We Both Walk Among the Dead: A Percy Jackson Fanfiction

Ch. 14 :)

Alright, next part, sorry about the delay I was quite busy last weekend :P Enjoy

            The dull thud of my headache pulsed right behind my eyeballs, but it was a lot more bearable than the night before. I rubbed harsh circles into my left eyebrow, and the pain subsided to just the hint of a headache. I sighed out in victory, and went back to the task at hand.

            Libraries. I was starting to really…uh, dislike the crowded buildings full of freaking confusing books of floating letters. Not to mention that this one smelled like rotting maggots (I actually can recognize the stench, thanks to my time spent in Hades) and old ladies’ perfume. Some restaurant nearby was also wafting fumes of oil and grease like they were pleasant to breathe in, and I choked on every breath I drew. I had resorted to breathing through my open mouth because of the torment on my nostrils, and I couldn’t get the sense out of my head that my tongue was being coated with layer after layer of grease after I breathed it in.

            I shook my head roughly, allowing a tiny bit of my headache to return. No, I had to stop getting distracted, and reading this stupid book. I peered at the small paperback that practically glowed from the force of the overhead lights in the library. The small print suddenly rose up in an intricate dance, spinning and morphing to form hTe smoRan pydea rticpulaar hirowps to eht odg fo elawht, lutusP, as pposedo to teh erkGe dog losutPo. I held in my groan of frustration, aware of the other mortals in the library. They didn’t seem to appreciate the last time I’d growled and slammed my book shut.

            I absentmindedly flipped the book over so I could try to decipher the title, which I’d forgotten – again. Kira had chucked a stack of books at me before disappearing into some remote corner, with double the amount of books than all of us because she’d grown up reading. She’d also grown up with someone to help her with the more difficult words, someone who’d been with her everyday and gotten to have a relationship with her that no one could replicate –

            I focused on the light grey cover, thrusting that particular thought into a deep recess in my mind. Still, a familiar constricting sensation squeezed my chest and gut, and caused me to grip the book with more force while my breathing quickened. Some dark, ugly, and pathetic emotion rolled through my veins yet again, and was only kicked out of my head when I focused on the cover again.

            In gold cursive writing like it was about a romance story in the 18th century, instead of a book on Greek and Roman worship, was written, Dogs: A uiGde ot kreGe dna moRan ologyMhty.

            Scowling, I flipped back to my original spot, and reread a paragraph over and over until the words blurred into meaningless grey smears. Well, it wasn’t like they were making sense before. One word kept grabbing at my attention, and I’d focus on it, knowing I’d seen it somewhere, but then it would blur and I’d be left with more of a headache and an aching jaw because I was gritting my teeth so hard.

            “…babe, go back to my house, my parents are out,” some slimy and snide teenage male voice sounded from directly behind me. My shoulders tightened at the message in his words, and I automatically wanted to punch the loser because of his cocky and arrogant tone. What girl would ever agree to sleep with some shit-head whose ego was too big for his puny head?

            I felt the air move behind me as the bastard moved, rustling sounds indicating he was moving, and dragging someone with him. “Um, I don’t know Zach, my mom said I have to be home by 6 for dinner…” some indecisive girl’s response was left hanging in the air, along with her hope of escaping the bastard that was most likely dragging her to the exit of the library.