The Demigod Games (PJO/THG)

20 - Just Fix Those Damn Floorboards

-Leo

Creak. Creak.
The floorboards beneath my feet whined under my weight as I paced around the wooden living room table. I had woken up an hour ago, and the sun was starting to rise above the horizon- a gladly taken reminder that I, somehow, was still on earth.

Creak. Creak.

My mind felt like a boiling, steamy heap. I couldn't think straight, even though I desperately needed a plan. Anything. But how can you make up a plan when you don't even know the general direction you should go? Without the others, I was lost. And for once, it was entirely on me to go and save my friends. I was alone.

Creak. Creak.
Shadows crept over the room like a dark veil as the sun rose higher, and the single light bulb in the center of the room frantically tried to chase them away. The night was fading, and with her, my time. I felt like an enormous clock was peering on me, menacing to crush me with its weight. I had no time. If I wanted to find my friends, I needed to be quick. Because I sensed, in the anxiety of the air, in the lingering presence of upcoming doom, that something was coming. Something terrible.

Creak. Creak.
I turned in circles, more and more rapidly, around the center of the room. A single drop of sweat lingered on my forehead.
How to start? I couldn't just blindly walk in a random direction, hoping I'd find my friends, and I couldn't just sit around, either, waiting for them to come rescue me.
No, I had to take the first step.

Creak. Cr-
Abruptly, I stopped pacing around the room, making the house eerily silent. My entire surroundings seemed to hold their breath. Crossing my eyebrows, I looked up behind the old glass window, and into the distance.
Majestically, the sun finally rose high enough so that its rays bathed my body in pure light. I breathed in slowly, feeling the morning air enter my lungs. I closed my eyes, letting the sunlight embrace me. And as Katniss entered the living room, gently smiling, her dark hair woven into a braid, I realized something.
I was not alone.
I had a new friend whom I trusted, despite having met her just the night before. I could feel her purity, her will to help- and I knew I could tell her everything.
But it wasn't just that - what had really motivated me into trusting her was the slightly odd feeling that was emanating from her- some sort of thirst, a superior motivation I couldn't quite grasp. It was in the small flame in her eyes, a ray of hope in an ocean of despair.
A desire for rebellion.

"What's up?" Katniss asked in an uplifting voice. "Sleep well?"
"Not really," I replied sheepishly. "Too much stress... I needed to think, but at the same time I couldn't, you see what I mean?" I sighed. "I'm just worried."
"I get it, you know," she calmly responded, walking up to me. "Life isn't always easy around here -and that's an euphemism. I don't really care about what happens to me in the end - all I want is for my friends, my family, everyone I love to just be safe. And happy." Deeply sighing, she added, a hint of resignation in her tone, "Sadly, that's a term we don't hear much around here."
A long silence followed, as we listened to the birds in nearby trees. Their chant seemed a bit off, though; they seemed to be singing something more - how to say?- intelligent. It seems stupid said like this, but those four notes they repeatedly sung made it look like they were.. communicating, of sorts.

Anyways, I took a chair and slowly sat down, mirrored by Katniss a second later.
"Look, first, I'm sorry for, uh, intruding into your life like this. And thank you, deeply, for not turning me over to the weird cop Peacekeeper guys you have around here." She waved it off. "It's fine, really. There isn't anything in it for me for turning over a criminal, and even if there was, I'd never help those assholes... plus, I needed the distraction," she winked.
"So..." I hesitated, unsure of where to start. "I probably owe you an explanation. As to why I'm here, why I'm being chased, and... why I need to leave as soon as possible," I started.
Katniss smirked. "I have a feeling I'm going to have a hard time believing this..."

I began explaining everything from the beginning, detailing all the aspects of our arrival here and hiding nothing from her. I told everything- our demigod status, our encounter with the shimmering portal at the bottom of the lake, our separation and our arrival here, and finally, my factory escape, right up until the moment I met her. During the story, I registered her multiple frowns and her outright looks of shock. The demigod bit seemed especially hard to accept.
"So, that's why I need your help," I finished. "Our entire fate lies on you."

At the end of the story, I held my breath, awaiting her verdict. That was it- I knew she wouldn't beleive me. Who would? Only now did I realize how incredible, to the literal sense of term, my story seemed. I mean, seriously? Portals, superpowers, blinking into the future? I internally slapped myself. I never should've told her that - now I'd ruined everything, she was going to kick me out, call the cops, and send me to where I deserved to be -
"I believe you." She finally announced. I slumped back against my chair, shocked to the bone. "You actually - no way." I laughed, incredulous. "Wow. I didn't know I was charismatic to the point-"
"Whoa there," she stopped me, grinning. "If I'm really going to beleive you, I need some kind of proof. Because the demigod thing isn't exactly the most credible thing."
I frowned for a second, then realized I could prove it. Crossing my fingers, I laid out my hand across the table. "Okay," I sighed, closing my eyes and concentrating, trying to call my powers back to me. "Hopefully it still works-"
I stopped mid-speech as I felt a wave of calm wash over me, alike a cool breeze in a burning desert.
I slowly opened my eyes to see a small, ruby flame dancing in the palm of my hand. I took a moment to enjoy Katniss's hilarious look of utter bewilderment, then closed my hand, extinguishing the fire.
"See?" I smirked, trying not to sound braggy.
"Wow. So it's real..." Her voice trailed off as she seemed to sink into deep thought. After a moment, she gave in with a sigh. "Fine. I'll help you- but," she added quickly as she saw my delighted expression, "I am not taking any  responsibility for you or any of your friends. I have a family, too, and they need me more than you think. If you get caught, I won't save you. Get it?" But even as she spoke those words, I could hear the uncertainty in her voice. "Sure you won't," I winked. "How could you resist this?" I said, gesturing at my (perfect) body. Katniss merely rolled her eyes, unimpressed.
"Resist what?" She teased. "I can't see anything."
I faked a hurt expression, putting a hand to my chest. "Come on, let's get going," she announced, standing up and aiming for the door. I followed closely behind, feeling a mix of dread and anticipation at what we were going to face very soon. "I'll explain everything to you on the way." And at that, we disappeared through the entryway, marching towards our uncertain future and the rising sun.

Author's Note,
April 7th, 2020

Hey there! Sorry for the semi-long chapter. I hope it was worth your time :)
Speaking of time, I have loads! With the French government cancelling my end-of-year exams due to that idiot virus, I'll be free to write more actively. So, buckle up :)
As always, comment and vote if you liked, and, well, tell your fellow riordanverse / whatever-the-hunger-games-universe-is-called friends about my book if you enjoyed it and think they will! Your support means a lot to me. More than you think.
Anyways, stay safe and in your houses! Remember to shower, and all that. Love you all <3
See ya around!
-uLySse_