[1] 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐋𝐋 ― p.jackson ✓

002.

「002. This truly is the end.... of an era 」

THE SCREAMING had started again. of course, when barbie puts it like that, it sounds bad. which is perfectly right. it is bad. this is the third time in a week the whole aphrodite cabin has woken up to silena screaming. barbie had to get up quickly to calm her down, trying to hold her as the screaming stopped, but silena pushed away too frightened. barbie knew the war that was inevitable was affecting people, she'd seen it first hand with cherry. but not like this. silena was sobbing, not letting anybody touch her. she was muttering, something like, "not him. not again.... don't... stop it."

"it's getting worse," barbie sighed, the dark waves of the night mixed with the small streaks of moonlight flowing into her room making it seem even more ominous. she turned to the rest of her worried siblings and said in a soft voice, "it's alright guys... just head to sleep. lena will be ok. i'm just gonna head out and grab beck."

there was muttering, but that was drowned out by silena's sobbing that ceased to stop. barbie heard nessa's timid voice ask, "are you ok, lena-?"

"get away! no.... stop! stop!" silena managed to say loudly over her crying, scaring poor nessa, who was ushered into a hug by val who was muttering reassuring words.

barbie took that as the sign to run and grab charles beckendorf. she'd only ever had to do it once for silena. and now, here she was at midnight, thankful the harpies were patrolling nowhere near her. she rushed to the hephaestus cabin, which looked like more of a blacksmith mixed with a huge workshop than anything. she knocked on the door a few times, before a tired charles beckendorf opened the door, a confused and groggy expression on his face, "wha's it?" he yawned, "wha' time is it?"

"it's silena," she managed to say quietly, "please come. she won't stop crying. she won't let any of us touch her. please beck-"

"it's alright barb," beck spoke, reassuring her as he ruffled her hair, "lead the way then."

they walked quickly, not a word spoken between them. barbie was far to worried about silena to actually speak. so instead she quickly led beck to the aphrodite cabin, opening the door and leading him in. she ushered him to where silena was still crying, and he ran towards her, being the first to be able to touch her. he started slowly, touching her hand before slowly making his way to holding her as he muttered reassuring words.

"is she ok now?" drew whispered to barbie.

"i thought you hated her?" barbie asked, wondering if it was just late night madness.

there was silence for a moment.

"i don't hate anybody," came the voice of drew, unnaturally quiet, "i... just have a hard way of showing my love... you're all my siblings, of course i love you guys... but gods i get so jealous sometimes-  you all have... y'know, somebody. and i'm all alone. silena has beckendorf... you have percy-"

"i do not have percy-"

"you will shortly," drew mumbled, rubbing her elbows, "and what happens then? nobody will talk to me... i-"

she stopped, as if realising she'd spoken too much. she turned to barbie, her worried and scared look morphing into a scowl, "whatever. get off my bed, i don't need your germs."

barbie was in no mood to argue or even just come up with a clever retort. it was too early in the morning (or late in the night. she had no idea). but she walked to her bed, hearing the fearful voice of silena, repeating to beck, "you stay safe. stay safe beck.... you keep me sane beck. you always do."