A Half-Bloods Nightmare ~ Percy Jackson Fanfiction

A Series Of Unfortunate Chapters by Cara Greene ~ Ch13

I should have known that something was up when she ran into me.
I wasn't sure (and I'm still not sure) how many coincidences that a mere demigod could possibly have. After all, running into a stranger that knows the true name of the 'killer death birds' kinda throws you off of schedule. In retrospect,

My plan was ruined.

The girl was running ahead of me, and that only ticked me off a little bit. But nonetheless she was really trying. I could hear her restrained breathing from here, she was stumbling quite a bit as well. What I was mostly worried about, was the chance that she might fall and slow us down, thus leaving us prey for the birds. I can still hear the sludgy sounds my shoes make as I run.

Like I said, it had been raining. And believe it or not it still is, the cold water beat down on my skin. It felt as if I was being pelted with a million pebbles. Was this the gods way of laughing at us? Watching unfit kids run through the rain in a fiery passion, while metallic birds shot arrows at our expense. No wonder it was enjoyable for them...they got a front row seat.

"What are those things again?!" I scream at her, jumping over a fallen tree trunk. The girl glanced back and sniffed, blinking her eyes in the falling rain, "Stymph...uh, it -it doesn't matter right now!" She hollers back. Why would she do that? She obviously knows the answer, and it wasn't something to hide. We were practically being pelted with arrows from them.

I flinched every time one flew in front of me. The sun was gone, the dark clouds surrounded it to the point where you wouldn't even know where it was. And yet they seemed to glint in...nothing. It was as if light bounced off of the arrows, when there was none. The first arrow that shot at me nicked my skin, the small point hit my neck and left a small sting.

It really didn't help when splotches of mud and flying leaves hit my neck. Oddly, the wind and sharp leaves hit my face brought back my memory of the nightmare I had. I shudder as the thought of being beaten and stabbed to death by a bunch of kids, came to mind. And that shadowy figure who had no problem killing me. Was that supposed to represent something?

I shake my head and try catching up to the girl. "What's going on?!" I hollered at her, my shoes getting in rhythm with hers and feeling the strength in my legs come back. I turned my head as I caught up with her, waiting for an answer. She stared gravely at the world in front of her, glaring at the uneven road. Her eyes seemed angry, they look determinedly at whatever they land on.

Her berry lips were caught up in a snarl, as if they just wanted to bite on someone's skin. But despite her terrifying glares, she looked scared. Like she was running towards what would be the end of her. "I was hoping you would know!" She says. I flinch at her sudden answer, my heartbeat suddenly rising. "How do you know what those are?!" I ask, glancing at her, but trying to keep my eyes on what was ahead.

She scoffs and flicks her eyes, a start of judgement showing up on her face. "That's a stupid question," she mumbles. I scrunch my nose and brush the wet leaves out of my face. Like her eyes, she was mean. Don't tell me this is another snobby girl from a rich private academy, I can't handle anymore of those. But even though the seminars that are held at our school say, "Don't listen to the mean kids, and believe in yourself!"

Her hatred of me, made me want to smack myself. Why would I ask such a stupid question like that?! "No! What I meant was...how are they here?! And why are they chasing me?! Chasing us! Did you get a dream too?!"
"-Alright! That's enough" she snaps. But then a startled look shows up on her face, "Wait what?! You got a dream from Dionysus?!"

Dionysus? Did she get a dream as well. An empty feeling fills me up, whether it was jealousy or resentment, I'll never know. "No. I got one from Apollo!" I holler back, the rain pouring down harder. The girls eyes widen with surprise, and then her face lit up, as if she just had an Ah ha moment