I want to have a word with Hades about the zombies,” said Jennie, frowning.
“I’m just coming. Come on, come on, come on, please please please say I can come Nico!” pleaded Scarlet.
We all looked at Melissa, who yawned and tossed her black hair. “Well, nothing’s happening here. I might as well come with you guys.”
I looked at Nico again. He looked…happy.
“So,” I grinned. “Guess it’s the seven of us.”
I turned round to look for Alecto, but she had gone.

Chiron suggested that we should leave the next morning. I couldn’t sleep. Neither could Lee, so we got out our instruments. Lee had a lute from Apollo. I had my guitar. We played a few songs, which didn’t make the other Apollo kids very happy.
And the next morning the seven off us left Camp Half-Blood.
To go to the Underworld.
Help.