Seeking Happiness

I wanted to scream, I wanted to fight, I wanted to... cry. But I couldn't move my own body, I would scratch my ass if it meant I had momentary control over my arms. It all started the day Thalia got the branch, Tartarus sensed they were on to him. He slowly piece by agonizing piece reclaimed my body. Every day my will power dwindled until I was nothing more than a screaming thought. Do you know how loud a thought is? I could be screaming at the top of my lungs, but it would always remain a whisper as soft as a feather floating around the subconscious of my new tenet. My body, my voice, my actions were no longer my own, I had become a stranger in my own body.

The night Percy came to check on me was the night Tartarus had planned to make his escape. The door slammed shut behind him and the lights went out. Darkness flooded over the basement, poor Percy didn't stand a chance.

He gave up a good fight, Tartarus was strong but he still had certain limits being in a mortal body.I tried to help, tried to hold myself back, but it was useless I might as well have been trying to control the force, yes I am Luke, but I am no Luke Skywalker.

Tartarus dealt the final blow, leaving Percy bleeding and unconscious on the floor. I had hoped that he would leave him there, but no such luck.

Now I'm sitting here looking at him even bloodier and in chains. Tartarus was some what of an expert on prisons, so he had no problem making a makeshift one in the woods. He built a little hut for himself with four walls entirely out of stone, and in the corner was what he liked to call the holding cell. The bars were made of celestial bronze layered with a thick coating of venom. That's were Percy was, chained to wall, dirty, bloody, and for the most part hopeless.

I had seen glimpses of Tartarus' plans, not much, only what he let slip, but it looked awful. I could only pray to the gods that Percy could pull off yet another miracle. At this point I don't even care if I ever get free, I don't care if I die, I just wanted to save my friends.

Tartarus cackled, "Oh Lucas, I am going to enjoy feeling your extreme discomfort and agony as I kill your friends. But first I need to officially put a stop to all this spear business. And what better place to start than the root. That pretty little blond, has a lot going on under those curls doesn't she. Very clever that one, which is why she must be the first to go."

If Percy was going to wake up now would be a great time. Yet his body still remained motionless. Not that I blamed the guy he was tortured for hours the night before.

Next thing I know we were up and moving, heading toward the row of cabins. The sun had just set, I could hear the campers heading back to their cabins after their dinner. I remember those days, I can't remember why I ever resented that life. Now, in the light of my current situation I felt like a stupid kid throwing a tantrum because my daddy worked too much.

We crept in the shadows right up to Percy's cabin. Makes sense that she would be staying here. We walked up the three steps to the front door in silence, which was maddening because I knew for a fact that the second step usually creaked louder than any other one in the entire camp. He walked up to the side of her bed and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. How many times had I done that when we were growing up, and now it just made me sick.

"Come Annabeth, wake up now love. I would hate for you to be late to your own slaughter." Her eyes flew open just as she screamed. Tartarus just laughed, "Go ahead, scream, let all your little friends know you are in trouble, it wont matter. He scooped her up and walked out the front door. Why wasn't she struggling, putting up a fight, this wasn't like her. She just curled up into a ball, protecting herself.

Thalia's brother Jason flew over sword in hand. Man that kid looked like he hated me, part of me would like to think he was looking at Tartarus that way, but I think some of it was aimed towards me. Tartarus put our hand to the ground, a hole appeared and hell hounds came pouring out.

"Let that keep you busy. Fair warning though, you could just go back to your cabins and you will all survive the night. But if should choose to fight, one of you will die in the process."

Notes