•as the world caves in•

•we have a dam problem•

We found an old tow truck, so we took it, Thalia driving as I took in everything. Bianca was dead, and I'd come across what was probably my hundredth brush with death and no matter how much ambrosia Grover handed me I couldn't get rid of the pain in my chest and the image of that sword coming down at me.

Percy was next to me, staring with his stupid face of concern that melted me every time and made me want to spill everything to him, to just sit and sob in his arms. But I couldn't. So I refused to look at him.

"Give me more ambrosia." I muttered to Grover.

He happily rummaged through his pack until Percy shook his head. "You've had enough, clearly your wound is either too much for it, or it's not a physical wound at all."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Fine, act like you know what's best for me."

"I definitely know eating ten blocks of ambrosia within an hour and a half is not good for you."

I crossed my arms and tried to look annoyed, but I knew he still had his face etched with concern and I couldn't help but look over.

"Cor, do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what, I don't know what you're meaning by it."

"Don't make me say it."

"I'm not making you, you'll say it on your own will, not mine."

"Coriane..."

"Fine!" I burst, lightly smacking his leg with my hand. "I almost died, again, what's new? Bianca is dead and I almost died. I spoke about it and now we're done with it."

"Cor, that's the closest I think I've ever seen you to dying, please just..."

"Just what? Try to not die? Yeah, I've been trying that my entire life, this stupid life I never asked for! I don't want to be some stupid half blood who has to run around fearing for my life." I was looking at him and knew I was on the verge of tears. "I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to do the gods job for them, I want to be normal."

He nodded. "I know, trust me, I know. You can't keep these emotions bottled up, you have to talk. You can always talk to me."

"Okay," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. "Don't make me blow up in a car, like, ever."

•.•.•.•

After running out of gas, Percy checking on me fifty times as we walked across a river, we found a boat rental that was closed, but we still took two canoes.

Naiads helped flow us up stream quickly until we were faced with a dam the size of a football field.

"Hoover Dam," I smiled. "It's just like Annabeth said, seven hundred feet tall."

"Built in the 1930s." Percy nodded, smiling down with me.

"Five million cubic acres of water," Thalia mumbled.

Grover sighed. "Largest construction project in the United States."

Zoë looked at us like we were crazy. "How do you know that?"

"Annabeth," Percy said. "Loved architecture."

"She was nuts about monuments," Thalia mumbled.

"Spouted facts all the time," Grover sniffed. "So annoying."

"I wish she was here. She'd be going crazy over this."

It was cruel of the fates to send us here with no Annabeth. Cruel of the fates to even force us here in the first place.

•.•.•.•

It was two days before the winter solstice and we still had so much farther to go on our quest. We found a road up to the top of the dam and looked at some statues dedicated to Zeus.

Zoë looked around. "Let us find the dam snack bar."

Grover giggled. "I could use some dam French fries."

"And I need to use the dam restroom." Thalia smiled.

Zoë glared at us as we laughed. "I don't understand."

"I want to buy a dam T-shirt," I laughed, and Percy doubled over before we heard a noise.

A moo of a cow.

I looked around, but didn't see anything. Percy shushed us and ran off, leaving us to wander.

"What's his dam problem?" I asked, laughing more.

We made our way to the cafe to eat and refresh while Percy did his own thing. Looking back, someone should've gone with him, but I just wanted some food.

After finding a table, I got so close to eating my burrito when Percy snatched it from me. "We need to leave, now!"

"Oh, come on!" I groaned, snatching my burrito back. "Let me at least run and eat, if I'm dying it's not on an empty stomach."

"Don't talk about dying, Cor." Percy grumbled, but was caught off guard by the Skelton warriors appearing around us.

I was ready to get Lepída out and eat my burrito, but then Grover stole it and threw it at one of the warriors, screaming "Burrito fight!" while doing so.

I glared at him. "You owe me!"

As a food fight started, we rushed from the cafe and outside, only met with more enemies.

The statues we'd seen earlier started to move around, looking at Thalia. "Zeus's kid?" She nodded. "Alright, we could use a stretch."

Next thing I knew, I was grabbed by one of the statues and we flew up over the dam and away from our problems.