Solangelo 2

Part 32

NICO

I wake, but I can tell I'm dreaming still. I don't understand how. Will said the pill would stop my subconscious.
Everyone's bed is empty, even Will is gone. I sit up slowly, wary. The room seems darker, colder. I stand up and move through the room, outside.
'Will?' I call out, but my voice breaks the silence and seems so out of place. I don't call out again. I grab my sword from where Will had left it in the main room and hold it in anticipation.
I step outside, ready to fight, only to find everything normal. I lower my sword slightly, thrown by what I'm seeing.
I walk out, and nearly crash into a girl running by, but she runs straight through me. I'm not solid, not there. How I used to be.
'Hey, have you seen Reyna?' I ask two boys walking past, but they don't register me. I try a group of girls sitting by the library, but they too ignore me.
I turn around, unsure where to go from here, only to see a young girl staring at me. I can tell she can see me. She knows I'm there. I walk up to her and stop a couple feet away.
'Who are you?' I ask, knowing that this can't just be a girl. This has to be a god. Someone strong enough to break into my subconscious, strong enough to make me dream.
'I gave you false hope.' She said, still staring at me, 'I thought you might be the one to live a long, good life.'
'Dad?' I ask, utterly confused.
'I'm afraid so.' She says.
'Why are you a little girl?' I ask, finding it incredibly weird to be talking to my father, the god of the underworld, who is in the shape of a small girl with pigtails.
'Your friend Will is good at what he does.' She says.
'Boyfriend.' I correct him.
'Sorry?'
'He's my boyfriend.' I repeat.
'Right. Well, I couldn't take my original form, it would take too much power. I had to settle for one of the people already in your subconscious. And even now I don't have long.'
'What do you want?' I ask, 'can't you just...can't you just leave me alone? I'm happy.'
'Oh Nico. Son.' She says, 'I'm sorry. It has to be done.'
'What?' I ask, confused.
'Please do try to understand. I know you'll think ill of me, but it had to be done.'
'What have you done?' I ask, suddenly realising his tone. Knowing what he means, 'what did you do?'
'Death follows you, Nico. I should have learnt that by now. I'm sorry I gave you false hope, and I hope you know that I am doing this for you.'
'What did you do? You...you asshole, what did you do?' But she's gone, and when I turn around, so is everyone else. It's dark again. Cold again. Im terrified, can't think, can't move.
'Will?' I shout, not caring about breaking the quiet anymore, 'Will?!' But no reply.
I try to run, try to move, but it seems the world is rushing towards me without my feet moving at all. I sit up suddenly in bed, breathing fast and leaning over.
I reach my hand out and find Will's arm, take hold of his hand. But he doesn't hold mine back. I turn to him, and I know before I even look at him. I can't breathe, can't speak, can't call for help. I'm frozen, staring at him, lying beside me, eyes open and staring above at nothing, dead.
I start to shake, I can't think fast enough, can't process it.
'Will?' I say quietly, scared and weak. I shake him slightly, but he doesn't move. I feel like I might throw up. I move backwards, fall out of the bed. I try to stand, holding onto the bed post for balance. I stare at Will, willing myself to be dreaming still, willing it all to be a dream. To wake up in my cabin with him, before Grace died, before my dad tried to kill me. This is all a dream. This isn't real.
But I don't wake up. All I can think of, in my crazed and denial, is that my father did this. He did this, he did this. He can undo it. He can change it. I can bargain, he likes to bargain, I can change this.
I move forward slightly, rest my hand, reluctantly, on his forehead. I close his eyes.
'I'll find you. You'll be okay. I promise you'll be okay.' I say, my voice catching. All I want to do is drop to the floor, stop everything, but I move away again, hold onto the bed frame.
'Nico?' I hear Percy calling, walking down the corridor. He comes into the room and he looks from me to Will and back again, putting everything together in a matter of seconds, understanding what I'm about to do, 'don't you-' he says, lunging towards me, a look of panic taking over him, but I shadow travel away, with all my energy, making it to the Hollywood sign in one go.