Riordanverse One Shots and Short Stories

Annabeth's Nightmare

Synopsis: Annabeth has a nightmare but isn't allowed in Percy's cabin.  Piper and Reyna comfort her.  Some fluffy friendship moments for this trio.

Wisdom's daughter walks alone.

Spiders crawled across the temple floor and around Annabeth's legs.  Some of them started to crawl up her sides and bite at her skin.  

"Get away!"  She yelled. 

"Oh Annabeth, you can never be rid of us."  A cold, raspy voice spoke above her.  Arachne slid down from the ceiling on her spider silk, her head twisting sickeningly.  "We will hunt you forever."

"No!  You're dead!"  Annabeth covered her ears and frantically tried to get the spiders off of her, but it was no use.  

Wisdom's daughter walks alone.  

"Come, my children.  Avenge me!"  Arachne seethed.  

The spiders came by the hundreds out of the cracks in the temple walls and more and more crawled up her arms and legs.  The bites felt so real, so painful.  Annabeth could feel the venom numbing her muscles, rendering her useless.  She felt as though her insides were burning and she couldn't even feel the spiders biting anymore.  She pleaded for Percy, for her mother, for anyone, but no one came.  

Wisdom's daughter walks alone.  

"No!"  Annabeth wailed as she woke.  She breathed heavily and was soaked with sweat.  She felt her arms, there were no bites, but she trembled still, remembering the feeling of the spiders crawling all over her.  

"Annabeth?  Are you alright?"  Malcom, her brother, called from the top bunk.  

"Sorry, Mal."  She said,  "Just a bad dream.  I'm okay."

Malcom nodded and layed back down to sleep.  Annabeth couldn't stop shaking.  Wisdom's daughter walks alone.  She did not want to be alone right now.  Annabeth wrapped a blanket around herself in a failed attempt to stop her trembling and walked outside her cabin.  The night air was cool and dark. 

Annabeth hated the darkness now, it was too much after what she had just experienced.  

Where should she go?  Annabeth's eyes automatically roamed to cabin three.  She longed for Percy's arms around her, but she was not allowed to be alone in a cabin with another boy that wasn't her brother. It was camp rules, and no matter how frightened Annabeth was at that moment, she was not about to break Chiron's trust in her.  

So Annabeth headed for the second safest place she could think of, the seven's secret hideout built from the Argo 2.  It was a safe place for the seven demigods to hang out (and Reyna and Nico of course).  

Once Annabeth got to the ship, or what was left of it, she went below deck where Leo had set up a movie theater of sorts.  There were big squishy couches, a big flat screen TV, a Nintendo switch, and of course, Netflix and Disney Plus.  

Annabeth had figured she'd curl up on the couch alone, but as she went down the steps, she heard laughter.  Piper and Reyna were sitting next to each other on the couch under a blanket together with a bowl of popcorn between them.  They laughed gleefully at a movie they were watching.  Annabeth watched them for a moment, happy her two best friends were good friends as well, when the step she was on creaked.  

Reyna and Piper turned around quickly, but sighed in relief at the sight of their friend.  

Reyna smiled at her.  "Hey Annabeth!  Want to watch this comedy with us?  Its hilarious-" 

"Hold on, Rey."  Piper interrupted her.  "Beth, you doing okay?"  

Annabeth felt her chest fill with warmth despite her cold fear.  This isn't the first time Annabeth has had nightmares, usually Piper was the one that comforted her when she couldn't see Percy.  Annabeth finally let her feelings go at the sound of her friend's concerned voice.  Her eyes filled with tears, and she didn't even try to stop them.  She tried to move toward Piper, but she felt stuck in place.  

"Oh Honey, it's okay."  Piper got up and walked to her.  She placed an arm around Annabeth's shoulders and led her over to the couch.  Annabeth sniffed and tried to wipe her eyes.  

"I-I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to interrupt you guys."  Annabeth realized they were having way more fun before she arrived.  

"Don't be silly Anna, you didn't ruin a thing."  Reyna smiled kindly.  "Can you tell us what's the matter?"

Annabeth was just so thankful to be around someone, anyone.  She trembled as she remembered how alone she felt in her dream.  Her friends were here now, they were worried about her, they cared about her, she tried to tell herself.  Those spiders had crawled all over her, bit her, filled her with sickening venom.  The memory alone made Annabeth shrink into herself, forgetting her friends were there.  

"Hey, hey, it's alright Beth."  Piper rubbed Annabeth's back in small circular motions.  "You don't have to talk about it.  But we are here, okay?"  

Reyna wrapped her arms around Annabeth, pulling her to lie down on the couch.  Piper laid down next to her back, wrapping her arms around Annabeth too.  

"You're safe, we've got you, shhh."  Piper soothed.  Reyna wiped Annabeth's tears from her face and gently rubbed her arms.  With her friends wrapped around her, Annabeth didn't feel so alone anymore.  

"I-I had a nightmare."  Annabeth sniffed.  "Th-There were spiders e-everywhere."  

"Don't worry, they can't get you as long as we're here."  Reyna assured her.  "We'll protect you from those demons." 

Despite her tears, Annabeth chuckled. "Thanks girls."