Girl Meets the Underworld *HOLD*

-Finally Awake-

Lucas' POV

It's been a few days since we were told our reward. Maya's still unconscious. I've been sitting here taking turns with Farkle in the infirmary. A lot of people have visited her and left flowers. "Hey man. I think I can watch over her now. You need to get some sleep," Farkle says. I shake my head, "No. No I'm fine. I want to be here when she opens her eyes."
     "Just rest for a little bit." I can tell I won't change his mind, so I try to get comfortable in my chair. "Nuh-uh. In a bed. You've been awake for a long time, you need proper sleep." I mutter something under my breathe. Why's he being so difficult? I decide to take a walk along the beach to watch the sunset. I wish Maya was here to watch it with me. I wanted to ask out on a proper date before we left for the quest-didn't work out. I wanted to ask her during the quest for when we got back. Yeah, that worked out. Not. Now we have to go to the Underworld. I have to ask her soon. I hear footsteps behind me. "She'll wake up soon."
     "You don't know that." I look at Percy.
     "What if she doesn't?"
     "She will. Apollo's the god of healing and stuff, she'll be ok." He puts a hand on my shoulder. "Just don't lose hope."
     "What was it like when you Annabeth fell off the cliff on the manticore's back?"
     His frown replaces his smile. "It, it was hard. I mean, I didn't know I liked her like that at the time, but I missed her like crazy. I was going crazy thinking she was dead. It– I felt like something was missing."
     "That's kinda how I feel."
     "Yeah, but finding out she was ok was the best news I'd ever heard. And hey, here we are and I couldn't be happier. We got her back and now we're together. Just don't make the same mistake."
     "I don't think Maya is gonna jump on a manticore's back."
     "Not that," he laughs. "You know how you feel about her, right?"
     "Absolutely."
     "Then don't wait so long to tell her. Come on, you need to go to the cabin and get some proper sleep. The bags under your eyes are huge." We head back to the cabin, and I lay in my bed. I think about what Percy said as I close my eyes.

_____________________________

We're back at Mount Saint Helens. I see Maya chained up again. Nathan is behind her with the Furies circling around her. They have their whips out. Nathan snaps his fingers and they start whipping her. She can't fight back. I hear her screaming and I try to run to her, but I can't. My legs don't work. I look up and see cuts and gashes with blood everywhere. They keep hitting her mercilessly. If she wasn't held up by chains, she'd be lying on the ground. He snaps his fingers again and they stop. Nathan walks to be standing directly in front of her. He slaps her. "You didn't think you'd kill me just like that, did you?" She spits on his cheek. He starts laughing without any humor and unsheathes his sword. "Revenge really is sweet," he smirks. He shoves the sword in her stomach and twists it. She cries out in pain as he takes it out. "Great, you got your blood all over my new sword," he complains.
He then turns and looks directly at me. "You took her from me. I loved her, but she chose you. Now you get to suffer like I did and watch her die." He shoves the sword right through her heart.
The scene changes and I'm in a dark cave. I look around when I see a figure approaching me. I start backing up until I hit a wall. They get closer, and I see that it's Riley. "Riley?" She nods. "What's going on? Why do I keep having these dreams? Night after night, I watch Maya die and I can't stop it."
     "You're afraid of losing her."
     "What?"
     "You're afraid of losing her," she repeats. "I was very important to her and she lost me. Your terrified to lose her like she did with me. You're afraid to lose her and that there won't be anything you can do to prevent it from happening."
     "Well how do I stop these nightmares?"
     "You need to show her how much you care about her. Cherish every minute with her and tell her how you feel. Don't make the same mistake I did with Farkle. It's my biggest regret." She starts to fade away.
     "Riley? Riley! Come back! I'm not done!"