artemis ; pjo

Painful Memories

   Staring into his face, I felt like I was 8 years old again, watching him walk into the woods for the very last time. Tears threatened to fall.

"Dad" I choked out with a tear rolling down my cheek.

   And once one tear trickled through the dam, the whole wall broke. I buried my head into his shoulder and cried.

No, I didn't cry, I bawled.

   Once my tears dried up, I rose my head to look at him. He gave me a sad smile.

"I've missed you so much" I sniffed.

"I've missed you more"

"But, how? What?! What's goi-" I was cut off.

"I know you have tons of questions, but I can't answer them. We have limited time, and I have something very important to tell you"

I nodded.

"Did you hear voices? While you were traveling?" He asked.

"Yeah" I said curiously.

"I'm so sorry for the pain, but I had to tell you something. But, my connection was cut short. I didn't know you were coming"

"Wait, what?! You were the voice in my head?!"

"Yes"

"Oh, um, cool?"

"Anyway, I have to tell you why I was reborn the fourth time. It's because I know secrets. Secrets that powerful forces wish to keep hidden. Secrets that I must tell you. As you know, the Flame is dying. That's because Zeus snuffed it out"

"What?!"

"Yes, but it's not him"

"That makes no sense, whatsoever"

"He is being influenced by a dark force. I don't know what it is, but its intentions are evil. Amanda, its intention is to wipe out life on Earth"

"Super-happy-fun-times"

He chuckled under his breath.
"You better get going"

"Wait, there's one thing that doesn't make sense"

"Which is?"

"How did you know you were going to die?"

He took in a sharp breath.
"I was reborn the first time because I was a hero, but I found out the secret. The force that is controlling Zeus existed then, too. It knew that I had found out what it was planning to do. So it killed me, but I died a hero. It forced me to be reborn again, for the 2nd time. This time I came back more like a ghost. It killed me again. I died a hero again. You can see where this is going. So, I came back more ghastly each time, and it knew that. It wanted me to be reborn enough that I would become a ghost, and eventually disappear from existence. So that night when I left you, it had threatened to hurt you if I didn't go. But I had done so many bad things that I couldn't be reborn again. Even though I'm wasting away in this hell, it better than what the dark force had planned for me"

   I could barely process what he was saying. This whole quest just broke the record for the most complicated and confusing expedition ever.

"You have to go" he said, kissing my forehead.

A few tears fell down my face.

"G-goodbye" I said.

"I love you"

"Not as much as I love you"

   I turned around and walked through the the dull field. The faceless people passed through me with moans, but I barely noticed. I couldn't comprehend anything around me. It was all just one big blur. Everything my father had said to me was lost, though I trusted it would could to me later. I didn't even notice that I was sobbing as I walked towards the castle.

The only thing I noticed was my father's face everytime I closed my eyes.