capsize [percy jackson fanfiction]

chapter three

Annabeth's heart was racing. She was running. Running fast. Something was chasing her through the outskirts of camp. The smell nauseated her, the rain blurred her vision, the mud made it hard to even move.

It was getting closer, getting faster. Annabeth was getting slower. It was a matter of seconds before it had her. Time seemed to slow down as her breathing grew louder. She wasn't going to make it.

Annabeth didn't make it. Suddenly, she was being lifted off the ground and was face to face with a.. a..

The scene changed, and her eyes shot open. Annabeth was in her bed, in her cabin, screaming. Malcolm was by her side, gripping her hand,

"Annabeth! What is it?" he asked frantically.

"Just a nightmare," she replied, panting.

They didn't even need to talk. Malcolm saw the look in his sister's eyes. I'm going to see Percy. Don't tell Chiron, and I'll be back before breakfast. Love you.

It happened almost every night. Lately, she had weird dreams that didn't leave her as shaken up, so she stayed in the Athena cabin.

Her first one in weeks, the most horrifying one yet. Not the running away but the awful face. It was so familiar, but she just couldn't get it.

She threw the door open and sprinted to the Poseidon cabin despite the biting cold. The wind whipped her curls all around, obscuring her view of the camp.

"Shit." Annabeth hissed to herself.

A harpy stood right in front of the building. Her placid expression and stiff manner were easy to interpret; anyone who crossed the old hag was utterly screwed.

She was too tired to think of a plan. Did you want something sinister? Ask her at one in the afternoon, she'd be awake by then.

Nevertheless, Annabeth picked up a stone from the ground and threw it as far as she could in the opposite direction.

The harpy perked up, rushing toward the noise, feathers ruffling the wind.

"C'mon Annabeth," she panted, bursting into her boyfriend's lodge.

He was already sitting up, his sheets strewn across the room. Despite the dim light from the fountain, she could tell he was pale. His hair was messy, his forehead glistened with sweat, and all Annabeth wanted to do was comfort him, but she couldn't.

She didn't want to admit it, but she was absolutely terrified by everything that was going on. Things weren't getting better, and they weren't going to get better unless she figured it out. Unfortunately, it wasn't a logical problem. And it wasn't a prophecy, another issue with the gods. It was them.

"Annabeth," he breathed. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head, crawling into bed beside him.

"Nightmares?"

"Yes."

Percy hugged her close, grabbing a blanket from the floor and wrapping her in it. Annabeth couldn't help but wonder why he was awake.

"What about you, Percy?"

"Pain," he winced, "My head. But never mind that, tell me about your nightmare."

So she did, and with every passing minute, Percy seemed to grow paler and paler.

"The Minotaur." he whispered, "That was my experience with the minotaur."

That's why it was so familiar! Annabeth had heard the story millions of times, yet she was so shaken up by actually being in that situation.. Gods.

"Percy, I'm scared."

"Me too, Wise Girl. Me too."

***

Annabeth took one look at Percy's smile, and everything seemed to be alright again. The goofy grin, where his eyebrows were raised, one higher than the other. His eyes were almost crinkled shut, but you could still see his shining sea green eyes.

"-- and then Billie came up to me, and I'm pretty sure she and Valentina are dating by the way. Anyhow, yeah Billie comes up to me and I tell her she can suck my dick. Next thing I know my hair is cherry blossoms."

"You're so stupid!" Piper grinned, throwing a pillow at Leo.

For some reason, being in the Zeus cabin, all eight of them together, had an effect on Percy. He was happy, but it wasn't real. Real happiness lasted.

"It's not my fault!" the son of Hephaestus shouted defensively as he pulled a stem from his normal-again hair. "She was asking for it, saying that I was the worst fire chosen one ever chosen."

"She isn't wrong." Jason murmured, trying to smother his smile.

"Alright, Grace. You listen here-"

"I wouldn't-" Nico said cooly. "-as Jason has the ability to fucking fry you with a bolt of lightning."

"Whereas you are one of those lighters from the drugstore." Frank finished.

"I could drown all of you."

Everyone turned to Percy, who had been quiet the entire time.

"But man, do I wish I could drown myself."

***

"What's up with Percy?"

Annabeth turned to the voice. Nico stood by his cabin, dark clothes blending in with the black of the building.

Nico always knew when something was wrong. Especially with Percy, for they weren't so different. Nico di Angelo spent a life of suffering.

She shrugged, "Dunno."

"Don't shit with me, Annabeth. I know he hurt himself. I wanna know why."

No fucking way this kid knows. That kid knew.

"Well that's something we have in common-" Annabeth gave up. "-for I don't know either."