Unclaimed [Percy Jackson]

xi. i say hello to a poodle

IT had been an okay night

At least for Amelia who was used to sleeping in the woods.

A small murmured goodnight left her lips as she looked for a nice looking branch to sleep on, getting comfortable but her sleep was light enough to wake up for her shift.

They had quite enough excitement for their first day and despite not wanting to attract anything else, they didn't trust the fates to give them a calm night.

From Aunty Em's, they got some food and blankets but they weren't confident enough to lit up a fire.

Amelia and Annabeth were the first ones to succumb to sleep while Grover and Percy remained awake.

§~§

It was a routine for her dreams to take a turn whenever she wanted to rest.

The desert she somehow found herself into a couple of nights the past few weeks was different, more awake.

Amelia looked around warily.

Her body urged at her to move, remaining in one sole position was dangerous.

Whispering began to ring in her ears.

Wake up.

Some were clear, some distortioned, some made no sense but the sentiment was clear.

Amelia needed to wake up.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and focused on waking up. The ground rumbled under her feet causing her to open her eyes.

The sand beneath her began to crack and open, until a void was left in its wake, wind blowing up from behind her. She could feel her feet starting to get dragged over the edge even as she tried to root her feet on her place.

An ancient, old and scary voice began to take form, echoing from within the depths of the void in front of her.

Little hero, it purred. A shiver passed through her back. At last I can reach out to you.

Mist began to form all around her, obscuring her view from the void ahead.

Don't listen.

Amelia turned her head towards her side, seeing the mist surrounding her body, restraining her, however she felt no fear. She felt a strange sense of warmth washing over her body where the mist touched. It caressed her skin and protected her from the wind pulling her down. As she touched her arms, she realized they were cold and goosebumps were all over her skin, yet she felt warm.

So easily manipulated into doing their biding, the voice was louder than the mist, somehow. They care nothing. It will do you no good keep under their ruling.

Amelia had the feeling the voice meant the Olympians, that they saw her as nothing, only simply to do their biding.

Unfortunately for the voice, she was well aware of such fact.

With your help and the boy's, I'll raise and give you all unclaimed and unworthy an opportunity to shine, to be important.

Amelia frowned.

No! a voice from the mist took shape in front of Amelia, forcing her focus on it instead of the voice. It's lying to you. Don't listen. Wake up, my lady.

Cold laughter rang all over the desert and the void.

It sew deep through her bones and the mist tightened it's grip on her, not letting her move, not to the void and not anywhere.