A/N: hey guys! Soooooooo... here's the next chapter. Let's just skip all my excuses and your death threats and get to the story, yes? Don't forget to review!
At first, there was only darkness. It seemed to press down on me, suffocating me. I squeezed my eyes shut and curled my knees to my chest. I don't like the darkness, I can't handle small spaces. To make things even worse, the voices are coming back stronger than ever. They're screaming in my head, causing every other thought to run away and break apart. I search my head frantically for the Voice, but I can't find it. I can't find the soft, warm voice that would help me. I can't find the voice that would stay with me and give me hope. It was gone. My eyes filled with tears as I realized that I was truly and utterly alone. It was just me and these damn voices in my head, always screaming.
As fast as it came, the darkness was gone. Light pierced my eyes and I quickly squeezed them shut, putting a hand up to cover my face. I heard laughter and chatter in the distance and a soft summer wind blew through my hair. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I slowly started opening them to observe my surrounding. I was in Camp Half Blood.
But that was impossible. I was supposed to be in Tartarus, I was supposed to be in that hell being tortured. How did I get here? Then I remembered: Kronos. He had the silver dream ball. He pushed it in me. He did something to me. What was the point of all this? Why bring me hear?
My thoughts were so disoriented that I couldn't grasp onto the why's or where's or who's for more than a few seconds. It was strange, though. The voices in my head had gone silent, as if they were anticipating what was coming next.
As I looked around, I could almost convince myself that I was in Camp Half Blood. Everything just felt so real. I could hear the wind blowing through the trees, causing the leaves to rustle gently and the birds to fly in the air. I could feel the soft green grass under my bare feet, tickling the soft skin. I let my eyes slide close and tilted my face towards the sun, letting myself feel the warmth envelope me fro the first time in what felt like years.
But wait. No. This was wrong. My eyes snap open and I scan my surroundings suspiciously. I'm supposed to be in Tartarus. I'm supposed to be getting tortured right now. What kind of trick is this? This must be a nightmare, a new kind of torture. The dream ball, this must be what it does. It shows you what you what you want most, something you could never have.
But it seems so real. I can feel the wind, the grass, the sun. I can small the strawberries and the ocean. I can hear the campers mulling around the cabins, at the beach, playing volleyball, training. I can hear my friends. I hear their voices carrying over the wind. Jason, Leo, Hazel, Annabeth. I search frantically, forgetting for a moment that this isn't real, it's just a dream. But I had to see them, I had to see her.
That's when I spot her. Down there, by the amphitheater. I see her golden blonde hair, loose in its princess curls. I could hear her laugh, sweet as music. Before I knew what I was doing, I was running. I had to get to her, touch her again, make sure she was real. "Annabeth!"
She spun around and her beautiful grey eyes caught mine. Her face broke into the most beautiful smile and I pushed myself faster and faster. She waited until I slowed to a stop in front of her and brought her hand up to my cheek, cupping my face gently. He touch sent shivers down my spine and I leaned into her hand, bringing up my own hand to cover hers. She was real. She was here. I'm safe.
"Oh Percy." I open my eyes to bring them to her face. She wore a sad expression, as if she knew something I didn't. "You were never safe." My smile fell off my face and and pulled away from her hands. Her arms remained outstretched for a moment, as if waiting for me to return to her. When I didn't she slowly lowered her hand and smiled sadly.
The sky turned dark and the trees turned black and bare. The oceans waves become dark with pollution and the grass turned brown. My breathing became shallow gasps as I watched my home crumble to ash. And, just as suddenly, the campers started crumbling. Their skin would crumble away, leaving behind black bones that would fall the the ground, breaking on impact.
"Percy." I brought my eyes back to Annabeth, my friends. "No..." Their bodies were disappearing before my eyes. Gone were their smiles and laughs, instead there was only hatred and scorn. Aimed at me. "You did this to us. You didn't save save us. Why didn't you save us?!"
"No, no. I did, I kept you safe I saved you. No, please." Annabeth just glared at me, disgust in her eyes. "You failed." Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Grover, Thalia, Nico, Frank. All of them. Piles of broken, black bones. Then it was just Annabeth. And me.
I searched her eyes and found no sign of remorse or fear. She studied me, looking me up and down before sneering. "Pathetic." Then, she too wasted away until only a small pile of bones. "No, no, no. This isn't real, this is a dream. Wake up, wake UP!" I clutched my head between my hands and squeezed my eyes tight. This isn't real, this isn't real. It's a nightmare.
The voices that were once so quiet suddenly came back in full force, slamming inside my head, filling my ears with lies. UNWANTED. FAILER. WEAK.
Louder and louder. It was too much. I fell to my knees and screamed. I screamed and screamed, trying to block out the images, the voices. I screamed until blood leaked out of the corners of my mouth and my eyes rolled back in my head. Then it was only darkness once again.