Memories (Percy Jackson)

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

I prayed to God, and the gods, and whoever else would listen to me as i fell.  I was aware of Percy holding my hand, screaming right next to me.  

The real thing that scared me was that I didn’t feel Leo’s leg wrapped around mine anymore.  

I attempted to open my eyes in the blinding wind, but I’m pretty sure if tried any harder, I seriously would’ve gone blind.  My eyes betrayed me as tears fell out.  

We began to slow down, which told me I was either going to squash into the ground like a grape, or smash into the water like a grape.  I assumed we slowed down enough that I could open my eyes, so I tentatively squinted.  

We were quickly approaching land.  I’m going to die.  This is it. I managed to turn my head and glance at Percy.   The calm look of peace he had on his face kind of worried me.  Did he get knocked out?  Or was he really trying to keep his cool?  

Whatever it was, it really didn’t matter this high up in the air, plummeting toward land at a million miles an hour.  We were going to die anyways.  50 feet.  40 feet. 30 feet.  I braced myself for impact.  

Imagine getting hit by and eighteen-wheeler truck going 90 miles down the highway, then getting smashed into a concrete wall at the same speed.  That’s how much it hurt.  

Every bone in my body was on fire.  My muscles refused to work.  I couldn’t move anything.  I lay there, staring straight up, not really seeing anything.  My ears were ringing, and I could vaguely make out somebody calling my name.  A girl’s worried face appeared above me, and everything faded.  

You know how people sometimes wake up and think they’re either dead, or dreaming?  I know for a fact that I was actually dead.  

The air felt crisp and dry, but it was also pleasantly warm.  I could hear waves lapping against the shore.  Strangely, there were no birds, only wind and sea.  I sat up and rested on my elbows.  I took in my surroundings. 

Palm trees.  Lots of them.  There were also many beautiful plants that shimmered colors I had never seen before.  

The weird thing was, I wasn’t actually lying flat on the ground.  I had a cotton sheet under me, and a seemingly tempurpedic pillow under my head.  I admired the softness and luxury of what seemed to be under me, when I heard voices approaching.  

My hand tightened around my knife, which lay next to me near my side.  Whenever something nice happened to me, it always went  wrong.  This has to be one of those times.  

I attempted to get up, just for a place to hide, but my bones ached.  My muscles were still on fire.  I wondered where the others were, if they had made it. 

 I still managed, in excruciating pain, to pull myself behind a thick bush to my right.  The voices got closer, and with every word, they seemed more familiar.  

I took the risk and peeked over the brush, tapping into their conversation.  

“-I’m saying, we don’t know where the others are, and so far we have no clue where we are.”  

“I’m telling you Annabeth, we’re on Ogygia.  I can sense it.”  

I could practically hear Annabeth rolling her eyes.  “Yes, I’m sure your powers of necromancy include geography.”  

That had to be Annabeth for sure, because I had no clue what necromancy meant.  I’m not sure I wanted to.  

The other voice sighed.  “Well, I just know, okay?  I just hope we can find the others before its’ too late.”