Oopsie, forgot the disclaimer for the other chapter…so, here it is.
Disclaimer: As much as I wish it, I don't own Percy Jackson. Darn.
Luke's P.O.V.
The boat stopped with a jolt, and I was pushed off onto Hades' realm. Butterflies in my stomach, I headed towards the "Attendant on Duty" line, which wasn't too long.
I was beginning to think I should go the Ez Death line. What if the judges decided to put me in the Fields of Punishment? It would be more than you deserved, a voice whispered in my head.
"Shut up," I told it.
I marched bravely to the judges who would decide my fate for the rest of eternity: Shakespeare, Thomas Jefferson, and Ghandi. Well, better than Minos. With a thrill of foreboding, I stepped forward.
"Luke Castellan," Thomas Jefferson boomed. I raised my hand proudly. Don't show weakness, don't show weakness, don't show weakness. I chanted.
"Your life was filled with death and misery," Shakespeare regarded me with intense eyes. "But in your death, you saved the world." I took a shaky breath, and nodded, still trying to play it cool.
"Lord Hades has decided that you will spend your days in…Elysium," Ghandi finished. I let out a revealed breath, and all three judges broke out into smiles. Without waiting another moment, I walked through the white pearly gates to my new destiny.
"Luke." The voice sounded so familiar. I could almost place it…yet I couldn't. But it immediately came to me as I saw her beautiful face, framed in dark locks running past her shoulders. Her hand was gripped tightly by a large black teenager with menacing muscles but warm brown eyes.
"Silena." My voice sounded muted. "Beckendorf. I…I don't…I'm so sorry." But the two just beamed at me, as though I had never betrayed them.
"You did the right thing in the end, Luke," Silena said sincerely. "You have nothing more to be sorry for."
"But you can talk more with us later," Beckendorf added. "There's someone else here who wants to see you."
"Someone else?" I asked, confused. But the two just grinned at me, like they had a huge secret that was about to be revealed.
"White house with the red roof," Silena pointed to a beautiful home in the distance. "Go fast! She's been waiting!" I gave them curious looks, but they just motioned towards the house. I sighed good-naturedly and headed down the well-worn path, wondering who could possibly want to see me. Was it Nakamaru? No, he probably still hated my guts. Other than that, I couldn't think of anyone who would want to talk to me.
I rung the doorbell. It had a nice sound, like water running down rocks, or something. I heard soft footsteps running to the door, and a beautiful woman opened the door. As soon as I saw her face, I knew that I knew her from somewhere. She had short blonde hair and a wide smile that made me want to smile too. Her arms were open to welcome me, and for some strange reason, her eyes were filled with tears.
"Luke," the woman whispered, and suddenly it all came back. Visions of green, fractured eyes and hiding behind locked doors from a woman screaming about my fate and burned cookies and Medusa beanie babies…this was my mom.
She took me up in her arms, and for the first time in my life, er, death, I felt safe and warm and comforted in her arms, like nothing could ever hurt me. "Mom," I stammered. "You're…you're not…how…what happened to you?!"
She smiled through her tears, but it was a sad smile, as though she was remembering something she didn't want. "I died," she said simply. "Of a heart attack. And of course, since I live alone, and you and your father were busy at…war…I died."
I gaped open-mouthed at her, and a fresh wave of guilt flushed through me. For years, I convinced myself that my mom would be fine without me, that I was protecting her from running away, that she would be better off without me. But I finally had to face the truth; I ran away from her, and because of that, she died alone.
She must've noticed the expression on my face, because she cupped my cheek and held me close. "Don't blame yourself, Luke. The Fates have a funny way of working. I thought that my life was ruined because of them. But now, my boy is here…and we're in Elysium." I looked up at her and saw the truth of her words and I pulled away, smiling. Maybe I had messed up a lifetime with my mom, but in the end, I had an eternity to make things right.
Soo…love it? Hate it? Want to kill it? Then tell me! It's easy; all you have to do is hit that gorgeous green button down there. Come on! Go ahead! You know you want to! Flames accepted!