Uncontrollable{COMPLETED}

Chapter 12

Annabeth was shivering. Guido was warm, but his body heat couldn't fight off the penetrating cold from being so high up in the sky. She was shivering so hard her arms and shoulders were numb, and she could just barely feel her backpack. The city spread out below her, thousands of lights twinkling in the inky blackness.

"Let's stop soon, Guido," Annabeth said. "I'm hungry."

The horse whinnied in response, then dived toward  the ground at breakneck speed. Annabeth didn't even blink as her stomach lurched. She couldn't really bring herself to care; all she felt was a huge ache in her chest, but she was determined to push through and find Percy and bring him back. Then maybe have an angry confrontation with the gods. No one was allowed to hurt her Seaweed Brain this bad. No one. Annabeth felt a slight jolt, then an absence of wind. She opened her eyes, not knowing when she had closed them, and looked around. They were in someone's backyard in a small neighborhood. Thankfully, all the lights in the houses surrounding them were dark.

"You stay here, and make sure no mortals see you," Annabeth told the pegasus. "Thank you."

Guido nickered softly and nuzzled her palm with his soft nose.

"If I don't come back after awhile, just go back to camp, okay? I'm not sure if there are still monsters about."

She turned and walked through the empty backyard and onto the street, the backpack that bounced between her shoulder blades grounding her among the grief.

~~~

Annabeth had managed to find an all-night diner/cafe in the town, and she found that it was twelve a.m. She ordered an espresso and two muffins, paying for it with her mortal money, then sat down and ate in the warmth of the small building. There were no other customers in the diner, and soft music played through speakers overhead. Annabeth stared out the window, barely tasting the coffee. This reminded her of the old days, when she and Thalia and Luke had been on the run from monsters. She held back tears. Now's not the time for breakdowns, she told herself firmly. She'd probably get thrown out of the diner. Finishing her last muffin, she stood up, ignoring the rush of dizziness, and threw away her cup and wrappers, stepping once more into the night.

The cold enveloped her immediately, and she walked as fast as she could back to where Guido was hopefully waiting. Every flash of moonlight on metal was monsters' eyes, and every wind sighing through the empty town was a monster's breaths. Feeling thoroughly creeped out by the time she found Guido again, she immediately hopped on his back.

"Let's get out of here quick. I don't like the feeling of this place," Annabeth said. As they rose into the sky again, the exhilaration was dimmed by the feeling that something wasn't right. She looked back at town, but nothing stirred besides her overreactive imagination. Shuddering, she faced forward again, leaning forward and saying, "Don't drop me." She fell asleep, despite the caffeine in her system.

~~~

Annabeth woke to something soft rubbing her face. All she could see was a big blob, then her eyes focused and she saw that it was Guido, trying to wake her.

"Are we there?" She asked, ignoring the butterflies that swarmed her stomach at the thought. Guido made a horse noise that Annabeth assumed was a yes, then she looked around. Her heart rose in her throat. The familiarity of this place ached; she hadn't taken into account how painful the memories would be. It was the museum she and Percy had gone to on a date, and it was now abandoned and isolated. Her heart rate picked up and her stomach heaved painfully. She ran to the nearest bush and threw up her muffins and coffee. Sitting up shakily, she forced herself to take a deep breath, wiping her mouth as she did so. Pulling a water bottle from her backpack, she rinsed her mouth with the lukewarm water, grimacing at the taste. Guido whinnied, and Annabeth told him, "You can go. Thank you so much for your help. I should be able to get back on my own." The pegasus flew away reluctantly and Annabeth watched his outline grow smaller and smaller until he disappeared from sight. Enough stalling, the daughter of Athena told herself. You can do this. Still feeling sick, she walked up the driveway. She saw dragging footprints in the gravel, and the door was hanging open slightly, creaking in the breeze. Shivering with anticipation, she stepped inside. A thousand emotions rose inside her, colliding and fighting for dominance. Her feet sloshed in water an inch deep, and she ignored the unpleasant sensation of moist socks. "Percy?" She called. She took another step in. "P-Percy?" She faltered. Surely he was here. There was water on the floors, after all. Looking around, she noted that all the exhibits that had once captured her attention for hours were now gone, and the room was an empty shell. Then she saw movement. Heart suddenly taking up residence in her throat, she looked up. There he was. Wearing wrinkled clothes, hair dirty, head hung, hands wringing. Broken.