Lost In Memories and Curses (PJO HOO STORY)

CHAPTER 20: THERE'S A 100 AND 10 DAYS OF PAIN & TORTURE

ANNABETH POV

The war had ended two months ago.

We had all tried our best to recover. We cleaned up both of the camps and made all of the necessary repairs. Three days after the battle, we held our funerals. We all sat there, in a somber silence, with tears coming from our eyes, as we burned their funeral shrouds.

The first thing we do as a demigod is make our own shroud. Basically "Hey! Congrats, you have an Olympian parent that doesn't care about you and won't talk to you unless they need something. You're going to die a horrible death so we start off by making our own funeral shrouds!"

That was very depressing.

I had helped with meeting all of the families. As difficult as it was, I knew that this was something that I just had to do. It wasn't a burden I could place onto someone else. Percy and I traveled from house to house, of each of the fallen demigods (our friends and family) and told them the news. Watching them break down in front of my eyes was so painful. I thought of my own family: Frederick, Helen, the twins. Would they care? What would they say?

"Annabeth? Oh, yes, I remember her. She left a long time ago and we barely keep in touch. Off fighting some of this and that. How is she?"

After we had left from the last house, I just immediately retreated back to Percy's room, he himself just followed me right behind my heel. We just sat there, together, in each other's presence. I had begun to cry a little, softly with no sound, as I kept on thinking about my own family.

I'm going to die one day and no one would care.

I looked up at Percy and, gods I love this boy, it was as if he knew my thoughts right away.

"Annabeth, I love you. I'm always here. I'm never going to leave you. And don't even think like that, I'm never letting you leave me either. Besides, my mom loves you so much. I swear to the gods she's practically waiting for us to get married so that she can officially call you her daughter!"

I blushed at the last statement, but was forever grateful for what he had said.

I have family no matter what.

***

A few more days had passed and Percy and I became increasingly aware that our time with the curse was almost up. I was itching with excitement, though I forced myself to push that all down. I chidded myself for letting myself believe that all this pain may actually go away. It's Tartarus we're talking about. How do we know that he didn't do some weird twisty thing and then, all of a sudden, we're stuck like this for the rest of our short, miserable lives?

"It's going to be okay," Percy whispered to me, trying to ease me up on my anxiety. "It's going to all work out."

I stared at him, taking note of the dark bags under his eyes. He looked too old for his age, his face containing a level of stress and sadness that no teenager should have. He smiled at me, giving me his usual trouble-maker smile that I have grown to love. It washed away all those years of strain.

"Okay Seaweed Brain. I trust you."

I wanted to know what he was thinking as he searched my face, looking over my features and staring into my eyes. He just settled on planting a soft kiss to my forehead, before keeping silent and just walking forward to the strawberry field.

Just 15 more days

***

It was finally time. Percy and I skipped breakfast this morning. We just sat there, on the floor of his cabin. Percy just had his back rested against the bed frame while I sat in front of him, crisscrossed on the floor.

We both had a square of ambrosia in our hands.

"Here goes nothing!" Percy chuckled weakly. He looked at me, with a terrified expression on his face. I leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the lips, before holding his hand tightly and giving it a squeeze.

"Together, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

We stopped there, again, and just stared at the piece of godly food we had in our hands. These past 100 days were absolute torture. Constantly being in pain. Constantly suffering from panic attacks. Constantly suffering from nightmares. Nothing was helping and it seemed as if our situation was only getting worse and worse.

That was Tartarus' plan in the first place, right?

He wanted to tire us out. Draw out all of our strength till we snapped.

How much pain can the Heroes of Olympus take?

But we survived. Together, we pushed through it.

"On three," I said. "One, two, three."

We each placed the square of ambrosia into our mouths and let it melt. I squeezed my eyes shut, in anticipation, not letting Percy's hands go, but I could feel the result.

I smiled softly as I could feel some of the pain leaving my body. I opened my eyes to see Percy looking at his hands and feet, watching the cuts and scrapes begin to heal. He looked over at me, with tears in his eyes, as he let out a choked laugh.

"It's done!" he exclaimed, cupping my face into his hands. I just nodded, before leaning in for a hug.

We have survived.

Stronger together.