Chapter 2

Percy

After spending time with Annabeth and doing some homework, which I will be honest I didn't really do much, I walked back to my dorm to finish it and go to bed. The grounds of campus were empty making my walk to the dorms peaceful and quiet. As I walk to my dorm, I just am thinking about Annabeth. I mean I always think about her but right now I am thinking about us and our future together. I know that one day I want to marry her but I think right now it might be too early. But I mean four years together is a long time and because we are demigods, our life expectancy is very short and even being this old is a miracle. Personally, I could marry her right now and think it's the perfect time but I know Annabeth wants to explore more of her major and find a job first. Still, I wanted to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her. As I get to my dorm room, I open the door to my roommate Mark, studying at his desk. He doesn't talk much and we get along but we only really co-exist together. I was going to live with some of my friends but our plans fell through and I got stuck with Mark.

"Hey. I am going to bed so goodnight." He says and walks to his bunk and passes out quickly. Mark is a heavy sleeper and he falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

" Well goodnight then." I say as I head over to my side of the room to get my toothbrush. After I brush my teeth, I take off my shirt and change into my sweats. I briefly look up at the long mirror against our door and that's when I noticed them. My scars. They are all over my body and each one is a painful reminder of what I faced. I look at them and begin to relive all of the pain that I was put through again. I quickly brake out of the trance and finish changing and hop in bed. I got my iPod and pray to have an better night's sleep then I have in the past. Ok let's try to fall asleep tonight please. I put my ear phones in and close my eyes. But of course the nightmares cpme like they always do.

It's dark and I can barely see because of my bleeding, swollen eye. I scream at our captors.

"Please don't hurt her! Take me instead!" I cry out desperately to save Annabeth but the monster all laugh.

" Oh that will be our pleasure Percy Jackson! But our master wants to kill you on his own and while we can't change that, we can take other things into consideration. You there," he says to his fellow monster, "Grab Perseus and lets have some fun with him. Master will be so happy."

I feel hands grab my arms and drag me away from Annabeth as I struggle against them.

"Percy, no!" Annabeth screams and I tell her.

" It's ok Annabeth. I love you."

" Percy, stop please don't do this! Please no!" She cries out again and a monster screams at her.

"Quiet daughter of Athena!" I then hear a hard smack against her flesh and struggle harder towards her. Spouts of water tear through the cave walls and I yell.

"Annabeth! Don't you DARE touch her!"

Instead, my captors laugh and I feel cold chains clinch around my wrists. "Now it's your turn, Percy Jackson!"

I hear a crack of a whip and my body burns with unbearable pain as I scream.

I wake with a start. I am covered in sweat and instantly, I touch my chest where my scars are. Sitting up in my bunk, my body trembles as I try to calm down and put my head in my hands. It all seems so real still after all this time and somehow it feels like it's happening all over again. Since I was a kid, I have always had nightmares but these are the worse I ever have. Even after all this time after the war, it feels like I am still trapped and I can't escape hell. Annabeth knows a little bit about my dreams, but she doesn't know about how bad they really are. I don't want to worry her or act like my issues are bigger then hers because we both experienced hell together, so I just tell her that they are just typical demigod dreams. After all this time and so many years after hell, Annabeth thinks that I am mostly healed and well. She still thinks that I am the same person I was before. But I have changed and I lost the person I was before I fell in that hole with her in Rome. Annabeth doesn't know that I can barely handle loud noises like doors slamming or chains moving. My body freezes whenever someone asks me where my scars come from. There are so many things I can't tell Annabeth because I don't her to see me as damaged.

That Friday, I am in my philosophy class when we begin talking about dramatic experiences and how they effect people's mind and their judgement, specifically PTSD. Before this topic in class, I wasn't paying attention but it wasn't until I looked up and saw the slide on those experiences that the flashbacks hit me.

" Annabeth?" I whisper in pain as she comes into my blurry, swollen vision. I call out for her but all I can hear is high pitch screams belonging to Annabeth. They are distant and I scream for her as my body shakes with pain. I can also hear the monstrous laughs all around me. It' s pitch black and I couldn't see anything.

Finally, I snap out of it and quickly get up and run out the door. I storm into the bathroom and stand by the sink, splashing water in my face. I keep telling myself to calm down but I can't. It was so real. Deciding to not go back to class, I walk out of the building and head earlier to practice before the swim meet tonight. Hopefully being in the water can calm me down and relieve my thoughts of the flashbacks.

Annabeth

After the meet I sat in the stands and wait for him to come out to tell him good job and to tell him that besides forgetting our 4 year anniversary, he also forgot his birthday. A bit later, Percy comes out and I tell him" Hey good job you guys did great!" He smiles lightly and kisses me on the cheek.

"Thanks, so are you ready to go to Sam's party?"

"Sure but I have to remind you that you also forgot your birthday yesterday Seaweed Brain!" I laugh expecting him to blush and get embarrassed but instead he just slightly smiles and says, "Oh well there is always next year. I expect a huge party to make up for this.

I laugh and take his hand with a smile as we both walked to Sam's frat house. Inside, the music is loud and you can hear and feel the bass everywhere. People are dancing and making out in the open or in corners. So it's a typical frat party.

"I'll go get us some drinks before Sam comes and steals me for the night. " Percy yells over the music and he goes over to the bar.

While Percy is gone, Sam comes up and says, " Hey, you made it!"

"Hi Sam. How many drinks have you had already?"

" 5 and still counting! Hey is Percy ok? Someone told me that he left his philosophy class in the middle of class and that he looked upset."

Percy came up to us and handed me a drink. He then clapped Sam on the back and said, " Great party man."

Sam responded," Thanks, oh excuse me that girl over there is starting at me and I should probably say hi to. He then runs off and I turn to Percy angrily.

" Sam just told me that you left your philosophy class and that you were upset? Is this true?"

Percy responds, " Sam has been drinking so he probably was making that up."

" Percy, don't lie to me. I know when you are because you are an awful liar. What happened?"

" I don't want to talk about it ok?"

" Percy, why?"

" Just drop it Annabeth, I am fine." Suddenly a trance comes over him and he looks like he is somewhere else.

"Percy?"

When he comes out of it, his eyes are pained and scared. He looks at me and then puts down his drink and then begins walking out of Sam's house. I follow him but he is already a couple of feet away.

" Percy, stop what happened back there?"

" I told you to just drop it okay Annabeth! I am fine!"

" Fine!" I sprint up to catch him. I grab him by his arm and spin his body around to face me. " Percy, that was not fine! Please tell me what's wrong I can help you Percy! You can tell me anything."

He looks away from my eyes and takes a deep breath.

" I have been having flashbacks about Tartuatus." He looks at me with eyes that I thought I never would have to see again. They are deeply pained and scared with a hint of desperation that breaks my heart.

" Oh Percy, why didn't you tell me?" Suddenly he seems angry at me or himself and starts walking out of Sam's house.

" I am fine Annabeth ok? Just stop asking me about it! " He then turns around and head towards his dorm room.

" Percy!" I called after him.

But he wasn't listening and just kept walking.