Percy vs Nico - Percy Jackson

Chapter 16

Nico's POV
My sword drags behind me as I switch my focus on stopping the blood pouring down my arm. I rip fabric off the bottom of my skull shirt and tie it tightly around the top of my bicep. The grass around me has gone quiet and everything around me hasn't changed. I have no idea how long i've been walking for but this grass field seems to be going on forever. My hand passes my sword to the other as I search for any entertainment. I can't tell which is worse, being lost or dying of boredom. The grass around me seems to have gotten a little taller, i'm pretty sure that's a bad sign, that i'm heading the wrong way. I have no sense of time since the sky in the underworld is always dark, but my legs soon give way after a long time walking. I find a comfy spot, if you count a pile of weeds and dirt comfy, and close my eyes. My eyes twitch open as something rustles in the distance. I have no idea how long I slept for, or if I even slept at all but the scenery around me changed. I stagger back as I look up and see the sky almost drowned out by grass, tall thick grass. I was being consumed, trapped. The grass was almost five times the height of me and as i'm walking back I bump into something. I jolt back, letting out a little shriek as a girl appears in front of me. She squints her eyes as if she's processing what's in front of her.

"Greasy hair, bloody arm, ripped shirt, dirt smeared on face, sweaty palms..." The girls continues like she's checking off a list.

"Little girl, ugly blue dress, badly tied up pigtails, and creepy as hell." I interrupt. "Now we're introduced, where am I?" The girl just stands there staring at me. "You gonna speak? Or just stare into my soul?" I give her two options. She still continues staring. That is until something from within the grass grabs her, I lunge forward trying to reach for her hand but she gets pulled away too quickly. I stare into the area where the little girl once stood. "What... the... fuck..." I whisper under my breath taking slow steps backwards. I slowly kneel down, my eyes still targeting the spot where she was taken and reach for my sword I placed beside me while I slept. My hand feels the ground for a moment trying to find my sword but I don't dare look down from my gaze. I finally feel it and grab it with my injured arm, it was stiff but still able to swing. I slowly raise myself with my sword out infront of me for protection. "Hello?" I say half expecting nothing in response and half expecting something to grab me and finish me off too.

"Hello~ sssson of Hadessss"A voice replies hissing at me. A chill goes down my spine as something emerges from the grass.

Percy's POV
Leo, Hunter, and I pack up the net. My legs were stiff from playing for most of the day but I manage to drag myself down the hill. I make my way down to the beach and basically collapse on the sand. I lay on my back and stare up at the clouds, the ocean breeze cool on my face. Shapes and animals form in the clouds as I notice a story being told through them. The shifting clouds send me to sleep.

I awake in a cold sweat, I hadn't dreamt of anything which is weird since I awoke with such an anxious feeling. It had gotten dark and I wasn't bothered to get up and walk to my cabin, I just stayed laying down on the sand, playing with my hair. Something about the beach must have been so relaxing because I fell asleep again without a problem, or another dream. My eyes jitter open as I reluctantly hold out my hands, blocking the sun from my eyes. I let out a groan and roll to the side, sand falls from my face and hair and I notice how dry my throat is. I struggle to stand up and when I do there is a pain in my back, I guess this is the last time i'll sleep on the beach. I make my way to the fire pit and see Mr. D handing out hash browns, yum, breakfast. Then it hit me. Had I really slept that whole time? There was no way I slept from 3:30pm to 10:00am. I immediately run to the water jug and pour myself some water, I finish it so quickly I had to pour myself another glass.

"Percy?" A voice behind me says. "What is... wrong with you?" I turn around, halfway through drinking my second cup of water and see Annabeth. I spit out the water in my mouth. All. Over. Annabeth. I immediately apologise and brush the sand out my hand. Annabeth was wiping the water off her face with the bottom of her t-shirt. To avoid the whole situation to come I excuse myself without waiting to hear an answer. I rush to my dorm and slam the door behind me. Oh. My. Gods. What did I just do? I drag my feet along the floor as I make my way toward the shower.