Moving On | Percy x Artemis

eight

P E R C Y 

She's coming for me. 

Almost every night I dream of her, when I used to dream of Annabeth. Maybe it's a relief, a blessing, an escape from the pain of reliving Annabeth's death every time I close my eyes.

I see Artemis, her auburn hair streaming behind her, Thalia at her side. She is always running, running towards me, a crowd of wolves and girls behind her. 

And every time I wake after seeing her face, I run. She cannot find me, or my years of hiding will have been for nothing. 

I am more careful now, I don't stay at any hotels, I barely pause at the small towns I pass. I sleep on the side of the road and then I walk till my feet feel too heavy to carry me anymore. 

I wonder what my mother would think if she saw me now. A hollow place in my chest aches when I think of her, I miss her so much. But she would tell me I am being silly, running away from my problems. Maybe I am, after all, but I am also running away from myself. 

I know my mom would tell me that I look like a disgrace, and I suppose I do. My hair is shaggy and in need of a cut, I'm sure I smell and I have been sleeping in ditches for the past few nights. I laugh and shake my head at the sky. I wanted to run away from myself, and it looks like I have. No one would be able to mistake this person that I am now for the great hero Percy Jackson. 

It's been hours since I passed the last town, and the world is just one big empty plane of grass, dark grey mountains looming in the distance. The road is thin, and mostly gravel. I haven't seen another car or human for so long, it feels as if I am the only one on the planet. 

That's when I hear a car far behind me. I move off the road and walk along in the dirt beside it. The vehicle does not interest me until I hear it slowing. 

I look over at the four wheel drive, it's driving just fast enough to be right beside me. I frown.

The window of the car rolls down and I can see the driver's face. "Hey kid!" He calls to me. 

He's big and ugly and reminds me of Ares. I can see two other men in the car with him, they're all bigger than me. 

"Need a ride?" He asks

"No thanks," I say, trying to sound polite. 

"Where you headed?" He tries again. 

I don't answer this time and I just push forward. The car speeds up to match my pace.

"C'mon kid, we don't bite!" The man calls after me. I doubted that very much.

The car speeds forward and pulls over just in front of me. I pause for a second, I don't think I can out run their vehicle. The three men jump out simultaneously, their faces twisted into snarls. 

"Just give us whatever money you got, and we'll leave you alone," One of them says, taking a big step towards me. 

I glance around desperately but there's only fields of grass and a dusty road. There is no water I can use and I haven't fought anyone in two years. I'm not sure I even remember how to hold my sword. 

But I knew I needed the few dollars I had left if I was going to survive.

"I don't want to fight you," I tell them. 

They laugh and the first one says, "Then give us your money." 

"I don't have any," I lie. 

One of them rolls his eyes. "Yeah, sure." 

"Guess we're just going to have to take it from you," the second man snarls. 

I reach into my pocket for riptide but before I can get it one of them grabs my arm and yanks it behind my back. The other two lunge forward, one of them rips my backpack off my back and the other lands a punch on my cheek. 

I stumble backwards and another punch hits my nose. My vision burs as I try to twist my arm away from the first guy. But I'm weak, I haven't eaten or drunk anything in at least a day and my body is tired from my constant walking. I am in no shape to fight. 

Another punch hits me in my chest and I double over, laughing the first guy throws me onto the ground. I stumble back up and aim a hit at him. He dodges it easily and hits my nose again. 

My head is pounding as I try to find riptide in my pocket. I'm too slow, one of them has a pocket knife and he hauls me off the ground, "Is that all the money you have?" He asks, gesturing to the fifty dollar bill the first guy is holding. 

I nod slowly, I can taste blood in my mouth. 

"Don't lie to me!" He yells and digs the small knife into my side. The pain shoots through my chest as he searches my pocket. 

It seems like forever before they throw me back onto the ground and I hear them drive away. The contents of my bag are strewn across the ground and every dollar is gone. 

I lie there and look up at the sky. My side is throbbing with pain where they cut me and my head is spinning. 

I was right, this unrecognisable person I've become is so far from Perseus Jackson. I was supposed to be a hero, that's why my mom named me Perseus in the first place. But I had destroyed everything, I am no hero if I could not even save the one person who meant the most to me. I am certainly no hero if I can't even defeat three mortals. 

Perseus Jackson is no longer. 

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author's note 

it seems like forever since i worked on this story, sorry. 

i didn't really like this chapter, it's hard for me to see percy so broken and useless. i can't wait till artemis finds him ;) 

anyway, please continue to comment, i love hearing your opinions on this book! 

thank you for reading! love you all!

xoxo