Hi.
Dear Dhyam,
Please continue reading. Annabeth has met her end, but not her final end. (I know, confusing, but, whatever. It makes sense to none but me.) Also, thank you for your wonderful name for me. **sarcasm** I know you're angry, but it gets better. After awhile. Remember, these stories have to be loooong! Like books. And that's exactly what mine's gonna be. A twisty, cruel, horrifying story.
Anyways, back to the story!
Hazel's Pov
I leaned against the wall, thinking of Frank. His wonderful smile, his sweet attitude, how safe I felt in his arms….
I sighed, but a thought struck me. A song, actually.
I can hold my breath
I can bite my tongue
I can stay awake for days
If that's what you want
Be your number one
I can fake a smile
I can force a laugh
I can dance and play the part
If that's what you ask
Give you all I am
I can do it
I can do it
I can do it
But I'm only human
And I bleed when I fall down
I'm only human
And I crash and I break down
Your words in my head, knives in my heart
You build me up and then I fall apart
I'm only human, yeah
I can turn it on
Be a good machine
I can hold the weight of worlds
If that's what you need
Be your everything
I can do it
I can do it
I'll get through it
But I'm only human
And I bleed when I fall down
I'm only human
And I crash and I break down
Your words in my head, knives in my heart
You build me up and then I fall apart
I'm only human, yeah
I'm only human
I'm only human
Just a little human
I can take so much
Until I've had enough
'Cause I'm only human
And I bleed when I fall down
I'm only human
And I crash and I break down
Your words in my head, knives in my heart
You build me up and then I fall apart
'Cause I'm only human, yeah
It was Human, by Christina Perri. I started to laugh at the irony. I laughed so hard, waking the others.
When I finished my laughing fit, I began to cry.
At everyone's look of confusion, I started singing the song.
"'Cause I'm only human! And I bleed when I fall down."
Piper joined me. "I'm only human. And I crash and I break down!"
"Your words in my head."
"Knives in my heart."
"You build me up and then I fall apart."
"'Cause I'm only human!"
"Ironic." Jason noted.
"How about this one?" Reyna offered. She paused to cough, a horrible sound deep in her chest. "America by Imagine Dragons." She croaked, breathing heavily.
"Rise to the top of the world!"
"America, America don't you cry."
"Lift me up, give me strength to press on."
"That's good, but mine's better." Thalia countered. "American Idiot by Green Day."
"Don't wanna be an American idiot."
"One nation controlled by the media."
"Information nation of hysteria."
"It's calling out to idiot America."
"Are you kidding? I have one that blows everything anybody here could ever come up with out of the water." Percy said bitterly. "Safe and Sound by Capital Cities."
"Even if the sky is falling down, I know that we'll be safe and sound. We're safe and sound."
Nobody said a word. I wiped away the stray tears on my face, taking a deep breath.
"And I got my hands up. They're playin' my song. I know I'm gonna be ok! Yeah, it's a party in the USA!" Leo sang.
"Miley Cyrus?"
"No, really?"
"Ah, ah, ah, ah, Stayin' Alive! Stayin' Alive!" Leo continued.
"How old even is that song?"
"I will survive! I will-"
"NO! Not that one again!" Jason cried out.
"C'mon, Jace! Just let me have my fun!" Leo cracked a smile, then grimaced. He leaned a little to the left, favoring his shot side.
"You okay?" I asked him softly.
He shook his head. "None of us will ever be okay again."
LINE BREAK
Nico's Pov
Why couldn't I bring her back again? After I had summoned Bianca, there was a block. I couldn't reach any other souls, no matter how hard I tried. Bianca couldn't even come again. It was like some Titan had found my loophole and made it a noose around my neck.
The door of the cell pounded open, a dracnae hissing her snake laughter. "di Angelo. It'ssss your time. Come along." She waved her arm impatiently. I got up, following obediently.
Before I left, I stopped by Percy. "When are we ever gonna get out of here?" I whispered in his ear. Before he could reply, I had already left, blending into the shadows behind the snake lady.
It would've been too easy to leave. At least, the first part would be easy. Only the dracnae guarded me. The occasional monster guarded the rare door. Sometimes, inhumane screams flooded the hallway, its origin one of these infrequent doors. The screams sent shivers shimmering up my spine. I never wanted to know what those doors held. Long, empty halls stretched impossible distances. I could find my way easily in the dark, and Hazel could navigate just as well.
I stopped at a fork in the road, watching as the monster took the path to the right. "Come!" She ushered.
I clutched the wall, holding my head. "I don't…I can't…" I faked it pretty well.
She sighed, a sound so foreign I almost mistook it for another language. "Now! My Lord won't be happy if you stall."
I groaned convincingly, but unfortunately for me, the snake was too loyal for sympathy. She snatched my arm, claws digging into my pale skin. I collapsed on the cold, stony floor.
Why was I doing this? It wasn't the right time, I had no idea where my friends were, and I would never be able (or willing) to get out without them. I would get in so much trouble if caught.
But something tugged at my gut. I knew that I had to wait, to pull it out just a little longer. A few more seconds….
The snake woman ripped cuts into my arm, creating nice, long, jagged red lines. She yanked me upright, making me stumble. As I protested, leaning backwards, a commotion turned both of our heads behind me.
Dust billowed out of the hall, loud thumps and crashes following short snatches of objection.
The dust settled, the noises ceasing. The only sounds were the screams of the tortured prisoners.
A few figures emerged from the darkness.
Percy Jackson led the pack. Thalia followed closely, Hazel next to her. Piper accompanied them, constantly checking on Jason and Reyna behind her. Jason limped next to Reyna, who seemed to have difficulty breathing. Leo trailed next to the wall, leaning heavily on the rocky stone.
With one round-house kick, Thalia took down the snake-woman.
"Hey Nico. Need some help?" Percy grinned.
"Now or never, right?"
"Let's go. Which way?"
"Okay, the snake lady was dragging me to the right, which means that's where Kronos is." I pointed.
"So we go the other way." Percy started down the path on the left.
"Wait." Thalia laid her good hand on Percy's shoulder. I checked her burned hand. It didn't look that bad. A few small blisters had formed on a red area. Considering that it hadn't been treated, it looked fine. "When we came in, we had to go through Kronos's Punishment Room."
"So?"
"So we have to go back through it." She rolled her eyes, as if this was obvious.
"We'll get caught for sure!"
"It's the only way! They're gonna start wondering where Nico is by now. Remember, Kronos likes thing perfectly on time."
"We can't wander around forever down there. We have no idea where that goes." Jason pointed out.
"But we can't fight Kronos. Not like this." Hazel shook her head.
"What can you sense?" I asked her.
"Not much. Deep underground that way," Hazel gestured to the left path. "and shallower on the right."
"So we have to go through him."
"Or around him. There's not just one path. We can take the back way."
"Okay. Let's go." Leo staggered to his feet and we set off to escape at the quickest pace possible.
After only a few minutes of running/limping, the alarms sounded. We were in total darkness, unsure exactly where to go. Sometimes, a pack of Cyclopes would march past us. We would duck behind a column or press against the wall discreetly. They would pass, and we would take off again.
"Up ahead! The doors!" Hazel finally called. We surged forward, excited to be out of this nightmare. Where we would go next, I wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. Sunlight would just be enough for the time. Sunlight and medicine.
We were so close.
We could see the crack of sunlight. The monsters passed us as we snuck by, hidden in the dark. The doors were so close, we could taste the fresh air.
A tingle crawled up my spine. I turned, fearful as to what I might see.
Kronos.
He cackled evilly, freezing my blood into ice. The cold substance pumped through my system as adrenaline surged through me.
Kronos faced us, motioning slightly with his hands. A small army gathered, blocking our only exit.
"Did you really think escaping would be that easy? I let you go this far! Do you know why?" Kronos waltzed forward, shoving his face in front of Percy's. "I did it so I could crush your puny spirits!" He snarled.
Something was off. Kronos seemed deflated almost, like he was struggling to get his words out.
"Now, before I crush you entirely, I believe some punishment is in order. Queen Sess! Escort them to their cell." Kronos waved at a dracnae with an overlarge, golden crown on her slimy head. Queen Sess gulped, nodding furiously. She and her minions took a hold of us. One snake for each arm. Two per demigod.
We struggled against them, fighting hard for escape. How could we have come so close only to be shut down?
"Luke was a hero before you turned him into that!" Thalia yelled desperately. "He was a hero!"
Kronos froze, taking a deep breath. He didn't respond for so long, I almost thought he had forgotten Thalia had even said anything.
Finally, his words rang out, crystal clear over the silence. "That's exactly what your friend, Annabeth said. Look where she is now. And really, was Luke anything other than what I created him to be? Master swordsman, yes, but the only two who could beat him are here. What else?"
"Caring friend. And you could never be caring." Thalia spat.
"If he cared so much, why did he betray you?" Kronos stalked away, leaving Thalia staring after him in shock. She didn't even riot against the snake-women who led her away.
As we were dragged away, deep into the abyss of Kronos's palace, I couldn't stop thinking, What was wrong with him? And What would he do to us next?
Hey! Sorry for the long not-update, I've been stumped.
Anyways, disclaimers. I, obviously, do not own Human by Christina Perri, America by Imagine Dragons, American Idiot, by Green Day, Safe and Sound by Capital Cities, Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus, Stayin' Alive by Bee Gees, or I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.
Thank you. Sorry for the slight cliffy, I actually have a great Idea (won't be stuck) on the next chapter, but I have been busy so it could be a little while until I update next.
Review please!
Until Next Time,
-SetFireToTheRainbow