The Mark of Athena (Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 35- Hazel

Chapter 35

Hazel

     Hazel didn’t understand what was happening. One second she was perfectly fine, the next second a spasm ran through her stomach and she collapsed. She groaned and clutched her abdomen, terrified what was happening to her. What was going on? She coughed, the pain not fading one little bit.

     “What’s going on?” Leo suddenly asked, sounding panicked. “What’s wrong with them?”

     Them, Hazel thought. She inclined her head to see Piper also on the ground, gripping her stomach like she was in pain.

     Being careful, Hazel pulled up her shirt to uncover her stomach. That’s when she nearly fainted when she saw the sight.

     Across her stomach were slash marks like scratches, but they were glowing green. The pain intensified. She looked over at Piper to see green glowing under her shirt.

     “Look,” Hazel managed to whisper. She showed the others her glowing stomach with the slash marks.

     Annabeth paled. “It’s green.”

     “So?” Percy asked.

     “Gaea.” Annabeth looked ready to faint. “I think we all have them. I read about these. It’s the Curse of Gaea. It causes horrible pain in the stomach for about two days. And I think we’re going to be infected a few people at a time.”

     Percy lifted his own shirt to reveal skin-colored slash marks across his stomach. “And I think I’m going to be next.”

     “Oh, no,” Annabeth wailed. “It takes two days for the pain to stop, but at least a day to recover from it!”

     “I’m next as well,” Jason commented. He also had the tan-colored slash marks.

     Frank exhaled in relief. “I don’t have slash marks.”

     “Come on.” Annabeth leaned down and helped Hazel to her feet. “We have to get them to the infirmary.”

     “I’m fine…” Hazel managed to say, but she groaned the next second. She could feel sweat forming on her face. The pain felt like someone was stabbing her with a pencil that was on fire. She would have collapsed, but Annabeth was strong.

     When Hazel finally did collapse, it was on a cot in the infirmary. She had her hands over her stomach. She sighed before asking, “How did I get this?”

     Annabeth had a book in front of her face. “Well, according to these myths, the Curse of Gaea happens when she needs someone to get out of her path of leadership. Apparently, she wants to get us out of her way.”

     “Is it contagious?” Leo asked. He pulled up his shirt and paled considerably when he saw tan scratch marks. “Uh, Annabeth…”

     She groaned. “It’s not contagious. If Gaea wants you to have it, you get it. Um, I guess the rest of us have to take care of these two.” She gestured helplessly to Hazel and Piper.

     “Thanks for finally noticing us,” Piper muttered. She didn’t look as bad as Hazel.

     “Pipes, why do you look not as pained as you should be?” Leo asked.

     She rolled her eyes. “I got stabbed in the stomach, which was a thousand more times worse than this.” She wiped her sweat away, and Hazel noticed she was gritting her teeth.

     “Well, you kind of passed out immediately last time.” Leo crossed his arms.

     “You would have, too.”