Afterlife Anxiety (Annabeth Fanific)

We Battle Some Hellhounds and Maybe Die

Annabeth's POV

We were on a walk one random Thursday, just enjoying the presence of each other. Sally had invited us to dinner, as Paul's family was coming over. We crossed the street, bickering about random roman architecture when we spotted them. Three huge hell hounds sniffing the ground, bigger than I had ever seen before. After a bit more sniffing, the hell hounds looked up. Their bloodshot eyes zeroed in on us, and they came bounding through the oncoming traffic. Mortals swerved out of the way, honking their cars and cursing at the 'rabid dogs'. I pulled out my drakon bone sword from under my shirt. I would need it.

"What's the plan?" Percy asked, uncapping riptide and narrowing his eyes as the hell hounds got closer.

"You take the left one, I'll take the right one. Is there any water nearby? Can you try to drench the middle one?"

"Uhhm, no, I don't think so."

I cursed under my breath. There was no other option. "I guess we'll just have to wing it, then."

Percy gave me a grim smile. "Never thought I'd hear you say that. Let's go."

We ran forward at the monsters, Percy veering to the left as I turned to the right. The hell hound in front of me bared his teeth and charged. I ducked underneath, trying to stab it in the heart, but my aim was off. I missed and hit it right under the tail, making the hell hound let out a painful skreech. I rolled over and got to my feet, slashing and hacking at the monster, but I wasn't making any real progress. I risked a quick look over to my left to see how Percy was doing, but he wasn't faring much better. The two other hell hounds had ganged up on him, forcing him back into a brick apartment building. He slashed around with riptide, bringing down the blade on top of one of the hell hounds, but nothing happened. Riptide just grazed the monster's hide.

"What the-" Percy started but was interrupted when one of the hell hounds pounced on him, tearing open his shirt. Percy gasped as the hell hound raked his chest. Blood soaked his shirt, dripping onto the sidewalk. All the mortals had backed away, probably thinking that it was some rabid dogs. I stumbled as the hell hound I was battling tried to bite off my head. A surge of anger pulsed through me. Couldn't we just have one normal day to hang out with my boyfriend? There was no way I was going to let these dogs win, not after what I and Percy had been through.

I battled the dog with more force, and the hell hound could sense that I was about to win. He tried for one last swipe at me, and that was his fatal mistake. As his paw came up, I reached my sword underneath the hound once again and stabbed with all I had. Finally! The startled expression on the monster's face as he crumbled to dust was priceless - but I had no time to admire the look. The odds were finally in our favor. I raced over to help Percy with the two hell hounds, but what I saw there made me stop in my tracks.

Percy was on the bleeding out on the ground, weakly raising his arm to protect himself with riptide, but the hell hounds were slowly closing in on him. I came to my senses and raised my sword as one hell hound tried to bite Percy. I ran toward it and stabbed it straight in the eye. It howled, a sound of pure agony, before it dissolved into a puddle of dust. I turned towards the last hell hound who was trying to pounce onto Percy and growled at it. It turned his head towards me and growled back, but instead of coming to fight me, he continued to try and get to Percy. Then it reared back, pawing the ground nervously. I stopped, confused. Why was it nervous? That was my mistake. The hell hound charged forward and started to pounce onto Percy, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Or was there?

I charged along with the hell hound, trying to get in front of it before it pounced. I jumped over Percy so that when the hell hound jumped it would hit me, not Percy. I stabbed the monster trying to kill it before it touched me, but no such luck. The monster disintegrated, but not before four sharp nails pierced my chest into my heart.

I stumbled before I fell next to Percy. At least he was safe! I groaned softly as blood gushed out of my wounds, soaking my shirt red like Percy's. I knew enough to know that my wound was fatal, just like I knew that Percy would live to see another day. Percy turned to face me, wincing, tears in his eyes.

"There's ambrosia in your backpack! Come on, toss it over to me!" Percy said, but the light was fading in his eyes. He knew that I was gone soon, that no amount of ambrosia would save me.

"Please don't leave me, Annabeth. You said we would be together. Together forever. You promised." Percy said weakly, grabbing my hand for reassurance.

"I'm sorry, Percy. I'll see you soon?" I whispered, the only thing I had strength left for.

Percy nodded, tears glistening his eyes.

"Don't dwell too much on me Percy. Live your life. I'll see you when the time is right." I said, choking on my own tears.

I let go of his hand, and I also let go of the effort to stay connected to my body. I looked up from Percy into the sky, where I saw a beautiful warrior sitting on a horse made of mist. Wisps of long black hair tumbled from her high ponytail, and she sat regally in her armor. She reached out a hand to me, and I took it, knowing that she was probably one of Hades' personal assistants came to escort me to Elysium. I climbed onto the mist horse and let the dark skinned girl take me up into the air. As I looked down, I saw Percy crying and calling my name, although he knew it was no use. Mortals had crowded around the scene, and I heard sirens wailing in the distance, but that wasn't my concern anymore. I would miss Percy, but there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't wait to see what Elysuim looked like.