Hello, everybody! Yes, I am still alive. Or I'm pretty sure I am... Let's not think about that, hahaha... Anyway, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get back to this story. I haven't had a lot of free time, but I'm back now, so that's what counts, I hope.
Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Chapter 5:
The chirping of birds wakes me up, but when I open my eyes, I don't see the top of the pup tent. Clear skies, blue with few clouds, roll until they sink below the perimeter of grassy green hills in every direction. I get to my feet and quickly turn in a circle, chest clenching in panic and confusion.
'Calm down. You're destroying a lovely day.' A voice hums sleepily. But it doesn't do this out loud. Instead it seems to originate from inside my head. I look up at the sky and do a simple hand gesture that still manages to convey my annoyance. 'Now, that's a little rude, don't you think? But if you're going to do things like that...' The voice pauses and I hear something that reminds me of mud squelching under a pair of boots after a rainy day. Slowly, I turn in a circle, looking for the source of the noise and finding it in a pile of mud that's... Hang on, is it growing taller? 'At least do it to my face.' By the time the pile of mud halts in its strange growing, it has taken the rough shape of a woman kneeling with her head bowed.
"Cool trick!" I yell, turning once again, like someone who's had a prank played on them and is looking for the culprit to either laugh with them or smack them around a little.
'If you could mind the volume.' The voice doesn't reverberate as much as it did previously, which makes me realize it's not in my head. I turn back to the mud statue of the woman, but it takes a moment for me to realize the head has lifted, but the eyes remain closed.
"Who are you?"
'Ah.' The voice chuckles, making my head buzz dizzily. 'You claim to know some Greek mythology, but when put to the test, your knowledge fails you.' At this, the woman/sculpture's eyes open halfway, revealing swirling green vortexes/ The green reminds me of a summer's day and I can almost smell fresh grass. 'I am the All-Mother. I am your mother, and I am your friend's mother. I am the mother of all. That is why my name is so fitting, I suppose.'
"That... Answers nothing." The woman's eyes shut again, causing the scent of grass to fade from my mind.
'I do not bow to you, nor answer your questions. I come only to warn you. The one you face is the master of dreams. He will do all in his power to influence you. For this, I give you something to help.' A cracking sound originates from between my feet and I look down to see a single rose without thorns blooming in fast motion between them. 'Take this. When he uses his powers and you fear you will sleep, toss my gift upon the ground. I will protect you.'
"Why do you care about me so much?" I wait for a response, but realize I'm not gong to get one as the woman/sculpture begins to melt until it once again resembles a pile of mud. I go to take a step closer and investigate, but the sky turns gray suddenly and the wind picks up as a pale man in a hooded cloak appears at the other end of the field and walks toward me. The gray of the sky deepens as I get closer, and I screw my eyes shut, waiting for him to reach me.
"Sarah, wake up!" When my eyes snap open again, I'm staring at the top of the pup tent, blurred because Holly is roughly shaking my shoulder. I sit up with a gasp and push her hand off, wiping the sweaty hair clinging to my forehead off. "Are you okay? You were twitching and muttering in your sleep." Something rustles on top of my beanbag, so instead of answering Holly's question, I look down to see a rose lying on top of it. Because I'm a good friend that gets easily distracted like that.
Anyway, enough about my cruddy friend qualities. I lift the rose off the sleeping bag and hold it up to inspect it in the bright sunlight filtering in through the unzipped entry to the pup tent.
"What's that?" Holly questions, examining the rose with a muffled air of curiosity.
"I had... Weird dreams." I answer slowly. "I dreamed I talked with a lady made of dirt. She told me that the guy we're fighting is pretty hardcore so she gave us an If-Everything-Goes-To-Tartarus plan." Holly nods wisely before climbing out of the tent and beginning to pack our stuff up.
"Yes, because it's wise to depend on a rose given to us by a lady made of mud. Let's go." She crawls out of the tent and waits for me to follow before collapsing the tent, stuffing it in a bag and walking off. I linger a little longer and face the site where I had the dream.
"Thank you, All-Mother." I mutter and, feeling ridiculous, bow low before straightening and hurrying after Holly, who acts as if I didn't just bow to a patch of dirt.
Alright, another chapter! Unfortunately, there aren't any reviews to respond to, so I guess I'll just do the outro.
Don't forget to do the three R's: Read this chapter, review, and repeat with the next chapter!
Signing off, as always,
EOM