Okay, today's post is my fan-fiction that I entered in James Junker's contest. (and won.)
Please remember that Percy Jackson and all related characters belong to Rick Riordan.
One Adventure that Percy and Annabeth have in Tarturus.
By warriorsandPJ (aka Louise Lewis.)
I had no idea how
long we’d been falling, my watch wasn’t working and with the dark it was hard
to tell if we were even falling anymore.
I couldn’t see anything and the only thing that felt solid and real was
Annabeth’s hand in mine.
The hours blurred into days and it
seemed like we’d never reach the bottom. It was like we were stuck in limbo or
something.
I opened my eyes
and realized that my feet were on solid ground. I looked around, there was only
a gray rocky landscape as far as I could see. I looked up but the only thing
above us was black. Pitch black, the kind that’s so thick you could cut it with
a knife.
I turned to Annabeth, her face was
grey and ashen and she was keeping her weight off of her hurt ankle. “Well we survived the fall.” I said lamely.
Annabeth was still looking around,
taking in the landscape. “This is just the beginning.” She said.
A glow in the shadows caught my eye and I tensed, reaching for riptide. “What’s
that?” I asked.
“It looks like the glow that comes off
celestial bronze.” Annabeth said, reaching for her dagger then realizing that
she didn’t have it.
I drew riptide and held it so the glow
shone in front of us, “Only one way to find out.” We walked forward slowly, Annabeth was
limping but otherwise we were fine.
I relaxed when I realized what the
glow was, “It’s your dagger.” I said to Annabeth, but she wasn’t by my side
anymore. I looked around wildly, searching for her and saw her kneeling by
something a few feet away. I picked up her dagger by the hilt and walked over
and realized what it was, Dedaulus’s laptop was laying there in millions of
pieces. Annabeth turned and looked up at
me, “The laptop . . .”
“I know.”
“There were so many files I hadn’t even looked at yet.” Annabeth’s voice wavered
as she spoke.
“It’s okay,” I reassured her, “You’ll build
better things.” I held out her dagger for her to take. “We’d better start walking.”
Annabeth took the dagger and looked
around, “I have no idea which way to go.”
Truth be told, I didn’t either. There were no walls, and no way to tell what
direction we should go. Everything looked the same, it would be easy to end up
wandering in circles forever.
Then I heard a voice in my head, Come this way godling, follow my voice it purred
and I froze. I knew that voice.
“Did you hear that?” I asked
Annabeth.
She nodded grimly, “Kronos. His essence
is down here.”
“But it’s scattered thin, too thin to do
anything right?” I asked nervously.
“I thought so, but now I’m not so
sure.” Annabeth’s response did not make me feel any better.
Then it spoke again, more firmly. This way, I will lead you out.
“Nice try!” I called into the space in front of us. I turned
around, “This way.” I figured that if Kronos wanted us to go one way we should
turn around and head the other way.
Annabeth gripped my hand and together
we walked forward.
It felt like
we had been walking for days, we were tired, hungry and thirsty.
Annabeth was limping badly so I suggested that we stop for a rest.
“We need to keep going.” Annabeth
insisted.
“We’re not going to be of any help to
the others if we die down here.” I stopped walking. “We need to rest.”
Annabeth sighed and sat down on a
rock, her ankle looked purple and swollen. I wished we had nectar or ambrosia
but we had nothing.
I sat down next to her, “I wonder why
we haven’t seen any monsters.”
“Gaia must have pulled them all out
to fight in her army.” Said Annabeth.
“This is too easy.” I frowned, “She can’t have pulled all of them out.”
“You’re right, demigod.” Said a voice
behind us. Both Annabeth and I jumped up and pulled out our weapons as an
empousa walked up to us, spear drawn. “You’re not alone.”
And then a half a dozen more empousai
appeared behind her, all holding some sort of weapon. “It’s our mission to make
sure you never leave.” Said the leader.
“Um, didn’t Gaea want us alive?” I
asked, trying to buy us some time.
An empousai with curly brown hair came
into view. I recognized this one. “Kelli.” I gripped my sword tighter.
“Fish.” Said Kelli with a smirk.
“Wait, how do you know this monster?”
Annabeth asked.
“Freshman orientation.”
“What?”
“You know, exploding band room, you
met Rachel for the first time?” I offered helpfully.
Annabeth’s eyes narrowed, “Oh yeah.” Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned Rachel.
Kelli was talking to the leader,
“Amber, Gaea said to deliver them alive.”
Amber glared at Kelli, “There’s been a
slight change of plans. These demigods will have to be replaced because someone
wants to -” she paused for dramatic effect, “See you.”
The group of empousa parted to reveal
a familiar veiled head. “Percy Jackson
and the child of Athena.” Said Medusa, “You will final pay for killing me.” She
tilted her head, “I’ve been waiting to add you vile little creatures to my
collection.” She reached for her veil and Annabeth and I closed our eyes tight.
“We’ll leave you guys alone.” Said
Amber, “We need to explain to Gaea that there’s been a . . . accident.” Then we heard the sounds of the empousai
walking away.
“Finally alone.” Said Medusa, “Now
open those eyes. The statues look so much better with open eyes.” She stepped
closer and I swung riptide, hoping to hit her by chance.
“You think a little toy like that
would hurt me here?” I could just hear her smirk. “I haven’t re-formed since
you last bested me. So since I’m dead, I can’t be killed.”
“Oh great.” Muttered Annabeth.
“What now?” I asked.
“Open your eyes.” Medusa hissed all pretense of kindness now gone. Her snakes
rattled and hissed creating an eerie noise in this silent plain.
“Run?” suggested Annabeth.
“It’s no use demigods.” Sneered Medusa stepping forward and trailing a finger
over my shoulders. “I’ll just catch up with you. There’s no way out. You won’t
find the Doors.”
I squirmed away from her and held my
sword out in front of me. “We will find the doors, and we’re going to close
them.” I said firmly.
Medusa laughed, “Do you realize that
the Doors have to be closed from both sides?” she asked. “Whoever closes them
on this side will be trapped here forever.” She paused then said, “You’ll never
get there in time anyways.”
I hadn’t even thought about closing
the Doors. Would Annabeth and I be trapped here forever?
Annabeth grabbed my hand, “You don’t
scare us Medusa. And you might not be able to die down here but I bet we can
make you miserable.” She held her knife
up in her other hand, listening for Medusa’s reply.
“You cocky little cockroach.” Medusa
spat. “Daughter of Athena you will pay.”
“Oh yeah?” I felt Annabeth move and
heard Medusa scream. “Run!” shouted Annabeth.
“I will find you!” screamed Medusa as
we sprinted away, eyes still firmly closed.
When we couldn’t hear her anymore
we opened our eyes and hid behind a large rock. Annabeth was limping badly,
that running probably made her ankle worse.
“What’d you do to her?” I asked.
“I threw my dagger.” Annabeth responded, “I’m not sure but I think I pierced
her heart.”
“But now you have no weapon.”
Annabeth shrugged and smiled, “You’ll
just have to protect me.” She threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly.
“We’ll make it through this.” I said,
holding her close. “I promise.”
THE END
