Born To Die

The kid in the alley

We were on the move again, and things had been pretty quiet for a few days. Too quiet. When you're used to fighting off monsters at every turn, you learn to get suspicious when nothing jumps out at you. It was late afternoon, the sun low in the sky, casting long shadows over the narrow alleyways of the city. We'd tracked a Cyclops here, a particularly nasty one, and it wasn't far off.

Luke was leading the way, always the one with a plan, while Thalia and I trailed behind, keeping an eye out. The tension between us had eased a bit since we made our pact, but things still felt... different. In a good way, though. Less complicated. We were a team, and that was enough.

As we turned a corner, I caught a glimpse of something—or rather, someone. A small figure, darting into the alley ahead of us. A kid, maybe eight or nine, with wild blonde hair and a terrified look on her face. My stomach dropped as I realized what was happening.

The Cyclops had found her first.

Before any of us could react, the monster roared, its huge, lumbering form closing in on the girl. She looked over her shoulder, wide-eyed, but she didn't have time to run. The Cyclops was gaining fast, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground.

Luke cursed under his breath. "We've gotta move, now!"

Without a second thought, we sprinted into the alley. I tightened my grip on my necklace, the familiar weight of the sword pressing against my palm as it transformed in my hand. Thalia was already drawing her spear, her face set in determination. Luke was ahead of us, his dagger gleaming as he charged.

The little girl stumbled, her small body barely keeping ahead of the Cyclops. She was so close to being crushed under its massive foot. There was no time to think, just time to act.

"Hey, ugly!" Thalia yelled, hurling a lightning bolt from her spear toward the Cyclops' back. The bolt struck, making the monster bellow in pain, but it wasn't enough to stop it.

Luke moved in fast, slashing at its legs, trying to trip it up. "Get the girl!" he shouted back to me.

I didn't need to be told twice. I sprinted toward her, heart pounding. "Hey! Over here!" I called out, trying to get her attention as I reached her side. She looked up at me, her gray eyes wide with fear.

"Come on!" I grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the nearest wall, trying to get her out of the Cyclops' path. She was so small, so fragile, and I couldn't shake the feeling that she'd been running from more than just this monster.

The Cyclops turned, its one bloodshot eye narrowing as it realized its prey was slipping away. It let out a furious roar, swiping its massive arm toward us. We barely ducked out of the way, the wind from its swing whipping past us.

"Get her out of here!" Luke shouted, still dodging the Cyclops' blows as he and Thalia tried to keep it distracted.

I nodded and crouched down to the girl's level. "What's your name?" I asked, keeping my voice as calm as I could despite the chaos around us.

"Annabeth," she said, her voice trembling. "Annabeth Chase."

"Okay, Annabeth," I said, "I need you to stay close to me. We're going to get you out of here, alright?"

She nodded, her small hand gripping mine tightly. For a kid, she seemed tougher than most, but she was still shaking. I could see it in her eyes—she'd been running for a long time, maybe even longer than we had.

As I led her to the far side of the alley, I heard a loud thud behind me. I spun around to see Thalia delivering a brutal strike to the Cyclops' chest, lightning crackling from her spear. Luke was at its feet, hacking away with his dagger, trying to bring the monster down.