Author's Note:

Dear Readers,

I apologize for the long wait. I know it been months since I update, but I just don't feel like writing that much these days. The end of the school is coming up, I am now very concentrated on upgrading my 'H's' in Math to 'B's'. It's not like a writer's block, but rather like a writer's attitude.

I'll make it up to you! Promise! To get started, this is kind of like a sisterly chapter, with some sadness.

Again, I'm sorry!

Chapter 14: My Nightmare

"KEEP RUNNING!" Luke yelled at me. My heart was pounding hard and my feet are killing me. I feel like I can lie down on the floor and sleep for a hundred years... Still, I picked up pace, only to fell face-first into the mud. I spat out dirt while Luke helped me up and pulled me along, urging me to keep running.

"Were almost there! Come on, just over the hill!" Grover shouted, his furry goat legs racing in front of us.

"Come on!" Thalia argued slightly pushing me behind the back, and then she ran ahead.

Suddenly, the ground shook. Ahead of me, Grover lost his balance and tumbled onto the ground, unconscious.

"Grover!" I cried. Luke, Thalia and I ran toward him.

Grover moaned. Luke dropped my hand and slang Grover's arm over his neck.

Rapidly, a stampede of monsters appeared behind us.

I was scared. What if we didn't make it? Tears sting at the corner of my eyes, and Luke grad my hand again and tug me harder, I fought to keep up.

The monsters are closing in… 10 meters… 8 meters… 6 meters…

Thalia suddenly stopped, she turn around to face the monsters. Face determined.

"You guys go first, I'll earn you guys sometime." She said her eyes never leaving the herd of beasts. Her voice was surprisingly strong even though I can see her shaking. With Aegis, she sprinted back to face the monsters by herself.

"Thalia! NO! THALIA! THALIA!" I screamed. the monsters are coming closer... 4 meters… 2 meters…

"Annabeth, we have to go!" Luke yelled over the noise. Part of me wants to run away as fast as I can, but the other part of me wants to stay and help Thalia.

Noticing that I'm not going to move, Luke tried another strategy. He picked me up from the ground and continues up the hill with Grover groaning beside me.

"THALIA!" I screamed once more and this time my tears dripping off my cheeks.

I watched as the monsters engulf Thalia completely and screamed her name one less time, this might be the last time I will be able to hear her name. I start sobbing, pounding on Luke's chest blaming him for not letting me save her. I know it wasn't his fault, but I couldn't help it.

Luke's face was all scrunched, though he's had two people to care for, he did not complain. But instead, he cried silently with me as we enter Camp Half-Blood…

"Annabeth. ANNABETH. ANNABETH!" a voice said to me.

My eyes flew open, blink a few times to find Thalia staring at me. Huh, this is becoming a habit.

"Wait, Wha-? Why aren't you sleeping?" Wow, so INTELLIGENT of me.

"Well it's really hard to sleep when someone was screaming my name in the middle of the night," Thalia stated.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Are you okay?" she asked with concern. "You're crying."

I touch my face, it was wet and sticky. I really HAVE been crying.

"I'm f-" I stop myself before I can finish my sentence. Am I really fine? I stare out the window, it was raining hard, the rain pound against our window. Lightning flashes and the thunder rumbled. But Thalia just stood on my ladder and wait paitiently.

"I… I don't know…" I answered truthfully.

"Want to talk about it?" For the first time this school year, Thalia sat on the top bunk.

"I… I…" I didn't know how to start. i wipe my eyes to try to stop the flow of salty tears.

"Shh… it's okay, take your time." Thalia said gently wrapping her arms around me. This gesture made me start to bawl.

"I wa-s… ru-n-ing… Luke... Gro-ver… Ca-mp H-alf-Blo-od…" I was only able to make out these words with my horrible hiccupping going on.

But Thalia understood, she just pulled me into a hug, like my half-siblings do when I'm upset.

For a long time we just sat there with Thalia's arm around me. Christine seems to be having pretty interesting dreams too (she was mumbling something about marrying Edward Cullen).

Eventually, I calmed down and Thalia had climb back to bed. In seconds, I can hear her snoring. My eyes are drooping, when I was about to go back to sleep, that's when I heard our dorm door creak open. My eyes popped open by the noise.

"Psst, Annabeth. Did you hear that?" Thalia called from underneath me. Good. She's awake.

"Yeah," I whispered back getting off the top bunk walking to my desk drawer as quickly and quietly to get my dagger and invisibility cap.

Thalia was easier, she wears her bracelet to bed. I was about to sneak back, but then, from behind the door a dark figure came creeping in. I stopped and popped on my invisibility cap on, Thalia plop back down in bed and pretend to sleep. Snoring VERY LOUDLY.

The dark figure turned at the sound of her snorts, but shuffled over to Alayna's bed.

Thalia slipped quietly out of bed. Quickly hiding squatting to our closet leaning close.

I step softly on our carpet floor and walk to the figure. In a flash of lightning I saw the figure's face for the first time. Taking my Yankees baseball cap off, knowing I wouldn't need it. I nodded at Thalia who caught my stare.

"About time, Mormo," I said walking up to her.

"Having a midnight walk huh? Come on, we have to talk," Thalia added coming closer too.

Time to get my Plan B finished.