Lost

38

Reyna's lips were moving but I couldn't hear a thing. Someone else entered the room, I think it was Leo....I shoved Reyna into his arms and rushed off, my mind numb.

I passed through the battle, ignoring everything. Some people called out to me, but I didn't listen to them. I ran through the building and then out to the van.

Will Solace passed me on the way to the van. He was carrying an armload of medical supplies and made me promise not to tell Nico that he had left the van.

I didn't listen to him. I climbed in the car and just started driving on the empty, abandoned road.

The traffic picked up again when I reached New York City. Of course it did, that place was always busy.

The ride was silent. Music would just distract me, and my phone didn't ring at all. That probably meant the battle was still going on...

I was awful. I couldn't save Annabeth, and now I couldn't save my friends. It did seem even make sense. My fatal flaw was loyalty, aren't I supposed to be loyal to my friends no matter what?

But all I could think of right now was Annabeth. Being with her. Anything like that. And so I drove to the only place where I could do that.

I'd never thought out the linguistics of this plan too well. But the thought had crossed my mind. Over and over again.

For some reason, I had no difficulty finding a parking spot outside the Empire State Building. The desk man was gone, so I stole his key.

The music blared in my ears, but I couldn't concentrate on anything right now. I couldn't have told you what song was playing to save my life.

Olympus was empty. There were a couple nymphs here and there, but none of them engaged in conversation with me. Rumor that I'd hassled a water nymph on Olympus had probably spread like wildfire.

The entrance to the palace was locked. After trying everything from jumping the fence to using Riptide, I gave up.

Whenever I would jump over I would just end up on the wrong side of the fence. Riptide would dent every time I slashed the gates and then morph back to its normal shape.

My plan was to demand and audience with the gods, plead for Annabeth's life, and even offer of mine for hers. But, of course, they didn't let me in.

Then a thought ran across my mind. I'd thought about this several times, all in the back of my mind. Never seriously, not until now. My final plan. I closed my eyes as I dropped Riptide and walked over to the edge of Olympus.

Memories flooded in my mind. They ranged from my mom to first meeting Annabeth to even meeting my baby sister, Estelle.

But no memory could save me now.

I suppose they do say that all your memories flash before your eyes when you're about to die. Gods, I hope they're right.

And with that, I jumped.