𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓! [pjo]

XXXII; A brush with death

━━━a brush with death

.・゜゜・───・゜゜・

Percy Jackson's heart had stopped.

When he had pulled himself out of the water, panting and shivering and 100% okay, he forgot for a minute that Callahan had fallen in with him. He stood there and shivered, his breath turning into steam in front of him before he remembered that he had dragged Callahan down with him. And then his heart started to beat so fucking fast he was pretty sure he was having a heart attack. She wasn't on the glacier, she was nowhere near him. Her all-black clothes, which stuck out like a sore thumb, were nowhere to be seen and her gorgeous long hair wasn't sopping wet and shockingly black and pink against the snow.

She was still under the water.

He didn't think, he jumped. The cold clung to him, sinking into his skin, and the darkness felt like it was choking him. Where was she? He swam around, looking for a hint toward her, a flash of her pink and black hair, or maybe a glint of filtered light off her blades. Nothing. He swam deeper, listening for maybe a couple of bubbles, the sound of her thrashing. He called out to the fish in the area, asking if they had seen a girl anytime recently. When they all replied no, his heart sped up so fast it was gonna beat out of his chest.

Where was she?

A flash of white appeared in his peripheral vision. He turned, his heart jumping. A woman in white, glittering and ethereal in the darkness, was behind him. She smiled coldly. 

"You are not of my world, Son of Poseidon. You do not belong"  Her voice rang clear in Percy's clouded brain. "I do not want you here, so here is your girl."

Callahan's form was limp and pale, hair floating like a cloud of fine mist. Percy's heart sputtered. He sped forward and grabbed her out of the woman's arms. Her body was heavy even in the bottom of the ocean. He turned to leave, sunlight filtering onto his face, and his heart started to work a little better.

"Son of Poseidon, do not return." Her figure shimmered and disappeared.

    Percy was giving Callahan CPR, trying his hardest to compel the dark water out of her chest. She wasn't moving.

    "Come on, come on, come on!" Percy couldn't breathe, "Come on, come on Cal! You can't--please--" He concentrated harder, pulling at the water in her lungs.

    Her body shook. Her chest jumped, and the water spewed out of her mouth.

Her eyes didn't open, her face was white and pale, her lips blue.

"Callahan, come on baby. You can't--" Percy's head fell forward against her chest. "You can't leave, please."

Percy's world was crashing down around him. His throat was the size of a straw, and he couldn't swallow. He couldn't breathe. His heartbeat erratically in his chest, thrashing against his ribcage. It wanted out. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, tears leaking out of the corners. "Cal, Lucky, darling, you gotta fight. I-I can't lose you--I" A knot lodged itself in his throat. "Please."

Callahan groaned and her eyelids fluttered. Her chest jumped and heaved. She coughed and more dark water spewed out. Her heart thumped hard against her ribs, and her lips shook.

A dark figure swam in her vision in front of her, and something wet landed on her cheek.

"Percy?" She muttered, her throat burning.