Percy Jackson Fanfics

Seaweed Crowns

Title: Seaweed Crowns
Author: SHERlockedNloaded
Site: Archive of Our Own
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24100003

TW- Nightmare

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Percy slipped underneath the water, trying his best to clear his mind and rid it of the nasty aftertaste of nightmares. He tried to relax as the sounds above ground were muted, hoping that his thoughts would go with them. But if anything, the silence heightened the chaos.

But he didn’t want to go up. He hated being like this in front of Annabeth. He wanted to be calm and secure in front of her, especially in the morning. If he seemed off at all, she would get ten times more worried and she didn’t deserve that. So he stayed there, slowly sinking to the bottom of the lake, shivering and trying not to let dark thoughts take over.

The nightmare had been worse than usual. Normally they were just about the camp going up in flames, his friends pleading for his help, the normal stuff. This one… this one took that to a whole new level. This time it was him burning the camp, him standing in the blood of his friends, holding Annabeth’s throat in his hands and squeezing. Watching her writhe, watching tears slip down her cheeks as her face slowly turns purple. Her struggles becoming weaker, her eyes flickering shut. But all he can hear is Kronos and Gaea laughing in his ears, and to his horror, he realizes that his own laughs are in the mix as well.

Then the ground cracks and suddenly he’s falling. Darkness, heat, air whistling in his ears.
Kronos’s laughter getting louder and louder. Gaea beckoning with Tartarus beside her, smirking victoriously. Well done, little pawn. Well done.

When he’d woken up, he realized that he was in his cabin that night, and that Annabeth wasn’t there with him. He’d practically sprinted to Annabeth’s cabin, quietly peeking his head in to see if she was alright. She was sleeping steadily, her breaths deep and slow. Probably fairing much better than Percy because she had all of her siblings with her instead of being all alone. He decided not to bother her, not wanting to rid her of the sleep she so desperately needed.

So he’d headed to the one place he felt safe. The ocean. His father’s domain, his second home.

But even now he felt like he was suffocating, all his thoughts whirling in his head, past memories of drowning in earth, drowning in Tartarus, drowning with the Muses sucking all of the life out of him- much like the nightmares he was having now.

He felt completely and utterly alone. Stuck with his nightmares, scared of himself, scared of worrying everybody else. Scared of hurting everybody else.

He squeezed his eyes shut and curled in on himself, trying to focus on breathing and reminding himself that he could breathe. He hated being scared. All the bullies, his ex step-father, his enemies- they noticed when he was scared, and they’d always exploited it.

But, he reminded himself, he was alone now. He’d defeated his bullies, the monsters, Smelly Gabe. He was a big boy. He needed to grow up and handle his problems like a real demigod.
Maybe in a minute. He couldn’t bring himself to move. Down here was safe. Down here meant no monsters.

Or if there were, he was in his element. He could defeat them with no problem.

Percy heard (or felt, rather. Hearing was different underwater) something approach.

Well, speak of the devil. Or at least something from hell. With a snort at his own joke, Percy pulled his pen out of his pocket and slowly uncurled from his position, searching for his new victim. That made him wince as he was reminded of his dream. New choice of words. Um… prey? No, even worse. Just enemy. There.