Nico Di Angelo POV
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
That's what the sign in front of me said. Seems fitting for me. 'No. No time for self-pity right now. Where am I?' I thought. I looked up at the street sign again, then at the street the sign was meant for. It was dark, gloomy, and to be honest (don't repeat this), I was kinda' scared. "Where am I?" I said aloud. I heard someone chuckle behind me. I drew my black sword quickly, and turned around. . . . Nothing. No one. Just darkness. I decided to walk towards that said darkness. I walked into it, and saw nothing. I tried to shadow travel, but somehow, I couldn't. I just kept walking. Finally, ahead, I saw a spot where it wasn't as dark. I walked forward, only to find myself back at the beginning of the street I started at. Okay, this was starting to get wierd. Then again, what isn't wierd in my life? No, I'm not rambling on about my pitiful life this time, every demi-gods life is wierd! But this, this was different.
I decided it was time to explore this street. I walked past the sign, and onto the left sidewalk. I looked down at the junk lying around. Old toys, books, pictures. I picked up one of the pictures, I could see a blonde-haired person, but barely. I wiped off dust and dirt. Annabeth! Luke, and Thalia too. Annabeth was really young in the photo. She was holding onto Luke's arm, a smile on her face. Thalia leaned on Luke's shoulder, arms crossed, grinning slyly. Luke had a small smile, and seemed comfortable in the photo. 'What is this picture doing on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams?' I folded the photo, and put it in my pocket. I'd give it back to Annabeth once I got back to Camp Half-Blood.
I kept walking, taking in all of my surroundings. Something I noticed, was a lot of this stuff was from demi-gods. An Aphrodite girl's flyer for a jewelry shop. Annabeth's photo. An Apollo kid's unfinished novel. I sat down and read some of it. I scoffed and threw it aside after reading the first few chapters. No wonder it was unfinished! I looked around, I'd been there for a while. It took me a long time to read that book, okay? I wasn't meant to read anything but Greek! I was starving. I yelled at the sky, "Hey! Got anything to eat around here?" Just to try it.
Much to my suprise, a little girl walked out of the darkness I had tried to walk through. She wore a white sundress, and had dark gold hair. Her blue eyes seemed calm, like a still pond. She looked about 6 years old. She walked up to me, and asked in a small voice, "May I help you?" "Yeah, first off, how long am I gonna' be here?" She seemed thoughtful, "That is not something I may tell you. I would if I knew though. Is there anything I can get you for your time being here?" I thought for a moment, "Something, anything to eat." She smiled sweetly, and skipped off into the dark beginning of the boulevard. A few moments later, she skipped out, balancing a silver tray perfectly. She got down on her knees, and offered me the tray.
On the tray was a plate of spaghetti. With steaming meatballs and sauce. My mouth began to water, and I took the tray. I picked up the fork next to the plate, and began to eat. The little girl made herself comfortable, and waited for me to finish. The spaghetti tasted just like the spaghetti Bianca and I used to get at the Lotus Casino. It even had the same tang that only came from some weird spice Bianca used! Once I finished, I licked my lips. "Thanks," I said to the little girl. She giggled into her palm, then picked up a napkin from the tray, and wiped my face. I smiled sheepishly. The girl picked up the tray, and began to skip away. "Wait!" I called. She stopped, and turned to me, "I'll be back in a moment."
Moments later, the little girl walked over to me, barefoot, carrying an empty, glass cup. She sat down on the sidewalk next to me, and handed me the cup. "It is the same kind of cup as the ones you drink out of at Camp Half-Blood. Speak to it," she said. "Grape soda," I said hesitantly. Sure enough, the cup filled with the purple, fizzy liquid I had asked for. I took a big gulp, and turned to the girl, "What's your name?" She smiled, "My name is Lillian, or Lilly." I stuck out my empty hand, "Hi, Lilly, I'm Nico." She put her small hand in mine, held it firmly, and shook it.
"Do you know why I'm here?" I asked. She shrugged, "Usually, people are sent here to realize that everyone's dreams have been broken, not just theirs. Perhaps that is why you are here, perhaps there is another reason. I am not told why people are sent here, I have to figure it out on my own. I can usually tell by people's attitude, what they are wearing, or what their actions are when they realize they are unable to leave on their own." "How long do people usually stay?" I asked. "In time here, usually a week. Time outside of this boulevard, a month. It is different here, and outside of this place." "How long have I been here?" I asked, suprised. "Time here, a few hours. Time outside of the boulevard, half a day." I looked down, depressed, "I wonder if-" "Yes, your friends are already looking for you. Despite what you think, they do care." Lilly put a hand on my shoulder encouragingly, and I felt better. At least I knew someone was looking for me. . .