Even when I slept I couldn't escape Tartarus. He never slept, always plaguing my head with nightmares and unspeakable pain. It was a blessing to wake up, but then my heart always grew ice cold when I remembered the nightmare didn't end when I woke.

I have been chained in the basement of the big house for about a week, I don't know maybe more. Keeping track of time hasn't really been a priority of mine lately. Days would pass without so much as a word from the others. They couldn't bare to look at me, and I mean who could blame them. I was dead for a couple years, rotting in hell. I endured day after day, night after night of torment. He followed me everywhere I went, whispering. Telling me to accept him, to let him, let him use my body to walk among the mortals.

Every time I would refuse, he would unleash some new torture. I knew it was never going to end, until one day I gave up. I let him have me, and that's when the true nightmare began.

Today started like it usually did. I woke up and there was food and water already put within reach. My wrists had been washed to prevent the shackles from giving me a rash. I may be their hostage, but I'm not their prisoner. Tartarus has been pretty dormant lately, not particularly interested in sitting here tied up. He still whispers though. I was getting pretty good at ignoring him. He's basically nothing but negative energy, and the more positive I got, the less I could hear him. Of course it wasn't a sure fire way to get rid of him, but it still gave me some privacy from time to time.

Based on the lack of light coming in from the window I would assume it was almost dusk. I walked over to the table about five yards away. It was as far as the chains would let me go, and in five yards the other direction was toilet. I grabbed the tray of food and brought it back to my cot.

I was just about to sink my teeth into an apple when I could hear someone walking down the stairs. That's weird no one usually came at this time. They were usually very routine, thanks to Jupiter's kid and his strict prisoner of war schedule. I wondered who it was going to be, Percy, or maybe even Annabeth, at this point I didn't care, I just wanted to interact with some other humans... well half humans.

But then she came down. My pulse quickened my heart beating so hard like it was trying to jump out of my chest and run to her. Because that's where it belongs... with her. "Thalia?" I had to clear my throat, lack of use had mad me very horse.

She stopped right before she got to the table, right of the range of my chains. "I had to see it with my own eyes. I can't believe you're alive." I stood and slowly walked over to the table, "I know what you must be thinking, but I promise you I'm not evil. Maybe what's inside of me is, but I'm not. I'm the Luke you always knew."

A single tear barley made it out of her eyes before she immediately wiped it away. "Don't say that, you cant say that! You're not the same! The Luke I knew before didn't have an evil deity for a puppet master!" The tears really started to spill now, my heart was breaking just looking at her.

"What you think this isn't the most painful thing I've ever had to do. I was brainwashed by Kronos and almost ended the civilized world. I suffered in Tartarus, tortured to the point of breaking. I've literally been living a nightmare for years.... But none of it was as bad as standing here looking at you, just out of my reach, knowing I can't hold you. Knowing you wont take those few extra steps that'll put you into my arms. Why? Because you're afraid of me. In your eyes I'm a ticking evil time bomb."

Her eyes looked straight into mine, straight into my very being. Then she took one step, then another and before it she was inches away from me. She put her hand on my cheek, "Luke, seeing the one you love in so much pain... that's the worst pain a person can go through."

Before I could stop myself I crushed my lips to hers. I thought she would stop me but she didn't. We slowly walked backwards, our lips never parting. I felt my calves hit the edge of my cot. I picked her up and spun her around lying her down. I pulled back panting, "I love you Thalia." She nodded, "I know.... I love you too." She grabbed my shirt and pulled me to her. I grabbed her by the waist, I could feel her bare skin under my callused fingers. Slowly I drug them up her body eventually finding her breasts.

She reached for my belt and I moaned, moving my lips to her neck. My pants came off along with her shorts. We both quickly took our own shirts.

I crashed back down on her with so much passion I was sure the whole camp would feel it. I entered her, and oh my gosh did it feel good. She winced a little before whispering in my ear, "Don't stop.." I continued with raw emotion. All my anger, all my tension, all my love. This girl was all I ever wanted.

Even after we were finished we remained there on my cot. Wrapped in blankets and spooning. I never wanted to go, I wanted to hold her for the remainder of my sorry life. If I was going to face the world I wanted her to be there holding my hand.

"It's getting dark, I really should go, the others will be looking for me soon." She got up and started to put her clothes back on. I stood up behind her, kissing her shoulder. "Please, promise me you'll come back." She turned got up on her tipy toes and kissed my cheek. "Now that you're mine, I'm never going to let you go.

She was fully clothed now and I was kissing her goodnight. I was about to let her go when I felt it. The ice cold chill that shot up my spine, and snaked its way into my head. I jerked my arms away from her. "Luke? What.."

I fell to the ground, "RUN! Get away from me ! Ahhhhh!" She tried to help me up, but I couldn't allow her anywhere near me, not when he was coming back. So i shoved her as hard as I could. It was the hardest thing I've ever done but she landed safely on the other side of the table.

Then he had me, I know he did because I tried to say sorry, but no words came. "Well aren't you a pretty one. You must be Thalia, daughter or Zeus. Luke thinks about you all the time. You know it's too bad you came here. You see the only thing that can save Luke is love. That's what saved Percy, and that's all that can save Luke. It's not Love itself that'll free him, but the passion it gives, the hope. It gives the host enough strength to resist and eventually cast me out."

Thalia bless her heart walked closer to me, "Why are you telling me this, why are you giving me to key to Luke's freedom?" He laughed, "Oh sweet naive Thalia. I have given you nothing. I'm simply telling you why you must die...." NO! He cant kill her! "I cant have the only thing that could possibly stand between me and victory live now can I.

The chains melted away, "You see I knew you would come, I've been waiting." She tried to run but he was quicker. He pushed her into a wall. She slumped against the floor. I was screaming inside, beating as hard as I could. But it did no good, he picked her up by the neck, slowly the life left her. Her eyes looked into mine, those sad dying eyes that only minutes earlier were loving and passionate.

I'm NOT GOING TO LET YOU DIE! I concentrated, gave every ounce of energy I had. "LET HER GO!" My hand let go.

My stomach churned and my vision blurred. It felt like a fire was burning inside me. I couldn't breath, and then everything went dark.