Prisoners

FOURTEEN

"GO, GO, GO!" Percy yelled as we scrambled out of the courtyard, slipping through the door that the original Yancy Prison Boys had used to first enter the prison. One by one we slipped out of the door and waited for the others.

Piper was the last one to leave. She sprinted across the courtyard, the guards hot on her heels.

"COME ON PIPER!" I screamed as she got closer... closer...

She was panting hard, and for the first time, I saw she limped slightly. It was her ankle. I felt a pang of pity when I realized that she wasn't going to make it.

It was like a slow-motion movie: I saw her reach the door, her hand brushing my shirt. She screamed, but I couldn't hear sound as the bullet hit her back. Her body hit the ground and I still couldn't hear the thump it made. I stared at beautiful Piper, lying on her stomach, blood seeping through her crop top, her lips parted slightly as she gasped for breath. I know it was only a split second, but it felt like hours as I looked down on my best friend dying - and knew I couldn't save her.

With a whoosh, I could hear again - hear Percy yelling at me to run, Jason threatening the guards, Thalia screaming; but I could only look down at Piper, listen to the sound most prominent to me - Piper's shallow breathing. I leaned down, pressing my hand to the wound.

"Piper - Piper - PIPER!" I screamed, the sound ripping at my throat. "No - no - please, no!"

I watched her kaleidoscope eyes flutter open for a second. The corners of her mouth tugged upwards for a moment.

Then she winked at me, and closed her eyes for the final time.

Her breathing slowed, and her chest rose once, fell once.

And did not move again.

"PIPER!" I shouted. My ears were ringing. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. She wasn't dead. She wasn't dead. She wasn't -

"PIPER MCLEAN!" I yelled. "NO!"

I couldn't move, not for the life of me, and this time, my life depended on it. But even so, I knew that if I died, at least I would be with my best friend.

My legs felt like lead. I didn't want to run. I didn't know if I could.

But then there was a clicking sound of a bullet sliding into place and I felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed to my temple.

Dionysus leered down at me, his eyes a fiery purple, his mouth parted in an evil smile.

I glared up at him and he nudged my head with the pistol again. I stood up slowly from my crouching position, my hands clenched into fists. I didn't notice the wet blood on them.

"Thought you could run away, huh?"

I didn't answer him and opted for my most venomous look.

He chuckled. "You've got fire, I'll give you that. I can see why you used to be my favorite."

I spat on his Italian leather shoes, and he stopped laughing. His face became even uglier as he purpled with rage. I heard footsteps behind me; my friends had left. I was alone. I didn't know what hurt more: the fact that they left me, or that they left Piper.

I gave him a mocking smile, then in one swift movement, grabbed his arm that held the gand pointed it away from me, stomped on his foot, and punched him in the throat.

Dionysus stumbled back, dropping his gun to clutch at his neck. I picked up his pistol and turned to him, still smiling. "And that's why you don't give your prisoners self-defense classes, sir."