The Next Great Prophecy

PERCY XXI

“You’re in love with Leo?” asked Percy. His head hurt, but he tried to ignore it.

            “I hated him at first, but he sort of grew on me,” answered Calypso, blushing a bit.

            “I didn’t even know he came here. He must have been while I was in Tartarus,” said Percy.

            “I suppose so,” said calypso. She looked at Percy curiously. “Are you all right? You look a bit… off.”

            Percy grimaced as his head gave a particularly painful throb. “Just a headache.” Calypso reached over and felt his forehead.

            “Percy, you’re burning up,” said Calypso, the worry evident in her eyes. “Maybe you should…”

            Percy wasn’t sure how she ended her sentence. His head hit the floor below as he fell, and everything went black.

**

            Percy had been without nightmares for a bit, but it was only a matter of time before they returned. And as they did, it was with a vengeance.

            He realized within seconds he was back in Tartarus. The air burned his lungs, and he immediately felt weaker. Considering how he felt before, that was saying something.

            He struggled to stand, wishing more than anything he would wake up. He looked around and noticed something was off. His nightmares usually had Annabeth. But this time, he was alone.

            The area around him was empty, save for two rivers. He immediately recognized one as the Phleglethon, the river of fire. Nearby was the Acheron, the river of pain. How he knew that, he had no idea. But one look told him he did not want to take a swim.

            He was caught off guard when a force hit him from behind. He flew through the air, landing heavily on his side. The breath was knocked out of him, and all he could do was lay there and struggle to breathe. As soon as he could, he registered a burning pain in his arm. Most likely it was broken, but he had other things to worry about. But before he could move, a kick to the ribs knocked his breath right back out. The kicks kept coming, and he realized something. If this was a dream, why did he feel pain? Something was wrong.

            He never did catch sight of his attacker. His body went limp, and he was barely able to see a humanoid shape pick him up. He would like to have hoped that someone was going to help him, but that wasn’t the case. He was thrown, and he felt himself land in the river. All he could think of was the pain. He had taken a dip in the Styx, and thought he knew pain. But this? It was worse. It felt as if he was being burned in the volcano, ingested gorgon blood, gotten slashed by Kronos’s scythe, all at the same time. Every injury, every pain he had felt, had combined. He struggled to breathe, inhaling the water and choking. He couldn’t breathe in this river. He was dying.

Uh oh, what's happening to Percy? Is he losing it? Who knows? I do, but am I telling? 

The answer is yes. I am terrible at keeping secrets. I know what's happening to Percy. And I will tell you... soon.