Chapter 9: Seaside Manor II
Annabeth
"Huhhaaa!"
I swung it as hard as I could at my sparring partner, the momentum of everything I've got was pushing me forward as I leaped toward my opponent looking to get a quick and easy hit.
But why isn't she moving?
This might be easier than I thought, my opponent didn't even move an inch as my swing got closer and closer to hitting her. Right then, a split-second hesitation hit me and I wanted to abruptly stop halfway through. I lost my balance in the middle of it, my arms faltered and my grip on the handle loosen.
Clank!
It was only for the briefest of a second, but I was certain that I saw a smirk on her lips and just like that I almost crash into my best friend full force while holding nothing but air in both my hands. We didn't get tangled up though because at the very last second my partner sidestepped away from the collision. It all happened like a flash of lightning, I couldn't even think as I tumbled face first and landed on the grassy field below. Swooshing sound flew above me until I heard something striking in close distance beside me. I didn't even have time to flinch before the wooden sword landed just a few feet beside my head, stuck upright into the dirt.
I heard her chuckled, "You okay, princess?"
Thoroughly amazed in every sense, I almost didn't mind how there was dirt all over my clothes nor the scratches that most likely made red streaks over my elbows and knees. I turned over sideways and stared into her electric blue eyes, "That was amazing, Thals!"
Thalia shot me a friendly smiled and bow gracefully like the end of an awe-inspiring spectacle, "Glad you enjoy getting your butt kick, princess…"
I was still stunned by her amazing hidden skills that her tease didn't even get register in my head, but even then I didn't mind it. I definitely got my butt handed to me, and while it's embarrassing to admit to myself— it would no doubt sound borderline sadistic, but I sort of wanted more… Not the butt-kicking part, of course… I just really wanted to see what else my best friend could do with a wooden sword.
"Pfft… it wasn't that impressive." Her brother said beside us.
Leaning by the granite railing that overlooked the white sandy beach below, Jason taunted in such a smug manner that I wanted nothing more than to see Thalia beat him just like she did to me, "Oh? Is that a challenge, little brother?"
I finally got up off the ground and dusted myself on the sideline. Meanwhile, Jason picked up the wooden sword beside me and stood facing his new opponent. I watched in rapt attention as they prepared to face off against each other, a bit in awe as I pounder on why I haven't seen anything like this ever before. The Grace siblings never showed off their hidden talent of dueling with a sword.
"You know I could beat you in a heartbeat, Thalia…"
His confident nature naturally made me want him to lose… It was one of those things I couldn't stand about Jason Grace. He might be good at many things that others aren't good at, but the fact that he always rubbed it in made him the most irritating person ever. That's why I didn't like him…
"I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you, Jason."
There was a short pause as they ready themselves. I stood by close, watching as both brother and sister launched at the same time, wooden swords pointed at the other while they were locked in the heat of combat. I heard sharp clanks as they struck at each other and looking to win.
It looked almost like a well-practiced dance as they swung again and again, neither of them seemed to be backing down even when I thought one of them was getting close to winning. It looked very much like a tie until Thalia surprised her opponent and sweep her feet over Jason's stance. He lost his balance right away. Falling backward on his butt, Thalia held her wooden sword at barely an inch over his throat.
"Yield." Thalia said proudly in her victory.
It was pretty intimating how good they both were because I could barely keep up with what they were doing- the heavy and light swings, the nimble and effortless movements of their bodies, the counter and deflect of an attack… It was obvious that this wasn't either of their first time, and this otherworldly talent they possessed had definitely been practice and hone for a long time. Just how long? I guess I would never know…
"Fine." Jason smacked the practice sword away from his face before he stood up, grumbling like a sore loser at his defeat, "I'm gonna get something to drink…"
When Thalia smirked after Jason left for the manor, I knew right away I needed to interrogate her for every possible explanation as to where and how they were trained to fight with swords. Yet I couldn't bring myself to ask, perhaps it's because how I was still in disbelief and astounded by their level of skill. But I believed it's more than that, and I couldn't ask my best friend because I didn't want to be rude and pried into her business.
After all, I wasn't even supposed to be out here in the courtyard today, playing a pretend match with a wooden sword to begin with.
It was another sunny day outside. On a clear Sunday with a few white clouds in between, the yellow sun was so high in the sky that it easily brighten up everything under its embrace with its warmth. My mind felt so much better with such nice weather like this.
Instead of being stuck inside my room like every other weekend, this time I was invited to this impromptu sparring practice. You would think that my best friend was the one who did, and you'd be surprised to learn that my mother was the one who forced me to go in the first place.
"Hey, don't mind my brother… He's just pissed off because I beat him." Thalia turned to me and smiled.
I nodded and smiled back, "I still can't believe you and Jason are so good with this… I mean, it seemed like I was the only one who didn't know about this. Even my mom somehow knew…"
Thalia chuckled, "Hey, it's not something I just show anyone. Plus, your mom insisted that I get you out here instead of being stuck in your room so we might as well do something you've never done before, right?"
I guess it made sense up to a degree, but that still didn't explain how or where she learned all this. Nor did it explain how my mom knew that both Thalia and Jason could spar like this from the beginning.
In any case, I did my best to ignore that nagging thought.
"Anyway, can I try again?" I asked.
I hadn't noticed this before, but after that heated match with her brother Thalia wasn't even sweating one bit. In contrast, I was already more than a bit sweaty underneath the boiling hot sun. This might have been the longest I've ever gone on exercising. It was close to 1 pm, and we've been out here since eleven this morning. Of course, my workout and exercising routine didn't consist of swordplay before so this definitely affected my tiredness as well.
"Sure, ready to get your butt kick again?" She smirked.
I pouted and knew my defeat was already at hand, but maybe… just maybe…
In the end, I wasn't expecting to have so much fun with swordplay that a long time had passed before I knew it. Still, I learned a few tips and tricks from Thalia herself, and she promised to give me more personal lessons if I was interested to do it again.
To be honest, I was more than interested in her offer. After all, I couldn't stop waving my hand like I was still holding the wooden sword while walking back to my room for the rest of the day.
-Line Break-
"Come on! We are almost there!" He said in an exhausted manner.
There was nothing but darkness surrounding the dense forest environment I was in, yet I wouldn't be so calm and collected if not for a clear dirt pathway being lit up by torches that followed up the hill. I was rushing along with four other people toward the top, the steep and winding steps made it impossibly tough on my legs as I struggled to climb at a breakneck pace.
"Keep moving Annabeth!" She shouted, "Don't stop-pp— Ahh!"
Coming out of nowhere, I looked back and saw her collapsed on their knees. It was a bad hit, and I could see the attack had taken more than a small gash and left a searing burn that had severely damaged a huge part of her right leg.
"Thalia!" I screamed.
I rushed toward my best friend with tears in my eyes.
"No! Don't come any closer!" She shouted back.
I froze with a small blade in my right hand.
"Jason! Just go! Take them to Camp, don't worry about me!" Thalia reassured, "I'll be fine…"
It was Jason who hesitated now as we stood on the hill. We were almost over the edge, but Thalia was more than a few yards down the pathway, yet we could all see her with all the torches lighting up the forest. As my best friend struggled to get up, using the trees to steady herself every step of the way, I saw a dark silhouette behind with blood-shot red eyes. It was terrifying.
"I can't leave you…" Jason mumbled.
Thalia brought out her last breath, "Go!"
It was Thalia's last command because just that moment Jason turned around, there were tears in his eyes as he held a boy over his shoulders, even managing to drag me along up over the hill.
"Let's go!"
I couldn't look back anymore. Thalia was my best friend, and I just left her behind. I left my best friend behind so that I could save myself.
"No… No… I can't… No…"
Shush… Shush… It's okay, Annabeth. You are dreaming. You are only dreaming…
It was a comforting voice in this horrible nightmare. I gained a bit more awareness, then I couldn't stand it anymore and jerked awake. My body shot up like a cannon. I couldn't breathe properly. I couldn't move either. A dribble of something wet fell over my left cheek. It was from above. My hand reached up to wipe over my forehead and I found my right hand soaked in nothing but sweat. It was very vague still, but I could tell my body was sweating profusely.
"No… I- I- I…." I struggled to make coherent-sounding words.
Waking up in my room, I cried right on the spot even now when I realized it was only a nightmare. A pair of comforting arms rubbed my side softly and gently much to my relief.
"Hey... Hey, Hey… It's okay. Shush… It's okay, Annabeth." Her voice kept me from breaking down even more. If not for her, I would have balled my eyes out until I didn't have any tears left.
I felt two soft arms embraced me whole. It was my mom in her nightgown as she sat close to the edge of my bed. The sweet aroma of her fragrant scent plus her warm embrace worked wonders to remind me that I was okay and that it was only a nightmare that made me cry. Still, I couldn't calm down in the slightest, not even with her physical support of being here and keeping me close. Her reassuring hug just made me want to cry out loud and like a baby again.
"Shh… you are okay now, Annabeth. You'll be fine."
Like a huge boulder that steady me, the safety of being in my mother's arms while she brushed her hands gently over my back helped tremendously. I eventually managed to stop crying, the tears welling up in my eyes but I could keep them from falling down my cheeks. I took huge breaths, each one slower than the next so I could ease myself from a nightmare-filled nervous wreck.
"It's okay." She kissed my forehead, "You are only dreaming, Annabeth."
I nodded pathetically still covered in a cold sweat.
"Here." She let go of me, "I brought you some water."
She shifted around and brought out a glass for me. It was a more than welcoming sight as I gingerly took it from her. I couldn't take more than a sip at a time, somehow I was afraid of the water running out from the glass even though it won't take long to refill it.
What was that? Why did I see something so terrible?
"Hey."
My mom lifted my chin and made me look at her instead of the sweat-soaked sheets covering me. Her beautiful grey eyes that I've inherited calm me down greatly, "You are okay now, Annabeth."
I nodded, "I am sorry,"
She shook her head, "Everyone has nightmares, Annabeth…"
"No. I mean, I made you get up and come check on me…"
She sighed in a motherly way, "You are my daughter, Annabeth… Of course, I will come to check on you, even if you didn't have a nightmare, I would have come to check on you regardless."
I stayed frozen on the bed. The terrifying nightmare was only partly lingering in my head now, but it was her reassurance that made me want to say those three little words- a phrase that terrified me even more, but I couldn't do it. The words were frozen over my tongue. Every part of my muscles still felt tense and any movements would give me a nagging pain in the back of my head.
"You should take a warm shower, sweetie."
I put the glass away on the bedside table and let my mom help me out of the bed. I only realized that I have been shaking wildly even now. The nightmare surely did some lasting damage to me, and I was certain that I would remember it again sometime later on.
"Do you want me to help?" She asked.
I shook my head at her offer, but I didn't want her to leave, "Can you stay with me just for tonight? I know it's childish, but I don't— I don't want to be alone…"
I wasn't sure what I was expecting from it, but I was glad that she agreed to it right away, "Sure. I'll change the sheets, so don't hurry, okay? Take your time."
I nodded and walked inside my bath, "Thanks, mom."
Why couldn't you just say it? Why is it so hard?
More than half an hour was spent with me inside the shower stall, warm water dripping on my tensed shoulders while I stared at the marble tile, water swirling down the small drain. I sighed, leaning back on the walls and heaven a long sigh.
Why did I have such a weird dream? Nothing about it made any sense. There was only one thing I was certain of when it came to that nightmare. Something from it just made me panic in an uncontrollable way and I could feel pure fear in me even thinking about what happened now. It didn't matter that I was fully awake already.
"No use thinking about a stupid nightmare," I mumbled to myself to build some assuredness.
It took me less than a minute to turn off the shower and wipe myself down. It wasn't a total dry, but it would have to do. Approaching the middle of the night, I certainly didn't want to fully clean up when I could be spending my time in bed.
The thought of sleeping again scared me a bit, but I knew my mom was waiting for me so it eased a bit of my worry.
"Mom?"
Seeing her by my bed with fresh sheets, a weight drop from my heart and I was grateful.
"Come on, sweetie…" She patted the space next to her.
It most certainly made me feel like a kid again, but something about tonight made me want to forget that fact and just go along with it. Making me smile as I climbed up my bed, I began to settle down and wish that I could fall asleep again without any nightmares. My mom even began to tuck me in like how she used to, except she had more to do because I was at least as tall as her now.
I blushed, "Thank you."
My mom smiled gently at me; it was the same caring gesture I saw in my memories after a day where some girls made fun of me at middle school. A sudden recollection of that part of my life, I saw how it reflected almost the same way as what I've been through tonight. After so many years had gone by, so many things being different for better or for worse, the fact that our bond didn't change drastically warmed my heart more than anything.
"Anything for you, Annabeth."
She brushed away my blonde hair and kiss my forehead, "I'll stay here with you tonight, so don't worry and get some sleep."
I nodded as a calm wave slowly and eventually eased my mind. When I felt soft goosebumps crawling over my skin, following by a gentle shiver, my mind was already halfway toward being shut off. Having my mom here helped more than she could ever know, but I guess I could always let her know how much I appreciated her another day.
Thank you, mom. I love you.
