The End of Everything

Hope and Pray

Thalia' POV

Things were bad. Okay that was putting it lightly. Trees were on fire, a big black goo guy was stomping around, and I had my leg wedged awkwardly in two tree branches hanging upside down. Needless to say I was terrified.

"Can someone get me the hell down?" I yelled.

"How did you even get up there?" Malia asked, pausing in her attack to stare at me wide eyed.

"There's nothing like being thrown like a football," I replied sarcastically. Malia sighed and scampered over to the tree beginning to climb. Zuri was down below trying and failing to put the fire out while Sam was frozen solid in the familiar black casing. I mean, she'd have made a cool statue but when you realized she was still alive inside that stuff it kind of takes away the aesthetic.

All anyone seemed capable of was irritating whatever this creature was. To me it looked like a giant slug had managed to breed with a bear: not flattering at all. In fact, don't even think about that.

"Geez." Malia breathed, drawing my attention. She peeked out from behind a cluster of branches and began cutting at the branch that had locked my leg in place. "Doesn't anyone ever tell you to be careful?"

"Yes. My wife." Malia rolled her eyes at me and kicked at the tree branch. It snapped and before I knew it I was tumbling to the ground. Landing roughly, it took me a moment to figure out where exactly I had landed.

"Up and at 'em." Someone gripped my collar firmly and jerked me to my feet and out of they way of the monster's large foot. Glancing up it was none other than an irritated looking Zoë Nightshade. "You're rusty Grace, what have you been doing?"

"Well..." There wasn't exactly time for a response as a loud thundering roar shook the ground as the beast slammed a large fist into the trunk of a flaming tree. It must have been made of flammable material as its arm caught ablaze along with other trees. "Who started the fire?"

"It was an accident!" Phoebe yelled defensively.

"Whatever the case this thing clearly doesn't like it," Zoë noted. "I have an idea. I need your help."

"Tell me the plan." Zoë relayed her idea and it seemed like it could work only I had to be careful not to get too close to the fire. The last thing I needed to be was extra crispy.

Running as quick as I could I ran the length of the fire's perimeter. The goal was that each loop I'd get faster condensing the flames into a spiral of heat while the monster was driven into the inferno.

The only problem was that it was hot. Within seconds I was sweating profusely. It was not a good day to wear pants, or any clothes for that matter, and maybe even skin. The smoke burned my lungs and made my eyes water but it was working. The flames stopped leaping to other branches and brush.

From an outsider's point of view it would have been pretty terrifying to witness a giant funnel cloud of fire. Figuring it was sufficient enough I skidded to a halt a good distance away.

The others were supposed to guide the monster into the flames where it would hopefully combust and disintegrate. If it hadn't been extremely fiery already there's nothing like seeing a gigantic torch blazing in front of you. Leo would at least appreciate the master piece of it.

Thankfully, things went as planned and the monster slowly melted before disappearing all together. On the down side I looked like a half burned troll doll according to Phoebe.

"Every time I end up helping out with things I look like a hot mess," I whined, Phoebe rolled her eyes at me.

"Yeah, the mess is right," Zuri quipped, earning a high five from Phoebe.