Finally I'm back! Sorry guys! I've had such a major writers block that I'm skipping over a few thing and getting right into the action. This chapter may be a bit short though…PLEASE REVIEW!
Annabeth PoV:
"NO! I WON'T LET YOU! YOU CAN'T GO BACK DOWN THERE!" Percy screamed at me. We were in our room. I had just told everyone that I had to go kill Arachne again, force her to tell me what would happen. I had calmed everyone down, but Percy… "I have to, Seaweed Brain!" I tell him. "You know what happened last time!" Of course I do. I still wake in the night screaming.
"But now we know what NOT to do!" I tell him. "I can't lose you, Wise Girl." I shake my head. "And you won't. Trust me." He nodded. "Okay, okay. Promise?" I walked to him and kissed him. "Promise."
Okay you all know what Annabeth has to do, just read Mark of Athena again. Arachne tells her one will fall…then Arachne dies. Enjoy the rest of the story and try to hate me to much…I had to.
Percy PoV:
I turned to the side as Leo blew open the cavern. "ANNABETH!" I yelled. "PERCY! I'M HERE!" I heard her. We lowered the rope ladder down. Will and Piper stayed on the ship and everyone else climbed down. Annabeth was sobbing and I pulled her into my arms. "Shh, it's okay. I'm here."
Sam stood staring at the statue. "Dang." I heard her mutter. "Percy, I'll take Annabeth up." Jason murmured. Annabeth nodded and up they went. I sighed. "Zhang, take me up!" Leo and Frank were off. Hazel, Nico, Sam, and I stood there. We all watched as ropes secured the statue and it was lifted. Sam was walking around the room in awe at the tapestries. "They're so beautiful…" She murmured as she ran her hand over one. Her bronze sword gleamed in the dark light as if it was a torch. "Which one's your favorite?" I called. She turned around with a smile, but I could hardly see her in the dark room. "That one." She said pointing to one that was the outline of New York with the sun setting behind it. Before I could reply the floor began to shake. Fear shook me to the bones. "Sam, come on! We need to get out of here." She nodded and started to shuffle to us. The whole cavern shook. Fear shook me again. I looked into the pit below. "Sam! Hurry!" I looked up to find her only halfway across. She was on the other side of the room.
"SAM!" I said. I heard the shriek of rocks falling. "Percy!" She screamed. Sam had fallen onto the floor with the last shake. I darted out for her but it was too late. Far too late. What I saw haunts me to this day. I wake up screaming from the image I will never get out of my head. I will regret that I never got there fast enough.
Sam
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Sam falling with pieces of rocks floating around. She looked as if she was floating. Her hair flew up around her face. Her arms were outstretched as if reaching for something…someone. Her legs bent from where she fell. Her pale, pale skin like a ghost. Her sea green eyes filled to the brim with fear. Tears pooling at the edge. Her mouth in an 'O' shape silently screaming. Then she was gone into the darkness.
"SAM! NO!" I lunged for the cavern but Nico held me back. "SAM!" I cried. I screamed her name over and over. I flung myself down onto the rocks. "Get the tapestry." I said in a cold steel voice. Hazel did. Nico pulled me to the ladder. I didn't want to go. He and Hazel pulled me up. I collapsed onto the edge of the deck still screaming for her, my sister. My little sister, who I should have taken care of. I remembered Rachel's words; "…only one will fall…"
I'm thankful Leo was down below. Annabeth stood before me. I still stared at the pit. I looked up at her with tears in my eyes. "Sam?" I shake my head. "No." She says her voice rising. I can only nod. "NO!" She screams. I know she thought of Sam as her little sister. I rise. "I will find her. I will." Piper and Jason appear at the top of the stairs. "Percy?" Hazel and Nico explain. They both suck in a breath. "Guys, we are locked and loaded with the statue. Let's head to Greece. Why all the long faces?" Leo says with his classic smile as he comes up the stairs. I turn to him. "Leo…I need to tell you something important." He continues to smile. "Okay, but can it wait? I need to ask Sam something. By the way where is Sams?"
I swallow. "Leo, I…She fell." I say it quickly because if I say it slower I know I will break. "What? Where is she? Is this a prank? Are you all getting back at me? Where…" As he continues his smile faded. "Leo, I…" I can't say anything. I can't. Leo laughs with doubt. "No. You're lying. She's fine. She's hiding. Sam! Come on, this isn't funny! Sam!" Tears fill his eyes. "WHY DIDN'T YOU DO SOMETHING? SHE'S GONE, ISN'T SHE?" None of us speak. Leo stares us down. "TELL ME! TELL ME THE TRUTH! WERE THE HELL IS MY GIRLFRIEND?!" He chokes on a sob and I almost break. "Yes, Leo. She's gone. I tried. I did. But it happened to fast. I would have jumped down to but they held me down." Leo glares. "Yeah." He turns on his heel and walks away.
Later:
I wake up in a cold sweat. Sam was gone. She was gone. I had seen her fall. The green eyes. The green eyes filled with fear. "Percy?" Annabeth looks up at me. I force a smile. "It's okay. I'm just going to get a drink on water." She nodded and before I can say another word she's asleep. I planted my feet on the floor and the sweatpants brush my ankles. The clock says it's three in the morning. I didn't bother putting on a shirt as I walk to the Mess Hall. I took out a bottle of water.
As I put it back after I drank some. I was about to go back when I heard something coming from the deck. I pulled out Riptide, but don't uncap it. I walked silently up the stairs. The noise got louder. It was a whimper, a sob. I looked around the corner and almost faint at what I see. Leo, the boy who I had never seen cry, was crying. His feet hung over the side of the ship as we moved through the sky. He whimpered and sobbed. His hands fiddled with something in his lap.
I walked up to him, putting Riptide back in my pocket. "Leo?" I say as I sit down beside him. He looked at me. The brown curls stuck to his temples, and his brown eyes were rimmed in red. Tears crawled down his face like little rivers. "I'm sorry about earlier Percy." I sighed and stared at the dark clouds. "You don't have to apologize. You reacted like you should have." He gave a really harsh laugh and it made me want to hug him.
"It's my fault. If I hadn't opened the stupid cookie. That bastard fortune cookie. She said I would have to pay a high price. The price was Sam." Leo said. "Well, you ate the cookie at least. Wait, you did eat the cookie right?" I asked. "Of course I ate the freaking cookie." He said with a laugh. He let out a strange noise and it sounds like a sob and a cough and a whimper.
"Percy…I was…I was going to…" He made the weird noise again. He played with his hands. I finally saw what was in his hands. It was a small golden box. About three inches wide and long. A cube. The lid was curved. "Percy," Leo continues. "I know I should have asked you first…or Poseidon…when you told me that you needed to tell me something I told you wait because I had to ask Sam something. I should have asked you I guess, but…I WAS GOING TO PROPOSE! There I said it. I was going to ask her if she wanted to marry me. I know we're young, but…I love her."
I clap my hand on his back. "She would've said yes." He looks angry. "How do you know that? I've screwed up so many times…How do you know she would have said yes?" I gave him a harsh look. "I just know." He looked back down at his hands. "Is she going to survive? You and Annabeth, you went down there, but, but you two were together, and you all are the best fighters, Sam…" He trails off. "Leo, I swear on the River Styx that if somehow she doesn't make it out alive, I will personally kill any monster that harmed her, or you can but I swear she will be avenged if somehow she doesn't make it out alive." Leo looks up at me with his red rimmed eyes. "Thank you, Percy."
I stand up and help him up. "And have a talk to Calypso. I heard Sam muttering about pushing her off the ship a few days ago." He nods and leaves. I lean against the cool metal bar, looking at the night sky. "Why?"
I know…you all hate me. Sorry! The next chapter should be up soon. Love always – a hunter of artemis here