Afterlife Anxiety (Annabeth Fanific)

A Messed Up Prophecy

Annabeth's POV

I leaned my head back on the plush sofa and sighed. The whole group decided to skip poker to the death to rendezvous about the sudden prophecy that sprung from the 'Norns' (they looked like the Fates to me) at dinner a couple hours ago.

"I don't understand. That wasn't even a real prophecy," I said, looking around at the floor nineteen living room. It had a few sofas and pool tables scattered around, but we were the only people occupying the room as of now.

"What do you mean? Seemed like a prophecy to me," TJ muttered, sending a few glares his way.

"Let Annabeth speak," Mallory muttered, sending a small punch in TJ's direction.

Magnus nodded. "That wasn't real. The first line? 'Wrongly chosen, wrongly slain'? Remember that?"

Mallory gasped. "That's part of the prophecy the Norns issued on your first day!"

Magnus nodded. "But the rest is a mystery to me-"

I cut in. "Not a mystery to me. These lines are from different prophecies issued. I know a few of them - 'Wisdom's daughter walks alone' is from my quest following the Mark of Athena in Rome." I shuddered. Not good memories.

Everyone nodded. "Do you know the rest of them?" Alex asked, looking at me.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember. Painful flashbacks shocked me. I was used to flashbacks from Tartarus, they came most nights. But these flashbacks were older. Me and Percy on that bus to L.A., talking about our pasts. Us on that Island in the Sea of Monsters - Percy turning into a guinea pig. I smiled sadly at that one. Struggling to hold up the sky, almost giving in. Percy and I curled up, asleep in the Labyrinth, shadows engulfing us. I remember how scared I was back then. Even now, nothing would make me set foot in the Labyrinth again. Except maybe Percy. I was shifted from my thoughts as my flashbacks moved on. Percy leading everyone in the Battle of Manhattan. Our few weeks together after the war. Then he disappeared, for months on end. I couldn't bear it then - I had no idea where he was. I searched and searched, with no avail. I seriously thought he was dead for a while. That I would never get to see his smile again. Then Jason turned up - 'the boy with one shoe.' I thought that he would have some answers to where Percy was, but he didn't even have answers to who he was. Then Leo creating the Argo II, meeting Percy in New Rome. I was overjoyed. And then we had to leave for our quest. Eidolons took control of Jason and Percy, and I freaked out. Then-

"Hey! Annabeth! Annabeth! Wake up!" Alex's voice shocked me out of my little flashback session.

I opened my eyes groggily. "Sorry. How long was I out?"

Halfborn was staring at me warily. "Around ten minutes!"

"Oh," I sighed. "Not that long, then."

Halfborn glared at me. "It was plenty long," he muttered when he thought that I couldn't hear him.

Everyone decided to ignore him. Magnus looked at me worriedly. "Annabeth, what happened? Are you okay? You were thrashing around and screaming Percy's name." He reached over and wiped my wet face. I hadn't even realized I was crying.

"I - I'm fine," I replied, my voice cracking. "Just a few flashbacks. Not that bad, actually, compared to my usual."

Everyone was staring at me in awe. "If that was good, then what's bad?" Mallory asked.

I smiled sadly at her. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

Alex turned to me, always on track. "Did it have anything to do with the not-prophecy?"