Chapter Sixteen: Lost

Annabeth POV

Annabeth's Diary

Welp. I'm pretty sure I've been in the soul of my diary for around a week.

Holy Hera.

Why does life have to go and be all complicated? Come ON life.

Well, either way… I'll just be explaining stuff that's going on right now. It is actually quite pleasant inside this diary. We always summon stuff whenever we need it. There is plenty of food, and even if we ran out we could always just write out more.

YUP. That's it.

However, there's no other people inside here other than the four of us, and I know that the possessed demigods are still up and about and are going to attack other innocent people.

I just wish I knew some sort of way to get out of here. But of course there is no way. Just craptastic. I want to kill that freaking Sai Nishiki.

Everyone's beginning to give up on this. Kana's always reassuring us that life in the soul of a diary is pretty fun. Nico just seems really depressed. Percy seems to have lost all interest in it, too.

Sigh.

Of course. Leave the work to poor little Annabeth Chase.

I exhaled heavily as I looked up to read the words I'd just written. The words began to quiver, then fatten until they turned into a three-dimensional tower, just like all the other towers of words.

A groan coming from the area next to me made me jump. I whirled around to see Percy lying flat on the ground like a starfish.

"What the—Percy! What the Hades are you doing!"

"Dying."

"Wha—!" I had a short panic attack. "Noooooooo what the heck don't die on me!"

He lifted his head, chuckling. "Geez, Wise Girl. Don't be so scared. I'm not actually dying."

I ran over to him and gave him a giant hug.

"Don't alarm me like that, you idiot!"

Kana POV

Just great. Annabeth's going lovesick and insane.

Annabeth POV

"Then what's happened to you?" I demanded, releasing him. He flopped straight back onto the ground. I prodded him with my foot. "Hey, get up!"

He looked up, and I could see worry in his face. "Seaweed Brain…" I breathed.

"Annabeth, are we going to be stuck in this place forever?" he asked.

I considered this for a moment. It had probably been at least a few weeks. It was possible that we would be in there forever…

No.

"We're getting out of here," I said, "no matter what it takes." I held out my hand.

He hesitated for a little bit.

"Percy…" I said, bending down to look him in the eyes.

Percy POV

I found myself staring once again into her beautiful gray eyes.

"Staying together, always. Remember?" she said.

I took her hand.

.

.

.

We ran. Along the towers of words. I'd memorized every single one already, after spending days and days reading through them. Annabeth's diary entries.

"I think I know a way," she said as she pulled me along. She brought me to a tower. At the very top, she pointed to a word. Reality.

"Once we grab this, it should bring us back into the real world, or Outside of the diary," she said. "We must climb and grab it together, or else it will not work."

We slowly began to climb up the tower. After about a few minutes, we finally got to the tower. Annabeth reached out to grab it.

"Wait," I said, stopping her. "What about Nico? What about Kana? If we both just go through this portal, they will still be trapped inside."

She looked at me intently, thinking about this. "Well, yeah… that's tru—"

Suddenly, the tower turned completely black. All the words smeared together and turned into a black pool. I looked around in alarm. All of the towers had done the same thing. They fell down, flooding the ground with black pools.

Annabeth collapsed.

We fell straight down into our doom.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" I howled as we plunged into the blackness. The coldness of it stung me. I just froze there. The coldness paralyzed me and my heart and mind.

Then I felt myself come back to life. I looked to my side, and Annabeth was about to sink under the surface of the black pool.

I grabbed her and swam quickly. I could see something in the distance. Something small. I pulled her along and swam to the object. As we got closer, it got larger and came into view. A single word among the pools of black. Percy.

I jumped onto the word and pulled Annabeth on. I lay her down and stared at her worriedly. What had just happened?

Kana and Nico paddled over and climbed up onto the word as well.

"What the Hades happened?" Nico demanded. "We were just standing there and suddenly we were practically drowning in this black liquid."

Kana gave out a small cry. "Annabeth!" she choked out, seeing the unconscious girl lying there. As she ran over to her, Annabeth slowly moved her hand and fluttered open her eyes.

"Oh, Annabeth! Thank goodness you're okay!" Kana said, sighing in relief.

"Who… are you?"

.

.

.

The world seemed to freeze.

"Wha—what do you mean? It's me, Kana."

"I… don't know anyone like that," Annabeth said, looking confused.

She sat up. "Huh. In fact, I don't think I know anyone… at all." She looked at Nico. "I have no idea who you are, and…"

She turned towards me, and shook her head slowly.

I gave out a choked cry of alarm. "Annabeth! It's me!" I cried, going over to her and kneeling down. "You've got to remember me!"

"I—I'm sorry. I don't have any idea who you are."

"Do you remember anything at all?" Kana demanded, rushing over.

Annabeth looked thoughtful for a second. "Yes. A name. Percy. I don't know what it means, though."

Kana cursed. "Of course!"

"What?" I asked.

"Sai probably scribbled black ink all over the diary, therefore destroying all of the towers of words… and also all of Annabeth's memories. Annabeth's memories are stored in this diary! When Sai inked it out, Annabeth lost all her memories. Except one thing…"

They all stared down at the word they were standing on. Percy.

Annabeth POV

"So… do any of you know what 'Percy' is?" I asked them.

The green-eyed boy with black hair came over to me once again. He had his head bowed and he was clenching his teeth. He looked on the verge of tears.

Are you alright? I was about to ask him, but all of a sudden he lifted his head and gave a forced smile.

"I'm Percy," he said, "and you… you are my girlfriend, Annabeth Chase."

Hiya! stalkerinpink here. Sorry for the supershort chapters.

Also, that must've been a painful chapter to read. I apologize. But a guest review requested more angst and agony so here you go!