Callie Jackson; The Return

Chapter VII

Callie's POV

After a week, I wasn't that anxious to leave the palace. I had gotten along with Persephone very well, and Hades wasn't in a bad mood. I walked into the dining room. Persephone was sitting at her end, waiting for Hades. I sat on the left side, close to her.
"I'm scared." I said.
"Darling you could always go to Elysium and choose rebirth." Persephone replied.
"No I can't. I have to get back to my family and friends as Callie. I know they miss me." I didn't know for sure, but I hoped. Did they? Our conversation was interrupted by him. Hades walked in wrapped in his black robes and plopped down. He looked up at Persephone.
"Hello dearest." He said.
"Evening lord." She said, not making eye contact. Persephone and I both didn't eat, we planned on getting out of here, sooner rather than later. Quickly dinner was over and we were ordered to go to bed. I paced around my "guest room" as they said. It had a queen sized bed and a table side lamp. That's it. I changed into a pair of jean shorts and a camp shirt. I put my hair in two French braids. I was ready for Hades to go to sleep. I had nothing else to do, so I listened to the silence. Then I heard Persephone.
  "Dear I'm going to dim the lights." That was my signal. Leo had taught me a little Morse code, so I watched for it. The lights started flickering, so I jumped out of Bed. The lights stopped and I heard Persephone tell Hades.
  "I'm sorry it took so long. I'm going to get a guard to fix this right away." She told him. He grunted in reply. She clomped through the kitchen, signaling me it was ok to come out. I squeezed through the crack of the door, and walked beside her. We walked outside, being thrown sideways glances at by the guards, who also nodded in respect to Persephone. She walked with me to the shore of the River Styx.
"Over there." She said, pointing Northeast. I took a deep breath, and hugged her.
"Thank you." I said "for being so kind to let me stay in the palace."
"You are ever so welcome dear. You can come to the palace any time. You are welcome there also." She said. We broke our hug and went our separate ways. I started walking. Even the tiniest noise startled me, and I would walk faster. I finally made it to the very rock that Annabeth fought Arachne on. The one where Percy let go. Where I fell. Where Nico made the promise to meet us on the other side. The side I would have to reach again. I started climbing the rocks I had climbed before, trying to reach Percy and his lover. I missed them dearly. I jumped from rock to rock, hitting my feet on every one. I got to the highest rock looked down, and let the memories veer through my mind. Percy, Leo, truth or dare, Kymopoleia's prophecy, Asomi, fighting Nico, coming back from Tatarus, Mom, Camp, Noah, Kat, Chiron. Mostly Faces. Some memories were worst then others, but it was the best times of my life, even though I was terrified at the time. And terrified at the thought of all this. I looked down again, my head reeling. Without thinking, like Annabeth would. She would have told me not to jump. To choose rebirth or to stay in Elysium. But back to the point. Without thinking, I dove into Tartarus. Letting the darkness consume me for the second time, and hopefully the last.