I am standing. Where, I do not know. I can see nothing but fog. White tendrils of mist swirl around me. I can smell rain. I am both freezing and sweating. I am melting. Gravity pulls at me, and I sink to the ground. I taste mud. And then, I am rising—slowly, quickly. In one direction, in another. I can no longer see. I can no longer feel. I smell the mist. I am the mist. Goodbye, a million droplets whisper.
I awake coated in sweat. I throw the blankets off of me and stretch out my arms and legs, trying to rid myself of the smothering heat. I start to leave my bed, but then I see Percy sprawled on the wood floor, his chest rising and falling slowly. He looks almost peaceful.
"Poor thing," I coo. I must have kicked him off the bed. I tiptoe around him and peek out the window. It's still dark. Camp Halfblood rests. But I can't.
I lean down and run my fingers through Percy's hair. "Hey," I whisper. After he doesn't respond, I slap his face a little.
He shakes his head. His eyes flutter open.
"Come here. You fell off the bed. See? You're lying on the floor."
He mumbled, "Your mom's lying on the floor."
I roll my eyes. "Mmkay, Percy. Let's hope she didn't hear that. Get up."
He groans, but obliges. He crawls into bed, and I cover him with the sheet. Then I head to take a shower. I am still sweating. I feel hot, sticky. I turn on cold water, but I still can't cool down. I sit on the shower floor, let the water pound on my back. I can't get the dream out of my head.
It certainly wasn't a nightmare. But it wasn't a walk in the strawberry fields, either. I can't shake the feeling the dream gave me. I evaporated, I became nothing. It was a peaceful death, but it was still death.
Finally, I find the courage to shut off the water. I step out of the shower and wrap myself in a towel. The mirror is not fogged over. I bend over, feel my hair slap against my chest and shoulders. I wring my hair with the towel, squeezing out the excess water. Then I air dry as I brush my teeth and wash my face and take my vitamins.
I peek out the door and see Percy still fast asleep. I wrap myself in the towel and head to my dresser. I don myself in the regular drab: a pair of old shorts and a Model T-shirt (any color, as long as it's orange).
The first rays of dawn streak through my window. Grabbing my phone and my knife, I rush out of my "apartment" in the Big House. Even in the dimness, Camp Halfblood begins to rise. I hear stirring in the cabins. A couple of nymphs are sneaking out of Aphrodite's cabin.
I like to take morning walks. In the gray of morning, I feel close to my mom. I pray to her in my head, even though I have no clue if she's listening. She has never responded.
Mom? Good morning. I could use a little wisdom. I'm afraid. I don't know what to do about today. That's my problem. I literally just have no idea what to do. Do you realize how crazy that is!? Even if I don't know what to do sometimes, I can still see options in my head. I see no options. Zero. Everyone is relying on me, but I have no idea. Please…if you're even listening, help.
Suddenly I am angry. I have nothing more to say. I'm at the edge of the forest, and I plunge inside, running as fast as I can. I collapse by the river. Resting on a boulder, breathing heavily, I look around. I realize I'm in the spot where Poseidon claimed Percy, all those years ago. I'm surprised by how young he looks in that memory, how small. I close my eyes, smiling, trying to preserve it.
"Annabeth."
My eyes fly open. I look around but see no one.
"Annabeth."
I look up. An owl rests on a branch ten feet above my head. It swoops down and lands in front of me. It ruffles its feathers, screeches, and then, in a human voice, says, "Annabeth."
I stare at the creature with the impossible voice. I have seen thousands of unbelievable things in my life. I am not at all startled by a talking owl. It's the voice—it's my mom's. "Athena?"
"Annabeth." It is the exact same tone as before, like a recording.
"Yes, Athena?"
It screeches and takes off, leaving a distinct bird smell on the air. I cough. Then I see what was left by the bird. I crouch down and pick up the item, turn it in my hand. "No," I murmur. "No, no, no."
I'm running again. This time, toward camp. I sprint through the grounds, ignoring the campers who try to speak to me. I bound up the steps in the Big House, barge through the door to my apartment, and shake Percy awake.
"What the—gods—what are you—"
"Percy, look," I whimper.
He sits up, rubs the sleep out of his eyes, and peers at the palm-sized silver coin I hold in front of his face. His jaw slacks, and he squints. He grabs the coin, turns it over in his hand, then looks up at me, confused.
"Athena left it for me," I answer his unasked question.
"Athena? But—"
Impatient, I take back the shiny, ancient coin. He's moving to slow for me. I need to think, I need to act.
This morning I prayed to my mom. I asked her for wisdom, for help. This is her answer. There, scratched into the coin in ancient Greek: Goodbye.
A/N I never even thought of continuing this, so when I saw the reviews I was surprised and excited. I've decided to continue the story. Thank you to everyone who has read this story! It makes me literally SO happy! I love getting to share my writing with people who share my love of these characters/worlds! Okay, speech over.
