Sorry for typos/OOCness! I'm sorry that it is so short, but I am suffering from a terrible disease known as Writer's Block.

Happy Reading!

Chapter 25

Percy

"ANNABETH!" he yelled as he chased after his girlfriend through the aisles of the store. She was so fast that he had already lost her, but he could still hear her footsteps.

Percy remembered the feeling of when he'd been overcome by the spirit, or whatever had possessed him. He'd felt pain for a second, and then it was like he wasn't even himself. Now, like before, he just wanted to leave the thrift shop. But when he'd been possessed, he just wanted to stay there forever. He wanted everything in the store for himself.

He automatically knew Annabeth's mind had been taken too. He ran after her until he finally saw her, knife raised high the air, standing in front of a staircase. Not the one Percy had been trying to run up, but one that led down.

It was the level that had been scratched out on the directory. And whatever had Annabeth wanted her to go down it.

Annabeth turned around, perhaps sensing Percy. She snarled at him. Percy drew his sword and swiped at her. She jumped back. "Stay away," she hissed. "You do not belong here. Leave!" She shrieked the last word.

There was something about the way she was saying it that made Percy feel like her really should leave. He gulped, and his felt himself moving backwards, even though his mind was screaming to fight whatever was inside of her.

She smiled. "That's better." Then, before he could blink, she rushed at him and kicked him in the chest.

It was like being hit by Tyson. All the air in him went away and he couldn't breathe as his back hit the hard ground. His eyes squeezed shut; he bit his tongue. Riptide flew down the aisle and he was left weaponless with a crazy girlfriend who wasn't in her right mind.

There were not that many options left for him. He had a feeling their relationship wouldn't help him in this situation. He couldn't go get his sword; she was obviously quicker than he was. He couldn't carry her out of the building; she'd probably stab him to death.

Annabeth wasn't even paying attention to him anymore. Once again, she stood before the roped-off stairs with her knife above her head. Her lips moved like she was chanting, but Percy couldn't hear anything coming from her.

Without thinking (A/N: I have a feeling that every time Percy does something without thinking, he's just like, "YOLO!") Percy lunged for Annabeth. He hit her in the side and they fell down on the ground and rolled away from the staircase. Annabeth's dagger had flown in some direction. She was spitting and cursing at Percy, but he refused to let her go.

Annabeth clawed at his throat and drew blood. Percy wrapped his hands around her wrists and pushed her arms back. She kicked and snapped her teeth and a wild animal. It was even worse than when the Sirens had controlled her.

Now she was screaming. "Let me go, Percy!" she yelled, but her voice wasn't her own. Her gray eyes were unfocused. She looked desperate, like if she didn't go down the stairs she was going to die.

Percy no longer had any curiosity about what was down there. He just wanted to get the heck out with a well, okay Annabeth who was in her right mind.

Percy remembered what had happened when he had been possessed, just a few minutes ago. Annabeth had kicked him hard, and that general area still really hurt. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but if it was for the greater good…

"Sorry about this," he whispered, and he punched her square in the face.

He cringed more than she did. Her head knocked against the floor and blood spurted from her nose, which Percy really hoped wasn't broken. Her eyes focused back on him, and she looked really confused.

Percy let go of her wrists and sat up. Annabeth stayed on the ground. She touched her nose and studied the blood that came off on her fingers like she didn't know why it was there. Then her eyes go stormy and huge with realization.

"Oh no," she said. "What just happened? Was I…?"

"Yeah, you were. Sorry about your nose," he told her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of ambrosia. He gave her a piece and she ate it slowly. "Is it broken?" he asked and hoped the answer was no.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "No it's not broken. The blood flow should stop soon." She glanced around and found her knife a few feet away. She scurried over and sheathed it. "So, something possessed me. Wonderful."

"What was going on?" he asked.

"I don't know. I was compelled to go down there. I think it was…" She got a scared look on her face as if everything was coming together. Percy was used to that face. She was the one to make the calculations. "It was Gaea. I am sure of it. Something that was loyal to her was trying to get us killed."

"Gaea?" Percy couldn't even act surprised anymore. It was always her. "That's great. Let's get the heck out of here." They both looked around, and Percy felt that whatever had been inside of them was still there, in the room.

He moved forward, but Annabeth stopped him. "Percy, it all makes sense."

"What does?"

"Why the spirit or whatever wanted us dead. Don't you remember from back above? When we were fighting Chrysaor and his army on the Argo II, he said he couldn't kill us because we were needed to help bring Gaea back. We were supposed to be a sacrifice. I have a feeling that they still want us to be that sacrifice."

"That does make sense," Percy said. "And it gives us even a bigger reason to leave!"

"Right," Annabeth agreed.

But then there was laughter. To be more specific, the laughter of none other than Gaea.

You think that you can just walk out of here, high and mighty like the heroes that you aren't. You two are nothing more than pawns in a giant chess match, and I am the queen. I make the calls and you two merely work for me, whether you know it or not.

Percy and Annabeth walked away slowly, but they stopped when they heard her laughing again. No, I think I'll keep you both. You aren't going to leave yet, are you? The fun has just begun.

Something tugged on Percy, and he turned around. There was no one there. He gulped. "Did you feel that?" he asked Annabeth.

"Feel what?" she said, turning around, her head cocked. "There's no one there. Gaea just getting to your head. Let's- AHHHHHH!" she screamed and Percy yelped. Their feet went out from underneath them, like an invisible cord was pulling them.

He felt them being pulled back at the stairs. He had a short flashback. Him and Annabeth being pulled into Tartarus because of the spider silk on Annabeth's ankle. But this was like someone was inhaling them, like a fan in reverse.

All at once, it stopped, and they shot to their feet. Percy didn't waste any time thinking about why Gaea had stopped, or what was down there. Annabeth's nose had started to bleed again, but that wasn't a big priority.

They both ran away from the stairs. When they reached the back door, there was a small sign that said Come See Us Again.

"I don't think that's going to happen," Percy grumbled. Annabeth nodded quickly. They nudged open the doors. Old wind and dust clouds hit them like bullets. Gaea was laughing at them again. Run away, little pawns, she coaxed. Run away like you always do. Just know that I have the power to do what I please, and right now, you work for me.

Percy took one step and stopped. A skeleton hung in front of him, and he was in a sea of graves.

Thanks for reading! Review Challenge: What are your top three favorite novels? Mine are: Divergent by Veronica Roth; Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi; The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. If you haven't read any of those, I suggest you drop whatever you are reading and READ THEM NOW! They are all amazing, and if you truly loved me, you would read them. LOL, just kidding about that last part, but you should read them! If you want to know what they are about, just PM me. Also, I have a story for Divergent, called Are You Scared? You can check it out if you want!

Reviews and ideas are loved!

-BBH