You know how people say that falling is like flying?
I'm telling you now that it's not. Believe me, I've done both.
In the past few years, Annabeth and I have fallen off our fair share of things. The St. Louis Arch. The cliff with the Manticore. But nothing could compare to the sheer terror that I felt falling into Tartarus. I should have pushed backward when we fell, because it wasn't long before I realized that we were far too close to the walls of the pit. The rocks ripped at my skin and shirt and knocked the breath out of me. I tried to look down, only hoping that Annabeth wasn't having the same problem. I tried kicking, hoping to propel myself from the wall, but you don't have much control when you're free falling.
The light from above disappeared quickly. It was only a spot of light in a matter of moments. It wouldn't be long before even that was gone and we were plunged into total darkness. I gripped Annabeth's wrist hard and I felt her squeeze my arm back. If I looked down, I could see a wisp of blonde hair and a web, whipping and flashing white at Annabeth's feet. I wondered how much longer we would fall, how much longer we would have to endure this. I didn't even want to think about what would happen when we hit solid ground. And I was definitely blocking out any idea of what Tartarus would actually be like. I hadn't given it much thought before, and it worried me now. This was where monsters went when they died. This was a prison where the worst of creatures were held. This was where Grover had almost fallen on my first trip to Hades, this was where the winged shoes had tried to pull me, this was where every monster I had ever killed had been banished. This was where Kronos had dwelt for centuries, unable to escape. A powerful titan unable to free himself. Getting out of this suddenly seemed even less likely.
I couldn't see anymore. The light had gone, and the air was a dead quiet. All I could hear was the wind travelling passed my ears, cold and harsh. Tears were whipped from my eyes, though I wasn't sure if it was from the fast wind against my face or if I was crying. I wanted to say something to Annabeth, to shout, to make sure she was alright. I wondered if I could even get myself to make a sound. I felt Annabeth's hand tighten around my arm and I knew she was thinking the same. I imagined Annabeth falling on her own, had I not caught her. I was suddenly glad to fall. I couldn't imagine Annabeth having to go through this alone.
We seemed to fall until standing on solid ground seemed a foreign thing. I felt like I should be bracing myself for some sort of impact, but it never came. I could hardly tell if my eyes were opened or closed anymore, and the blood racing from the cuts the rock wall had awarded me had gone cold. I felt numb. I felt helpless. I wondered if it would ever end.
That's when the whispers started. The quiet slowly came to life in the form of low growls and faint screeches. The air smelt musty and old, and I felt my stomach do a back flip upon realizing we that we must've be close to the bottom of the pit. Annabeth's grip strengthened as a cracked scream ricocheted from below us. Fear built up in my chest as my eyes darted from side to side, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was around us. We remained enveloped in pure darkness. I felt my breath shaking as I tensed for impact. My eyes closed and I held Annabeth so tightly that I was sure I was hurting her.
The black beneath my eyelids turned to red and I heard Annabeth struggle a shrill "Percy!" from below me, but my eyes opened too slowly. My legs hit hard rock and pain shot from my feet to my chest. My breath was forced from my lungs and I heard myself cry out. My grip on Annabeth loosened and the red light became black once again as I passed out.
The last thing I was conscious of was Annabeth shouting my name over horrid screams and deep snarls. They were no longer whispers.