Captured by Luke Castellan- the Sea of Monsters

Luke? Oh Gods No!

My eyes fluttered open, and I could feel an aching in my head. Grimacing, my eyes squinted in the daylight coming from a window. Then it all came flooding back to me; Thalia's tree, the bull, and then being captured. The panic began to set in and I sprang up in my... bed? Looking at the bed, I could see that the quilt was big and comfortable, and they were black with silver embellishments here and there. The pillows looked plush and cosy, and I almost sighed at the idea of maybe being back home.... No such luck. Looking around further, I could see that the light was, in fact coming from a rectangular window, and that it overlooked... THE SEA? Oh Gods! Hauling myself off the bed, my heels tapped on the metal floor. Wait... when did I put heels on? I saw a mirror in the corner of the room, and hurried over to it, feeling quite sick at the sight of it. I was wearing a black, one sleeved dress that hugged my body and came to my mid-thigh. The sleeve that did, in fact, exist had silver rhinestones forming a chain kind of pattern down my arm. The black heels I was wearing made sure that the wearer carried and air of grace, but I was too panicked for that right now. I was scared to death that my skull ring had been replaced with a silver band with a mini silver sword sitting on it- so basically, I had been disarmed. But the thing that made me feel sick the most was the necklace around my neck... the thin silver chain hung loose around my neck, but just below my collar bone, the word 'taken' sat, attached to the chain. I gulped. I really could have done with not seeing Luke again... especially because it was only today that I decided to get over him.

Panicking, I flung open the metal door, and stepped out into the metal corridors. Everything was quiet and all I could hear was the faint rippling of the ocean through the several portholes scattering the walls. I had four paths that I could take. I could either go left, right, forward, or back into my room where I could lock the door, rock back and forth hugging my knees and cry. I was so tempted to go for the last option, but then thought of Dad. The last time I had seen him in the Underworld, he had told me that he was proud of me for being brave. That meant that I was, in fact, capable of plucking up some courage and strutting down any one of these corridors like I owned the place. So I took a deep breath, and started walking forward with a purpose, my heels clacking rhythmically on the metal floor. 

Getting to the end of another corridor, I was met, again, with an array of directions and wondered why, of all the ships he could have chosen, Luke had chosen the one that had an interior resembling a maze. I cursed him in my brain, but carried on forward, heading to a door that seemed to allow in more light than the rest, so that means it must go out onto deck. I decided to take my chances. 

I marched up to the door and, grabbing the handle, yanked the door open with a swoosh. Then, I was finally able to take in some fresh air, being away from the corridors that, with metal walls, metal floors and metal ceilings, had been making me feel claustrophobic. I took deep breaths and began to ask myself if my uncle, Poseidon, would protect me if I threw myself over the side of the boat to escape this disaster,

Then I heard a growl. I tensed, and taking even deeper breaths than before began to slowly turn around, only to come face to face with a creature that I think even my hellhounds would have had a job with handling. Its reptilian eyes stared at me piercingly as it stalked towards me slowly. It seemed to have the body of a lizard, the face of a sabertooth, and the tail of a snake, and all were a deep greeny bluey colour. I closed my eyes in fear as it began to walk around me, its head meeting its tail and making a kind of barrier around me. I was, even though a child of Hades should never admit it, petrified! 

"Well, well, well," I heard a horribly familiar voice say, and I heard hands clap together and rub in satisfaction, like a child deciding what to choose in a candy store.

"Casey, how you've changed. Have you grown your hair? And a red streak or two, oh that's lovely," Luke cooed as he walked to position himself in front of me.

"áfisé!" ("Leave!") he commanded the creature that had been wrapping itself around my ankles.

It slunk away, leaving its master with his, dare I say it, prisoner. Then Luke turned around, looking over his shoulder at me.

"You coming?" he asked, as he began to walk towards the open part of the deck, where there was no shelter like there was above me, just the open sky.

I stood stock still, seemingly glued to my spot. How could I follow him? After what he had done to me, to camp, how could I just concede to his every command?

"Casey?" he asked, turning around fully to stare at me, and then he seemed to growl, "Come on!"

That shocked me and, if anything, I backed up further. Realising his hostility, he raised his hands slightly, and slowly made his way towards me. Then, in one foul swoop, he had swung himself around me, so that he could place his hands on my waist. I tensed, but he didn't care and just drove me out onto the deck. Then he let go.

Stiffly, I walked over to the side of the ship and watched the low waves knock gently against the side of the boat. I sighed, lowering my head as I wished and wished that I was anywhere else but here. I soon felt his presence on my right, but didn't look at him.

"Casey, why are you mad at me?" he asked, and I couldn't believe it.

"Why am I mad at you?" I screamed, "Did you seriously just ask me that?"

"Yes," he nodded, clearly confused for some unknown reason.

"Oh, well then let me put you straight!" I yelled, "You betrayed the Gods (my Dad included, who actually gives a shit about me by the way), you betrayed me, you betrayed Percy, you betrayed Annabeth, I'm pretty sure you poisoned the tree so you betrayed Thalia, you betrayed Chiron and you betrayed the camp!" I continued, counting the reasons off on my fingers, before adding, "It was only on that day you sent your goons to capture me that I had woken up, determined to forget about you. Luke, it had been a year! A year I spent not talking to anybody. I was broken. You broke me and I couldn't be fixed. And the worst part was, Luke that I didn't know why you broke me. I get it, you're mad at your dad. Hell, I was mad at mine once, but I didn't hurt everybody else just trying to get to him, and so I don't see why you did. I felt so unwanted by you and I felt used. I was finally ready to move on with my life though, but you've just come right back in and messed it up again, so well done you! I hope your so happy with yourself!" I screamed, stomping over to the other side of the deck and away form him.

Poseidon must have somehow sensed my anguish for, although the skies were still clear, the water was rippling more and more than it had been before.

Then, from his end of the deck, Luke spoke; "I know that you were ready to move on, and, for a minute, I kidded myself into thinking I was ready for you to do that. But while I was at camp, I did something I had never dreamed of doing there. Just as I was about to carry my plan out, in waltzed you. Pretty little you, with your sparkling eyes and your sweet smile and your gentle nature. An I actually felt something, Casey. I felt something! There was a reason I brought you here. It was because I needed you to be here; it was a mistake to just drop you and, although I regret nothing else, I always regretted that. When I heard that you were ready to move on, I just couldn't let you, not when I haven't even moved on from you! I had you brought here so I could get you back, so please Casey. Please come back to me!"

I hadn't looked at him as he said all that, but the tears that had been burning in my eyes began to trickle down my cheeks. Seeing my shoulders jerk with my silent sobs, Luke started towards me, but I stopped him.

"Please. I just want to be alone right now," I pleaded, turning round to look at him, begging him still through my watery eyes.

His face fell as he nodded before he walked away, with a seeming disheartened air about him.

Then, turning back to the sea, I cried. I cried more than I ever had, letting out everything that I had bottled up, and although I must have been going insane, I was sure that I could hear my dad shushing me gently, and feel him hugging me to him, but his form was non-existent...