The lost hero rises

2. Breaking down

Percy's point of view:

I wake with a gasp. I'm breathing hard.
My shirt is clenched to my body with sweat.
Annabeth is still asleep next to me.

I get out of bed and stumble to the bathroom.

I splash some water in my face and look into the mirror on the wall.

I want to scream and let everything out.
As I look into my eyes again I punch into the mirror. It shattered on the ground.

I can't even look at myself anymore.
I sit down on the cold bathroom floor. Mirror shatters around me.

I cry silently. I let myself break down.

I have no other choise.. I have to do this.

Annabeth's point of view:

It has been 4 days since Percy went to speak to Chaos.

Chaos has given him something to help him sleep. But I'm not sure it helps much.
Every night Percy wakes up sweating and sometimes even screaming.

He looks terrible.
He has dark circles under his eyes, his focus has been somewhere else entirely.
And doesn't want to talk to anybody anymore.

He doesn't smile, laugh or eat.

There is something going on. But nobody knows what. And he just wont talk to me.
This morning I found the mirror shattered in the bathroom.. And Percy was gone.

He does that a lot lately.. He disappears for the entire day and when he returns he seems more distant than before.

This morning I am getting ready to go back to camp to help train the camers.

It has been almost 10 days for us but for the campers it has been barely 2.

When I arrive in the Hall where everyone eats I notice how everyone is tense.

"What is going on?" I aks my friends.

"Ever since Percy has been acting different, the soldiers are scared Percy is breaking.." Beckendorf says.

"Breaking?" I ask confused.

"It happens sometimes, when soldiers have been in so many battles that they just can't handle it anymore. They break down mentally." Bianca explains.

"And with everything going on.. There is such a heavy burden that Percy has to carry. And sure we are there for him. But in the end.. he is the commander. Everyone is looking at him for answers and orders." Luke says sadly.

It's not like I didn't know that.
But I just never imagined that Percy would break.. He is Percy..

"Where is he?" I ask.
I need to talk to him. I need to get through to him. Make sure that he knows he is not alone.

"Where do you think. He is running from his responsibilities." I hear someone mutter behind me.

I turn around. There is a soldier eating his food.

"Excuse me?" I say to him. Was this guy serious?

"You heard me." He says. I raise my eyebrows at him in shock.

"Percy doesn't run from his responsibilities." I tell him getting angry. How can he say this!

"Oh really? Then tell me. Where is he?" The soldier asks loudly. "We need our commander. His soldiers are worried about the battle that is comming. His soldiers need him. Yet he is nowhere to be found. He doesn't care about us."