PERCY
What's the matter honey? Salty teardrops leaked out of the six year old boy's squinted eyes. "I saw a big man..he..he...only had one eye!" Sally Jackson's eyes flickered with fear for a moment and Percy's face contorted even more. Noticing this, Sally quickly soothed the little boy, "Oh sweetie, you'll be all right, it was only a dream, a nightmare."
It's only a dream... a nightmare...
nightmare...
nightmare...
A sheen of sweat covered my skin yet my toes felt numb with cold. Images flickered in front of my eyes as I struggled to stay conscious. A sleepy voice swarmed my mind - droning the words that bound my fate. Seven half-bloods...spilled on ancient stones...Doors of Death...world must fall..fall...falling...I'm falling.
A shrill laughing. Flashes of light. Red. White. Darkness.
Shocks of pain blossomed in my fingers, spreading to my wrist, crawling up my arm like a million little spiders scurrying through my veins.
Spiders..Arachne..Annabeth..ANNABETH
I couldn't feel her hand anymore. The darkness was absolute, panic welled up inside me. What if I'd let go? What if she was gone? I felt like my brain was made of.. well .. seaweed.
How long had it been? a minute? an hour? a day? longer? I'd lost all sense by now.
Which way was up? down?
The shrill laughter began again, but this time, it sounded real. It seemed to come from below and in that moment all I could think was protect Annabelle!