When the highway is completely empty and you know there aren't any cops on it, you can go pretty fast. Annabeth and I had been driving on the deserted freeway for hours, going about 80 miles an hour. This is how we ended up in the middle of North Dakota quicker than usual. We had no idea where we were going; we were just… just driving and thinking about what we needed to do. There had been little conversation, just little tidbits here and there.
"Percy."
I jumped with a start.
"Huh?"
"You were dozing again. Going into the other lane."
"Oh. Yeah. Sorry." I shook my head to wake myself up.
"We've been driving for about 8 hours. We should pull over and sleep."
"No, we have to keep going."
"We don't even have anywhere to be, Seaweed Brain. Let's pull over, sleep, and think about what we're going to do and where we're going to go."
She had a point.
I pulled over to the side of the road into the grass. On both sides of the freeway there was thick wooded area. We were literally in the middle of nowhere. The stars were prominent, glittering up a storm. They didn't have the moon to compete with since you kind of need the Sun to see the Moon. Also, Artemis probably hadn't left her brother's side since he became so sickly.
What's going on, Boss?
Black Jack, we're going to pull over for the night and sleep. You're welcome to as well.
No, I don't need much sleep, Boss. I'll keep watch and let you know if anything happens.
Thanks, Man.
No problem, Boss.
Annabeth and I looked at each other as I took the keys out of the ignition. With the car shutting down, our heat left too.
"How are we going to do this?"
"Well, we could sleep in the back… I mean, use each other's warmth to…" Annabeth blushed.
I grinned.
"Annabeth, don't tell me you're nervous about sleeping with me."
"We're not sleeping together!"
I paled. "No! Not like that!"
"Of course I'm not nervous. We sleep together all the time. It's just… we usually have a whole bed… not a backseat…"
"This will be interesting."
"Shut up Kelp Head." She smirked.
We both got out of the car, shut our doors and went to the back and opened the passenger doors.
"Um… it's smaller than I thought." Annabeth winced.
"Yeah, well, we're not in any position to complain. Let's get in before the heat escapes."
"Good idea. Hey, where are you going?"
"I forgot my mom put a blanket in the trunk. She wanted me to be prepared if my car broke down in the middle of the winter."
"Okay."
Annabeth climbed in as I retrieved the blanket from the trunk. Gods thank Mom for being so… Mom-ish.
When I climbed in, we were both sitting on opposite sides. Annabeth had taken her jacket off, but was still in a long sleeved shirt and fleece. I took my coat off as well, for more room, and handed it to her.
"Roll them up to make a pillow."
Annabeth did as I said and I tried to stand up as much as possible to give her room to lie down.
When Annabeth was stretched across the seat horizontally, jacket pillow under her head and pressed against the door (she fit perfectly, maybe a little taller) I brought my right leg over to straddle her shins. I looked at her helplessly.
"Maybe I'll just sleep in the driver's seat?"
Annabeth shook her head and held her arms out to me.
I slowly lay, my body sprawled over hers, my head resting on her chest. I glanced up at her and saw that Annabeth was smiling.
"Are you comfortable?" I asked.
"Surprisingly, yes. You'll keep me nice and warm, Seaweed Brain." She grinned.
I gave her a small smile and handed her the blanket to spread over us.
I was surprisingly comfortable too, but most of it had to do with the fact that Annabeth was with me. Annabeth wrapped her arms around me, hands massaging small circles into my back. I kissed her collar bone and snuggled myself in. Annabeth kissed the top of my head and muttered "G'night, Seaweed Brain."
"Good night, Wise Girl." I uttered back.
"RACHEL! PERCY? ARE YOU IN HERE?"
My hooves slipped on the wood floor. What was that? My animal senses could smell… iron… lots and lots of blood…
"RACHEL! PERCY!"
"GROVER? IS THAT YOU? HELP MEEEEE! PLEASE!"
"I'M COMING RACHEL! HOLD ON!"
I didn't know what I was about to get into and deal with… the apartment was destroyed. Things had been thrown about. I ran into the room where I had detected Rachel. She was bleeding profusely from a gash in her head. A dark, large, creature with glowing eyes was advancing on her.
"Rachel! Duck!" I yelled as I hurled one of my crutches at the thing. The crutch smashed into the thing's head and it roared, retaliating by picking up the dresser and hurling it in my direction.
"GROVER!"
My eyes widened as I leapt out of the way just in time. The dresser crashed into the doorframe, being too wide to go through it. Splinters flew everywhere, a couple slicing across my face. I rolled and got to my feet again.
"Rachel! Get out of here! I'll distract it!"
"I'm not leaving you, Grover!"
"GO!"
Rachel tried to slip past the monster as I did all I could to draw its attention to me: smacking it repeatedly with my remaining crutch, kicking it… Rachel was almost out the door when suddenly, she collapsed, unconscious.
She had lost too much blood.
It pooled onto the carpet, leaving a rusty stain.
"RACHEL!" I made my way over to her, I had to get to her, she was dying for all I knew…
CRASH.
Darkness engulfed me.
I woke up with a jolt.
I was trembling severely, a cold sweat made my shirt damp and my hair wet. I was clutching onto Annabeth as if my life depended on it.
Grover had been there. He had been at the apartment when Rachel was kidnapped, and that was why he was with her now. It was our mind link. Grover must be… just barely conscious, or dreaming, trying to relay this information to me. I still had no idea where they were now, but I did know that they were in the same place. At least they had been the last time I… well, last time Grover was actually awake.
I lifted my head and looked at Annabeth. She was still sleeping, breathing evenly and calmly.
I grasped her fleece and snuggled my head in the valley between her breasts. I placed a few kisses there, just to calm myself down, distracting myself. I was here. Not in the apartment, not where Grover and Rachel were. I was here with Annabeth. She was my anchor, keeping me together, keeping me sane, and helping me calm myself and deal with these, visions, if you will.
Suddenly, it felt like I was constricted. My head felt like it was clamped between a giant metal claw, smells and atmosphere of the apartment returned, then were quickly replaced with a dank and damp, musty smell. I could smell dirt and rocks, and… I could smell the darkness, and the unknown.
I felt one of Annabeth's hands in my hair.
"Seaweed Brain? Percy? Are you okay? You're… shaking violently… what's wrong?"
I shook my head, remaining facedown in her chest, gripping her sides. I was scared, terrified. It felt like I was there. The smells, the stuffiness, the throat-clogging, heart-gripping fear that Grover had felt and experienced was all a part of me now. They weren't my emotions, but because of the mind link, I was reacting to them and because there was no sensible explanation to why I was experiencing them, my mind and body couldn't control them, simply because they weren't mine to control.
"You're scaring me, Percy…" Annabeth rubbed my back soothingly with one hand, the other seeking my chin to bring my face to hers. I was conscious of her attempts, of everything around me, but I was too busy reacting to Grover's emotions that mine were put in the back of my head for later. It's like I had two brains in my head and they were fighting for dominance and priority.
I could still feel myself trembling, shaking, gripping Annabeth and burying my face in her breasts, seeking the comfort, seeking relief from this irrational fear that was gripping every bone in my body, seemingly squeezing the marrow from them, twisting my muscles into tense bundles of nerves.
I couldn't calm down. This had never happened before in all the years that Grover and I had shared this connection. He was in real, undisputable danger and had no way out. He… he was having a panic attack.
I kept flashing in and out between the warmth and softness of Annabeth to the cold and hardness of a rocky ground.
Annabeth calling my name seemed like it was in the distance.
I barely registered that I was sobbing. I clenched my teeth and was just able to stop a scream from being released.
My face was wrenched off the rock and my mouth met with something pure, soft and warm.
Annabeth had gripped my face and brought my lips to hers. I was instantaneously brought back to where I, Percy Jackson, not Grover Underwood, was located mentally and physically.
I responded vigorously and roughly, teeth nipping at her lips as she returned the gesture. One of my hands found one of Annabeth's breasts, and I cocked my head to the side to deepen the kiss. Annabeth's mouth opened and I probed the damp heat with my tongue, finding hers and simultaneously finding relief as hers and my tongues massaged each others. I could feel myself calming down, breathing deeply and evenly and moaning slightly, partly because of Annabeth's kiss, partly due to the release of tension and oncoming exhaustion the attack had caused.
Annabeth and I remained lip-locked for I don't know how much longer. She was bringing me back. My mind was mine again, my body was mine to control and I took advantage of that control as I gripped Annabeth's waist with one hand and her face with the other. She had sat up a while back, her hands linked around my neck, fingernails gently scratching the nape of my neck and making the fine hairs there tickle.
I pressed one, final, bruising kiss to her lips, sticking my tongue in to touch hers once more before I tore my mouth away.
Annabeth was panting, teary eyed, and pressing her face into the crook of my neck.
"Percy… I was so scared…"
We held each other tightly, no space between us.
"I was too, Annabeth."
A tear made its way down my face and disappeared into Annabeth's blonde curls.
And it was true. I had had Grover's fear, but then what was happening to me reared my own fear. It's not natural for one person to experience two living beings' fears at once.
"We're not driving today, Percy. I've just decided that." Annabeth's voice sounded clogged.
I was completely fine with that. I didn't know if I could. Annabeth lay back down and brought me with her since her arms were still around me. I was between her legs, my head resting on her chest again. She ran her hand through my hair, allowing me to relax and let my heart slow down. I kissed the base of her neck and rested my head, closing my eyes.
Soon enough, Annabeth was back asleep, arms around me.
I didn't want to sleep. I didn't know what would be thrown at me next. I didn't want to lose myself again.
But inevitably, my eyes drooped shut, and I was lulled to sleep by Annabeth's steady heart beat and unique scent.
AN
Hello Lovies! Well, here's chapter 7! Chapter 8: Of Puzzles and Ponds will be posted next Friday!
Happy Reading!
Lily SC
