artemis ; pjo

Familar Face

We were descending to the dead's domain.

Yay.

   As we stood on the escalator, going down, an eerie feeling washed over me. I knew that I wasn't going to leave this place the same person I am now. Maybe I'll be stronger. Maybe I'll be weaker. Maybe I won't make it out. Whatever happens, apparently I was going to discover the ugly truth. Whatever that was.

   The temperature got colder the farther we went, which was weird. I thought it would be hotter. The 6 of us were obviously nervous and uncomfortable. It didn't help the Charon was telling us all about the Fields of Punishment. My stomach was doing a full gymnastics routine. It took all my might not to double over because I was pretending to be dead. Dead people don't puke.

Or do they. I don't know!

   The escalator got to the ground (finally) and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I took it all in. The sky was, well I'm not sure if it's actually considered a sky, but the 'sky' was black with green 'clouds'. The 'clouds' gave off a green glow, so the whole Underworld had a slight green hue.

"Are they demigods?" Charon asked Eric.

"Yeah"

"Then you know the drill, take them over to the demigod section. Good day"
Charon turned and went over to the Up
escalator.

"Now what?" MK asked.

"The brother I didn't know I had should be in Hades' castle" Eric said.

I looked to where the castle was, and it wasn't close. Ugh.
"Let's get going. We can't close distance on it just standing around" I said.

"Don't get perky on me now" Gabby sighed.

    I almost chuckled, but I didn't have the energy. This place seemed to drain me.

   Eric began walking towards the castle and we followed. The whole way there was along the Fields of Asphodel. It was depressing. All the ghouls had no face or figure. They were left there for eternity to wander hopelessly and wonder who they were. One came up to us and tried to speak. Its voice sounded like a group of bats chattering. When it realized we couldn't understand it, it turned around and trudged through the fields.

My eyes fluttered across were their faces should be, but they were all empty voids of darkness covered with a dark gray hood. I moved my sight back to the road in front of me when I caught a glimpse of color out of the corner of my eyes.

Color?! There's no color down here!

But I looked back, and I saw where the color was com no from. Someone had hair. What?! It was a light brown, and was slightly spiky. I kept staring, and he turned around. Then I saw the face. He shouldn't have had a face, let alone that face.

I couldn't breath.

Or move, for that matter.

My mouth wasn't open or anything, I was just staring, my eyes getting wider by the moment.

"Amanda, something wrong?" Gabby asked. The group had turned around to look at me.

That snapped me out of my trance.
"Oh, um, I just realized I for- I dropped something a while back. I gotta go get it, I'll catch up"

I doubt they believed it.
"Uh, okay" James said, obviously not trusting it.

They slowly turned around and walked slowly away, glancing back at me ever so often. I waited until they were out of sight and I trekked through the field. As I walked, ghouls passed right through me, leaving me with a cold shiver. The man that I had seen had his back to me, which I guess was good.

I crept up to him, mentally preparing myself for what was going to happen. I had no clue what to say. Dead grass crunched under my feet as I approached him. I was right behind him, and I didn't know what to do.

Then, he turned around and faced me.
One of us gasped, but I'm not sure who.

"No" he said so quietly, I wasn't sure I heard him. He shook his head.

I avoided looking him in the eyes.

"It can't...no" he said.

I stared at my feet.

"A-Amanda?"

   I did a small nod, and he cupped my chin in his hand. He raised my head to look at him. I couldn't help it, but I stared into his blue eyes.

My eyes.