BLACK RAVEN [ piper mcLean ]

A Series of Bad Decisions

ONCE THE POSITIONS were made for each person, the game began.

Alison was staying with Percy, for both he and Thalia agreed that it was 'for the best'.  Silena's group disappeared into the woods on the left. Thalia's group gave it a few seconds, then darted off toward the right.

Percy and Alison stayed out, waiting for something to happen. Percy climbed Zeus's Fist and had a good view over the forest while Alison sat down right in front of it. 

Nothing happened.

"So, any idea of where Annabeth would be?" She asked, attempting to make conversation while they waited. 

"Sort of." Replied Percy. He didn't go into anymore detail other then that, so Alison could tell he didn't really want to talk about it.

It was silent for a little bit before Percy spoke up. "How much longer do you think it'll be before the Hunters show up?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe another 2-5 minutes?"

Percy nodded, looking out over the forest. "Once they do I'll go and help the others fight."

"I'll join you." She added.

"No, you should stay here, keep an eye on the flag. You'll be more useful here."

Alison stood up, now slightly annoyed. She was sure Percy didn't mean it to come out like that, but it sounded to her like he thought she wasn't capable of fighting. To be fair, she wasn't the best at it, but she should still be given a fair go like everyone else. "Are you saying I'd be useless in a battle?" She demanded. Alison wasn't usually like this, but she hated it when people thought less of her. Especially when it was coming from someone such as Percy.

"No no, Ali that's not what I meant. I-"

"No, it is what you meant! I mean, both you and Thalia told me to stay here because it was 'for the best'. 

"It is for the best. But-"

"Oh really? Best for what?" She shot back. Alison could see the confusion written all over Percy's face. For she never acted like this. But maybe she should. Maybe then she wouldn't let people keep walking all over her like they always did.

Before Percy could respond, Nico climbed up onto Zeus' Fist beside Percy. "What's happening?" Nico demanded.

Alison stood on her tiptoes to see what Nico was talking about. She caught a glimpse of Silena and her two scouts. They ran through a clearing, followed by five of the Hunters, leading them deep into the woods and away from Thalia. Then she spotted another clump of Hunters heading to the right, bows ready. They must've spotted Thalia.

She turned back to Percy. "Well, lets see if I'm capable of being in a battle." And with that, before anyone could hold her back she sprinted across the boundary line. 

Only a few seconds later she could hear someone close behind. Assuming it was Percy, she darted off in the opposite direction. For she didn't need him on her tail.

She ran for a bit longer, before stopping to catch her breath. No one was around.

Or so she thought.

Almost out of nowhere one of the Hunters showed up. The same one that had glared at her before the game began. Alison didn't even get a chance to think before the Hunter started shooting arrows. 

She ducked quickly, just missing the arrows. She placed her hands on the  ground and quickly placed a bit of her energy into the earth. She lifted her arms in a small waving motion, causing that small part to lift up in a small earthquake, waving motion as it travelled through the ground. Eventually tripping the Hunter.

After that she ran as fast as she could in the other direction.

Alison had explored these woods maybe 100 times, yet never ever set foot in this part of the woods. It was different. The sky seemed darker and the trees seemed to droop.

She slowed down, looking all around, taking it all in. As she walked, her foot must of slipped. For she then fell down a random whole in the ground. She seemed to be falling for ages, until finally hitting the ground with a rather loud thump. She landed on her arm, causing a sharp pain to shoot through her body. Once she opened her eyes, she could barley seen anything. 

Standing up slowly, she then started fumbling around the place. Reaching out her arms to attempt to feel the walls around her.

It hadn't been that long until it finally hit her.

"My dream." She whispered. 

And then it all started unravelling.

There was a loud creaking noise, echoing throughout the walkways. It was like a sound from a horror movie when a door is slowly creaking closed. Only it was 100% times louder. Alison shot up, glancing all around her surroundings. But of course, she saw nothing.

But, she could faintly see a small patch of light up ahead in the distance. But she already knew what was happening.

All around her, the walls had started to move closer and closer together. In a matter of minutes, she'd be squished like a pancake.

"Percy says I'm terrible in a battle, well I'll prove him wrong by surviving this. I have to." She muttered to herself, before focusing all her energy into the ground. She opened her eyes and saw large vines sprouting out of the ground around her feet. Making their way across both sides of the walls.

As the room was getting smaller, Alison tried not to panic. The vines crawled their way around the walls, pushing against them. The raven haired girl stood in the middle, her arms outstretched on either side. Desperate to keep those vines in place. For they were pushing against the walls, delaying them for a matter of seconds.

But eventually, the walls pushed back against them, snapping the vines and letting them shrivel up and soak back into the earth.

Alison dropped her arms, a bead of sweat now dripping down her forehead. The room was now getting smaller and smaller. If she didn't think of something fast, then she'd be dead in a matter of seconds!

"Help! Someone help!" She yelled out, now getting desperate.

This couldn't be how her life was going to end. It just couldn't!

If she had of just listened to Percy and Thalia and stayed up on Zeus' Fist like she was supposed to, then maybe she wouldn't be about to die. Maybe then she wouldn't be  living out her dream.

In the distance she noticed a silhouette of a man, watching, waiting, listening.

"Please!" She called out, tears now streaming down her face.

But it was too late. For the walls were now squeezing her sides, pressing into her so hard she wasn't able to breath. The pain was unbearable.

Her vision started to blur, before it went out compleatly.

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Wherever life takes you . . . Bloom with grace