The Labyrinth *editing*

Chapter 3

 I didn't dare cry. I wanted so badly to be strong for my family, and Percy's family, to tell them it will be all right, to promise to come home, but I knew none of that could be done. All of them walked me up to the stage-like platform that held the new sacrifices.  All twenty four of us were terrified, and were not afraid to show it. Two other girls, one I know pretty well, Maya, cling to me, I to her, holding each other up. Several others were doing the same. One boy was on his knees, like I was a moment before, praying to whoever his guardian is (or should I say used to be, since they obviously failed him). I always knew the stupid gods were a joke. My mother always said the gods will always come through if you believe. "Yeah, right, mother.” I thought. Sure. There are no more Olympians for me. Especially Lady Artemis. Who is Artemis? Nobody. She does not exist. At least not to me. My mother will believe what she wants, but I, I have a new mindset. I will trust nobody. Especially the gods. Only Percy, and my younger siblings, and my father could be trusted completely. The sun burned me. Everything was unnaturally bright, and glaring. The sun reflected off the clouds, and hurt my eyes. The ground felt like it was wobbling back and forth, so that I almost lost my balance and went tumbling into the square. I searched my father’s face out in the crowd of howling people, and caught his eye. He nodded and mouthed, "Good luck. Love you" I blew him a kiss, and one to my mother who was sobbing. Well, that was an easy goodbye. I turned to Percy who was gripping Iona and Hector, as if never to let them go. Tears ran down his face and Iona's mouth was open in what looked like a silent scream for me. I thought I heard Tiana screaming my name. It sounded like everyone was screaming my name. My head hurt and I was dizzy. Then I heard someone call my name, for real, I know this for sure, because when I turned in the general direction, Percy had a wild expression on his face.

     "Xenia!" he screamed through the noise. “Please do what I say! I have a plan! Make sure to watch the others. Especially Theseus! Stick with him! Make allies! All of you stick together! Hold your emotions in. Be calm. Hear me?" I gave him a quizzical look and he just screamed more.

     "Please just do what I say! It will help. Promise me you'll do it! Promise!" he shouted with such desperation in his voice that I just had to agree to get him to calm down. The second I nodded my head he relaxed, but not all the way.

     "Swear it on the River Styx!" he cried.  I looked at him in wonder. This was a very serious promise he wanted me to make. To swear something on the River Styx was a vow that was unbreakable. If you break it, you die. Usually, nobody would make such a promise, for fear of something going wrong, and dying, but I figured I would die anyway in the maze, so even if I did break it, what's there to lose? If it made Percy happy, then why not? I decided not to mention the part about me planning on not listening to him, because I so as doomed either way. Instead I looked him in the eye and said, "I swear it on the mighty River Styx!" I felt a bit guilty lying to his face, especially because it was his last request from me, and I was never going to see him again, but I brushed that off surprisingly easily.  Percy looked relaxed once more once I said it, and he was calmed by those words. I still didn't know what he meant by, 'Stay with Theseus.' I had never spoken to Theseus once in my life, and Percy expected me to become allies with him in a situation of certain death? Sometimes I don't know about that boy. I then wondered if Percy was delirious, and in his right mind after all. I glanced across the crowd of people going to certain death. It was a sad sight, seeing all these people who would not come back alive, and add in the fact that I was one of them, it became unbearable. I wanted so badly to throw myself into the sea nearby, and let Poseidon's kingdom swallow me whole, but in my case, I forced myself to look over at Theseus. He was a medium height, strong build, lighter-than-usual hair, dark eyes, and heavily tanned skin, which told me he spent a lot of time outdoors, along with a determined look on his face. He was, I'll admit, a normal looking boy. He looked strong though, if a little disagreeable. But he did indeed look determined and I then decided to listen to Percy after all. This guy was determined, and it was then clear to me, my chances of surviving the longest would be best if I had allies. Any person who was brave enough to volunteer- to willingly go into the maze! - was okay by me. I still didn't see what was the real benefit here, since nobody ever came out alive, or as far as we knew, but whatever. I looked over at Percy once more, and saw that he as watching me look at Theseus, and he nodded as if in approval. I looked at Iona. Sweet little Iona, who was crying, and wouldn't stop, who, I had a feeling would never stop ever again, I knew would never heal. Hector, I knew would be devastated, but he was sure to try and hide his emotions for the sake of Iona and my mother. Knowing Tiana, she would figure out some complicated formula of who knows what, about my odds of surviving, and share it with everyone else, and just make them more devastated. Percy would not cry; I knew this for sure. But he may lose all expression for some number of days, fall into depression, but find a way to get on with life. He would visit my own family often, play with Iona, hunt with Hector, and teach Tiana stuff he learned in school, since girls are not permitted to go to school, help my father with farm work, and help my mother out by maybe running to the town market, and shopping for her. All of them will sew my burial shroud, and since my mother is no seamstress, it will be Iona who makes it beautiful with embroidery of the moon probably, as a tribute to Lady Artemis, Silver bows and arrows, silver owls, as I live in Athens, and she will embroider my name on it. Then, since they will have no body to bury, they will bury my shroud, along with a figurine of Lady Artemis, who is supposed to protect me in the grave as well, as I have seen so many other families do when their family member is lost. I was lost in my thoughts of what life would be like for them without me, when suddenly I was jolted back to reality Maya tugged on my hand, and whispered in a voice as gentle as a mother talking to her baby,

     "Xenia, we must go now. The official. Look, he's taking us aboard." I saw that she was right. The evil people from Crete were loading us aboard, and shoving us below decks, partly so we couldn't wave to our families, and partly so that we couldn't jump overboard and did. Wouldn't want any of us in danger, would we? My heart pounded against the side of my rib cage, in a nervous fit. I looked back at Iona, Tiana, Hector, Percy, Gaia, Dahlia, my mother and father, Percy's parents, all gathered together, staring hopelessly after me, and suddenly, I felt very sick. Why me? Why now? It just wasn't right to do this to them. To me. I hated these people from Crete. I began to wonder if they were human at all. Surely some unearthly offspring of two creatures without hearts. A number of these creatures crossed my mind- Cyclops, telkhines; furies, dracaena, and I knew that these people were not people. They lived in the ways of these savage things, living of human despair, death. I shuddered and I waved to my family with an air of finality, and they waved back sadly. “Good-bye Hellas.” I thought miserably. I then turned, and did not look back for fear that once I did, I would not be able to turn around ever again.

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Heya! Listening to Stero Hearts and eating peppermint maltballs while I edit ;)

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-Katie :D