The Lost Soul
Copyrights go to Rick Riordan
Traitor
Silena's standing in the middle of a wheat field. The field is so vast, so huge that it stretches on for ages, till it disappears over the horizon. The breeze -hot and moist- rustles her black hair, and her silver bracelet clinks ominously. The wheat heads wave in a synchronized manner, sending out a warning. Danger, they appear to say. Trouble.
There's no one in sight. It's just her, standing in the middle of the wheat crops. She's alone.
She doesn't like the feel of this dream. It's just like the others.
A nightmare.
Despite its deceptively serene exterior, there's a dark, roiling feel to the dream. Silena can feel it, as she looks around the lonely place.
She feels trapped. And scared. She wants to get away, to escape-
And then he's there. He's standing in the middle of the field with her, and he's dressed in nothing but a white button-down shirt and a pair of jeans, as far as Silena can see. His presence is so strong, so real that she can almost smell the special cologne she always made him wear. Almost.
Silena doesn't say anything. Instead, she just stares at him silently.
It's all a dream, she tells herself. This isn't real.
Charlie walks forward, closing the distance between them. They're so close that their lips almost touch each other.
He slips his rough, calloused hand into Silena's pale, delicate one. Silena can't help but reach up and stroke his cheek with her other hand.
Charlie doesn't say a word.
Silena drinks in every single feature of his face. His black eyes pierce into hers, giving her a warm shiver.
Her hand's still on Charlie's teakwood cheek, when he opens his mouth. Suddenly, those black eyes don't look so adoring. They turn cold and miserable as Charlie speaks.
Silena instantly knows this dream isn't one of the good, rare ones. It's a bad dream.
They're always bad dreams, Silena realizes.
"You betrayed us," Charlie whispers grievously. His haunted eyes are fixed on Silena's scared ones. "You betrayed me."
Silena drops her hand, and moves away from Charlie. She can't help but stare in fright as Charlie watches her with that dark, despondent look in his eyes.
Silena can't speak. She can't cry, or sob. She can't even control her legs. It's as if her legs are moving away, taking her away from her Charlie.
No.
Her lips move frantically as she tries to scream, to speak out, to say she's so sorry, and that she never meant to hurt him in the first place-
Charlie stares back with a predatory gaze. His fists are clenched at his sides.
"You betrayed me," he repeats quietly. "I thought you loved me. Why? How could you, Silena?"
The last word breaks her heart.
Tears leak out and silently roll down her cheeks as she tries to call out to Charlie.
"Charlie."
Silena's eyes snap open.
Charlie.
She realizes she's alone in her bed. Charlie won't stroll through the fancy doors of the Aphrodite cabin, and envelope her in a warm hug smelling of husk and that cologne of his.
He's not there, Silena thinks as she turns over in her bed, agitated.
Where's he? Where's Charlie?
She squeezes her hands into fists, biting down on her lip so hard that it bleeds. She doesn't want to make any noise as she sobs quietly. Her fists are squeezed so tightly that her long, manicured nails break. One by one.
And she feels everything. The pain of each nail as they slowly, painfully crack against her skin. The pain of losing Charlie. Her Charlie.
Silena doesn't want to wake others up. She doesn't want them to hear her grief.
"Charlie," she whispers, brokenly. She tosses around in her bed.
"Charlie," she repeats inaudibly, more tears leaking out. They instantly wet her pillow. "Charlie, I'm so sorry."
Silena slowly drifts in and out of sleep. It's dawn, when her eyes flicker open.
Charlie, her mind comprehends. He's dead. He's gone.
Because of me, she thinks.
Silena cries again. She can feel the cold metal of Kronos's bracelet pressed against her warm skin. She wants so badly to rip the accursed metal off her wrist and throw it into the fires. Let it burn for eternity, for all she cared.
But she can't do it, she understands as she looks down at the silver on her wrist through teary eyes. She can't do it.
And she has no idea why.
As Apollo drives his fire-red Ferrari across the sky, Silena stays in bed.
She can't help but feel terribly guilt. She's the one who killed Charlie. She caused his death herself.
Her conscience pricks her painfully, as she gazes up at the ceiling.
There's only one word to describe her.
Traitor.