Annabeth POV

My day was going great until the love of my life got himself killed.

The day started like any other: with me dragging Percy out of bed to watch the sunrise. Then we went for an early morning swim. I won't tell you whether or not we were wearing anything. We headed down to the breakfast pavilion to grab some food, where the earliest campers greeted us. Though Percy and I had already been up for at least an hour, I knew the rest of the camp probably wouldn't be up another two. After breakfast we went down to the arena to practice sword fighting, and then we decided to take a walk by the woods.

That's where we made our fatal mistake.

We walked along talking and laughing, our hands intertwined. As we were about to leave the woods, a monster stalked out of the darkness. Neither of us saw it coming, as it moved with perfect stealth, creeping towards us without a sound. At the last second Percy sensed it behind him, and the familiar shink of Riptide echoed across the clearing. The monster stared at Percy warily, as if trying to decide if he was worth killing. I couldn't describe what the monster looked like if my life depended on it, because its appearance never stopped changing. One minute it had the many heads of a hydra, the next the head of a bull, like a Minotaur. It was like every monster that had ever tried to kill Percy or me in one. The million in one deal.

Percy's sword began to lower; the monster clearly wasn't going to attack.

It chose that second to lunge. I stood there helpless as Percy swung Riptide, giving his signature battle cry and delivering so many blows that the monster should have been killed instantly. Instead the monster simply changed forms every time Percy struck, each blow seeming to make it stronger.

I saw it coming. I don't know why I didn't try to stop it, but my feet wouldn't move, and I just stood there, frozen and helpless. I watched as if in slow motion as the monster dragged its claw across Percy's back, puncturing something vital. Percy fell to the ground with a dull thud that echoed across the clearing.

For a second I stood there in shock, but then my feet remembered how to move, and I ran to him. Ran to the boy who I loved. Who I couldn't live without. I fell to my knees beside him, feeling tears starting to prick the back of my eyes.

"Percy," I choked, stoking his face.

"Annabeth," he croaked.

He opened his mouth to say something more, but no sound escaped him. Something deep within his sea-green eyes dissolved, and I knew he was gone. His head fell to the ground as I pulled my hand away, wrapping my arms around myself, trying to hold myself together. He's gone.

A strange buzzing filled my ears, drowning out the sound of the world around me as I rocked back and forth on my heels. He's gone. He's really gone. I was dimly aware of someone for screaming for help in the distance, but it took me several minutes to realize it was me. Several campers rushed into the clearing, freezing at what they saw.

A dead Percy and a hysterical Annabeth.

I knew I should recognize the campers as the girl helped me to my feet and the boy examined Percy, but I was too overcome with grief to clearly see the world around me.

The girl began whispering soothing words, and slowly led me out of the clearing. I didn't make a single noise; I couldn't. Any noise that wasn't his voice had simply ceased to exist.

They didn't have to tell Chiron what happened. The second he saw my face his expression grimed, and he glanced at the two campers beside me. They simply nodded their heads in confirmation, and Chiron looked graver than I've ever seen him look. He seemed to know that he couldn't help me, though, not now, so he let me go. As I walked out of the big house I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. I still looked the same as I had hours before, but something in the depths of my eyes had vanished, leaving them hollow and empty. Like every ounce of happiness had been sucked out of them.

I wandered out into the camp, but it looked different in my new eyes. It was like a gray curtain had been dropped over the world, shielding my eyes from the happiness and showing only the horror. Everything around me reminded me of him. The sky with the fluffy clouds, the little daisies popping up at every corner, even the other campers having fun reminded me of him. Less than an hour ago, Percy and I had looked the same way. It seemed impossible now.

I walked quickly through the camp, the memories overwhelming me. Everywhere I looked, a different memory of Percy and I was playing in my mind like a tape. We talked over there. Fought over here. Kissed there.

I spun around wildly, trying to make it stop, trying to make it go away. I pressed the butts of my hands to my temples and screwed up my eyes.

Dear gods, make it stop!

The word stop echoed around in my brain, louder than any of the memories that had inhabited my mind seconds before. As my hands dropped from my temples I fled, unaware of where I was going. I let my feet lead the way.

As I ran, I changed direction several times, trying to escape the memories that awaited me at every corner. Finally, I ran to the beach, collapsing into the soft sand.

I slowly calmed down; the only sound I heard the sound of my breath in my ears. It filled my brain, and I felt it slowly creeping back up towards hyperventilating. I tried to focus on the sound of the tide, the soothing sound of the water reaching its tendrils up the beach, and then slowly collapsing on itself.

My breathing slowed, and for a moment I felt almost calm. Happy. Then it all came crashing back down on me, and I was crushed under the weight of the world. The truth finally started to really sink in.

I would never see Percy's smile again. I would never see the love in his sea-green eyes as he gazed at me, whether I knew he was looking, or not. I would never again hear his voice or his laugh, or feel his arms wrap around me. He wouldn't be there to comfort me if I was sad, or laugh with me if I was happy. I would never get to run my hands through his soft black hair again, or feel his love late in the night.

I would never see Percy Jackson again.

And I broke down, the misery rolling over me like the tide, dunking me again and again. As I sobbed brokenly, I felt my life fall to pieces around me. He was gone. Oh gods, he was gone!

The only thing that could bring me out of my misery was gone forever, the light in his eyes put out.

Was it in someway necessary to the way of the world that Percy Jackson should die? Would it fuel some change in the world that could only be invoked that very way? I didn't understand how the fates could be so cruel.

I felt my face press into the sand as my tears filled the sea, and as my consciousness faded I welcomed the darkness.

Annabeth, Annabeth…

I smiled manically. I could hear his voice in my mind, and I hailed the blackness as it let me hear what was forever gone. My consciousness spiraled into nothingness.

Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth…

"Annabeth!"

I blinked the sleep out of my eyes, trying to shade them from the light that poured across the room. I slowly took in my surroundings. I was in my bed in the Athena cabin, and everything looked normal. Then I looked up.

Percy's face hung over mine, the biggest grin I had ever seen stretching over his features. I launched myself at him, embracing him fiercely, pressing my lips firmly to him. Then I collapsed into his surprised arms, beginning to sob uncontrollably into his shoulder.

He rubbed my back, and squeezed me close.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he said. "Bad dream?"

I nodded through my tears and held him close, determined never to let him go.

It was all a dream.