Those words echo throughout the courtyard. Annabeth raising her hand in the air next to Estelle.
"I volunteer as tribute!" she screamed again.
"I... uh... come on stage." The fake lady squeaks into the microphone.
Annabeth wipes a tear off of Estelle's face and kisses her forehead. She then leaves Estelle and walks onto the stage, her footsteps echoing.
"What's your name?" the lady asks her.
"Annabeth Chase age 16." Her face looks like it's steeled up, but on the edge of breaking.
"Cheer for your two champions!" the lady cheers into the mic, the only cheers was from the waves crashing on the shore.
They put us in this grayed out room, nothing but a table and a single chair. Gray walls, floor, and ceiling, even the furniture was gray. The door swings open and mom and Estelle bust in, she dives into my arms and mom goes to Annabeth.
"Hey Duck..." I hold her tightly as she sobs into my chest.
" I don't want you to go!" she wails.
"I know duck, but I have to go..." I kneel down to meet her face, but she looks away, I cup her red cheek and have her meet my eyes. "I have to go duck... you will be the first and last thing I think of when I wake up and go to sleep."
"P...p...p..." she stutters trying to talk over her cries but cant.
"I know." I rub her cheek. "I love you too, my little duckling." I kiss her forehead and stand back up meeting my mom's teary face.
"Percy..." her face almost broken.
"I love you mom..." it gets harder to fight the tears back, Annabeth already lost her fight as she sobs while Estelle holds her.
"Come back to us Percy..." she hugs me tightly.
"No promises..."
The door swings open and two guards dressed all in white armor bust in. "Times up!" they start pulling mom and Estelle out of the room.
"I LOVE YOU BOTH, DUCK TAKE CARE OF MOM!" I scream as they get pulled away.
The door slams and it's just Annabeth and I left alone in the room.
"I don't know how I can ever thank you..." I rub the back of my neck, not even meeting her eyes.
"You don't need to thank me... just survive and come back to them." She sniffs.
"I'm going to hug you, its happening." I walk up to her and wrap my arms around her, she tenses up at first but softens and hugs me back tightly.
We held each other in silence for what seemed like hours until someone came in.
"Hello... oops sorry to interrupt you lovebirds." The lady smiles.
"your that lady from the reaping, what do you want?" I keep one arm around Annabeth as she lays her head on my shoulder.
"The names Aphrodite"
