artemis ; pjo

I Almost Die, Again

"Oh my gods," Gabby whispered.

   From the streets below us, demonic humanoid creatures emerged from the shadows for each street corner. They we lanky, black creatures with long legs and misshaped feet. Screeching with joy and flashing their red eyes, they sprinted across Olympus and into the distance to the throne room.

   Once the shock wore off and all the creatures were gone, we slipped down the side of the building. We all looked at one another.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Dan said.

   We all sprinted across the streets without being bothered. When we reached the front of the throne room. Peering inside, the once beautiful white marble room has been transformed into a black marble fortress with white curving through the cracks.

   It took my eyes a moment to focus, but the room wasn't empty like I thought it was. Lining every inch of the wall were the creatures that were in the street. Their red eyes flickered bright red to maroon, back to bright red.

   But, as if the creatures weren't enough, in the center of the room was the dying Eternal Fire, with only a dull under glow to signify it was barely alive. Behind the great Eternal Flame, was a set of red eyes connected to a ginormous black body that became more transparent towards the end of its body. It seemed to be chanting something. And, in the very far corner, slumped forward unconsciously was the giant body of Lord Zeus.

   Ben let out a gasp when he noticed this, and I whirled a hand around to his mouth to cut it off. We all got as far as we could from the doorway and caught our breath.

"There's absolutely no way for us to get in there, let alone kill them all," I said, beginning to hyperventilate, "How the hell can we do this?! We can't!"

"Shhh," Gabby said.

   I put my back against the cool marble and tucked my knees to my chest. There was no way I could think. I put my head into my knees and closed my eyes. Someone placed their hand on my shoulder, and I let them. It was gentle hand, comforting. My breathing slowed, and I stopped shaking. I raised my head. Ben retracted his hand from my shoulder, afraid I was going to shout at him.

"We need to draw them out. That seems like our best bet," I said quietly.

They all nodded.

"But how?" Dan asked, "We shouldn't let them know we're here."

"Agreed. What are those things anyway?" Gabby asked.

"No clue. I have an idea though. Back at my home, my step mom and I always watched The Walking Dead. Sound and flashing lights draws the zombies out, and these things don't look much smarter than zombies." I offered.

"The Walking Dead?" Ben asked.

"Mortal thing," Gabby said, then turned to me, "What other choices do we have? It's worth a try."

   I nodded, and reaches into Dan's bag. My hand rummaged the bag until I wrapped them around a flashlight. We inched back over to the door. With sweaty hands, I turned the flashlight on and off repeatedly. A horrible screeching noise filled the air and we all his ourselves around the corner of the marble building.

   The creatures all piled out of the building and started screeching louder. They all stopped there for a moment before a loud voice boomed, "Find the source, we don't have much time!"

   They all began running around in a frenzy of chaos, hundreds, maybe a thousand, swarming like bees around the building. They began getting closer to where we were. I began running to the back of the building just in time for one to urn the corner. Ben, Gabby, Dan, and I were all gasping for breath when the most ear splitting screech cause my ears to pop in pressure.

   I turned my head in time to see one rush towards us, with many more in its wake. I turn my head in the other direction to see the same thing. My body seems to start shutting down; I'm frozen in place from fear. My breathing goes shallow, but then my breathing ceases. My brain stops working as a thousand demons swarm around us.

   One jumps forward and bares its fangs at an also paralyzed Gabby. She screams in pain as dark blood gushes from her arm. The scream is enough to get my brain barely working. It seems it did more for Dan. He swings his bag from off his back and bashes the creature with it. While it's dazed, he takes a pocket knife from his bag and flips open the sad, small blade. Dan charges forward and stabs the creature in its neck and drags the blade down. The creature fell to the ground it a heap of dust. Dan retreated to Gabby and tore off the rest of his sleeves to make a wrap for her arm to stop the bleeding.

"Are you okay?" He asks, beyond worried.

"Dan, you killed a monster! I'm so proud," Gabby said, talking him in an awkward hug. It was quick, because she realized what she was doing.

   I pulled my dagger, and tossed it to Dan. Ben pulled his own dagger. Gabby unsheathed her sword, and I transformed my bow. We felt ready, almost untouchable. But we forgot what was really happening. One victory wasn't enough. We had to kill off a thousand.

   Another one lunged forward and tried to bite Ben, but he stabbed it. They began to circle closer, and three attacked. Gabby swung her sword at two, and I shot the last one. This time six decided to come. Dan cut one, but another one sunk its nails into Dan's leg. Gabby decapitated that one. Two jumped on Ben and he let out a scream. As I attempted to help him, one bit my forearm.

   Heat coursed through my veins, and I let out a scream. I slid down the side of the building, pressing my hot face to the cool marble. One more jumped towards me, but I kicked it away, to Gabby. She killed it, but three more came to her. Gabby stabbed one, but two more, joined by four more piled on her and Dan. Ben continued flailing his arms, trying to keep the creature son him at bay. Three more advanced on me, one of them raked their claws diagonally across me, from my armpit to my hip.

   I closed my eyes, and waited for death to come. It came in the sound of shouts. Someone shouting in anger, protection. Nothing like I expected death to come. I was still in pain. Then hands wrapped around my arms. This was it. I was being taken to the afterlife.  Hands crept up my neck, just under my jawline, to my pulse point.

"Oh thank the gods."