Saw the Hobbit *fangirl*! I mean just asdfghjk;! :D
I don't own PJO.
Chapter 22: Suspicions
With every day we spent the resort Nico became more and more paranoid about the people here. I didn't see the problem with them, they were always so helpful. He still didn't let me out of the room, he even minimized his trips to and from the room. It worried me about how much he was concerned with this, it didn't seem like he could rest without knowing nothing was wrong.
That's when I started to notice something's as well. The food became, addicting, you could say. And that's not even related to my cravings. It was just; they came to our room with food that we didn't even order. I wanted to stop eating it, but I knew I couldn't risk it. I wouldn't come close to doing that, especially while I'm carrying a child.
Nico's been trying to find a way out of the resort, but it's been difficult. He even took a straight forward route and told the front desk they needed to leave. He said that they just brushed it off and told him more about the "great amenities" of the resort. The resort reminded me of another place, but I couldn't seem to remember what it was called.
Nico had found an exit, but it was strangely high security. He said that the guards looked inhuman in every way. They had hair in places that, well, humans shouldn't have. Nico had told me after him finding out more that they were monsters. But not the monsters that you find in mythology. They looked like they came from hell. I didn't understand what he meant at first, I thought that he meant Hades, the Underworld, not Christian Hell. He filled me in on Demons of Hell*, I grew up Christian yes – Mary had insisted -, but I've never heard of "the Demons of Hell". I only knew the basics about Christianity, nothing of this sort.
"You'd have to be a Satanist to know about them." Nico told me, stuffing two bags full of clothes. "Let's just say they aren't all that good."
"But, if Greek mythology is real, then how are other "gods" real? Can't there only be one?" I asked.
Nico shook his head at me. "No, mortals value gods. I've studied up on it also, I thought the same once but, when anyone comes to the underworld for the judging, they see what they believe in. They can see Saint Peters, they can see Osiris and Anubis, they can see Hades and Cerberus, they see what they want. We all pre-exist with each other."
"Oh." I said. My mind was running a hundred miles per hour. I always laughed when I heard of wars because of religion, it seemed so petty. Though now I understand, it's like Demetri. He believed that the gods should be overthrown, but I believed that they were doing fine. Different beliefs create fights.
"You may want to get changed." Nico said to me after a while. "We're leaving tonight, and I don't think pajamas would be a smart idea to run around in." I blushed slightly, temporarily forgetting I was in my pj's. Nico laughed and threw some clothes at me. I glared weakly and went to go change. Once I was changed and looked like a normal girl who was into vintage clothes, I was ready to go.
"So how are we getting out?" I asked him. He gave me one of the backpacks and a snow jacket to put on.
"Well, I found that closer to the exits it's easier for me to travel. So we have to get as close as we can without those things seeing us." Nico said slipping his own on. I looked around the room one last time to see if we had forgotten anything. It didn't seem so, so we left. We were careful not to let anyone see us, if we were seen them we'd be screwed and our plan would fall apart.
Our trip down to the main floor was the probably the easiest part of the plan. We could have pulled off that we were just taking a simple hike up the mountain. But, I think what I was wearing would have killed that idea, yes, a dress and TOMS are very good for hiking.
We were in the lobby when Nico pushed us behind a plant.
He looked at me. "We can't talk until we get out of here, got it?" He told me. I nodded silently. The corner of his mouth turned up for a millisecond, then it was gone. He led me out from behind the plant and we went through the crowd of people that were just coming into the resort, and slipped out. Well, we almost did, but someone caught my arm, making me lose Nico. I turned to look at the person, it was the manager. He smiled kindly at me.
"Mrs. Di Angelo, what's the rush to leave?" I heard the sharpness in his tone. I was scared. I tried to back away, but he held a tight grip on my arm. "We just re-opened our spa. I'm sure you'd like a nice relaxing day to yourself, especially when you are expecting." His smile turned into a smirk. I was terrified now, how did he know? We kept it a secret.
"How do I know?" He asked as if reading my mind. "You are in my resort, I know everything." He pulled me against him. He felt disgusting to just be around. I felt slimy, he may be handsome, but he is like a slug. I started to pull me away into a door. I thrashed in his grip and screamed, but to no anvil did he let me go, or anyone come to my aid. No one could hear me, I found. My eyes started to water, I tried to scream for Nico, I didn't want to be around this man. The manager covered my mouth with his hand.
"Quiet girl." He hissed in my ear. "Or I'll have to quiet it myself." That shut me up. I was already being touched by the man; I didn't want to be touched intimately by him as well. "Now be a good girl and sit." He shoved me into the room, and locked it behind him. There was one chair in the room, and it didn't look inviting in the slightest.
It was made of metal and chains hung from the arm rests. I opted for the floor. I went into a fetal positing, what was going to happen? I can't let anything bad happen to me, not now. And what will happen to Nico? Did he even notice I was gone? What if he can't find me? What happened if I die in here before he can? I began to weep.
The door opened and closed once more. I stopped crying immediately. I didn't dare turn and look; I knew it was him again. I felt him crouch by me and push the hair from my neck; I felt his hot breath on it.
"How are you?" He asked me. I shuddered and didn't answer. He pulled harshly on my hair. I whimpered. "How are you, my love?" He spat at me. I sobbed.
"Go away…" I got out. He caressed my neck, and tutted.
"That's not what I asked, love." He kissed my neck. I let out a strangled sound of alarm. He smirked against my neck and kept kissing it. I couldn't move I found. "I was so upset when you never came down from your room, love." Kiss. Whimper. "Why didn't you come and see me?" Kiss. Sob. "You haven't seen me in such a long time." Kiss. Whimper. "I thought you loved me." Kiss. Whimper. "But you stayed with that Son of Hades instead." Bite. Cry. "Am I hurting you, love?" I nodded and whimpered. I knew he didn't leave a mark, but it hurt. "Speak."
"P-p-ple-ease st-t-top!" I cried out. He gripped my arms, tight.
"You've never asked me to do such before, so why now, love?" I felt his nails digging in my coat.
"Let me go!" I said more strength to my words. He pulled me back into his embrace quite harshly.
"No," He grunted in my ear. "You are mine for the keeping. Not that Son of Hades. I want you for myself." My eyes widened, he didn't mean… "Which means that child, has to go." He raised a knife in front of my face.
"N-no! Not the child!" I screamed, gaining back my voice automatically. "I'll kill you if you touch the child!" He growled.
"I want you for myself. It has to go!" He gripped the knife tighter.
"No, you don't! You can make it your own!" I surprised myself. His grip in the knife loosened almost automatically.
"How?" He asked me skeptically. I started to fidget with the hem of my dress.
"You, um, you have to make a potion." I stuttered.
He turned me around to look at him. "What's in it?" His eyes looked darker then before. I didn't know at the time who he thought I was, but I had a heart wrenching feeling in my heart to do this to him.
"Witches light, a hair of a cougar, flem from an ogre, and-and the-the-"
"The-the what?" He snapped at me.
"The heart of a pixie." I said in a rush. I didn't know if half of these existed, but I'll take the chance.
"The heart of a pixie? How will I ever get that?" He muttered to himself. He let go of me and sat down. I looked at him in disbelief. He believed me. Why did he believe me? I couldn't do this to him. I can't led him on, making him think I am someone I am not and that he can change who the father is. I hung my head.
"What is my name?" I asked him. He laughed at me.
"Silly, Isla. Stop fooling around." He laughed. I looked up at him.
"And who are you?" I asked.
He stopped laughing. "Don't kid, Isla. You know who I am; I'm Neoplats, your love." He looked at me, searching my face form any trace of lies. I knew he couldn't find any.
"I'm not Isla, Neoplats. I don't know you." I said calmly. Even after all he just did to me, I can't fathom how I can still do this; feel bad for him.
"Isla, don't kid. I don't like kidding." Neoplats voice betrayed him.
"I'm not kidding." He down casted his eyes. Neoplats hand moved down to his pocket. He brought out an old photo. "What is it?" He looked from the photo to me and back again. He sighed.
"I guess it isn't you." He gave me the photo. It was a young woman and Neoplats. I must say, she looked much like me. Blue eyes full of happiness and life and bright blond hair. This photo must have been taken in the 50's.
"She is very beautiful." I told him. "I see the resemblance, though her hair is lighter." I handed him back the photo. He didn't move to take it.
"I noticed that also. But you look so alike. I thought it was the winter that did it." Neoplats shoulders slumped. I looked at him apologetically.
"She's mortal isn't she?" I whispered.
He nodded. "Yes, she was like no other." He took the photo from me and looked up at me. "I am sorry for what I did to you. If I knew, I would have never. Please, forgive me?" I just smile slightly at him. He was the one who hung his head then.
I placed my hand on his shoulder. He no longer felt slimy to me, but I still had an uneasy feeling about him. "Tell you this, help me find Nico, and I'll see if I can find anything about your Isla." He looked at me with hopeful eyes.
"Y-you would do that? But… how?" He asked me, his voice was laced with hope. I gave him a smile.
"I'm quite powerful, Neoplats. And, Nico will help me." I gripped his arm.
Neoplats led me through halls, and halls and halls and halls and halls. I stopped paying attention to our walking since the fifth turn. The halls were bland, oh so fucking bland. I mean really, I'm not even sure there were any shadows. No shadows.
I stopped pulling Neoplats back as well. He looked back at me. "What's wrong?" He asked me.
"There aren't any shadows." I said simply.
"What do you mean?" He asked me. "Look behind you, your shadow is right behind you." He was right, there was a shadow behind me, but it wasn't mine.
"It isn't mine, Neoplats." I was scared. He grinned at me. I let go of his arm and backed away slowly, the shadow stayed where it was on the floor.
"You really believed me, didn't you?" He walked forwards. "You really thought you were someone else? I wouldn't make that mistake, princess. I knew a girl named Isla, yes. Nut she is long dead. You're so foolish, princess." I turned and ran. I really wished I was wearing my boots; they had so much more traction. I was slipping all over the place.
I wasn't even sure I was taking the right way, there were too many turns. It then clicked in my mind that that was the reason why he didn't led me through a straight hall way, he knew I wouldn't pay attention. I ran into a wall and fell to the ground.
I heard his laugh echo off of the walls. I got back up and started to run again, but I only hit dead ends every time. I groaned aloud and punched the wall. I heard him laugh again.
"You won't get out, princess. No one will come to your rescue this time." His voice echoed. I held my head in my hands; his voice was hurting my head, like a hallucination. I stopped. A hallucination. That was all this was, I told myself. Even if it wasn't true, I made myself believe such. I remembered something from a book I once read. If you're in a maze, and there is no way out put one hand to a wall, and walk.
I took a deep breath and placed a hand on the right wall, and walked. I heard his voice and laugh, but I pushed it from my mind. I thought of happy times. Happy times when everyone I knew was happy. And so was I. I turned a corner then another corner till I came to a dead end once more; I pushed harder on the wall and traced the wall as I walked forward. I heard creaking of the walls as I moved further and further.
At first I thought it was something inside the wall, but I realized it was the wall itself that was moaning and groaning. I pressed my hand harder to the wall as if it could let go or that it will disappear on me. I walked further, ignoring the groaning.
Eventually the walls started to crumble. I could smell fresh rain fall and the ocean. I wondered where I was, I looked ahead of me, there was mist. Thick mist that I couldn't see past. The wall that I had my hand pressed against finally crumbled completely underneath my grip, falling to rubble. I fingered the pieces in my hand, it was clay. A substance that liked to stick together, but was very frail at the same time. I let it drop and I went into the mist.
I could hardly breathe. It wasn't mist, it was smog. It was put here. I dropped to my knees, I turned, determined to leave, but I couldn't see anything. I wasn't even sure which way I came from. My hand went to my trough as I tried to breathe as the other went to the ground, trying to keep me up. Something squished through my fingers as I came in contact with the ground. I crawled forwards trying my best to get out of this place. I seemed to be going no where.
Where was I?
It was then that I blacked out.
There you go, I updated quickly now didn't I? Please don't expect this every time, I'm a major procrastinator.
Demons of Hell; I don't know if they're real. I really don't, so please don't yell at me threw text. And if you don't like religion in stories, sorry I brought it up.
Merry Christmas (or another holiday that you celebrate),
Scar :}