Percabeth (completed): Book 1 - Percy Jackson Fanfiction

Chapter Thirteen ~ ANNABETH

• Chapter Thirteen • 

• ANNABETH •

"No!"

Annabeth grabbed Percy's wrist as he slumped to the floor. "Percy? Percy!"

Her boyfriend didn't respond. He fell, motionless, the whites of his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

A sick feeling pulled at Annabeth's gut. She clutched her stomach, a low groan escaping from her mouth.

"Per... OW!" she cried. Something sharp jabbed at her ribs, but she couldn't tell what.

Her vision darkened and blurred. Annabeth tried to move forwards, her legs as heavy as lead, but she just couldn't. She fell to her knees, a crippling dozy pain enveloping her.

"I..."

Her head lolled, and Annabeth unwillingly slipped into her dreams.

I led the way. Luke and Thalia were behind me, shielding us from the hellhound. I unsheathed my knife, ready to fight, but then Luke cried out.

"Luke?" I asked, freezing in my place. The wet earth beneath me soaked through my too-small trainers. "Thalia?"

Nobody replied.

Forcing myself to turn round, I searched the area. Luke and Thalia were gone.

How could they be gone? We were in the middle of nowhere on squelchy mud-filled land that -

Wait. It wasn't land.

It was marsh.

I looked around desperately. The hellhound had disappeared, obviously drowning in the marsh. Its black paw poked through the bubbly swampy surface, then bobbed back under. A strangled yelp echoed faintly, and then nothing.

"Luke! Thalia!"

My knife grew heavy in my hand. I could feel myself sinking up to my knees. Tears of frustration filled my eyes.

Come on, Annabeth!

I took a deep breath, then bent over and plunged my hands deep into the marsh. It was cold and gross and slimy, with lumps of grass like a big pile of brownish vomit. My own vomit was rising in my throat. I had to swallow it down.

My fingers grasped around something soft but drenched in sloppy dirt. I pulled with all my strength, and something black appeared above the surface. I recognised it as part of Thalia's T-shirt.

"Thalia!" I shouted. Pulling harder, I began to slip further under.

Suddenly, a body burst through the marsh, flailing and kicking. Luke stood with the rusted pipe he used, his body and face and hair drenched with mud.

I was too worried about saving Thalia to feel relieved about Luke's reappearance.

"Help me!" I screamed.

Luke ran over, although it felt like an age because the marsh was slowing him down. Finally he came to my side, and he thrust his hands under to help me rescue Thalia.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Luke gave me that dazzling smile of his. "Of course. Well done for not panicking."

I blushed, the heat rising through my necks to my cheeks. It wasn't often that Luke gave me compliments, and when he did they always made me flush red like a traffic light.