AUTHOR'S NOTE: HEY GUYS! THANK YOU SOOOOOOO much for the 4000+ views and the 110+ reviews! I'm freaking out! Thanks to all the people who favorited me or this story, and I know you guys are tired of hearing this crap but I LOVE YOU GUYS and I'm giving you all virtual hugs! So yeah, Me and one of my best friends horse-crazy girl13 made another account called Together-Indestructible. We posted the frist chapter of our new story. Please check it out and tell us what you think in a review!

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I paused, scared out of my mind. I couldn't believe he actually came back! I thought he was out of my life forever.

"Well, well, well." Matt said coldly, putting down his bottle on the table. "Look who decided to come home."

I glanced at the time. 12:00.

'Shit.' I cussed under my breath.

"What was that?" He hissed.

"Nothing." I cringed at his words.

"What happened around here?" Matt asked, suddenly, sniffing the air. "It smells like lighter fluid."

He saw the empty bottle, still on the table and I froze. "What did you use this for?" He asked.

"I was grilling something." I lied.

"How come I can smell it all over the house then, you filthy liar." He barked.

"I don't know." I said softly, so that only I could hear.

And that's when he saw the matches, spread all over the ground. He walked over to one, picked it up and smiled, showing his ugly, yellow teeth.

"You are a good liar Annabeth... but next time, don't leave evidence lying around." He whispered, in an ominous way.

I was paralyzed, and my heart was beating out of my chest.

"You were trying to burn my house down?!" He screamed, instantly furious.

"No... I-I" I stammered, not being able to get a single or understandable word out.

"YOU WHAT?" He roared and put a hand around my neck, trying to choke me.

Coughing, I got a few words out.

"Mom. Wouldn't. Ever. Forgive you!" I finished.

He squinted at me and let me go, gasping for precious air.

"Why do you think I would care what Christina would think of me." He spat viciously, but I could hear the pain in his voice.

"Because you let me go." I responded quietly.

"I do what I want. I don't care what other people think." He replied pathetically.

I thought of Percy, when he used to have that attitude. I hated him more than ever, but couldn't help feel sorry for him. Denial. That's all Matt has been all these years. To think f it I ever saw him cry over Mother. I never saw him have any remorse or regret. Maybe he was gone.

I shook my head, trying to fight the thoughts that came to my head. He's still human. And every human can't help feeling. Everyone has emotions. And the worst one you could possibly have is denial.

"Maybe not anyone that is alive now." I said monotonously.

He made a growl and tried to throw his bottle at me, but I ducked, feeling the bottom slip across my head.

"Christina is gone. Why should I care about her anymore?" He demanded.

I stood up straight, but defensive, so I was ready to take any hit he would throw at me. But I was surprised. It's been a while since we've had an actual conversation without him abusing me in some way.

"But you do. And you know it."

"Even if I did, why the hell would you care?" Matt asked, wickedly. Words hitting me like the rain beating on my bare back.

"Because I'm still your little girl." I said, my voice choked with tears.

He stared at me for a while, examining my face. Then he went into a crazed laughter, bending over and straight up guffawing.

I just stared at him in a daze, gritting down my teeth.

"You?" He asked between laughs. "My daughter?" He wiped away a tear that appeared in his eyes from laughing so hard. It wasn't even a laugh. It sounded like a dinosaur's mating call.

"Never in my life would I call you my daughter." He finished, and walked into his pile of trash he calls his room and closes the door.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Denial. It's hurt him so bad he can't even look at me and call me his daughter anymore. Running upstairs, I sat down on my bed and closed my eyes again, not wanting to ever wake up again.

Smoke. That's all I could see surrounding me. I walked into a meadow, flowers completely dead, all grey and wilted, like the color of my lifeless eyes.

I was bare footed, and was walking toward a little pond in the middle of the meadow, the water a deadly still. I looked at the little girl staring at me. Her eyes were deadly, the color of ash. Her once blond, beautiful curls were covered with dirt and dust, and she wore rags hanging from her slender body.

She mouthed 'help' and I fell back, screaming, scooting back as far as I could away from that lake.

All of a sudden, I saw Percy across the pond, staring at me. I felt his beautiful emerald gaze, rest on mine. But this was different. His face was cold and hard, eyes barring into my soul. I gasped, backing away slowly. I wanted to leave this place.

Turning around, I saw Jason, only a few feet in front of me. His face was warm and friendly, the kind I so desperately needed right now.

"Jason, I'm so glad to see you..." I started, and that's when I saw Percy, come from behind and touch him, and all the life in his face also drained at a single touch.

"No!" I screamed, wanting to see some kindness, just one little smile or a word, saying it's going to be alright. But there was no life in their faces. The eyes were smoldering and bright, but had an ominous, deadly gleam in them.

I backed up all the way to the edge of the pond, hearing the refection of the girl chanting over and over again. "Join me. Join me. We can be together. Forever. Join me..."

"NO! I'll never!" I shouted at the reflection, throwing a rock to make it disappear, but the reflection didn't leave.

I started running, as fast as I could away from the pond, when someone's voice came from behind.

"It's okay. I'm here, and I won't leave you." A too familiar, soothing voice said.

I turned around on one foot, scared to peek at the face.

"Hello, Annabeth." The person said.

"...Mother?" I asked, facing her completely.

"Annabeth!" Mother said, surprised and approvingly. "What's happen to you?" She exclaimed.

I looked down at my body, seeing bruises from where Matt had striked me. As much as I wanted to tell, I couldn't bring myself to. "I don't know." I lied.

"Here, let me see it." She said, trying to reach for my stomach. But something deep inside told me something was wrong. This wasn't right.

'Don't let her touch you,' I heard the voice say.

I dodged her touch easily. "What's wrong Annabeth?" She asked me. "Why won't you let me take care of you?" Her voice got too harsh, too demanding to be Mother's. Come to think of it, she NEVER called me Annabeth, only when she had to. It was always Annabell.

She tried to touch me again, and I pulled away fast. "Get away from me." I said, using a baneful tone, but I know you could hear the pure fear in my voice.

Mother's face changed, her grey eyes now red, like the fire that caused her death. "You're smart, Wise Girl." 'Mother' snapped, smirking.

Then all the emotion drained from her face, only the smirk left in place.

"Not smart enough." She whispered dangerously.

And with that, she charged at me.

I woke up, flinging my body forward, convulsing in terror. Could it be true? That there was that side of Mother I never knew?

And that Percy and Jason were only using me, the tortured little girl that stared back at me, wanting me to join her?

I shook my head, clearing it of any thoughts. I was being ridiculous. Mother wouldn't ever do that. I concluded that it was just my insecure conscious, driving me insane, even in my sleep. It was 3:00 in the morning, I realized, when a nightmare came to life.

I heard my phone ring, a blocked number at 3:00 in the morning! But my curiosity got the best of me and I picked it up, holding it to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked in a rough voice, surprised at the sound of it.

"I know your dirty little secret Annabeth," The voice responded. "So you better listen closely."

Again, hoped you enjoyed! Please review (Even the guest) and feel free to PM me anytime!

PS: Remember to check out me and horse-crazy girl13's story called "Hidden Secrets!" The pen name is Together-Indestrucable

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