TONGUES & TEETH; Luke Castellan [ 1 ]

< NOT STRONG ENOUGH >

Pandora's eyes drifted away from her book again watching Clarisse in the distance. The girl crossed the camp, talking occasionally with her siblings beside her. Pandora hadn't found the perfect opportunity yet.

The twins had smiled at her a few times over the past few days, Luke an exception. He was trying rather extensive to talk to Pandora. She had gotten rather good at avoiding people and never let him get more than a couple of words in.

Annabeth had been clutched to her side since she returned. Sparring together occasionally Annabeth bringing breakfast for Pandora outside her cabin.

She shifted her eyes back to the book, squeezing her eyes as another vision invaded her head.

"Again." A loud cry Pandora's lips as she kicked at the confined space, the door slammed open again giving her some light.

"Stop it please— I- I can't." He gave her another somewhat sympathetic look before Hades voice sounded again as the door slammed shut. "Fuck, stop it- stop it." She covered her eyes shakily the darkness frightening her.

Another sob her lips as she tried to summon the flames to her knuckles. One finger then another before it went out and she was in complete darkness again. "I'm done— let me out." Her head hit the wooden floor of the casket.

"Pandora." Jerry's voice snapped her back into reality his hands on her shoulders as he knelt before her. "Hey, are you right?" Pandora wiped the blood from her nose awkwardly standing up to face him.

"Fucking hell, perfect, sorry." She cursed blood stained across her hand, his eyes narrowed at the odd sight. "What are- what are you doing here?" He straightened up taking a step back.

"Thought I'd pop by, say welcome back." He smirked leaning against the railing of the porch. "Haven't been able to see you due to Dahlia's relentlessness that you're evil." He emphasised, Pandora avoiding spilling blood onto her book in her opposite hand.

"That's fair." Pandora nodded clutching her book awkwardly leaning against the cabin wall as her mind spun. "Listen to Dahlia, she's usually right." Jerry scoffed, shaking his head as he crossed his arms.

"Said no one ever, she lets her stubbornness get in the way of what's right." She shuffled on her feet desperate to escape the conversation with blood trickling down her nose. "Bleeding again Pandora." She covered her nose as she turned to head to her door, eyebrows scrunched in pain.

"Hey! Not finished girl of death." He yanked her arm back, Pandora sending him a hateful glare. "Sit with us again." He stated his expression serious for once, "Ignore Dahlia, Micheal'll talk to her." Pandora smudged the blood under her nose with the back of her hand.

"I- I don't want to sit with you anymore." Pandora exhaled softly, her facade hardly fooling Jerry. "Truly, I'm fine by myself." She ignored his call for her name again entering her cabin, the door to his face.

She couldn't have any distractions, she didn't want to die. "Reaper! Reaper, come here you big beast." The red eyed hound tumbled down the stairs towards Pandora.
The girl knelt down to pat the huge dog scratching behind his ear lovingly.

"I need you bring a message for me boy." The dog slobbered as Pandora moved across the room scribbling a short note.
She tied a piece of ribbon around Reaper's neck slipping the note between the fur and the string.

'I need a few more days.'

"Underworld please bud, give it to him." She pulled the door open, the dog bounding out of the cabin and towards the forest.

"Miss Walker." Chiron's voice stopped her from closing the door, the girl stepping outside to face the director. "I belive we haven't had the chance to discuss the recent events further." She gulped nervously her back hitting the wooden door.

"I apologise sir, I've been distracted. However, there's hardly anything to discuss. I found what I was looking for, I'm back to train- to- to better myself." She struggled to explain, Chiron skeptical.

"If you are—" He paused, "It Had- your father is pressuring you to do good by him Pandora—" She tensed her fingers interwined behind her back.

"My father doesn't want me to do anything Chiron, I swear. I had a good few months with him, we have different interiors." He seemed somewhat satisfied of her answering, backing from the cabin.

"Talk to your friends Miss Walker, it'll help." She watched him gallop off away the cabins.