Sign of the Times

JK I have a sister I guess.

We split up to find out what the fuck we should do. 

The first and most important task in any of our minds was getting warm. Bianca, Thalia, Zoe, and Grover all went to get some coffee/hot chocolate/anything warm to consume while Percy and I tried to find a way out of here.

When we walked into the store, we found out a few things about this place. One is that everyone here hates it. The store clerk? He looks like the most miserable man out there and trust me when I tell you I have seen some shit. The second thing we found out is this store is really old. I found this old stuffed animal that was discontinued when I was still a kid. My mother bought me one before some rich prick stole it while I was at the park. The third thing I figured out was that we were stranded here. The store clerk did tell us that we could get a cab down the mountain, but it would cost us hundreds of dollars that we don't have. 

In hopes of making at least 2/3 of those things better, Percy grabbed a rubber rat and bought it, tipping the store clerk more than it cost.

We walked out of the shop and back into the harsh cold outside, sitting down at a little table while we waited for the rest of them to come back with the drinks. 

"I don't know what we are going to do," Percy admitted. "We have no way out, and time is running out. With Annabeth in the generals hands, who knows what is going to happen."

"We'll be . . . alright," I tried to reassure. "We'll find a way. People like us always do."

"People like us?" 

"Resourceful. Determined. Scared."

He smiled at me. "You're scared?" In any other situation I would have thought someone was making fun of me, but his tone was soft like his smile.

"Of course I am." I am going to fucking die, I wanted to add. "You would be out of your mind to not be scared."

He stayed silent for a second. "I'm terrified."

"Good. It's good to be scared, it helps you survive."

He laughed lightly, turning his body to face mine more. "I don't know about that one. I'm not terrified about me dying, I'm terrified about everyone else. Lost in the land without rain, die at a parents hand . . . "

"Well, maybe you should be more worried about you dying. If you have a one in three chance of dying in the next week, maybe you should be scared for yourself." Maybe you should take your own advice. 

"What are you scared for then? Because I know it isn't yourself. You wanting to sacrifice yourself to the general for Annabeth, taking this hit for Thalia? That isn't being scared for yourself." 

I smiled to myself. "Guess you aren't the only one with a savior complex. But it's also just different for me. I'm not supposed to be here in the first place, I should be like 96 and on the verge of death."

"But instead your are 16 and on there verge of death," he finished and I nod. "So it's not that much different? I mean, you are still 16. Just because you are supposed to be 96 doesn't mean you have to act like it, treating your life likes it's already over."

"But it probably is," I said, not even thinking. 

"What do you mean?" I shook my head. "Is this about what Apollo said?" My heart stopped. That bitch told my secret, didn't he?

"What did Apollo say?" I asked, trying to act nonchalant. 

"He told me to tell you to watch out for those prophecies, then told me 'JK I'll go let her know myself!' when he saw you leave Thalia's car." He sighs. "I thought it was just about this quest prophecy, but is there something else?"