artemis ; pjo

Give Up

My hands trembled with fear and shock.

   I reached my numbed arm out, trying to reach into the bag in front of me, but I kept missing. My vision was blurring and my brain seemed to be failing. The panting of my friends was the only audible thing in the room.

   I managed to grab the bag, falling forward as I did so. That must have been startling because Sadie's sobs grew abruptly louder. I dug my hand around, feeling for the black, carved box that housed the fate of the world.

   My hand gripped the cold box. In the moment I didn't know why the box would be cold if what it was holding was hot, seeing as it was the first fire. I was gripping onto whatever lick of reality I could find. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the place figure of Megan, ragdolled on the floor. A pool of her dark blood stained the floor.

   I finally gathered what strength I had left and I pulled the box out. The Shadow Lord's eyes flickered with greed.

"I haven't seen that box in eons," he said quietly, an eerie smile taking over his face. His dark hands reached forward and took the box out of my hands. His fingers wrapped around the box as he studied it.

"Colder than I remembered, but that's wonderful. That means the Flame is dying too."

   I lost my balance from squatting on my knees and fell back. The wind was knocked out of me and I closed my eyes. It was over wasn't it? It would be easy just to lie down and not get back up. Actually, that sounded pretty good.

   I felt as the Shadow Lord moved throughout the room. The cool marble floor beneath me buzzed with each step he took. The sharp click of latch being opening echoed through the room. He had opened the box. The Shadow Lord sent ripples of dark laughter through the room.
"Finally."

   Gasps followed gasps. I had the urge to open my eyes, but that would make everything real. It's easier to give up, I told myself. A deep voice began chanting words that I couldn't make out. I felt the air in the room grow still with anticipation. The chanting ceased.

"The blood of the dove," the Shadow Lord said. Tiny footsteps scurried away and back again.

   Once again he began chanting, the words getting faster and faster. There seemed to be more excitement in his voice. Someone along the wall drew in a sharp breath and I heard a muttered "no".

   Suddenly a huge tremor ran through the room. I was knocked across the floor, my face brushing the cool marble floor. Instinctively, my eyes shot open. From the center of the room a large plant - think Jack and the Bean Stalk large - protruded from the marble.

   Everyone was looking around in a frenzy, confused what was happening. While people were stunned, another plant crack the marble floor and shot at the Shadow Lord. The vines wrapped around the box in his hand and yanked it away. More vines sprouted and attack the Shadow Lord, his cries shaking the room.

"GO!" MK cried. We all looked at her outstretched arms, manipulating the plants.

   I scrambled to my feet. The demons raced towards MK, but she surrounded herself in a wall of plants. Eric's eyebrows were creased in worry as he stared at the wall she had surrounded herself with.One of the vines flicked the box toward me. I snatched it out of the air and pulled it into my chest.

   The Shadow Lord finally came back to his senses. He struggled against the vines that trapped him; his shrill shouts pierced the air. The vines began to snap, and soon the Shadow Lord had pulled the huge roots out of the marble, sending heavy pieces of rock flying.

"ARGH!" He screamed. The anger was almost tangible.

   Instinctively, I, along with the others, began slowly stepping backwards, inching towards the door. We didn't even realize we were soon it.

   Well, all except Eric. He stood still, not liking away from MK's wall of plants. When I spotted him I stopped moving.

   The Shadow Lord barreled toward MK, smashing part of the plant shield. Quickly the vines regrew. I began to run to MK, but her voice called out again.

"Amanda! GO!"

   The Shadow Lord was too enraged to understand what was happening. I gripped the box and ran to the center of the room, where the fire stood. The bottom embers held a dull glow, almost to dim to see. As I unlatched the box, the demons began running at me. In a blur, James, Ben, Gabby, and Dan surrounded me, fending off the demons.

   I took a deep breath, blocking out the grunts from the dying demons, bangs from MK's shield, and the pounding of my heart.

   I reached into the box, my fingers wrapping around the small piece of wood that the Flame danced on. I expected it to be hot, but the red Flame felt like nothing. I raised it above the fire, about to cast it down-

   Eric's bloodcurdling screams blocked out all other sound, including the loud thud of MK's shield being pounded deep into the marble. Along with MK.

Time seemed to stop. Blood poured out around the bottom of the shield, flowing into the dark cracks of marble.

   Eric threw himself forward onto the shield, trying to pry it open to get to MK, even though he already knew what he would find. Blood stained the knees of his jeans as he snapped the twigs and vines that were sunk into the ground. Sadie ran to Eric, trying to pull him away from the dome. I could barely hear her charmspeaking Eric to calm down.

   The Shadow Lord turned around, trying to make sense of what was happening. He saw me, and my hand over the fire holding the Flame. He took one long stride toward me. The Shadow Lord towered over me, his hand racing down to stop me.

   My fingers unfurled from the Flame, sending it into the fire. Flames erupted, eating at the wood in the fire.

It was done.