DISCLAIMER: IDNOPJ(BIWID)
Sorry! This chapter was so hard to write. Don't be too mad though? It is my birthday tomorrow :)
Thanks to everyone who reviewed.
Chapter VIII
Percy
The darkness surrounded the boy , crushing him.
Black.
Red.
Grey.
Bright, blinding white.
Shapes and noises spiralled, twisting upwards and outwards, swirling and stretching, mutating.
Leering faces peered at him, shooting towards him. A girl's voice screamed in pain, cut short by a sickening crunch...
"Annabeth!"
Percy sat bolt upright, panting. Just a dream, he told himself, just a dream.
Except it isn't replied a snide little voice in the back of his head. It's real. It happened. And you didn't stop it.
Untangling himself from his sweaty sheets, Percy sat up. Still panting, he felt his way blindly to the door and peered out into the dim hallway. The fluorescent clock hands told him it was ten past two.
He sighed, stepping into the corridor. The door closed behind him with a soft click, making the room invisible. It could only be opened by a demigod - Leo said he'd got the idea when Annabeth had told him how the Labyrinth could be opened.
Soft light flickered on the walls, candles illuminating the empty space Percy wasn't too sure whether it was a good idea to have naked flames on a wooden ship, but no-one else seemed bothered.
He feet padded softly on the wooden floorboards as he made his way down the steps to the stables. There were no horses in there are the moment - Hazel had let Arion out to graze. He'd catch up with them in the morning - but it helped Percy to think. The familiar smell comforted him, and he lay back, allowing himself to relax for the first time in weeks.
He remembered the last time he'd been there, before everything turned sour. The sound of her laugh, the brightness of her smile, the taste of her lips...
No. He couldn't mope. There would be a time to mourn, but it wasn't now. He had to finish the job, if only for Annabeth. He had to stay strong, be tough. Decoy the phrase 'be a man'.
It would be hard, but he'd do it. For her.
He hauled himself up. Sadness stopped now. What had happened, had happened, and there was nothing he could do to change that. He needed fresh air. He needed to clear his head, and quite frankly, the stables stunk. And he wasn't clearing them. He'd done enough stable cleaning to last a lifetime.
He climbed the stairs, trudging up on deck. The stars were spread out above him, mapping the night sky. Having lived in the city, he'd only seen them a few times, and even then he hadn't paid them much attention. He'd been too busy running for his life.
He lay down, hands beneath his head, staring up at the velvety blackness. He could make out the main constellations - Hercules, Orion, the Plough.
Zoë.
He still felt guilty about Zoë's death. He knew it wasn't his fault, but still. He should've done more. So many people had died because of him. He didn't want anymore casualties. So many people had sacrificed their lives, but still he lived on.
He closed his eyes as the memories overwhelmed him.
"The stars, my lady. So bright..."
"Give this to Nico. Tell him...tell him I'm sorry."
"Go Percy, run!"
"I took your armour so the cabin would follow me..."
"If they just had respect..."
"Percy - the cables!"
"I love you seaweed brain. Don't ever forget that."
He blinked, a tear threatening to spill. No, he thought, I said no moping. But it's no good! I need something to do, something to keep me occupied. I can't stay cooped up on here. I'll go insane.
Percy walked over to the side and leaned on the railings. Hd had a vague feeling of de ja vu, like he'd been there before. Hills fell away beneath him as the ship cruised past, forests and monsters and villages passing slowly beneath them.
Wait...monsters?
Percy looked again. Yup, there, in a slow, solitary line, were monsters, so many monsters, marching in single file southwards.
He gaped, struck dumb by the sheer number of monsters in the army. There was a creak behind him, and he turned, only to find his path blocked by a single solitary figure.
Oops - cliffhanger! Sorry. Next chapter should be up on time. Review please!
