Annabeth dropped to her knees, her eyes watering so bad that she couldn’t see anything that was going on around her and Percy. She just saw him; her beautiful seaweed brain sprawled on the ground in front of her. She tore off the hem of her shirt, pressing on the gaping wound in his chest and trying to feed him ambrosia.
“No, no, no you cannot die on me seaweed brain, I forbid it!” She whispered fiercely, unable to say anything else.
He had just saved her from an attack that would have ended in her certain death but in that moment she would have rather to be in his position, anything to save him.
He coughed, an effort that racked his entire body of energy, and when he did so a thin bubble of blood came to his lips, and he smiled faintly. “It’s okay my wise girl, you’ll be okay, I promise.”
He reached up to touch a strand of her hand that had come undone from its carefully knotted ponytail, wrapping it around his index finger and tugged gently, just as he had always used to do when she made an endearing comment.
She covered his hand with her own, pressing it to her face as she wept her heart out. “Come on Percy, you can’t leave me. I love you. I need you; I’m not strong enough to go on without you.”
She could see his heart break as he spoke to her. “You are strong enough. That’s why I saved you. I need you more than you need me. You survived fine on your own for twelve years.” He smiled wistfully. “We’ve known each other for so long, since we were twelve. I’ve loved you for so long my Annie bell.”
She screamed, “No, Percy you can’t go, it’ll be okay Percy.”
He nodded once, one last time. “Goodbye my Annabeth.”
And then those beautiful sea green eyes were shut forever, all the light gone from them as his spirit fled his body, leaving her alone for the ghosts of the underworld. She could almost feel a warm breeze brush by her as she cradled his fallen figure in her arms and rocked back and forth slowly.
She managed to gain clarity long enough to whisper her goodbye.
“My Percy. Poor seaweed brain.”
One last thing.
“You drool when you sleep.”
