From the Sea

Chapter 3: Feeling Good

"Mom!"

"Run!"

Annabeth didn't know where she was. She only knew that she was in a forest that looked eerily familiar. She was watching a child and his mother run. She watched from a distance and tried running toward the two but never getting an inch closer.

She didn't know what they were running from. That was until she heard rapid stomps accumulate from behind the two. Then a tall and big figure ran past Annabeth not acknowledging her. The figure ran with gusto and roared with so much might it could break glass with sheer power. The fur of the creature flowed as it ran. The hooves and horns defined it in the dark.

It was the Minotaur.

Annabeth realized that she was dreaming of the past.

"Just keep running! We're almost there!" The mother encouraged with a shaking voice from how fast she was running and the pure stress being pushed on the two.

The Minotaur was catching up to the duo at an exponential rate. The mother saw this and continued running.

Annabeth wanted to cry out, RUN! Or Don't stop!

But nothing came out.

Soon, the monster grabbed the mother causing the boy to stop.

"Mom!"

The mother had tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't stop, Per-"

But before she could finish her sentence, the Minotaur squeezed causing the motherly woman to dissipate into golden dust.

"Nooo!"

The boy didn't run away. He simply ran toward the danger that stood in front of him. The Minotaur then charged at the boy piercing his heart.

Annabeth's dreamscape was filled with the boy's screams and his blood painting the forest floor.

Just when the boy seemed like he was done for, the boy's sea-green eyes had a murderous rage behind them.

The boy broke the horn off of the Minotaur causing it to cry out in pain and crouch over its knee. The boy didn't waste any time in disorientating the beast as much as possible. The boy raised his fist and full-on sucker-punched the creature.

The Minotaur was taken aback as he backed away in shock. It then acted solely on animal instinct as it charged once more. The boy saw this and reached the horn sticking out of his chest and pulled.

And pulled.

And pulled.

And finally, the horn was dislodged from the boy's chest leaving a deep hole.

Annabeth could've sworn that the floor was starting to flood with blood. She hated this. But she couldn't stop watching.

The boy held the horn with courage and charged at the charging minotaur. But suddenly the monster stopped as if it was frozen or some sort of force was preventing it from moving. It was evident that it was struggling against whatever made it stop.

The boy continued his charge and impaled the monster where it stood. The Minotaur growled in pain one last time as it faded away.

The boy held the horn, that was now covered in his and the minotaur's blood. He then fell on his back obviously exhausted. He was bleeding out. It was only a matter of time before he would die.