Shattered |Leo Valdez|

Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Erikka's P.o.v.

"One, two, you lost a shoe./

Three, four, you're a bore./

Five, six, you will share a kiss./

Seven, eight, he'll ask you on a date./

Nine, ten, I make sure you're dead."

The seriously morbid remix of the child's song was ended by a chilling laugh. I struggled against the bindings that held me strapped to a burning stake while I was gagged with a dry rag. Tears streamed down my face, making the smoke only hurt my eyes more.

"Poor little Erikka. Clumsy, stupid, and you seem to screw up everything. If I hadn't already planned everything around you, I'd find a better pawn. Unfortunately, you are the only one who will work. The others are unlike you, and therefore can never do what you do." The Abyss had returned, its swirling darkness surrounding me while I sobbed. "Seventeen more days. You must bring what I need."

Fire danced around my body, scalding the flesh and making me cry out. Suddenly, there was someone else there. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was there to save me. The fire wrapped around him, but he instead greeted the pain like an old friend. He was tall, and had a golden helmet on his head. Power radiated from him and clashed with the power of the Abyss. He raised a sword to face it, before yelling to me, "Rikki! Don't kick people!"

I stared at him, confused. For one who seemed so manly, his voice was far too feminine. I went to tell him that I couldn't because my legs were burning off, but I was then slapped across the face.

My eyes sprang open, the dream dissolving as I lay gasping for air on the mattress. "I mean, seriously Rikki. That hurt." Wiping cold sweat from my forehead, I sat up and turned to find Anna standing there rubbing her jaw. I threw her an apologetic look before I hopped down to go to the bathroom.

After changing, peeing, and brushing my teeth, (A/n: I make it a point to include normal random facts like peeing because most books don't! Characters have to pee, too!) I walked out and turned to Anna with a brush stuck in my hair. "So why were you here?"

Anna shrugged and plopped on the couch, giggling as I tugged on the brush. "Connor said you were screaming and no one could wake you up. I told him dads the King of madness, so I took a shot. Aaaaand you kicked me." She gave me a glare and I smiled innocently.

"Hey! Don't hold me accountable for what Sleeping Rikki does. She's a nut!" Anna rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. She's the nut."

"Glad you see my point." She rolled her eyes again and I was afraid she would have a headache soon. "So, I'm awake now. Can we get food?" With a nod, she led me outside and we walked to the mess hall. However, when we got there and had offered our food, she led us over to an empty table in the back where Nico was already seated by himself. "What. Are you doing. Here." He asked while glaring up at us from beneath his hair.

Anna plopped down and made herself comfortable. "Chiron told me we could sit at your table to 'discuss' our plan of action." She made finger quotes around the word discuss. "But we don't know what we are doing-"

"I do." Nico said as he took a bite out of what looked similar to a McDonalds McGriddle.

Anna's mouth dropped and she quickly rearranged the look of surprise into a glare that I was realizing was her signature. "What, did you just say?"

Nico shrugged before swallowing. "Yeah. He told me this morning, but apparently Chiron said you two have to wait before the time is right or something corny like that." Anna slouched down and pouted before turning to me.