Hello! I just got back from my softball game and we lost.. Pretty bad. For some reason though I'm extremely hyper. This chapter is supposed to be serious. But I don't know if I can type and be serious when I'm this hyper…..I blame the mountain dew Amy brought.
Apparently, In NYC there isn't that much work for a paleontologist. Go figure. So I found out paleontologist's travel. A lot. Hence the reason it was Saturday evening and I was alone, at home. Daniel was off in Mexico for some dig or something. He was supposed to come home tonight, but the flight got delayed. So I called up Rachel who had been in town for a meeting at Olympus. We had planed to go see a local band playing down in central park, but the April weather had different plans for us. So while it down poured outside, Rachel and I sat inside eating popcorn drizzled with chocolate and watching Titanic on TNT.
"Gods, this movie always makes me cry like a baby" Rachel said as the last of the ship splashed into the water.
"Oh, I know." I said blowing my nose.
"So, tell me about Daniel. I can't wait any longer." She said turning her head away from the TV.
"Oh, Rachel. He's-" I started but was cut off by a doorbell ringing.
"One minute" I said walking towards the door and looking out the peephole. Only to see none other then Daniel, holding a bouquet of roses.
"Daniel!" I said opening the door and throwing my arms around him.
"Hey sweetie" He said as we walked in.
"I thought your plane didn't get back till tomorrow!" I said as we walked over into the living room, where Rachel was bawling watching Rose blow the whistle as Jack lay frozen by her side.
"Well I wanted to surprise you" He said smirking.
Daniel looked at Rachel, then at me with an odd expression on his face.
"Rachel! Someone's here I want you to meet!" I said. She turned around, her eyes red and puffy. "Who?" She asked wiping them.
"Rachel, this is Daniel. Daniel, Rachel" I said as they shook hands.
"Rachel was a really good friend of Percy's" I said. The smile Daniel had been wearing dimmed a little, but brightened right back. I had told him everything of course. I figured if I wanted this to work, he would have to know.
"So Annabeth, you know how I said I wanted to surprise you?" He asked sweetly. Rachel started looking at him weirdly, she was almost glaring. Like she knew something I didn't.
"Well, I think this will surprise you a lot." He said. Suddenly his whole body started shaking. Hair was growing everywhere, his face morphed into a mix between dog and reptile. What in Tatarus was happening!
Before I could even comprehend what was happening, Rachel came at him with a celestial bronze blade, but she looked apprehensive to strike. To bad. Cause as she was deciding whether to kill the big puppy reptile head. He slashed at me, missing my neck by inches, and sent me flailing toward the ground. Then, complete and total blackness.
I opened my eyes groggily to see the blinding white walls I had come to associate as hospital walls.
"Oh! Thank the gods your ok Annabeth!" Someone yelled throwing their selves on me sending a million machines beeping out of control. The person got up and I sat up a little. The beeping stopped. Thalia, of course had been the one to set them all of. The rest came into view as my eyes adjusted.
"Annabeth. I was so worried." Daniel said looking into my eyes and taking my hand. I looked down. No hair. No claws. No Reptile/dog face. Had it all been a dream?
"What happened?" I asked, my voice a little hoarse.
"I walked into your house and as you walked over to me, you slipped on an ice cube and hit your head on the counter." He said worried.
Don't trust him. Someone whispered, making me jolt up right. The voice had sounded like it came from….inside me.
"What's wrong?" Thalia asked me.
"Ummm, nothing." I said.
Annabeth, you need to talk to Rachel. Alone. The voice from inside me said. It shocked me, but I stayed still this time. The voice though, sounded very familiar, Although I couldn't put a finger on it. Like something I had only heard long ago.
"Annabeth, the whole tome you were out. You were muttering something about monsters. Was….was there some kind of attack?" Daniel asked as the voice inside my head growled protectively. The light bulb above my head went off.
"Percy!" I yelled excitedly. Thalia looked confused, Daniel angered.
Good job wise girl, I knew you would figure it out. He said.
"Percy? Is that really you?" I asked out loud.
"Annabeth, what, and who, are you talking to?" Thalia asked looking at me.
"Ohh, nobody" I said smiling. Percy. I was talking to Percy!
Annabeth, you need to talk to Rachel. Percy said.
Percy! How are you here? Are you inside my head? I asked to myself.
Kinda, and Hades owed me. He said, a smile in his voice.
"Annabeth? why are you crying?" Daniel asked. I brought my hand up to my eyes. I hadn't even noticed I was crying. But of course I was crying! I was talking to the love of my life. The guy who I still, no matter how hard I tried, no matter what guy I met, including Daniel. Could not, nor ever will, get over. I was talking to him for the first time in ten years. And it was great.
"No reason" I said weakly as Daniel hugged me.
Do you love him? Percy asked.
I don't know yet. I told him.
If you do, don't let me hold you back. I want you to be happy Annabeth. I'll always love you, But it's ok if you let go. Just promise me you'll talk to Rachel first. I don't want you to get hurt. He said seriously.
Percy, I could find the most perfect guy in the world. But I'd still be in love with you. I said. Tears still coming down my face. I looked straight ahead. Not at Daniel, or Thalia, or Blake who had just walked in with baby Violet. But straight ahead, at the painting of a beach hanging on the wall.
Thank you, but my times running out. I have to go love. he said.
"No Percy! Please don't go." I sobbed out loud.
I have to go. But I'll see you soon. He said, his voice fading.
"I love you" I whispered to myself, and him.
Love you more he said laughing as his voice dissipated into nothing. And with a breeze from nowhere, that carried that faintest sent of chlorine, I knew he was gone. Again.
I looked up at everyone. They were all looking at me with scared faces. Daniel looked worried. But Thalia was the first to speak up.
"Annabeth, are you ok?" She asked. A simple question. With so many complicated answers.
"I need to talk to Rachel. Alone."
***********************************************Ok, I actually adore this chapter! Do you? REVIEW! Or I will get the cookie monster to replace all the cookies in your house with fruit. Be scared.
