cacoethes |PERCY JACKSON| [book 2]

I

GHOSTLY FIGURES WALKED PAST Selena, some through her. She turned around, trying to figure out where she was. In the distance, there was a blue light. 

"Hello?" She followed the light and came upon the camp fire at Camp Half-Blood, her home. 

The campers surrounded the blue fire that only stood at five feet. They were sad, why were they sad?

In the middle of the fire was a shroud. Her shroud. It was purple with designs on it that she couldn't make out. It was blurry, like someone didn't want her to know what it was.

Sitting in the first row was Annabeth and Percy, but they looked a lot older, sixteen or so, with a few other kids she didn't recognize. One girl with fiery red hair, another was a young boy with pale skin and dark hair, below his eyes were dark blue bags that stood out on his skin. There was a girl a little younger with bright blue eyes and dark brown/reddish hair. She was sitting in the back, a hood covering her head as if she didn't want to be seen.

Annabeth was sobbing into her hands while Percy stared at the fire with tears running down his cheeks. Suddenly, he stood up and stormed away from the fire, "Percy!" Annabeth called out but he ignored her. Selena followed him to the Hermes cabin. Inside, he sat on a bunk. On the wall were polaroid photos. It was her bed.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Selena asked, sitting on the bed with Percy, "Percy-"

She watched as he reached for a photo on the wall. It was of them. Selena noticed they looked a bit beat up, but they looked happy, "I'm sorry." He sobbed, "I couldn't save you."

Selena reached out to touch him, but her surroundings changed. She was somewhere dark and warm. Screams reached her ears, "Percy? Percy!"

"A half-blood of the eldest Gods, shall reach sixteen against all odds."  Selena looked around as the voice reached her ears, "And see the world in endless sleep."

Percy appeared before her, sword in hand and there was a fire behind him, "Selena! Look out!" She turned around in time to see a boy mumbling something and it felt like she couldn't breathe, "Mother is very disappointed."

"The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. A single choice shall end his days." 

"We could be a family again, Luke! Me, Thalia, Annabeth, and you. Don't you want that?!" It was her. That was her voice.

"It's too late, Selena." Luke.

A pain exploded in her abdomen and Selena gasped.

"Olympus to preserve or raze."

Everything went dark again. Selena coughed once she was able to breathe again. "Who am I?" She turned to find a slightly older Percy, "Where am I? What's going on?"

Behind him was the Golden Gate Bridge. In the trees there was hissing and two women appeared.

Gorgons.

A girl's voice whispered to her, "I'm sorry, Selena. I never meant for this to happen."

"I don't want to be alone."

"I won't leave you."

Selena sat up with a gasp, sweat dripping down her face. She looked around at her cabin mates who were now used to her screaming and waking up in the middle of the night, before spotting Luke's bed. It was now empty, has been for months since Luke tried to kill Percy and joined Kronos.

She put on a sweatshirt and left the cabin quietly. The brunette made her way to the Big House, where she knew Chiron would be.

"Something troubles you, child." She squinted and spotted Chiron standing on the porch, "Nightmares, still?"

Selena nodded and looked around for anyone who could have been listening, "But this time it wasn't of just Percy. It was a lot of different images and words. 'Olympus to preserve or raze.'" Selena recited and Chiron froze,

"Perhaps your mind is plagued with worry." Chiron stated, looking down at the girl.

She glared up at the centaur, "My mind has been plagued with worry since last summer. It doesn't change the fact that something is coming. Something bad."

"You just need to rest, Selena." Chiron advised,

"No kidding." Selena huffed, "It's hard with all these dreams."

"Go back to your cabin, child. We will deal with this in the morning." Chiron ordered.

She shook her head, "But by morning, it might be too late. We don't know when this threat will come."

"We will cross that bridge when we get there. Now, I need to pack." He moved to go back into the house but Selena stopped him,

"Can we... play a card game or something?" She asked, "You can pack later. I just want to spend time with my favorite activities director before he leaves tomorrow."

Chiron sighed, grabbed a deck of cards and going over to a table, "Cribbage?"

"Sure." Selena smiled, sitting across from him and setting up the board, "But I get a piece of the chocolate cake when I win."