I Need A Hand
Annabeth
"I'm just gonna leave." Tammy said and made her escape out the door.
Thalia tried to follow her. "I'll go with you."
"Not so fast, Thalia." Percy stopped her.
She winced and turned to face him. "I knew that was coming."
"You've spent enough time there. Come back. I've been busy covering for you but everyone wants to know where you are. If they find out you're on Earth they'll want to come too. Return. Now." Percy ordered.
"Fine, fine. Well, I'm glad I got to see you, Annabeth. Hopefully we'll see each other soon." Thalia gave me a hug and then disappeared. I was still frozen in shock.
There was a silence for a few minutes. Percy was the first to break it. "Hi, Annabeth."
"Two years. I haven't heard from you in two years and all you say is 'hi?' It was twelve for you and all you say is 'hi!'"
"Yeah, um, sorry?" His response came out as a question.
I picked up the note he had given me yesterday. "You can't find time to write notes every once in a while, but you can Iris Message me once in two years?"
"Okay, I screwed up, I admit it. Sorry."
"Percy . . . do you even know how much I've missed you? For the past two years, I haven't been the same. I've barely led the Amazons. I almost killed my lieutenant while training. I have flashbacks of all the times we've been together, good or bad. Like when I took that knife for you, when Hylla died, when I thought you were missing, when the campers dumped us into the lake, and when you gave me Riptide and I gave you my dad's ring." I held Riptide in my hands and Percy's fingers traveled to his neck, where he fingered the ring. "Only just today, I got back in the swing of things."
"I--"
"Don't! I'm not finished. Chiron got here a few days ago. He said that life at Camp Half-Blood has changed too. The Stolls barely play any pranks and Clarisse is pretty much back to her old mean and annoying self. Nothing has been the same since you left, and I can't deal with that anymore!"
"I'm sorry. But I have suffered too." He looked into my eyes. "Everyday, I wake up and think, 'gods, I wish I were back on Earth. I wish Pontus had never taken out his anger for my father on me. I wish I were next to Annabeth.' Everyday, the hole in my heart grows bigger. Bianca, Zoë, Thalia, and Nico always try to cheer me up, or distract me, but it never works for longer than thirty minutes of my time, which is only six minutes for you.
"I want to see you in person. I want to touch you and hold you, I want to kiss you, I want to be there next to you. I have missed you so, so much."
"You think I don't want those things too? You think I don't have a giant hole in my heart? I do! I barely sleep, if you couldn't tell from the circles under my eyes. When I do sleep, I have nightmares of never seeing you again."
"Are you even looking at me?" I looked closer at Percy and my eyes widened. He looked terrible. His hair looked greasy and his eyes were filled with sadness. Like me, he looked exhausted. "I can't sleep. At all. Even if I wanted to, I can't. Chaos. Never. Sleeps."
Percy and I were both silent. "I miss you, Percy." I said softly.
"I miss you, too. I love you, Annabeth."
"I love you." That was the first time both of us had said those three words out loud in two years. "Well, um, how is everyone?"
The mood of our conversation changed quickly. "They're good. Nico still complains about being the only other male, but he's okay. Zoë and Bianca are as thick as thieves. They scare me sometimes." I laughed at that. "What about there, with the Amazons?"
"We're okay. Tammy made sure the place wasn't destroyed while I was . . . unable to lead. But now, I'm back and everything is going smoothly." I didn't mention the dreams. Percy had enough to worry about without me adding my problems.
"Great."
"Perseus?" Someone called his name from his side of the message.
"Who's that? Are you busy?"
"Probably Nico calling for help."
"That didn't sound like Nico, and everyone knows not to call you Perseus."
"Well, it must be him." Percy said and I noticed him shoot a nervous glance to the side.
"Perseus Jackson!" I yelled and he jumped. "I know you. What are you hiding?"
"Nothing! I'm not hiding anything." He replied a little too quickly and winced when he realized it.
"Tell me what you are hiding. Now."
"I would if there was something to tell."
"That's it. If we're going to try to survive while being separated, we need to be completely truthful."
"Then what are you hiding?"
His question caught me off guard. I tried to control my face when I replied, "What?"
"You're not telling me something."
"Can you actually say that? Really? After you are clearly hiding something?"
He didn't say anything. I shook my head, "Talk to me again when you're ready to tell me what you're hiding."
Before Percy could reply I swiped my hand through the message, cutting off the connection. I sighed and dragged a hand down my face. I finally get to talk to Percy after two years, and he was hiding something from me. Unbelievable. True, I was hiding something as well, but if he really thought I would tell him after he practically admitted that he was hiding something, he was crazy.
I sighed again. "Come in, Tammy. I know you heard everything."
Tammy opened the door and sheepishly walked in. "You know me too well."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention any of that to anyone. I . . . I need to sort everything out before I talk to him again."
"Of course. As I was waiting outside, actually, Chiron came by. He's leaving in a few minutes."
"Okay, thanks. Give me a minute and then I'll be out there to see him off."
"All right." Tammy left and I sat heavily on my bed.
I just didn't know what to do. I missed Percy so much. I could barely live without him. But he didn't trust me enough to tell me what was going on. I couldn't deal with that right now.
I stood up and walked out of my room to say goodbye to Chiron. When I saw him I gave him a big hug, holding on tightly and not wanting to let go. "I'm glad you came. I'll miss you."
"As will I, Annabeth. You should come visit Camp Half-Blood sometime. I know everyone would love to see you, and new campers want to meet you." Chiron smiled. "I will do some research about the dreams. Stay safe."
"You, too, Chiron."
I reluctantly waved goodbye and soon he was gone. I went back to my room, hoping that I could get some sleep for once.
~
Fifteen minutes later, I was still wide awake and laying on my bed. Something didn't feel right. I got out of bed and pulled out Riptide, uncapping it. The glow of the sword revealed that there wasn't anything or anyone else in the room with me, but it still didn't feel right.
I walked out of my room, keeping Riptide outstretched in front of me and grabbed my shield on my way out. I made my way towards the lobby area, where Kinzie was stationed. Even at night, we were always ready. I had just turned to face the staircase leading up to the lobby when I heard a scream come from it.
I raced towards the staircase. Something fell down the stairs, something big and heavy. I came closer. Slowly, I recognized what I was seeing and screamed.
Amazons burst out of doors and gathered near me. Blood pooled at the bottom of the staircase and stained her hair. Kinzie was what had fallen down the staircase. And she was dead.
"We are under attack! Get everyone ready. Wake them up, collect your weapons and shields. Someone bring me my armor. Be prepared for anything."
I stood in front of the staircase, waiting for something to come down and attack us. I barely glanced at the Amazons who brought me my armor and helped me put it on. Soon, we had Amazons stationed at every entrance and exit all over the fortress.
They came out of nowhere.
Monsters of all types. Dracaenae, empousai, hellhounds, and many others, some that I didn't recognize. They ambushed us and we could barely defend ourselves. I was surrounded by monsters and heard the screams of fallen warriors. I slashed and hacked my way through, but they kept coming. I had no idea how they had even gotten passed out defenses.
Soon, a male calmly walked down the staircase and the fighting ceased. I immediately had the feeling of a dream. Nothing looked or felt real. Then I realized who he was.
It was one of the Oneiroi. The gods of dreams. No one knew much about them, but they had to be the cause of the dreams that drove Tansy and the other Amazons to madness.
With a yell, I charged him, angry at him for driving one of my close friends to madness. He whipped out a hand and I couldn't move. Riptide was frozen mid-swing in my hands. One of my feet was in the air mid-run. The Amazons around my stopped fighting their monsters and turned to the male, glaring menacingly. He flung his other hand out and they froze too.
"We'll be back. Or not." He said, and started to walk back up the staircase. Unfortunately, I floated after him. We reached the lobby and the door to the staircase slammed closed behind us and locked. Suddenly, I could move again.
I hefted Riptide, ready to lunge at him again. He lifted his hand and Riptide was thrown from my grasp. I heard yells and the Amazons banging on the door, trying to get in. Thankfully I didn't hear the growls of any monsters, so I hoped that meant they had all been defeated finally.
"Come with me quietly, and no one will get hurt. Except for you." The member of the Oneiroi offered.
"I doubt that." I stuck my hand in my pocket, waiting for Riptide to return.
"You are correct. They will get hurt, but I won't kill too many of them."
I felt Riptide in my hand. "You're lying." I pulled out Riptide and lunged at him, managing to cut his arm.
He growled and I couldn't move again. "Let's do something about that habit of yours to keep attacking me." Quick as a flash, he whipped out a dagger and sliced off my left hand. A high pitched sound filled the air and it took me a moment to realize I was the one screaming. Riptide dropped from my uninjured hand and I fell to the ground, moaning and clutching the bloody stump where my hand used to be.
My hand lay next to my face, along with Riptide. Pain filled my senses and I vomited at the sight. The blood loss clouded my vision. I wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer, and then the Amazons would be finished. I knew what I had to do.
I was still mad at him, but he was the Amazon's--and not to mention my--only hope at the moment. With my intact hand, I ripped the orb around my neck off of its cord and smashed it against the ground.
Percy, we need you.