CursEd

A Misty Shroud

Each god started to glow, like they had physical auras of power. As the auras grew, they started to blend with each other, creating a ring of light around the collected gods. All the strange colors were reflected off Kaylees shroud throwing northern lights across the campus. Percy saw Tyson and the Lady walk out of the ring as if it really was just light, when the gods grew to their true, blinding forms that made Percy have to look away. Pure heat was coming from the ring of light making Percy take a step back into Annabeth who grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Percy squeezed back and they waited in tense silence as the light and heat grew. When Percy wasn't sure he could take anymore, there was a loud crack and a strong wind pulled him off his feet as well as blew him back at least three meters. He'd lost hold of Annabeth, but when he opened his eyes, there was thick dust all around so he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face.

"Percy?" Percy's head whipped towards the sound of Annabeth’s whimper.

"Annabeth?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know her state. Who did the gods think they were? Sending Kaylee out with the full intention of her dying and then interrupting her funeral to perhaps injure some more campers. He took a few slow steps toward Annabeth’s voice with his arms stretched out in front of him.

"I'm here." She was suddenly right in front of him and he had to swerve to the right so as not fall on her. He kneeled down and waved away some dust to find her face.

"Annabeth," he sighed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, " she leaned up on her hands before standing and brushing off her knees. "What happened?"

Percy suddenly remembered why they were all here. "Kaylee."

Turning to where he thought the explosion had occurred, Percy started to run with Annabeth on his heels. "Kaylee!"

The dust started to clear and Percy could vaguely see a ring of people standing on scorched ground. As he approached the ring, the figure closest to him turned and grabbed him around the waist, stopping him in his tracks.

"Let me through" Percy grunted, straining against the immortal hands.

"We can’t let you through Percy," his father said calmly. "In fact, you may not want to look yet."

"Percy." Annabeth was three paces back looking past the ring of people to what was inside. Percy stopped straining and looked to where Annabeth’s frightened eyes were transfixed. In the center of the circle, where the land was the most scorched and torn away, lay Kaylee. She was still and sprawled out with a new, large cut on her forehead that was dripping red blood onto the black ground. Her eyes were closed as she lay there, she looked peaceful in her death but her bloody body still brought the tearful sting to his eyes. Percy pushed his father away in a burst of anger, letting the tears fall down his grimy, dusty face.

"What have you done?" Percy demanded. His father remained silent, watching with wary eyes. "What have you DONE!?" Percy repeated angrily, grabbing his father’s shirt collar and shaking it with a new ferocity that was not his own.

"Percy!" Annabeth placed a soft yet restraining hand on his shoulder. Percy stopped and looked up into the god’s face that stared back with a sort of impassive sorrow. Percy let go of his father and turned to hug Annabeth, hiding his tears in her hair. The rest of the campers slowly came into view in small groups. They all looked like they'd just been in battle: some were bruised, some we're bloody, and all were dusty. Percy wiped his face as they regrouped. Standing with his fellow campers, he turned to face the gods again. They had come out of their circle and formed a small wall between Percy and his sister. At this second glance, Percy saw that the gods, like the campers, looked wearied and tired. As if they had just been through something trying, gods weren't supposed to look like that.