𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 || 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙟𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣¹

010

(chapter x - selene talks to a snake...literally)

AT THE EDGE of the dump, they found a tow-truck so old it might've been thrown away itself. But the engine started, and it had a full tank of gas, so they decided to borrow it.

Thalia drove. She didn't seem as stunned as the rest of them were.

"The skeletons are still out there," She reminded them. "We need to keep moving."

She navigated them through the desert, under clear blue skies, with sand so bright it hurt to look at. Zoë sat up front with Thalia. Selene watched as her hands gripped a hunting knife.

Bianca's, hunting knife.

Grover, Selene and Percy sat in the pickup bed, leaning against the tow wench. The air was cool and dry, but the nice weather seemed like a slap to the face after losing Bianca.

She felt like blood was on her own hands. She robbed the poor girl of her life. An immortal life, yes, but it could've been a good one. A life where she spent all eternity with the Hunters and Artemis.

It should've been her.

Bianca had a brother. A new family. She was going to travel around the world with them, chasing off monsters and setting wrong things right to this world.

That was robbed from her. All because Selene, couldn't stop her.

Selene's hand closed around the little figurine that has cost Bianca her life. She couldn't even tell what god it was supposed to be. Nico would know.

Oh gods...what was she going to tell Nico?

Selene bit her lip to stop herself from sobbing.

She wanted to believe that Bianca was out there somewhere. There were some loopholes in prophecies, and the line one shall be lost in the land without rain, didn't say anything about dying. Just being....lost.

But Selene had a feeling Bianca was gone for good.

"It should've been me," Percy said, breaking the silence. "I should've gone into the giant."

Selene sniffled. Percy looked at her, but she didn't meet his eyes, letting out a shaky breath.

"Don't say that!" Grover panicked. "It's bad enough Annabeth is gone, and now Bianca. Do you think I can stand it if..." Tears started falling off his face. "Do you think anybody else would be my best-friend?"

"Ah, Grover..."

The satyr wiped under his eyes with an oily cloth that left his face grimy, like he had on war-paint. "I'm...I'm okay."

Selene brought her knees up to her chest, not being able to resist her sobs anymore.

Truth be told, Grover wasn't okay. None of them were. They all tried to remain hopeful, and strong, but deep down, even Thalia was falling apart.

Percy slung an arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. He traced circles on her as she turned and buried her face in his shoulder.

She didn't want to cry, she felt like...a wimp, almost, when she did so.

But she couldn't help it.

Twelve year-old Selene was wrong. Quests weren't fun. Fighting monsters can be deadly. People actually die, going on quests.

She's still surprised she's even alive, now.

It was stupid. To hang on to her childish dreams, like some sort of fairy god mother's gonna make them come true.