All Her Life

Chapter 28 - FINALLY BROKEN

Annabeth stared out the broken window of her apartment. Everyone was going to blame her... Everyone was going to call her a murderer. Annabeth backed away, tears falling down her face. She didn't do anything. She hadn't touched him. She'd been doing her homework when her father got home, when he broke the window and tried throwing her out. It wasn't her fault that she managed to escape before he threw her out. Annabeth covered her mouth and slowly backed away, starting to cry. Her father had just fallen 10 flights to the New York street, while attempting to throw her out. Annabeth backed to the stairway, slipping on her own feet with a whimpered gasp.

Annabeth slowly sat on the stairs, pulling out her phone. She couldn't take her eyes off of the broken glass window. Slowly, she dialed 911, putting the receiver to her mouth. "Hello...? 911..? My dad just threw himself out of our living room window..."

"Alright, what's your address, sweetheart?" Annabeth mumbled her response after a kind woman answered, "And which floor do you two live on?"

"The tenth..." Annabeth sniffled. "Please send help... I don't know what to do..."

"Are you home alone?"

"Yes..."

"Do you have any relatives who can stay with you, or pick you up?"

"No..."

"What about your friends?"

"He's out of town for the weekend..." Annabeth sniffled. Piper wasn't in the city, with her dad at a movie shoot. The girls from the softball team... They'd tried to give her their numbers, but Drew had ripped the paper with their numbers to shreds before she could put them in her cell.

"Well... Surely you have more than one?"

"Not really..." Annabeth mumbled. "Not many people get along with me..."

"Alright, a few officers and an ambulance will arrive shortly. Are you still in your apartment?"

"Yes..." Annabeth mumbled quietly, eyes flickering to the floor.

"Okay, can you unlock your front door for the officers when they arrive?"

"It's already open..." Annabeth sniffled.

"Okay, are you hurt, ma'am?"

"My hands, they... They're cut and bloody... It's not mine... Most of it at least, and... I think I sprained my ankle... It's hurts."

"Okay, can you stay on the line, please?" Annabeth hesitated, putting her phone on the step. "Ma'am?"

Annabeth stood up, slowly going upstairs. She couldn't help it. She was alone, her father had just tried to kill her, how was she expected to react? Annabeth went to her bedroom-adjoining bathroom, and locked the door, opening the medicine cabinet. Inside, was two bottles of pills, one bottle with a special dispenser, and the other without. Annabeth grabbed the one without and closed the cabinet, looking at her reflection. She looked horrible. Her hair was a mess, her cheeks blotchy and tear stained, her eyes bloodshot, her face cut up and bloody. Annabeth sniffled, starting to cry again, tears pouring down her face, gritting her teeth.

Her own father tried to kill her. Her own father! He actually tried to do it... What was the point if her dad tried murdering her? She knew Percy loved her, but her own dad! Her own dad wanted her dead! Annabeth unscrewed the bottle, popping a few pills into her hand, then into her mouth.

One to sleep for a night. She took more, and more, and more, until there was one left. Annabeth wasn't feeling the effects yet, but she knew it would be there soon. She took the last pill in between her fingers and closed her eyes, sitting on the floor. She swallowed the last one. Thirty to sleep forever.

Annabeth got to her feet, starting to stagger out of the bathroom. Already, the medicine was making her head spin, accelerated by her pain and tears. Annabeth got to the door, trying to unlock it. Her hands fumbled until she managed to open it. Annabeth whimpered, nearly falling on the floor. Slowly, she walked to the bed, and laid down, closing her eyes and curling up under the blanket. She heard footsteps below her and let herself relax, let the pills kick in. Then she heard her bedroom door shake, then it opened, knowing they would know.

"Annabeth!?" She opened her eyes weakly to see Percy's face. Tears streamed down her face, and his arms wrapped around her. "Annabeth, what did you do!? Annabeth? Annabeth!?"

She went limp in his arms, head against his chest. She heard his voice breaking, but couldn't make out his words. She'd begun regret it, but it was too late to go back now. Annabeth closed her eyes again, the image of Percy's eyes the last thing she saw before darkness took over.

***

Percy had been out of town for another family emergency, for a week. His step-dad's mom was in the hospital again, and it put everyone in a state of panic. The moment Percy got back, he was off to see Annabeth, running to her apartment. He stopped outside and tried the passcode. It had been changed again, so he pulled his phone out, to call Annabeth or her butler. He didn't get the chance before the sound of breaking glass split through the New York City noise. He looked up as a shower of glass fell upon the street. He could see Annabeth and her dad from where he was, in their window, but he couldn't see what happened.

Percy grabbed the door as someone stepped out, wincing when someone screamed, looking over to see something he could never forget. Percy's stomach flipped, but his mind was on Annabeth. He raced inside, to the stairs, scaling them two at a time, not stopping until he reached the tenth floor.

Her front door was open. Percy felt nausea mix with terror in his stomach as he slowly walked in, calling her name. "Annabeth!? Annabeth!?"

He felt a gust of wind cut through the open window, dragging roughly at his clothes, seeing blood on the floor. He moved a little quicker, to the stairs where Annabeth's cell sat on the bottom step, in a call. He heard something thud slightly from upstairs and started to climb the stairs, running again. He got to her room, but it was stuck. Her door did that a lot. It was difficult to open and got sticky sometimes. Percy growled and slammed his shoulder into the door, breaking it open.

Inside, he saw Annabeth, on her bed, eyes closed. "No..." He shook his head. Percy went to the bed and pulled her into his arms. She looked up at him for a second, eyes falling closed once again. "Annabeth!? Annabeth, what did you do!? Annabeth? Annabeth!?"

She went limp, and Percy felt his body shake. She was pale, her face tear stained, eyes red, wrists bruised and bloody. He didn't know what to do... She was dying... She was dying...