Read Online The Demigods of Olympus: An Interactive Adventure by Rick Riordan - Free Book Online Page B

and descended into the cellar. I didn’t feel so sure about following him into the dark, but I also didn’t want to wait around for the leonte to catch up. I climbed down the steps and closed the door behind us.
    That’s when I heard it…the rustle of little feet scurrying across the floor. And squeaking . Lots of squeaking.
    “S-Sam? What’s that?” I whispered, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
    Sam paused to listen before taking his next step down. “Oh, I’m sure it’s just—”
    “Rats,” I blurted, a shudder running through my body. “Oh, no. I can’t go down there, Sam. I can’t.”
    “Oh,” said Sam. “That’s right.” He pulled a flashlight from his backpack, wincing as the beam swept across rows of moldering cardboard boxes, stacks of folding chairs…and a moving, furry floor. There were rats everywhere —hundreds of them. My chest clenched up, and I felt like the walls were closing in. I turned and started back up the stairs, but Sam grabbed me and shook his head. “The leonte ,” he whispered.
    “But you know how I feel about rats,” I said.
    “You’re going to have to get over it,” said Sam. “There’s really no other choice.”
    I took a deep breath. The basement smelled of mildew and rust and wet fur (though I guessed that last smell could be from Sam). He panned the flashlight over the writhing, squeaking floor, landing the beam on a small set of stairs directly opposite us. “There,” he said. “Those stairs lead to the main reading room. If we can make it across, we’ll be safe.”
    “But how?” I said. “There must be a million of them!”
    “Maybe you can get on my shoulders?” said Sam doubtfully.
    “And risk you dropping me in the middle of the rat ocean? Fat chance.”
    “Well, do you have any other ideas?” asked Sam, shining the light around the room.
    Something brushed against my leg and I jumped straight up in the air, trying not to scream. This was literally my worst nightmare come true.
    “There’re no other options?” I asked, angry that my voice sounded so weak and frightened.
    “Um,” said Sam. “Not really, no.”
    I nodded, glad the darkness was hiding my face. “This hero thing is the worst.”
    I heard him laugh, then pause. “It’ll probably get worse.”
    “It can’t get worse. This is the worst. The worst thing ever. In the whole wide world. That’s ever happened. Ever.”
    He was quiet for a second. “But if you can get through this, you can probably get through anything, right? In the whole wide world? Ever?”
    “Do you enjoy being annoying?” I asked. Then I sighed, knowing he was right. I had to start facing my fears if I wanted to be a hero. “What do we do?”
    “They won’t hurt us,” he said. “Just stay calm and move slowly. Slide your feet along the floor, and they won’t even know you’re there.”
    I tried to prevent myself from hyperventilating again, and to slow my racing heartbeat. Get it together, Zane, I thought. I nodded, then realized Sam couldn’t see me. “Okay,” I managed. “Let’s do it.”
    “I’m right here if anything happens,” said Sam. “I promise it’ll be okay.”
    “I don’t wanna talk about it anymore. Let’s just do it.”
    “Okay,” said Sam. “I’ll point the light at the stairs. Just focus on those, not the floor. Hold onto my backpack,” he said, pulling it tight over both shoulders.
    I bit my lip and grabbed his bag, trying not to think about all those sharp little claws and weird naked tails and beady eyes.
    “On three, okay?” said Sam, and I was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude that I had a friend like him, someone who could literally get me to overcome my worst fears. Focus on that , I thought. Focus on the good .
    “One…” said Sam, and I closed my eyes, sucking in a deep breath. “Two…Three.”
    We both exhaled as Sam slowly stepped forward, sliding his feet along the floor underneath the squirming masses. I followed, struggling to hold onto