The House of Hades (discontinued)

[ III ] Percy

III

Percy

Tartarus was a totally new and different environment. As they fell, they seemed to be traveling through different kinds of dimensions. The wind and temperature changed constantly. The colors, patterns, and textures of the wall ranged from bright to dull, wavy to straight, from watery to solid and from smooth to rough. Random things floated around - dented shields and weapons, rocks, even body parts of monsters. Percy now realized why it took some monsters a very long time to reform.

Whilst descending at a speed that changed from slow to moderate to fast, Percy noticed that everything got darker around them, and automatically he grasped Annabeth's hand tighter.

He swore they'd never be apart again.

That's why right now, they were free-falling to their possible deaths. He would be happy, dying with Annabeth in his arms. But not now when his friends counted on them to find the Doors of Death in Tartarus. Not when Gaea was about to rise and doom the whole world.

He'd miss all the fun. And he'd fail his friends, his mother, Poseidon, the gods on Olympus, and all the living things that walked the Earth. And if he did die, he might not be even accepted into Elysium for that.

So he willed himself to survive the challenges that laid ahead of him and Annabeth. He prayed to all the gods he knew. Then he wrapped his arms around Annabeth tighter and braced himself, for the bottom of the chasm was closing in fast.

He shut his eyes tight and planted a kiss on Annabeth's forehead just in case it was his last moment.

He felt sharp pain in his back - and the added pain of Annabeth landing on top of him. He blacked out.

~

At first he felt some kind of pleasant tingle in his side. Then the sensation took a turn of events.

"Wake up!" a harsh slapping sound, and he felt his left cheek throb. "I said wake up, you moron," now his right.

Annabeth's voice was hushed. "Don't leave me again . . ."

Sniffles followed, and Percy knew Annabeth was trying to hold back tears. "Stupid idiot, why won't you wake up?"

He wanted to listen to Annabeth and do as he was told. He wanted to embrace her and comfort her. She didn't deserve this, falling in Tartarus to face even more lurking danger. She had already suffered enough; shed too much tears, sweat, and blood. But for some strange reason, he just couldn't open his eyes. It was as if gravity was pressing down more on his eyelids than any other part of his body.

That gave Percy a sudden thought. A thought that gave him a reason to whack himself.

I'm such an idiot, Percy said in his mind. If that was the case then I could still move my arms and legs.

He tried doing so and he was right. He felt for Annabeth's face and his hands cupped her cheeks. He heard her gasp. He tried speaking, "I can't open my eyes,"

Annabeth lifted his eyelids up using her fingers. It was painful. His eyes felt as heavy as a load of bricks, and it seemed like they were being dragged up a vertical surface. When they were fully open, Annabeth used one hand to hold them up and the other to slap him.

That jolted him awake. He scrambled to sit up though his back was painfully aching. He saw nothing but a vast expanse of black, but he felt his hands land on something fine yet grainy, like sand. He patted it, and he thought he saw it go up in a puff of smoke.

"Percy! Hold your breath!" Annabeth shouted through the darkness. He couldn't see her, but she sounded as if she was was across the room, if it was possible to get there that fast.