Hiya!

This is my second fanific , so it might not be very good. I'm cool with constructive criticism and to be honest, flames don't really get to me. Hope you enjoy

One. Annabeth

The rain poured down heavily, soaking through the thin cotton of my hood. It was only about six o'clock, but the dark clouds made everything seem so much sadder.

Greyer.

Darker.

I couldn't wait to get home: it had been a long day. Not that I hadn't had fun, it just wasn't the same without Percy around.

No, don't say that. He left you! He didn't want you! Get over him!

I shook my head, banishing the malicious voice from my head. It wasn't that I didn't know it was true, it just... I just didn't like thinking about it. It hurt.

Thalia had made me come out today. I'd since hiding away, an empty shell, since that day.

He'd let me down.

Just like everyone else.

If I'd had my way, I would still be at the beach, crying my eyes out.

It was my hideout. My special place. To most, it would have just been an empty grey cave, but it was my saviour. The place I came when I needed space to breathe. Time to think things through…or cry things through.

My cave had seen me shed tears over numbers of people, as it was the place I could really cry in peace. I'd cried over Thalia turning into a tree when I was seven, and over it not working out with my Dad. I'd cried bitterly over Luke, and times when I was just having a bad day.

But most of all, I'd cried over Percy.

I hated him. Yet, I didn't.

I wished he was here. Yet, I didn't.

I wished he would just say sorry. And I hoped he had a good reason for doing all this.

What am I saying? Of course he did. He was offered immortality! Who would be stupid enough to turn that off down?

But for some reason, I had hoped Percy was.

I pulled my jacket around me tighter, catching a glimpse of my wrists. The skin was red and raw, but not nearly as bad as it had been before.

I'd had a hard time hiding them in front of everyone today. Katie, Nico, all my other friends.

Thalia already knew, of course.

She'd seen when she came to get me out of the cave.

I was curled up against a boulder, watching the waves lap at the cave entrance. It hurt so much.

It was like I'd been ripped apart, but now I couldn't find all the pieces.

I just needed a break from the pain.

A small, jagged stone sticking up from the sand glinted in the sunlight, catching my eye.

Maybe this pain, a new pain, would distract me front the hurt I was feeling right now.

Whatever happened, I didn't care. I just didn't want to feel so empty.

Gripping the jagged rock, I scraped a small cut on the inside of both of my wrists.

The pain sunk through me and I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning back against the boulder.

Soon the pain would fill my mind. I wouldn't be able to think anymore. I wouldn't feel the loss...

"Annabeth!" A loud, angry scream interrupted my thoughts.

Crap. Please don't be who I think it is!

Suddenly, the pain had gone. I was now scared for my life.

Slowly I opened my eyes.

Standing ankle deep it water at the entrance of the cave was Thalia, a horrified expression on her face.

She'd seen me. She'd seen the cuts. She'd seen the blood covered rock.

She'd put two and two together. And now I was dead.

"Annabeth," She whispered menacingly, her silver circlet glistening in the sunlight.

When Thalia whispered, you knew you were in for it. Sure, when she got mad she'd blow up in your face, but those were only short bursts. They never lasted long.

But when she whispered, you knew she was really angry.

"Annabeth, please tell me I'm seeing wrong. You're not really doing this."

All I could do was stare at her guiltily.

Suddenly she was beside me and I was sobbing.

"You're not really doing this because of him!" She put her arm round me, but I heard a strange hint of disbelief in her tone. "He's a jerk. I know you thought he was different." She sighed, "We all did."

She shifted round to look at me, her blue eyes piercing into my soul.

"You're better than him Annabeth. You're so much better then Percy."

A fresh round of tears hit me as she said his name.

"You know that, right?" She hugged me close, "He doesn't deserve someone as good as you."

I laughed shakily.

"Just promise me something?" She asked, stroking my curls.

I nodded.

"Don't go around stabbing yourself. Next time you might not be so lucky."

"So what you're saying is," I gulped, my voice thick with tears, "That if I want to slice myself with a rock, I've got to come find you first?"

She laughed and I felt better.

Not good...just better.

I glared up at the sky, as thunder boomed overhead. Olympus had been restored for barely a week and already Zeus and Poseidon were fighting. It was childish.

Thalia had dragged me out today, against my own will.

"You've gotta stop hiding away!" She'd told me, dragging me out of my cabin.

I'd just moaned.

Though, I suppose it hadn't been completely against my will. I'd been sobbing for a week now; I needed something to distract me. It was getting a little sad.

I plodded along the street, staring at the ground. It was too wet to look around me, so I'd have to settle with watching the road.

All in all, I'd had an alright day. I mean, I was tired and all, but it had been good to talk to my friends. Well, the friends I had that were still alive.

And no one had brought up Percy.

I shuddered in the cold.

Why did he have to go? He could have still been happy! Did he not think?

Did he not think of me?

I ha-

"Annabeth, NO!"

My head shot up, trying to locate the heartbreakingly familiar voice that had interrupted my thoughts.

But then I saw where I was.

And what was about to happen.

It was too wet. I couldn't see well. But I hadn't been concentrating.

I was in the road, ambling across the street without looking to see what was coming.

I didn't know. My head was down.

I finally saw the face. Percy. Heartbroken. Distraught.

I took a mental picture of his head and shut my eyes, bracing myself for the pain.

I would have rather had a picture of him smiling, but any picture was good enough.

"Annabeth, NO!"

This was it.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain.

But it didn't come.

Instead something was pulling me under. Gripping my ankle as it dragged me beneath the surface.

A deafening scream escaped my lips.

I was choking. Gasping for air.

But it wouldn't come…

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