The Half-Blood Project

24- Shores Of Death, Sorrow and Despair

Annabeth Chase

I think that your nothing. 

You can't even save your friend. 

Of course, those feelings Annie, those feelings you feel aren't that friendly huh? 

You're nothing, Annabeth Chase. Nothing. 

Me and Grover race down to the river, in the hopes, hopes that Percy made the fall or even landed in the river, knowing him he probably was splattered out on the sidewalk. The thought of it made my stomach churn with this horrid sickness. 

"I don't see him." Grover scanned the large river with his eyes, nose twitching constantly. 

"He's the son of Position, he has to be alive." 

I had to believe he was alive? Had we come all this way for him to die? No, not like this. That was impossible right?!!

"Annabeth, a fall like that, over five hundred feet, if he is alive, that has to seriously hurt. When I was a kid, my sister pushed me off the high dive and the impact felt like I was hitting concrete. So a fall of about six hundred feet, yeah, that is not going to feel like sunshine and daisies." Grover explains. That feeling of dread intensifies. 

"We came all this way though." My voice started to break, maybe it was because I was letting hope fill me up on the inside. 

Stupid mistake. I've made it one too many times. 

With Thalia, with Luke, with my dad. 

And now Percy. Was he just going to leave me too? Like them and I would suffer all alone like I was fated to? 

Why does everyone leave me? 

What is so wrong with? 

"Annabeth, this isn't your fault." Grover tries to comfort me, wrapping a warm arm around my shoulder. Maybe if he is gone, Grover'll be there for me. 

But he'll leave too, won't he? 

"Yeah, it is." My voice cracked and I felt my gray eyes filling with tears, I could feel the dam of emotions weakening, breaking loose a little at a time, and soon, it would explode and I wouldn't be able to hold any of it back. 

I hate not having control over my emotions. 

"He chose to jump, he chose to throw his sword at the Chimera. He also chose to come on the quest with us and he chose to be a hero, you can't control his choices Annabeth, you can't. I know you want us all to be safe, but you can't and you have to learn that." He said in a soft voice. Maybe he thought I was going to stab him, it was on my mind, but he was just trying to tell me that it was all going to be okay. 

But was it? 

Something churned in the mucky brown water, bubbles popping at the surface, something, something moving in the water. I drew my knife, ready to attack anything, Grover unclipped his reed-pipes and brought them up to his lips, readying himself to play a tune. 

But Percy emerged from the water, swimming from the edge to the concrete sidewalks, relief flooded over me. 

He looked fine, a little shaken, but he was dry, maybe an ability? His hair was disheveled and full of leaves, twigs, and trash, from the gross river. 

"Oh hey." He murmured and stumbled over in my direction, Grover caught him before he could fall and set Percy leaning on a stone bench, his arms draped on the seats. 

"You're such a Seaweed Brain," I muttered, crouching next to him, watching Grover run off to find us food from the food carts, ignoring the wailing of sirens surrounding the Arch and River. Percy chuckled and leaned his head back, tired, his green eyes full of pain? No, it was something else?