Chasing Shadows (DISCONTINUED)

Guess I'm not alone

I threw myself onto the scarlet, velvet, bed, my joins aching with frustration.
I mourned silently into a pillow, rolling around uncomfortably.
As I sat up, apart from the gentle rustling of the green fire, the only things I heard were the restless thoughts bouncing around in my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about everyone's agonised expression, the way they looked at me as if I killed someone.
They all were horrified and it was painful to admit that . . . I was too.

After recalling the stunned face of Drew, I cringed. The fear had soaked her voice and was gripping her body tightly. I saw what she saw : everyone turned away from her, she was alone and helpless, and I was the one behind it.
What she said to me was indifferent than what the stupid bullies at my school said, so why did I resort to using her fears against her?

The answer would probably be in the deep, dark depths of my brain and I didn't have the time for that. I fell back onto my bed and stared forlornly at my ceiling.
My breaths were shaky while my chest felt heavy with conflict. I felt bad for Drew, I felt like she didn't deserve that but she was acting like such a-
"Ugh, why do I care?" I snapped. "It already happened so there's no point regretting now, is there?" I sighed, shifting uncomfortably.
My shirt was unbearably tight, which was odd since I purposely gotten it a size bigger so it's more comfortable.
Just as I was about to scream in agony, I heard a knock on my door.
"Come in," I said reluctantly, hiding in my surprise because why would anyone want to visit me after what had happened?

Annabeth opened the door and stepped in with a soft (but fake) smile.
"Hey, how you doing?" She asked, closing the door tightly behind her as if she didn't want anyone to know she was friends with the lunatic.
"Fine." I lied. I tried to say it in a way where it seemed that I was disinterested but I had a feeling she knew I was a little relieved to see her. "Why are you here?" I asked her, suddenly interested by the green torches on the walls.
I sensed her uneasiness in the hades cabin. Annabeth didn't look good in green - her deep tanned skin, that normally looked healthy with a natural glow, looked sickly in the light with her unusually dull, blonde hair. However, one thing remained the same, her unsettlingly grey eyes still made me shudder now that they were studying me. I contemplated whether she was deciding on ways she can take me down in a fight or if I'm too stupid to even fight. My eyes wandered to the torches burning with Greek fire.
I wonder how long they can burn for.

"Just wanted to let you know that Percy and I won't judge you." She said briefly.
"Mhm, is that it?"
"Well, no . . ." She paused and sighed. "You're not the only one that's a child of Hades."
Intrigued, I looked at her,"so I'm not the only one?"
Annabeth nodded and opened her mouth but whatever she wanted to say was cut short. In the distance, I could hear the final conch horn of the day. She got up and told me she'll explain more tomorrow.

I watched her leave and the room was silent once again.

"Ughhhhhh." I moaned, stumbling onto my feet. I didn't know who this other child was, but they weren't in the cabin with me, so that gave me the option to claim a bed.
They all looked generally the same to me : same coffin shaped bed, same mahogany frames and same velvet sheets.
Whoever designed this really wanted the vampire aesthetic, didn't they? I thought as I plodded to the one in the corner.
After kicking off my shoes, I climbed into bed and felt my eyelids grow heavier and heavier until I was taken by sleep.

That night was the first time I've had a nightmare in a while.

I opened my eyes and was met with the view from the pavilion that snatched my breath away. The hills and trees were lush and full of life but something about it seemed... wrong.
Everything looked great and luscious but something was missing, campers.
As soon as I realised, the scene shifted into something that I hope I never live to witness ever again.

I opened my eyes and was met with the view from the pavilion that snatched my breath away. The marble staircase that lead from the pavilion into the actual camp was broken with mysterious red stains that I hoped was something excitedly throwing red paint.
The air was filled with the painful screams of campers and I looked down to see horrible, metal monsters chomping down on people and burning cabins down.
Where's Annabeth or Percy? I asked myself as I jogged down the steps. However after my first step, my arm was pulled back and I was dragged across the marble floor.
I looked up behind me and pulled my arm away, rolling to the side so I could get up.

Drew stood before me with a confident look, but this time it was stained with a murderous glare.
She scraped her nails on the tables, walking calmly towards me. My eyes were fixated on her, her make-up was messed up. Her lipstick was smeared with red and I just wanted to scream.
"Don't open your mouth, don't make a sound." She cooed with a soothing tone.
She pulled me by my shirt and whispered that everything will be over soon.
Her hands made their way to my neck and tighten it's grip around it.
I could feel my airway closing in but I couldn't fight back. My body felt like a vegetable just numb and useless.
I looked at her pleadingly, the same way she did and she broke out into a heinous laugh.
The ability to breathe was getting farther and farther away as the pressure on my neck increased and my shoulders started to hurt.
My arms tried to push her away but failed considering the only strength that I had in me was that of a stuffed toy.
"S-stop..." I croaked, my vision getting blotchy. The screams of Annabeth and Percy and Rhianna entered the scene and reminded me just how useless and pathetic I am.

I squirmed as the tightness on my shoulders increased. I was yanked up and pulled into reality by a stranger.
When I realised that i didn't know them, I tried to kick them away but was confined by the blood-red sheets of the bed.
"Don't hurt me." I begged, pressing my hands together like I was praying the intruder wouldn't kill me. I didn't know who I could trust anymore. He wasn't even wearing a camp half-blood t shirt but a black one with a skull and a black aviator jacket so who knows if this is Mr Manson's hitman or a random traveller.
He looked at me with a cold stare,"why are you in here?" He made it sound like I was infecting this cabin and that just made me angry.
"Excuse you!" I sat up,"This is my cabin! Why are you here?" I demanded,my face red with anger.
"I'm the cabin leader." He said bluntly, stepping away,"You were having a nightmare and I couldn't concentrate so I was forced to wake you up." He explained as he dragged his feet to the shrine. The shrine was small and was made out of bones and jewels.
"What are you doing?" I asked, peering over his shoulder.
He didn't answer and sat on his knees.
I shot him a crossed look and went back onto my bed. My eyes scanned the room, expecting to find a window but surprisingly, there weren't any.
"My gods, who designed this cabin?" I waved my arms in exasperation as I stomped to the door and cracked it open. I had heard from Percy that there would be harpies looking around for people who were up past curfew and I didn't fancy being someone's lunch.
The sky was still a deep purple but it started to transition into a pale orange.
"5am? Maybe even 6." I muttered to myself as I sat myself down on my bed.
I picked up my school bag and looked through it. Normally when I woke up, I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep so I decided that I should do something "productive".
I threw a packet of crisps, a pencil case and two (empty) bottles of water onto my bed. I was a very well packed person.
Oh my lord, I don't even have a toothbrush, I thought, slapping my forehead. Well, to be fair, I thought I was only going to school.

After shrugging, I looked at the cabin leader and studied him. He was sitting crossed legged now and his eyes were shut tight. His lips moved faintly and I got the feeling he was praying. His scruffy, black, hair was bathed in an emerald shade while his ghostly white skin looked eerier in the green glow. Something about him
Wait.
"Are you a son of hades?" I asked, breaking the silence.
He looked back at me,"No, I'm just the cabin leader because I'm a son of Hermes." He said sarcastically.
I pouted,"I'm just gonna pretend you weren't rude."
He scoffed while he climbed onto his feet. "I'm Nico Di Angelo."
"Nikita Ravid."
"Well, bye, Nikita." He started to run to the direction of the wall. I expected him to just fall over after he rammed himself into the obsidian wall but was pleasantly surprised when he melted through the darkness.
And just like that, a deadly silence fell into my room and I was sat on my bed, wondering what the hell just happened there.