Nobody Said It Was Easy

Chapter 11

A/N: 

*crawls out of hole covered in blood*

Had you guys all worried there for a minute, didn't I? Never fear, my lovely readers. I am alive and back with another chapter! I'm so excited. This story has really blown up, and I've gotta' say, you lot, it almost makes me tear up. 

Seriously though guys, thank you so much for your support! It makes me so happy to know that people like and enjoy my writing.

Now, I know this chapter has been a long time coming (a very long time), and I'm really sorry about that. I promise you, it was not my intention to leave you all hanging for so long, but you know how it goes.... life got in the way.

Not to worry, though. I'm back! And I hope you love this chapter! (*stage whispers* Leave me a comment. It makes me feel happy inside)

P.S. Check out the new cover. It's pretty cool, right? Canva's the best thing to ever happen to my profile.

Okay, I'm done. Goodbye, my lovelies! :3

Percy opened her eyes to nothing but inky blackness.

"Hello?" she called out, but her words just came bouncing back to her. "Is there anybody out there?!".

Nothing. Just stillness. Quiet. Empty.

She took a step forward, and something crunched beneath her shoe. A skull sat, gaping back at her with hollow eyes. Her foot had shattered its face.

Percy stumbled back, the image of a smiling girl with blonde hair and shining grey eyes appearing for just a second in place of the skull. "No...," she whispered, horrified.

"Yes...", they, malicious glee echoing in their voice.

Percy whipped around, eyes searching frantically in the blackness around her. "Who's there?".

There was nothing. Silence. And then, not ten feet in front of her, a figure began to take form out of the shadows. It looked almost like watching Nico's shadow travel in slow motion, but it was different somehow. More sinister. The dark clung to them, viscous and thick, like ink. Or blood.

Percy took a few more stumbled steps back. Something crunched. This time, she didn't look down.

"Who are you? Where am I?" she demanded, forcing her voice to level out as the shadows took a more humanoid form.

"What? Don't you recognize me?" it asked mockingly. Its body flickered and changed until before her stood what she saw in the mirror every morning.

Percy's eyes widened in confusion and shock. "What?".

"There we are. I knew I couldn't have changed that much". Her own voice came out of the creature's mouth, a twisted grin twitching on her lips.

"I-I don't understand," she stammered, eyes wide.

"Don't you, though?" it asked mockingly, "Why, I'm you!". It spread its arms wide and bowed, like a circus performer after a particularly fantastic trick. When it stood back up again, its eyes- her eyes- were a swirling pale green, like frozen sea glass.

"No," she whispered hoarsely, shaking her head.

It smirked. "Yes."

Percy turned tail and ran. Through nothing and everything. Never moving yet bounding across the whole world in a single step. It was impossible to tell. There was no way to count distance or time here. Nothing at all. Just empty.