The After Effect

Chapter 8

I looked around as I slowly pushed myself off the ground. One question was running through my mind. How did I get here? This most certain isn't where I had been traveling too. How did I get off course?

I stood up and glanced at the trees around me. There seemed to be no one else around. I gently took a step forward, I barely caught myself before my knees buckled. Why was I so weak? So many questions.

I tried taking a step forward, then another and another. When I was confident I wasn't going to kiss the ground, I began walking faster. I continued walking until I was met with a sign.

"Welcome to Missouri, the Show-Me state"

Missouri? How did I get here? I thought.

I looked down the road. There were no cars, I would have better luck in the woods. I turned around and began back the way I came. Suddenly a girl with bright green hair and dark brown skin appeared out of nowhere.

"Sir?" It asked.

I froze, looking at it in confusion. "Yes?" I replied.

It looked me up and down. "If you don't mind me asking," it said in a soft voice, "what is a demigod like you doing wondering the woods alone without a weapon?"

Demigod?

Demigod.

Demigod.

It all came back in a great rush. My knees hit the dirt as I was assaulted with memory after memory.

Us meeting in the infirmary. Us traveling to the underworld when she didn't have to. Us traveling to a place mortals and demigods alike fear. Me traveling across the country to save them. That horrible underground place. The war. Him killing himself to save us.

Then things started to movie faster. A darkness. Waking up to a lost memories and traveling to a new place. Making new friend. A quest to the land beyond the gods. Finally getting my memories back and being reunited with her. Only for her to be ripped from me again. Being reunited again.

Then the memories became worse and worse.

Falling, falling deep deep down. The only thing keeping me tethered was her. The horror of what laid after the fall. The losses, the battles. The ancient lands. A battle against a powerful foe. Traveling there, home. Another fight.

That's all I have ever done isn't it? Fight.

Things after that seemed to get better until one stuck out.

"You're the problem!" She yelled. With a few simple words, she ripped me apart, destroyed my very soul.

I screamed. I screamed for my lost love, for the aching in my soul, for all the horrors I have faced. I screamed.

I watched one last memory. In itself it wasn't horrible, but it shatter what little left of my heart remained.

"We will never leave each other again. Okay seaweed brain? Together forever."

I still knelt there wide-eyed, reliving my life.

"Demigod!" A voiced yelled.

I snapped out of it and looked up to see the girl, who I am assuming to be a dryad, staring down at me.

I looked at her, my heart still being ripped to pieces by the memories. 

I felt a strange moment of nothingness. I stood up. If I don't feel anything, the memories cant hurt me. I thought.

Although I should be dead, I am glad I am not. I will not let what she did to me get me. I could feel something inside me shift, like all the broken pieces were being moved around, then I felt like something was being removed. I gasped.

My fatal flaw, it wasn't there.

"Who are you?" The dryad who was still standing there asked.

"Swear on the Styx," I said, taking a breath, "not to tell anyone, not even the gods."

"I-I swear"

I looked stared into her eyes. She gasped as she realized who I was.

"Percy Jackson!"

 I ran off into the forest.

Word count: 701

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So I have noticed that not a lot of people are reading my story so I was hoping you guys could tell your followers or your friends or something. I would really like more people to read.

*Edited January 2, 2017*