Child of Time

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Curse of the Orange Juice

o n e y e a r l a t e r

PERCY

Isn't there always that one person who would be running from somewhere and then they suddenly trip and fall and ultimately just end their own life? Yeah, well picture that instead of tripping on thin air and just laying there, watching as the killer slowly walks up to them, picture them falling down from pain exploding throughout their body for only two seconds before everything is fine again. But guess what? You're still dead.

Okay now instead of that person in your head being a faceless being (or maybe they did have a face and you were there wishing that would actually happen) imagine that being me, Perseus, falling down on the floor when I was running from Thalia because I decided to steal her favourite jacket (that I'm currently wearing) because I felt intense pain that left as soon as it came.

Isn't that just great?

No... absolutely not.

"Did you trip, Perseus?"

And that's not even the worst part. Now, it looks like I tripped on thin air and that's what she thinks and the worst part is that even though I know that I didn't trip she doesn't and now she's laughing like the lunatic she is.

"No, I did not." I grumble and stand back up. "I was just hit with pain and fell to the floor. You sadist."

"Pain? Didn't look that way."

I growl at her. "Yeah, and that's what I hate. I just felt a lot of pain and then it disappeared."

Thalia walks to me in concern. "You seem fine to me."

I rolled my eyes. "Did you miss the part where I said it disappeared?"

She lifts her hands in surrender. "Alright, calm yourself."

I sigh and stand right in front of her. "Do you have to leave in two days?" I lean my head on her shoulder and she wraps her arms around me. And you heard that right. I can now officially say that I am only two inches shorter than Thalia. I feel quite proud of myself.

"Yeah, I do, Shortie." And then she crushes all of my hopes and dreams.

"Please don't leave me alone with Annabeth and Luke again." I plead. "They have no taste in music and it kills me. Well Luke is learning so I'll give him that."

"You make it seem like they have to learn something new from class."

"Well I just meant that he actually likes some of the songs." Thalia laughs.

"I know."

"Damn, I didn't think this is what I'd find when I decided to find you two." Thalia and I look at Luke then back to each other.

"Let's go to the dam snack bar!" We say in unison and start laughing.

Luke sighs and shakes his head as I step away from Thalia and give Luke a hug.

"Will you ever tell me that joke?"

"Nope." He sighs again and I step away from him and grab onto his hand.

A weird feeling passed through me and I stop to look behind me. I know, killer movie number one rule: don't look behind you. But you know what? I don't follow the rules and if some killer decides to shove his knife in my throat then I'll come right back and give him something worse.

Luke looks at me when he sees I've stopped.

"Did you feel that?" I ask the demigods, who in response shake their heads.

"What was it?"

I shake my head and continue walking. "I don't know. I think I've felt it before but I don't remember where or when."