Barrier | Percy Jackson (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 29 | Welcome Home

The loud honking of the car behind Annabeth's car brought her back to reality. She looked at her side mirror and waved  sorry to the one behind because probably minutes had passed and there was enough room in front of her for ten more cars. Red in embarrasment, She sped off immediately.

Unfortunately she went too fast that she almost hit the car in front of her when she turned to the stoplight. She stopped suddenly and that caused her to move forward a little bit due to inertia. She lowered herself down to hide from the angry glares of the others outside seen by the slightly tinted windows.

When the spotlight turned green she can't wait to get out of the main road. Good thing that's what she got once she made a quick turn to the left.

She sighed to herself after that.

Unsurprisingly, she had been out of focus for the past three days since Reyna and her father went to visit her. When Annabeth finally lost her cool to her father, she has thought so deeply about going back. She spent countless of hours staring at her work, wondering what was her plan.

She didn't come to work for a while too. Sophie kept emailing her that many people were looking for her but she blocked her. She was a mess. She was so confused. Children of Athena hated to be confused. She hated it. Mal-

She closed her eyes at the thought. She wanted to take the pain away even for just a few moments.

Just today she remembered what Piper had said on their mission 11 years ago when they met Ares' sons, Fear and Panic. Piper had been the one to get them out of them. It had been feelings and gut instincts against logical explanations. That was the lesson she learned that day.

Annabeth knew she felt she had to go. Against her better judgement. She knew she had to come back.

If she her mental state was a thread it would be like this; when Percy left, she was tangled thread hindering the maker to move on with the work, she was so tangled that it already formed a knot. The other end was camp. And the other end that had to continue was at the other side. So what did she do? She cuts it. She cuts it to build a new one. Only she didn't, she just ended the ties and didn't start a new one. Taht made it wrong.

But she knew that now. She knew what she had to do.

With the memory with Piper and this realization, Annabeth took up the courage to stand up, took her keys and hit the road.

Now, she was on his way to Half-Blood Hill and it was a big understatement to say that she was nervous. She was shaking. It had been years since she left. She felt that same paranoia she always feel when she thinks how their encounter would happen. Will they shout? Say hurtful words? Despise her? She had no idea.

She moved forward to the streering wheel and screamed to the wind sheild. She felt panic build up inside her. She wanted to turn back. But the thought that she could have a shot, she didn't want it to go to waste. She held the steering wheel harder and took in a breath of encouragement.

Soon enough, she saw the familiar road of the Farm Road. Her eyes widened at the sight of the road she used to roam everytime summer was over. She promised to herself that she would give Grover a pat on the back to see that he was doing a good job. But the thought saddened her. She left her best friend, who needed her help by that time too. How could she do that?

When she saw she was getting farther enough, she placed the car just a little sideways to the right. She went out and locked it; keeping the keys to her side pocket. She walked a little before she felt the familiar strong presence. She looked up and saw that he was at the bottom of the hill. A wave of nostalgia shivered through her body. She remembered how she had cursed Hera on this hill, the day Hera had started hating her. She smiled sadly, Percy had been there. Now, he isn't.