I'm back again! This chapter is set in TBOTL. Please review, your critique means THE WORLD to me :) No seriously, it makes my day. So R&R!
Disclaimer: Rick Riordan still owns PJO. But it's all a matter of time...
July 27, 2006. Washington State. In Mount Saint Helens.
The classroom door burst open and the young telkhines exploded out, hesitating slightly at the sight of us. My heart nearly stopped in my chest. Surely this wasn't it? After all we'd been through, we were going to suffer death by immature monsters. It seemed a little...
Stupid. But Percy somehow was managing to keep his cool, and I convinced myself I could do the same.
"Put your cap on," he said in an almost level voice. "Get out!"
He expected me to flee the scene and leave him to face his death? The thought of abandoning Percy was so unbearable my response came out as a shriek.
"No!" I cried. "I'm not leaving you!"
Percy's eyes were darting around and I could tell his mind was racing. "I've got a plan," he tried to convince me. "I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider-maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."
No. No. No. This could not be happening! I was actually starting to consider this plan. Considering meant agreeing, and agreeing meant certain death for him. There was no way out of this.
"But you'll be killed!" I could barely hear myself scream. This was Thalia all over again. I was going to watch my friend be killed in front of my very own eyes, sacrificing themselves for my undeserving life.
"I'll be fine," Percy said, but his face was paling. "Besides, we've got no choice." I was glaring daggers at him now, not believing he was doing this to me. For me! He was too amazing, too wonderful, too brave to die like this. It was then when I realized what this boy meant to me. If I lost him, I'd lose myself.
"Be careful Seaweed Brain," I said, trying to control my shaking voice. And as I took his callused hand in mine, I leaned closer...closer...closer-
The moment my lips had hit his, it felt like fireworks were erupting in my stomach. I could have sworn I could see great sparks of light igniting at our touch, encircling us in a golden glow. Who knew what was and wasn't in my head anymore? And as I looked at his great green eyes and his smooth tan skin, I remembered.
It seemed like ages ago, but real all the same. Percy and I laughing at the Lotus Casino. Splashing in the water. Opening up to each other for the first time. My lips brushing his cheek and starting a wildfire inside. Beginning to realize my developing feelings for him. How could I have forgotten?
Perhaps a year had passed before I stepped back and dissolved into nothingness, fleeing from his death as if I could avoid its happening. Through the crowd of telkhines. Up the rocky stair. Out! Out of that cursed place, the site of my best friend's death.
No, this was Percy. He couldn't die. He wouldn't die. If Poseidon wouldn't protect them, then surely Aphrodite would. Isn't that what the arrows were about in the first place? The missing jigsaw piece that had fallen out of sight now fit snugly into position.
Of course. The goddess of love had sent a push arrow that day in the casino. But apparently what happens in Vegas truly stays in Vegas, because all my memories from the hotel had become a blur of static. Somehow, though, I had finally remembered.
With a sob, I realized it didn't even matter anymore. He was gone. Not even Percy Jackson could survive an attack like that. I ran harder and faster down the slope, away from the agonizing truth that slowly clawed at my heart.
Surely if I ran away far enough, I could escape the reality altogether? Well, I could definitely try.
A low rumbling noise growled menacingly from behind me and I pushed harder. Away from the pain. Away from the truth. Gods, Annabeth, it's coming closer! The ground was starting to shake now, but in my state of numbness, I barely noticed. Faster, Annabeth. Faster. I tripped once or twice, but I didn't feel stinging sensation of hot blood trickling down my legs. Physical pain was irrelevant now. Emotional pain, oh Hades- that's what I was left to contend with.
I would grapple with it deep into the night, constricted under the smothering layers of nightmares. I don't remember a time during those horrible days of waiting when I didn't wake up screaming. I'd leave before dawn to avoid contact with those foolish enough to try and console me. I didn't want their pity. Pity meant accepting the facts, and I was in no way prepared to do such a thing.
I didn't bother to tie my hair back, but let it hang in tangled, knotted locks over my face. Then I would sit down on that rock by Thalia's pine and wait.
For what exactly? I wasn't sure. I was praying for a miracle- a miracle that somehow he had escaped the smoke and ash and burning and monsters and was slowly making his way back to me.
Some child of Athena I am, huh? My siblings had grown concerned for my health, but none had the nerve to approach. So, I remained on my rock with my hair blown across my tear-scarred face and waited for the Fates to be defied and the impossible miracle to occur.
About halfway through this mourning period, I had one memorable visit paid to me by none other than the goddess of love.
When she appeared beside Thalia's tree, my first thought was that she wasn't wearing eye makeup.
Perhaps this was the end of the world as I knew it.
I considered an attempt to compose myself, to draw my hair behind my ears and politely acknowledge her uninvited (and certainly unwelcomed) presence, but my body remained motionless.
Aphrodite sniffed rather melodramatically, trying to provoke a response. My body did not stir. I found my eyes would not even flicker up to momentarily meet hers.
"Annabeth, may I have a word?"
Finally, I found my resolve to speak. "What?" I croaked, my voice lacking recent use.
"Annabeth. He's alive," she whispered.
I gazed up at her, my heart soaring so high I was surprised it didn't float right out of my body. "How- how can you be sure-,"
She waved a hand aside. "I am a goddess, dear child, I know whatever I want. And your love life if certainly a top priority of mine."
I didn't even bother arguing to her about my supposed feelings for Percy. For all I knew, in all the emotional confusion I was going through lately, it might very well be true.
"I knew he wasn't gone," I murmured, "I would have felt it." I was quite aware that I couldn't immediately believe her; the goddess had deceived countless others before. However, just the thought of Percy surviving made the chasm in my chest slowly stitch back together.
Aphrodite had started to tear up. "Oh...you could feel he was alive...how romantic...and you kissed him before imminent death...this is the greatest love story of the twenty first century!" She was dabbing her eyes and seemed relieved to see no mascara had smeared onto her kerchief. "Ah, I remember- that's why I didn't apply eye makeup today!"
I rolled my eyes under my rat nest of hair. I could slowly feel my sprits rising, bubbling higher and higher as the idea sank in. Having no way of believing her and the fact that my friend was not currently present left a lot of room for doubt. One could still hope though.
I turned to Aphrodite. "So...you sent the push arrow," I said, almost accusatory.
"I knew you'd remember!" she squealed.
"Why did I have to realize it on my own? Why couldn't you have just sent another?"
"Don't you ever listen? I told you before, one of each kind of arrow can only be sent once! I would have had to use a crush or infatuation arrow on you the next time!"
"Oh...okay," I muttered, feeling stupid.
"Annabeth...staying on the topic of arrows...there is something you might want to know." The fact that Aphrodite was biting her perfectly pedicured nails blared alarm bells in my head. This must be serious. "You know...the arrows aren't exactly mine."
"Oh gods," I muttered, knowing this couldn't be going anywhere good.
"They belong to Eros, but he lends them to me from time to time. But Eros is really the one who gets to decide when to shoot."
"Eros is getting impatient with the progress of your relationship with Percy. Even though you've realized your feelings for Percy, the boy still does not remember the push arrow he received-,"
"Percy got it, too?" I blurted, after receiving the aggravated expression on Aphrodite's face, I immediately bit my tongue.
"Yes, of course Percy got it as well! But if he continues to not realize his affections for you, Eros has threatened to shoot him with an infatuation arrow!" she wailed, her hands flailing in the air.
I flew up to my feet. "What did you say?" I cried. If Percy got shot by that arrow, then I'd never know if his feelings were real. I'd have to put up with a foolish, love-stuck boy for the rest of time! I think it was safe to say that these meddling gods were really starting to get on my nerves.
Aphrodite groaned. "It's horrible! Natural love is so rare these days, and you two had so much promise!" She suddenly gripped my hand tightly, and I saw urgency in her bright blue eyes. "Eros's deadline is for you two to admit your feelings for each other by Percy's sixteenth birthday."
I did the math. I had little over a year to win the heart of that seaweed brain, assuming that he was even still alive.
"Well," I said, doing my best to remain calm. "It looks like I've got a lot of work to do."
Whew! Big chapter. This one was more difficult to write, angst doesn't come easily for me. Please review and tell me what you thought!