I'll be here forever

chapter 51

The ambrosia took all day to work, which annoyed the shit out of me, because I had to kill an ill-fated hellhound while virtually standing still. A bit of advice; don't try to fight a hellhound with a very newly healed broken back and no weapon. It wasn't the most fun I've ever had.

It only almost killed me four times, which was actually a lot less than what I'd predicted. I'd ended up being forced to stab it, multiple times, in multiple places, with sticks that I managed to rip off of trees. It's not a very effective killing strategy, but it worked. Eventually.

At this point, I was pretty sure death was doing it's best to snatch me, and I was surviving on pure luck. But I'm sure whatever luck I happened to have would probably run out at the worst possible moment, as it usually does.

I try not to rely on luck, because it fucks you over right when you need it the most.

So I walked on. The landscape around me was virtually unchanged, just miles and miles of trees, thousands of bushes, and the occasional deer.

By the nighttime, I was no longer limping as badly as I was when I'd woken up; but I didn't feel like sleeping, nor thought it was a good idea to sleep alone in the open, so I kept walking. I really hoped I was going in the right direction, because if I wasn't, I was really fucking lost.

I found myself thinking about Daisy. Well, she was always on my mind, so it wasn't hard. I hoped she was okay. My dad had said that he'd protect her, and I hoped that he was telling me the truth.

I knew she could take care of herself, but I still worried about her. I hoped she knew I was alive. Probably not. I didn't know how to let her know, other than make it to Long Island, like I'd told her.

To be fair, though, when I'd said that, we'd both thought I was going to die. I still might.

I kind of zoned out and just kept walking. Nothing bothered me. I made eye contact with something's huge, yellow eye in the bushes, but it blinked closed and retreated, and didn't come back again. I was glad.

That was the only thing I saw as I walked along. The moon slowly made its way across the sky, and then it sunk below the horizon. The sun rose in the east.

My newly partially-healed legs were sore, but it wasn't actually that bad. The pain wasn't piercing anymore, more of a dull, throbbing pain. I missed driving. Not only did it cover much more distance, it was relaxing, and I needed some of that right now.

I was still processing the whole thing that happened to me. I should have died. I know I should have. I feel like I should have. And then the death Cupid guy had told me I should have, too, and he seemed like a pretty credible source. But I didn't. I didn't die. It was a strange prospect.

I was glad I didn't, though.

And I'd never been that close to actually dying before, as I had on that riverbank. Sure, I'd had some close calls, but the feeling of your soul slipping away... it's not pleasant, let me tell you. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

But I probably should have been paying more attention to where I was going, because I almost stepped on the dragon's tail.

I froze, and looked up at the back of the dragon. Was it a dragon? I had no idea. I only saw it from the back. It looked like one, but it was bronze, made of metal, metal that looked suspiciously like Riptide. It hadn't noticed me yet.

I didn't want to take my chances with it, especially since I was still healing, so I started slowly walking backward.

And I accidentally stepped on a stick.

I told you my luck would run out soon, didn't I?