Sign of the Times

Tick, tock, your life's on a clock

I came out the other side of the shadow in the dark cave. I listened for any sign of other people but only heard the grunts of the goddess holding the sky and the whimpers of a dying Annabeth. 

Being this close to her I can feel it stronger than ever. If I didn't come, she would definitely be dead. My coming only made it a maybe.

I ran out from behind the rock I was behind and fell to Annabeth's side. She was pale, shivering, and weaker than any person I had ever seen.

"Annabeth," I whispered. "Come on, Annabeth." 

Her eyes fluttered open. Her expression didn't change much when she saw me besides a slight glow in her eyes. 

I pulled off my sweatshirt quickly and maneuvered her in it. The adrenaline and worry made me not even notice the harsh cold air in the cave. 

"You need to go," Annabeth whispered. 

"Not without you. You just need to hold on, the rest of us will be here soon," I replied.

Annabeth opened her mouth to say something, but her eyes fluttered closed before she could say anything. Panic rushed through me as I reached into my bag and pulled out the ambrosia and nectar. There wasn't much, not enough to help her fully heal.

I quickly drained the nectar down her throat, laying the ambrosia next to her for when she woke up. I'm not going to risk killing her by shoving that down her throat and her choking.

I sat there for at least ten minutes, waiting for her to wake up, but she stayed asleep and her breaths became shallower. She wasn't getting better, the nectar wasn't helping.

I need to do something else. What can I do? How can I help her? I am not the child of Apollo, I can't heal her. I'm not the child of Athena, I can't think of a way to heal her. I'm not the child of any "good god," I can't help her. 

But one of the good gods can. 

I pulled every bit of courage from me and stood up and walked myself over to the goddess captured by the sky. 

"Emelia Ford," Artemis said, fatigue and sadness infecting her normal sense of composure and confidence. "I've been expecting you."

"Give me the sky," I demanded, trying to sound confident but the shake in my voice gave me away. "You have to heal Annabeth, so let me take the sky from you."

Artemis shook her head, eyes wide with disbelief I would ask such a thing. I mean, I must be crazy, asking to take the burden that is killing Annabeth. Asking her to save Annabeth by giving up my own life. 

"You can't, it will kill you just like it is killing her," Artemis replied. "Your life is not less valuable than hers, if anything it is more."

"No, I'm sorry, but you are wrong. She is the smartest person I know, she will come up with things that will save many more people than I will. My fate is to die, hers is to live, that is how it needs to go down." I took a breath, forcing all the nerves away. "I am accepting that fate, I am accepting my death."

I didn't wait for a response from the goddess before standing next to her under the sky. I put my hands on it and took a deep breath, then I felt it all.

It felt as if my bones were breaking, on fire, melting, and being ground into dust all at the same time. My muscles felt like they were tearing in every place they could like they were going through a paper shredder. It was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life, the worst I ever will feel. 

I could feel my life slipping through my fingers slowly. Like an hourglass, spilling away until there is nothing left and my time is up. 

But none of that mattered.