Percy
Staring at her lifeless body, sitting on her bedside waiting and not for the first time. A few years back in the second Titan war when Annabeth took a knife for me and saved my life, she sat on a sofa in a plaza in Manhattan recovering from poison. Those were probably the longest hours of my life and in fact they still are. I knew she was tough but seeing her like this isn't exactly easy, even knowing she'll recover doesn't seem to give me much reassurance.
I sat in the infirmary alongside Annabeth's bed fiddling with a recently returned riptide, the smell of nectar surrounding me. Light streamed in through the windows illuminating the room in a bright glow. After Will had helped Annabeth here and- along with a few other Apollo campers- treated her wounds, decided to give me some 'privacy'. Although right now I wouldn't argue against any company.
Annabeth's wound luckily didn't run deep and the poison hadn't gotten far enough into her bloodstream to cause any real harm, but she would be spending awhile in the bed along with an Ares camper across the room who had fallen off of the lava wall.
I pushed a strand of blonde hair away from her closed eyes; that had slight dark circles running underneath them like shadows. Barely visible.
"Is she going to be alright?" Came a voice from behind me.
I looked back to see Malcolm, one of Annabeth's siblings standing in the doorway looking a little sorrowful. "Yeah," I answered with a small smile. "Hopefully she'll be beating me up again in no time."
He grinned back and came over to us, pulled up a chair and sat facing Annabeth. His blonde hair out of its usually tidy appearance and sticking out to the side a bit. "You know Percy," He started, his gaze lingering on Annabeth before confronting my own. "When you first came to camp, I knew you were trouble. Just like all the other children of the big three. The fact that Annabeth went on a quest with you didn't exactly help your case, especially when she started spending more time with you."
His steely grey eyes never wavered once. Although he wasn't exactly one of the camps best fighters, I felt like he could pummel me through the floor right now. Just like his sister.
"I didn't want her getting herself killed," He continued. "And I didn't feel like I could trust you at all. But now, after two wars and you two going to Tartarus and back, I know that I couldn't ask for anyone better to look after her."
I didn't know what to say. I probably mumbled something intelligent like 'ummmmm' because Malcolm just smiled and laughed. "Don't get used to this, I don't think you'll be getting another compliment from a child of Athena any time soon." He said.
"Thank you." I replied, completely shell shocked.
Malcolm nodded and gave one last look at Annabeth before replacing his chair and saying goodbye, just before he walked out the door however he stopped and turned back to me. "Oh and Percy, this doesn't mean I completely trust you. If I find the two of you near the canoe lake again…" He let the warning hang.
"I wouldn't dream of it." I laughed. Malcolm grinned and turned out of the doorway.
I sat there for a while smiling to myself looking like a bit of an idiot, but I didn't care, everything seemed to be going back to how it should be and I couldn't ask for more. Eventually I fell asleep in the chair having missed out on most of my sleep this morning because of the Maths homework I doubted would ever be handed in…
Running through the school halls, glancing into every classroom to make sure- drawing strange looks from those inside.
"You sure you had Mechanics?" I asked Annabeth on my left.
"Definitely." Annabeth replied, but with a furtive glance at her arm. The bite had swollen and was looking much redder than before. We had to find them before it was too late.
Finally, after what seemed like an endless search, we rounded a corner and found the room we were looking for. Except so had two of the schools cheerleaders, the one half inside the doorway with distinct curly hair that I couldn't mistake. Kelli.
Annabeth pulled us back behind the corner before they spotted us, I could just make out her high voice in conversation with the teacher. "Well we just need to borrow him for moment," The teacher replied with something I couldn't hear. "Sure, it'll only be few seconds." She replied and I could hear the lies entwined to her words.
I could hear shuffling and the door close. "What?" I heard Jesse sigh impatiently.
"This way." Kelli replied and her footsteps along with her friend's resonated off of the polished floors. After a groan Jesse's footsteps joined theirs.
I peeked out and saw them going through the doors at the end of the hall and making a left. We followed in hot pursuit making sure to avoid being seen by anybody in the classroom. Looking round the corner we found Jesse with his back to three hellhounds, facing Kellie and her friend in their more sinister get-up. By that I mean they had the full flaming hair, fangs and bronze and donkey legs. There was a water fountain on the wall next to them.
"Still another week till Halloween you know." Jesse said bluntly, although he couldn't mask the shock on his face.
"Hmph," Kelli grunted. "You know I thought it would have been an awful shame to have to kill you when I first saw you, but now… I can't wait to sink my claws into that pretty little face of yours."
Little didn't really seem the right word, I didn't even know if Kellie would reach his face. I looked at Annabeth and she looked like she had already assessed every one of our options thoroughly, she didn't look like she had the strength for any of them though.
"Improvise." She said.
"Don't we always?" I replied with a grim smile and turned the corner. "Hey ugly!" I yelled.
Kelli quickly came out of her crouch and whirled around. "Jackson." She seethed, her friend hissed at our presence but Kelli managed to regain her poise. "Well… I can hardly pass up to two demigods for the price of one now can I?"
A cruel smile dictated her lips, as I wondered why she had said two. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw that Annabeth was still waiting round the corner with her sword ready; I tried to pretend I didn't notice and luckily it worked. Kelli barked something at her friend whilst she turned back to Jesse and I knew I would have to be fast. Impossibly fast.
Kelli's sidekick flew down the corridor toward me in record speed but fortunately I wasn't too shabby myself, drawing riptide and feigning to attack but rolling to the side at the last second fooled her and she fell right into Annabeth's blade. I didn't have time to stay and admire our handiwork though, I jumped up and raced toward Kelli but she was already in mid-air, claws outstretched. I was too late…
Then something totally unexpected happened.
A giant bat like creature flew over Jesse's shoulder and caught Kelli by the arms. "Not today honey!" Screeched Mrs Dodds as she slammed Kelli into the wall. She cast an angry "Go!" in my direction before wrestling Kelli to the ground, clawing at her back.
I rushed past the two of them and ran toward Jesse who other than looking totally lost, had two hellhounds ready to pounce on him. I saw a water fountain on the wall and willed it to explode to which it willingly obliged and flew off the wall with a crash. Water gushed out from the new hole and I directed it like it was second nature, sending one of the hellhounds flying into the wall and the other into the ceiling. A slight crack appeared in the wall where the hellhound had landed.
"What the…" Jesse started, his thick eyebrows raised and mouth agape.
"Explain later." I stated and looked around to Annabeth who had come halfway across the corridor and was now leaning heavily on the wall with a pained expression on her face. The wound on her arm was flaring up badly now.
"Percy." She said in almost a whisper before she fell forwards onto the floor.
"Styx!" I yelled and rushed toward her and scooped her head up. "Annabeth? Annabeth!" I shouted, trying to get her attention but she was out cold. I looked up at Jesse who didn't look like he knew what to do with himself. "We need to go!" I shouted at him and he seem to jolt back to life as I brought Annabeth over.
"Y-yeah..." He replied, sounding as though he couldn't even tell what he was saying.
A yell echoed from behind me and I turned to see Mrs Dodds hammer thrown into a cleaning cupboard and Kelli glaring murderously at us. "I'm going to enjoy tearing you limb from limb Jackson!" She bellowed.
"Percy!" Jesse yelled and I turned to see the third hellhound leaping at him. Instincts kicking in I sprang up and stabbed riptide into the monsters side pushing it away from Jesse just as it was on top of him. It wasn't a clean hit however and as it landed next to its friend by the wall, it took riptide with it. The bronze blade still lodged in its side. Surely that should have killed it…
"Thanks man." Said Jesse panting.
"No problem." I responded, turning back to Kelli. Unfortunately she had taken her moment and was nearly upon us already.
"Time to die." She stated with an animalistic look in her eyes.
I had no weapon, I tried to will the water to help but I couldn't focus on it, Kelli was already in mid jump. Her claws outstretched and certain to hit their mark this time. Just as she was about to land on us Jesse's hand shot out like an arrow and his bear like hand clamped upon Kelli's wrist. Kelli's descent slowed and she landed in front of me, her momentum lost and her face in shock. She tried to attack Jesse with her other hand but she was too late. Jesse turned on the spot and launched Kelli or his shoulder like you would a dodgeball. She smashed into the already cracked wall but instead of the smack I expected to hear, an almighty boom resonated from the wall as she crashed through it. Her last cry dying away in the midst of brick and wall plaster.
"Holy Hephaestus." I heard myself whisper.
We stood in amazement for a second before I remembered we had to get Annabeth to safety.
"Come on, we've got to go." I said picking Annabeth up and leaning her on my shoulder with her arm over my other.
Two of the hellhounds began stirring as we climbed out of the hole and into the light, completely forgetting about and angry fury still trapped in the cleaning cupboard.
"Percy." A gentle voice whispered in my ear and I turned over to escape it.
"I don't want to go to school." I mumbled unintelligibly.
A giggle met my response and the voice repeated itself. "Percy!" It said, although still quietly. It sounded like a girl's voice.
I opened my eyes slowly and squinted in reaction to the light that seeped through my eyelids. I found myself on the end of Annabeth's bed with my head resting in folded arms, still rooted to the chair. I looked toward the other end of the bed expecting to see Annabeth wide awake and smiling. But she wasn't. She was still motionless, propped up against her pillow, although the colour had returned to her face and she was looking much better than before I fell asleep. I sat up and looked across the infirmary looking for the owner of the voice but there was no one there. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling really confused.
"Behind you silly." The voice giggled.
I jumped and spun round to find the light brown haired little girl we rescued this morning.
"Oh, it's you." I stated- captain obvious strikes again. "What're you doing here?" I asked.
"Checking up on you." She beamed. "Jesse said he wanted to see how you were doing but he's still talking to the scary girl with the big spear, so I came instead."
"Well that means a lot to me, thank you." I smiled back at her. "I'm guessing Clarisse told you about what this camp is about?"
The smile on her face faded a bit as she seemed to try to form a logical response. "I… I guess so. She told us we were children of Greek gods, and that- and that you were a son of Poseidon." She spoke in awe.
"It's really not that big of a deal." I waved away, although technically my heritage had nearly torn Olympus apart. "How are you feeling about everything?"
"Okay I guess." She said after a moment of silence.
Another passed.
"Are you okay?" The girl asked cautiously.
"Yeah, I am. I just wish Annabeth would come round soon." I replied.
The light began glaring in from the window above Annabeth's bed, casting long shadows behind everything. A gentle breeze passed through the room as if someone had slowly waved a fan.
"Did any of you guys find out who your parent was?" I continued.
She squealed in excitement at this. "Yes, Shane had a little shoe with wings on it above his head!"
"Hermes." I smiled.
"Yeah! That's what- umm- Chiron?" She said slowly and I nodded. "Well he said that he was the god of messengers but I don't Shane would make a very good mailman."
"He's not just the god of messengers." I laughed. "He's also the god of roads, trade, pranks and… well, thieves."
She grinned at this. "That sounds more like him."
"Your name's Rebecca isn't it?" I asked her after a bit of silence.
"Yep." She chirped, popping the 'p'.
"Did you and Jesse find out who your parents were?"
"No," She sighed. "I really hope we do soon though."
"I'm sure you will…" I reassured her. I really wanted to ask her about her mortal parents but I knew now wasn't the right time.
"Rebecca?" Came a deep voice from outside.
Rebecca's head whipped round and a smile crossed her face. "That'll be Jesse." She said, hopping up out of the chair and running to the door. "In here!" She called, opening the door.
After a few moments, heavy footsteps rounded off of the wooden floors outside and Jesse came in through the doorway. He looked much more settled now.
"Hey," He said softly. "How's Annabeth doing?"
"Umm… Well she looks a lot better now than she did a couple of hours ago. What about you?"
"Apart from being told that the gods exist? Pretty fantastic." He chuckled. "Anyways we need to go check out our new cabins Rebecca, wanna come?"
"Yes please!" She said enthusiastically.
"Great, see you Percy! We'll be back a later." He grinned at me.
"See you later." I responded and with that it was just me and Annabeth again. I studied her face and from what I could see, she was probably going to come round soon. Although I can't be sure of anything nowadays, anything can (and usually will) happen.
That's when her eyelids fluttered...
I admit it... I'm lazy and I'm incredibly sorry for being late; it's becoming a bad habit now. :( I'm going to end up saying this every time.
Anyways thank you to everyone who has reviewed and been supportive it's been absolutely amazing, I can't thank you guys enough I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year to you all.
Thank you so much for reading,
Have a beautiful day.
Schönen Tag noch.
Avez-vous une bonne journée.
Miłego dnia.
Abbiate una buona giornata.
Ha en härlig dag.
Que tengan un buen día.
आपकादिनअच्छाबीते.
ಶುಭ ದಿನವಾಗಲಿ.