Life and Death Don't Mix

Chapter 7

        Annabeth stopped and placed her hand on the tree. Percy looked confused as he walked beside her, asking what she was doing, instead of responding, she put her finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet.

I looked beside me at the nearest tree, resting my own hand against it. At first, there was nothing, but then I felt it. There was a trembling within the tree. I leaned against the tress, resting my head against it as I listened to the movements. The trembling was not from something in the distance but from above. Whatever the monsters were, they were in the treetops.

I looked up, trying to make out something in the darkness. After a minute, my eyes adjusted as I could see the creatures. There were more than a dozen of them jumping and moving.

"Something's moving above us," Annabeth whispered. "Gather up,"

I felt someone pull me away from the tree as I looked to the group. We were all huddled up, but I knew that would not help us. The monsters knew we were here, and I knew they were not planning on letting us leave.

I jumped back as the first creature dropped right in front of us. My first thought was furies, but with the amount of them, it could not be. They looked a bit different too. These creatures looked like wrinkled hags with bat-like wings, brass talons, and red eyes that seemed to glow.

I heard Bob grunt beside me as one fell in front of him. Another dropped in front of Percy and then one in front of Annabeth. I could listen to more moving in the trees, and I knew there were more of them hiding.

"What are you?" Annabeth demanded

The Arae. The cursed, Hissed the voices.

I looked up, trying to find the one that had spoken, but none of their mouths moved. It was like the sounds had come from the air as it just floated around them.

"What-what do you want?" Annabeth asked, her voice shaking.

The voices cackled maliciously. To curse you, of course! To destroy you a thousand times in the name of mother night!

"Only a thousand times?" Percy murmured, "Oh, good...I thought we were in trouble."

I rolled my eyes as I let out a sigh as I wondered if we would die because of his stupidity. I carefully watched the Arae as they moved and grew closer. Slowly looking around, I looked for any spaces we could use to escape, but they had now closed the areas we could have used.

My hand instinctively went to my ring as I felt it form into a sword. The leather calmed me down as I thought I could take anything on.

Behind me, I felt Annabeth and Percy move back. I looked at them, noticing Annabeth whispering something to Percy, causing him to look off into our right. I felt pained as I realized they were planning something, and once again, I was not involved. I wondered if they would leave me behind.

"Back off," Percy said as he jabbed at the nearest Arae.

She hissed in response growing closer, We are the Arae. The voice said, causing chills to travel down my spine.

Annabeth grabbed hold of Percy's arm, "Don't touch them, they are the spirits of the cursed." She warned us.

"Bob does not like curses," Bob said, sweeping his broom in a large arc. Some of the spirts moved back before coming right back.

We serve the bitter and the defeated, we serve the lain that prayed for vengeance, with their final breath. We have many curses to share with you. Many curses to give you, so come and welcome them all onto you and pay for what you have done.