An Update! Yay! Are you all happy? I hope so! Now all of you better review or I MAY discontinue the story. (Gasps) So all of you review! I am starting to think you all hate my story.

Chapter 11: The nightmare begins

Theresa's Dream:

(recap)

Theresa was falling, falling, falling. There was nothing she could do but scream. Scream to anyone, to everyone, who could save her from whatever lay below. No matter what way she was going to die, she could feel it. Once she hit the hard stone floor, every signal bone in her body would break. And if she did survive the fall, and didn't break any bones, she would die of hunger and thirst before anyone could possibly even find her. So all Theresa did was scream. She knew she would die. Every nerve in her body was telling her that. But just as she begun to feel her eyelids close, Theresa heard a voice.

Theresa,

……………

Theresa wake up,

…………

THERESA!!!!!!!!

Theresa awoke, still screaming. As her pale eyelids quickly flung open and she grabbed her chest as if she was almost not expecting her self to breathe. She let out large gasps of air as her lungs allowed her to get the proper amount of air.

"Oh my goodness you're awake!" Someone gasped from in front of her.

Theresa looked forward and saw a blurry feminine shape, that she soon recognized to be Persephone's body.

"M-miss Persephone?" Theresa croaked out, her voice feeling scratchy from all the screaming.

Persephone stopped the girl quickly from speaking anymore, by shoving a glass of water down her throat being so parched and dry.

"Theresa you scared us all to death with your screaming. Dear child what is wrong with you?" Persephone scolded her as Theresa drank. "You scared the others so much I don't think any of them could go back to sleep with all your thrashing around and screaming. What happened to you?

"Bad dream." Theresa murmured sitting up and placing the cup on the side table.

She scowled yet again. "Must have been more then just a bad dream Theresa. You were screaming so loud, Jay, Hera and I heard you all the way from the school."

The last word surprised her.

"What was Jay doing at the school?" She asked.

Persephone waved her question off like she would wave off a fly.

"Well I better go and bring your friends in." She stated, "I have not been able to convince your friends that you would be alright. So they ended up staying here for the rest of the night."

Guilt immediately consumed her.

"I am so sorry. I never met to keep them from sleep!" Theresa moaned.

She smiled comfortably, "Don't worry; they kept their selves from sleeping. You hardly played a part in it."

Without waiting for Theresa to answer, she was out the door. Moments later she came back in with her six comrades tailing close behind her.

Theresa gave a weak smile as they all glided with eagle like speed towards her.

"I am fine guys!" She yelled over their barrage of questions. But they just weren't going to let her rest just like that, they wanted answers. "Theresa WHAT WAS YOUR DREAM ABOUT?" Atlanta asked desperately. "You had us all scared to death with your screaming."

But Jay took a more calmer approach. "You had a nightmare right?" He asked holding her hand. Theresa nodded her head. "Do you think it was a vision?" He asked even more softly. Theresa paused for a moment and nodded her head slowly. Jay sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. Theresa whimpered and Jay could just barley hear her manage to stifle out a yes.

"Do you want the others here too?" Jay asked rubbing her hand.

Theresa bit her lip. "I want Miss Persephone and Hera to be there." And she paused, "And you should probably be there to, although….." Theresa could not finish her sentence. "My dream was about Cronus." She whimpered.

Jay's brown eyes turned black and stiff. His eyebrows burrowed into his skin at the mention of Cronus's name.

Theresa growled inwardly. That is why I did not want you here in the first place! She almost yelled at him. You are getting all obsessive again!

But before she could say another word Hera came in with Miss Persephone fallowing close behind her.

As soon as Hera was in the room, she motioned for the other five children to exit the study. They reluctantly agreed and slowly moved towards the door. Once they had exited the room, Hera motioned for Jay to sit down on the chair next to Theresa's bed. The boy did. Hera and Persephone also summoned up two chairs and also sat next to Theresa's bed.

"Alright Theresa," Persephone said in her gentle voice. "Are you going to tell us what's been wrong with you lately?"

Theresa nodded. "As you all know, I have been having……dreams lately……..most of them occur more then once. They are usually about the same thing, pain, and death." She paused and looked up at her teachers and friends, wondering what their reactions may be.

But Hera just looked at her. "You say that the dreams you have are about death. The question is….who's death was it?"

Theresa bit her lip. "Most of them end up with Cronus killing…..well….he is killing……." Theresa finally broke down. She started sobbing softly. Persephone walked over and rubbed the girls back.

"Are they in this room?" She asked trying to get the words out of the trouble teenager. Theresa nodded. "Who?" Persephone insisted. Theresa did not speak; she just looked up into her leader's eyes.

Jay's eyes grew wide. "Me?" He asked his tone slow and worried. Theresa just stared at him.

"Yes, there have been many dreams where, you, and our friends, have………….died." She whispered the last part.

The study remained silent. "What about your latest dream?" Hera asked gently. "What happened in your dream that made you scream so loud?"

She bit her lip until it started to bleed. She could not say she knew where Cronus's hideout was. If she did, Jay would just go marching in there without even thinking! He would kill himself and Theresa's horrible visions would come true.

But the poor teenager could not keep it in her for much longer. "I saw…..Cronus's hideout." She whispered.

Jay gaped at her and rushed forward. "Where?" He said a little forcefully. "DO you know where it is Theresa?" He urged once more when she did not respond.

"I-I-I-I do not remember." She whimpered scared at the harshness in his voice and the anger in his eyes.

"How could you forget!?" He screamed. "Don't you know how important this information is? Don't you know that if you know where he is hiding, we can defeat him! Don't you see that?!" He was now shaking her shoulders, uncontrollably.

Theresa eyes widened as she saw what Jay was doing. Persephone immediately rushed forward to pry Jay from Theresa. Theresa just continued to cry as Jay continued to scream at her. Theresa's worst fear was confirmed, Jay was acting like Cronus.

Theresa felt like her heart was breaking.

Jay finally got a control over himself when he noticed Theresa's tears. He immediately pulled back as though he had been shocked with a bolt of lightning. He looked at Theresa's tired, teary face staring at him. He could hardly bare to look in the girls eyes. Her eyes were usually so soft and cheery. But now, Jay could see the pain in her eyes, the hurt, and the anger.

Jay stared at his hands as if they were cobras. "What have I done?" Jay whimpered as he forced his body to stand up. "I'm-I'm-, oh dammit Theresa! I am so sorry!" He forced out as he could not bear to look at her anymore, he ran from the room, leaving the sobbing Theresa behind him.

With Atlanta, Archie, Neil, Odie, and Herry:

Atlanta sat on the steps just outside of Chiron's study. A worried frown was placed on her pale face. Beside her, was Herry, sleeping from the exhaustion of last night's events. Odie was also sleeping, but his little snores were nothing compared to the loud booming ones of Herry. Archie was on the other side of Atlanta oblivious to everyone around him. And next to Archie was Neil. But he unlike everyone else, was actually doing something. He was scratching at a large bump that was on his neck.

He yelped in frustration when the itching did not stop. Atlanta growled at the amount of noise he was making. "What are you doing Neil?" Atlanta screamed, awakening both Herry and Odie. "Scratching it is not going to help it, it will only make it worse! So quit making so much noise before I have to whip your ass from here to Kansas!"

Neil just looked up at her. "Well sitting here and doing nothing is not going to help either!" He shot back sticking out his tongue. Odie rolled his eyes, "Oh stop complaining! I got one to!"

Herry nodded. "Me to, it is bug season after all. So you gotta expect some mosquito bites sometime in your life!"

Archie looked up at this. "That's weird." He said placing his hand on the back of his neck. "Me and Atlanta got one to?"

Atlanta looked at him and touched her own bite. "That's freaky weird."

This time Odie spoke. "Didn't you hear what Herry said? It is mosquito season. It is not weird that we all have one.

Atlanta rolled her eyes. "On the same place Odie? You got to admit. That is really weird."

Odie shrugged his shoulders. "All I am saying is that it is nothing to worry about. We have bigger problems to worry about!"

At that moment Jay burst from the room, so fast he was just a blur. The team stood up and went to follow him, but when they heard Theresa's sobs coming from inside the study, they decided who was more important.

When they ran inside the room, they saw Persephone trying to comfort their sobbing friend, who was crying into the lady's shoulder. She was trying to soothe Theresa as she continued to mumble.

"I knew it. I knew I should never have told him." She whimpered so silently.

Persephone just held the girl closer. "No, you did the right thing. We needed to know."

"But Jay must hate me. He will be so angry. How will I ever face him again?" She whispered looking up into the face of her mentor.

Persephone just rubbed the girls long red hair. "Do not worry my child." She whispered into her hair. "Do not worry about Jay now. Don't even think about him."

"B-but, Miss Persephone, what if Jay does something rash, what if he tries to go after Cronus alone?"

Hera now spoke, before Persephone could. "Do not worry about Jay." She said gently, yet still forcefully. "Jay would never do that."

Atlanta now decided to move forward and sit on the older girl's bed. "Theresa. Listen to me. I do not know what the bastard did ok. But I do not want you to think about him any more. We will all go after him, to make sure he doesn't do anything rash ok?" she placed her hand on her friends and looked at her.

Theresa nodded her head. "Ok." She whispered.

Atlanta smiled. Then she stood up and faces Hera. "Miss Hera?" She said walking towards her. "Is this alright with you?"

Hera nodded her head solemnly. "Just be careful." She warns them before they all run out of the study.

With Jay:

Oh god what have I done? He thought as he ran down the street, bumping into people and turning down many streets, not even bothering to check which one. All he knew is that he had to run. He had to keep going, if he paused for even a moment, he knew his friends would be upon him. Or at least Atlanta would.

He continued to run, faster and faster, not really caring where he was going. Running, it is always easier to run then to go and face your problems. That is what a coward would say. And he was a coward. Suddenly as he passed a car he heard a song blasting at the top volume. It was a song he knew all to well, and a song that definitely fit the moment. He listened to the words the band was singing and almost cried out. The radio was playing 'Easier to run' by Linkin Park. As the intro began to play he started to run faster.

It's easier to run
Replacing this pain with something numb
It's so much easier to go
Than face all this pain here all alone

Jay tried to block out the sounds of the heart breaking music, but even as the car drove away, Jay could still hear the lyrics ringing in his brain.

Something has been taken from deep inside of me
The secret I've kept locked away no one can ever see
Wounds so deep they never show they never go away
Like moving pictures in my head for years and years they've played

If I could change I would take back the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would

If I could stand up and take the blame I would

If I could take all the shame to the grave I would
If I could change I would take back the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would
If I could stand up and take the blame I would
I would take all my shame to the grave

It's easier to run
Replacing this pain with something numb
It's so much easier to go
Than face all this pain here all alone

Sometimes I remember the darkness of my past
Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have
Sometimes I think of letting go and never looking back
And never moving forward so there'd never be a past

If I could change I would take back the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would
If I could stand up and take the blame I would
If I could take all the shame to the grave I would
If I could change I would take back the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would
If I could stand up and take the blame I would
I would take all my shame to the grave

Just washing it aside
All of the helplessness inside
Pretending I don't feel misplaced
It's so much simpler than change

It's easier to run
Replacing this pain with something numb
It's so much easier to go
Than face all this pain here all alone

It's easier to run
If I could change I would take back the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made
It's easier to go
If I could change I would take back the pain I would
Retrace every wrong move that I made I would

If I could stand up and take the blame I would

I would take all my shame to the grave

By now Jay had stopped moving and had sunk to the ground. Tears rolling down his cheeks as the words dung into his skin and entered his heart. He could not stop all this pain he felt, all the heartbreaking shame he felt. And soon, he felt as if he should take his shame to the grave. If he should end his life, right here, right now.

He stood up and looked around him, taking in where he was. What luck, he was at the pier. Now he could make the watery depths of the lake his watery grave. He walked towards the railing; the thin metal wiring was the only thing that was between him and his pathway to death. Right then he thought about slicing through the water with his sword and diving into the polluted lake, where he would lay at the bottom of the ocean, or be washed up on shore the next morning.

His hand was now resting on the hilt of his sword. Was he really going to do this? Kill himself without saying goodbye to the people he cared for? What would his parents think? What would his friends think? The gods? What about Theresa?

Would she be glad he was gone? Glad that he was no longer around to torment her with his silence? Or would she be weeping for his death?

Finally after battling within himself for a little longer then necessary, he finally stood a little closer to the edge. He was going to do this; he was going to kill himself. But he pulled back slightly.

He could not do this. It wasn't too late. He still had time to make it up to Theresa, and the rest of his friends. And if they still did not forgive him, well he would defeat Cronus first and then he would kill himself. He decided he would give life another chance.

Jay was burst away from his thoughts when he heard voices coming closer. Screaming at him. Yelling at him to stop.

Jay was forcefully pulled away from the edge of the dock by five pairs of hands. He was then pushed to the ground where he was held down. Jay squeezed his eyes shut from the pain. And when he finally did open his eyes, he was string into five pairs of teary, angry, yet relived eyes.

"What in gods name did you think you were doing?!" Bellowed Archie, his face a mixture between anger and disbelief.

"Why the fuck were you trying to kill yourself for?!" Herry screamed looking like he was about to slap him.

"Let go guys!" He yelled trying to pry their hands off of his arms.

"No way!" Atlanta yelled, "We are NOT allowing you to go kill yourself!"

"But I am not!" He yelled back. He sat up when they realized him slightly. "I wasn't going to kill myself, I was thinking about it, but I was not going to actually DO it!"

Neil frowned at him. "Then what were you doing smarty pants?" He said sarcastically.

Jay's eyes turned cold. "I told you I was contemplating it. I never was actually going to do it."

Only now did his friends allow him to stand up. And Jay dusted the dirt off of his back.

"What are you guys doing here?" He asked.

Odie sent him a cold look. "After you left Theresa sobbing in the study, we came after you. Theresa said she was afraid you were going to go after Cronus yourself. But this was just as bad!"

"Theresa said that?" He stuttered. After all this time, every thing he did, she STILL cared whether he lived or died?!

Herry's PMR went off silently in his pocket. "That is probably Theresa." He said turning around and answering the phone. For a few seconds, Herry was silent, his face lost all it color and his mouth was hanging slightly open. Finally he turned around, wide eyed and pale and handed the PMR to Jay without a word.

When Jay looked on the screen, Jay realized why Herry looked so pale.

"Jay my boy!" Cronus's voice rang through the air. "How are you this lovely morning?"

Jay gritted his teeth and snarled. "Cut the crap Cronus, what have you done?"

Cronus looked like he was hurt. "Oh come now Jay is there any reason why two enemies can not talk to each other just because they can?"

"No," Jay barley managed to get out.

Cronus sighed. "Well if you must know, I have a challenge for you all."

Archie snorted. "A challenge? Why?"

Cronus shrugged. "I just want to see how good you have all been getting. Now here are the rules to my little game."

"What if we don't want to play your little game?" Atlanta shot back.

Cronus smiled. "That is where the fun begins. For you see, if you do not, you just get to see your little city explode!"

The group gasped and looked at each other. Odie was the only one who spoke. "How? You would need a powerful bomb in order to make the entire city explode."

Cronus smirked. "That is why I have place four bombs, one at the most northern, southern, eastern, and western point of the city. You have less then an hour to shut off all for bombs before the city explodes. Good luck!"

Before any of them could say a word, Cronus disabled the connection.

Jay clinched his fists. "Dammit." He whispered.

Atlanta held out both over her hands. "Grab on guys!" She yelled. They all looked at her oddly. "We gotta get back to the school quickly now grab on!"

All of the six teenagers grabbed onto one another except Archie. He groaned and reluctantly grabbed Odie's hand.

"Whatever you do," She yelled. "Don't let go!"

And without another word, she ran as fast as she possibly could towards the school.

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