Mask Of Pain

Chapter 7

Percy's POV

Percy was still thinking about the events that happened that night. He was lying down on his bed, his digital alarm clock told him it was ten o'clock at night but he didn't really care as he couldn't sleep.

He still hadn't changed in his pajamas and wore the same clothes that he wore today. Of course he wouldn't be sleeping in them but as he said before, he was thinking.

Suddenly his phone vibrated. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled it out. He answered without looking at who it was; "Hello?"

Annabeth's voice filled Percy's ear. "Hey Percy it's me Annabeth" she said. Though she didn't even need to say that as he could recognize her voice anywhere.

"Oh hey Annabeth what's up?" Percy asked casually like being called by his best friend at ten o'clock at night, was perfectly normal. Which isn't, considering it's Annabeth and she doesn't usually call him at this time. Especially if there's school the next day.

"Um- we nee-ed to me-meet" she shuddered making Percy shiver even though it wasn't cold. Strange, Percy thought, why would she shudder? Percy knew better than anyone that Annabeth doesn't shudders. Not one time did he see Annabeth do that. The only time she actually did it was when they met in the park for the first time a few years ago. Back then she was frightened by those bullies so there was a reason to shudder.

"You alright Wise Girl?" Percy asked a bit weary. This might be a joke set up by Thalia and Nico. It wouldn't surprise him if that was he reason.

"Yeah yeah just a bit cold" she replied reassuring him but not completely. The way she was talking was weird. These weren't words she would use at that moment, Percy thought.

"Why are you cold? Are you outside?" Percy asked looking out his window that looked over the street but he didn't see anyone in the poor laminated street.

"Yeah about that, could you meet me at this address" she said, "It's rather long so I'll send you it by message" and with that the call went dead.

Percy was confused. Why would Annabeth want to meet at a time like this when there's school the next day. As well as to meet somewhere that's presumably unknown to him.

Percy thought Annabeth was acting weird. Like she wasn't herself. All the more reason to see her then, he thought. But somehow, in the very depths of his stomach, something told him it wasn't right.

But despite what Annabeth keeps commenting on, he has a brain. And when it came to taking decisions, he would follow more his mind instead of what he feels. Like now, he follows his mind even though he felt sick.

The address she sent him, led to an abandoned warehouse next to the docks. How many warehouses am I going to visit, he wondered.

He zipped up even higher the jacket he wore to protect him from the cold. His hands were slightly shaking from the cold as he straightened his glasses on his nose.

After she had phoned him, he opened his bedroom window and climbed out onto the fire escape after he quickly grabbed a jacket that was lying on the floor.

He would have preferred to go outside by going down the stair case inside but that might have woken up Tyson or his mom. And that wouldn't have been good.

He was glad he got that jacket now that he thought about it. If he hadn't, Percy was pretty sure he would have frozen to death.

It wasn't like he could take cab as their wasn't one in his street. And even worse, it wasn't like he could drive. If he did try he might have driven it onto the neighbor's lawn so there was no way. Plus the car wasn't even his moms, it was Gabe's and if you scratch his car, you die. So Percy wasn't keen to risk it, so he decided to walk.

Though he didn't see Annabeth anywhere around the warehouse, Percy guessed she must have felt too cold and entered the building. So Percy did the same.

The metal door opened with a long and wincing groan as he entered the building. He found himself in a narrow corridor where at the end on the left wall was an opening where light came from. It was very faint so the corridor was mostly dark except for one single lamp right over his head.

"Annabeth?" he dared to whisper in the dark and silent corridor. His throat felt dry and he could hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest sending him on edge. Basically, he didn't feel very good.

Suddenly the door behind him closed with a mighty and scary BANG! Percy jumped a few hundred meters in the air with his heart beating faster than the speed of light. He really thought he was right in the middle of a horror movie.

He then faintly heard a sound. At first he thought it was his mind playing tricks with him but the noise was getting slightly louder by the minute. Percy's eyes were wide with fear as he realized it came from where the opening at the end of the corridor led.

Percy wasn't so sure if he should go through the doorway. It may have been Annabeth pulling a prank on him. But that seemed too farfetched Annabeth for. After all, she wasn't the kind of person to pull a prank on her best friend. Or a scary one at least.

With all the courage he could muster from the depths of his stomach, he took one first step forward, then another until he was walking. Nowhere near as his normal walking but at least he was moving. Slowly but surely.

The noise got louder as he neared the doorway and even more so, when he passed through it. The doorway led to a gigantic room of the same size as the one he was in this morning with Chiron but this one was much different.

For one it wasn't empty and actually filled with long tables but no chairs. There were balconies all around the room so you could look down into the room. The walls were made of old stones and bricks with some old wooden beams.

Percy was really puzzled as to why Annabeth would want to meet him here. Out of instinct he pulled out his phone and pulled out his contacts. His thumb hovered over Annabeth's number and he hesitated. Something didn't feel right.

So he searched his phonebook and pressed the 'emergency' call. The one and only person that Percy could always count on other than his mother, Tyson, Annabeth or his friends is none other than Bianca.

Every time that he needed emotional help or encouragement, than Bianca was always there. And he knew perfectly where she will always be. She will have his back.

Bianca was like his big sister so they don't hide any secrets from each other. After all, she did know of Percy's abusive father. But she didn't tell anyone as she understood the burden that Percy held on his shoulders. She knew the kind of situation he was in.

The 'emergency' call was Bianca's idea. So that whenever he needed her help or he was in trouble, the call would allow her to know exactly where he was. The call was also a voice recorder that would last as long as there was battery.

Another thing Percy was glad about, was that he charged his phone to a hundred percent, so it should last quite a long time. Well three hours tops. It wasn't a great phone after all.

After he pressed the 'emergency' button, Percy pressed Annabeth's number and that's when the ringing sounded. Percy first thought the ringing came from his phone has he phoned Annabeth but he then realized it came from the room.

The ringing pierced the silent building sending echoes that bounced around the room and went straight through him. Percy's hand that was holding his phone was shaking so much, it was a miracle it didn't fall to the cold stone floor.

This whole thing was scaring him to death. It wasn't so much the fact that the ringing came from inside the building. It was the fact that it went on and on without anyone answering. That's what scared him. Other than the creepy place and the scary sound.

Percy didn't know what drove him but he found himself walking in the direction where the ringing sound came from. He walked to the back of the room where there were several cells. It was so dark in each of the cells that he could only see darkness through the cold metal bars. He really really hoped this was just a prank.

But his hopes were sent out the window when he caught a glimpse of golden blond hair on the floor. If only I had a flashlight on my phone.

He lifted a shaky hand to the metal door and turned the handle. The metallic door opened with a long screeching sound much like the front door of the building. But this door that belonged to the cell was much heavier and it took all of Percy's strength to open it just wide enough for him to lodge through.

He took a few small steps inside and crouched down next to the figure that laid on the floor. His hands couldn't stop shaking and his phone finally fell to the floor with a PRRR! The whole building was so silent that it sounded like an explosion to him but Percy didn't even blink. His whole attention was fixed on the person laying on the floor with her golden locks spread all around her head. Her usual determined stormy grey eyes were closed making it look like she was sleeping. But to Percy, it looked like she was dead.

Suddenly Percy heard a door close. Only too late did he realize that it was in fact his cell door that was closed trapping him in the small space. And that there was a tall figure standing in front of the cell Percy was in. His face was hidden in shadows behind the cell bars.

He then realized that there were a few dozen other figures behind him. All facing Percy, but like the figure closest to him, he couldn't see their faces.

"Well well, look who we have here? It looks like the little brat finally came" the man said with a sinister voice that sent shivers down Percy's spine. "How very wrong was I" he said before Percy felt a screeching pain in his neck that resembled strangely to the pain that comes from a needle or a dart, before the whole world turned black. He was out before he hit the hard stone floor next to his best friend…