Hi, slow updates now, school started...
Earlier:
"Swear on River Styx," Order stated firmly, and inwardly grinned. There was no way out. He could not teleport, nothing. That is, unless he wanted to die. But, if he died, they would know without doubt that he wasn't, effectively trapping him like a mouse in a corner with a cat towering over it. The boy paled drastically, and said,
"You win."
Annabeth POV
"QUIET!" Zeus roared, pounding on his armrests, to no avail. The steady flow of murmuring continued. In a corner, Athena and Ares debated which one was more valuable, wisdom or strength. Hermes and Apollo, with their immature mind, continued to rig traps around Dionysus; one reacting to every snore with a loud, blasting horn, another was alerted when he mumbled in his sleep; pouncing on him with a ferocity that could only be described as wild. A thousand fingers came out of the contraption, and ultimately tickled Dionysus until he had tears flowing down his cheeks. Aphrodite was gossiping with Demeter, who constantly mumbled: "Cereal is better." Hestia perched herself in front of the hearth, poking at it with melancholy. Poseidon stared warily at the marble floor, his fist supporting his chin. Artemis shot arrows savagely at cracks in the ceiling(which was designed to have cracks).
And I?
I was mercilessly stabbing Samuel. Yes, Samuel Adams.
The Samuel who was power-thirsty. The Samuel who took away Percy. The Samuel who was indefinitely evil. Pure evil. He confessed, spilled. Told us that he was a spy for the rising Kronos. Smirking, he told us that he commanded the Primordials to kill Percy. Laughing evilly, he told us all his plans, and all he had done, the seat of power he earned, and what he was going to do. He died with that evil smirk on his face. He was already dead. By the hands of me. Yet I kept on stabbing. Why?
Because he took Percy.
I want to apologize. To Percy. But I can't. He's gone. Nico, my only chance, was also gone too. They were just scattered in the raging tides. I never knew we were taking so much lives. Until now. But why? Why are they gone?
Because of this stupid bastard that I'm stabbing right now.
I wipe away his blood angrily as I continue. People call me, I don't care about them. Why should I? They were just another somebody that contributed in taking Percy away. I know I'm in no spot to be saying this. I was a main somebody, in fact. I stabbed him in the back, kissing this cold corpse. And he? I don't know how he felt.
Sad?
Angry?
Jealous?
No, Percy would never be jealous. Not the Percy I knew since seven years, eight years ago. He was kind, loyal, brave, cute.
But why? Why didn't he speak up? Say that he knew nothing?
I stabbed Adams one last time, stepped on his smirking face, and finally rose to face the crowd.
My glowering finally stopped as I, with a big heave, threw the real traitor's bloody body down the Empire State Building. I peeked down as to make sure that the cadaver ended up in the boiling pot of greek fire, and not on the heads of a few locals. I watched as the body slowly withered away. The steam rose high, and I held my hand to it, feeling the satisfaction and burning joy inside me.
"Go to hell, Adams," I whispered, before whipping the steam away. When I said hell, I didn't mean the Underworld's Fields of Punishment. I meant hell hell. Tartarus. To the jail Percy and Nico had created down there. They took a jar of the god's combined power, and threw it on a symbol, according to them. Thus creating a...sorta teleport, sorta fall into Tartarus transportation.
Athena put a hand on my shoulder. I let it pass. I don't know why I snapped at Mother...
Actually, I do.
But I was in a bad mood, losing Percy and whatnot. I sighed contently. I wish I could throw Adams off a million times more...the energy inside me is still crackling.
"Annabeth?" Katie meekly tapped me. Oh, yes. Katie Gardener. Why do I feel like I haven't met her in a few weeks? I just saw her yesterday... "Um, we're leaving..."
"Oh, yes, thanks," I said to her, my golden curls flying as I turned my head. I watched her leave, and saw...tears streaming in rivers down her cheeks. Her eyes watered again, and she wiped them away. As she was swallowed into the crowd, I watched as Hazel tripped and fell, before Frank rushed to her aid and yanked her up playfully. Hazel jabbed him in the stomach, her honey eyes sparkling. Deja vu. Percy and I...had the same little comical fight a year ago or so? What's this supposed to mean? Is he coming back? I know for sure that these thing don't come in as coincidences in the godly world.
"You don't have to pretend," Came mother's distant voice. She looked up at the swirling clouds, as if they were family. Her grey eyes glistened with a hint of sadness and wisdom. I looked at her, and for the first time, I saw how beautiful she was. Her curls of glossy golden were plaited delicately into a bun, and a grey crown of ivy sat royally on her head. Shimmering veils of stormy grey encased her body, trailing off behind her. Why couldn't she be queen?
I felt as if I was falling.
Percy said the same thing to me.
"Why couldn't he be king?"
"W-What do you mean?" I asked, knowing what was the answer. Dreading the answer, I stared at the busy intersection where cars beeped and engines roared. Pedestrians walked by cheerfully, whooping and howling with joy.
"You know you are aching for Perseus," She answered, knowledge and wisdom dancing on her lips. "Don't pretend you are not." I looked up at her. She tilted her head slightly, and she smiled her warm and mysterious smile. Holding up her arm, I watched in fascination as an owl came swooping down, and fluttered softly onto Mother's arm. It's grey eyes shone with curiosity as he cocked his head to the side, then to the other. It ruffled its brown and grey feathers, before hooting with content. She extended her arm to me. Hesitantly, I held out my own. The owl, with another hoot, hopped onto my arms. I grinned at it, and smoothed down his feathers. I then made to give it back.
"You may keep it. Think of it as a token of gratitude." A token of gratitude for what? What did I do?
Mother swept away, and was guided to the refreshment table. Wait, wha~?
"Hey, Annabeth, don't you know?" Malcolm popped out of nowhere. Typical mind-reader. Malcolm had this really weird ability to sorta read other people's minds... Once, I was reading a book, and was wanting some lemonade because I was really thirsty having read all day, almost. Then, suddenly, there was a glass of lemonade waving itself in my face, and when I looked up, there sat a grinning Malcolm on my bunk. I had asked him how he knew, and still grinning, he replied,
"Don't you know? I can read your mind, along with everyone else's."
"What do I not know?" I asked, his optimism already getting on my nerves. We just lost the Hero of Olympus for pete's sake!
"Don't you know?" He repeated. Annoyance made its way onto my face. Sheesh, just get it out, already! I glared at him, the just-tell-me look on my face making mock terror appear on Malcolm's face.
"Spill it," I commanded. The terror on his face grew, until it was too much for him and he burst into laughter so intense that by the end my stomach throbbed with sympathy. The owl hooted too. Malcolm frowned at it. I told him. "Mother gave it to me, introducing it as a token of gratitude..." There was his other freaky power. He somehow manages to convey messages just by looking at the person. Hm, maybe we should introduce him to the freak show..
"We're celebrating the fact that Samuel is gone," He explained, one hand still clutching his stomach. He panted and heaved a few more times, then grinned at me. "Wanna join?"
"I don't want to," I turned around, hoping the words were set in stone and that he wouldn't bug me repeatedly anymore. Why celebrate? So we've gotten rid of Adams. But did we really have to sacrifice that much?
Percy?
Nico?
Thalia?
And they're celebrating? I felt disgust well up like a balloon inside me, then gush out like a waterfall. I stormed out of the room, and slammed my palm onto the elevator button. The owl, whom I had no time to name, yelped and flew off. As if sensing my mood, the ding! had a sullen and hateful tone in it. I went inside, not before kicking anyone in the shins who tried to come to me, even Malcolm. I stumbled in, and closed the door hurriedly. Jabbing the lobby button, I waited.
I sat on the beach, thinking of Percy. I was so stupid. Why did I have to? And he was loyal the whole time...I buried my head in my knees, and watched the sea-green waves rush between my legs, then retreat. Rush through my legs, then retreat. Every wave pounded into me painfully, whispering,
"His eyes are like this, his eyes are this color."
The sea foam sank into the sand. And as I watched it sink, there was something. Just a flash, but something.
I looked at it. Picked it up. I examined it. It looked fairly like a book, yet it wasn't wet. The cover was shaded in a deep purple, and big, bold, shining black letters printed,
NIGHTMARES
And I saw a picture, a scene, a video once I opened it. A picture of Percy slammed against the tree, and Nyx grinning. Then suddenly I was at the place.
In a blink of an eye, I was back on the moody beach where underneath, Poseidon's temper swirled in relentless circles. As a gust of strong wind carried my hair in front of my face, I saw a video playing. Of Nyx swinging a sword. I squeezed my eyes shut, and blocked my ears. The evil device slid off my lap, and was carried back out to sea in the tide.
I ran back in to my cabin, soaking wet, and collapsed onto my bunk. Sobbing into my pillow, my mind replayed the events involuntarily. I saw the hurt in Percy's eyes, as he was suddenly conscious...
I saw the villainous glint of the sickly green blade...
I saw the trickle of crimson blood pooling on his jeans...
And I saw his whole body clench in anger.
In anger at me or the Primordials, I do not know. Possibly both. I would fully understand...
As I fell asleep, I knew that that book really did cause nightmares.
Okay, I finished a bit late. I was trying to adjust to school again...
And I successfully survived the first week of school.