New life

I sat up on the bed fast. I was breathing heavily. Another nightmare... This golden hair man can't leave me alone! I don't even know his name! And HE knows everything about me! All my fears... What nightmare did l have this time... It was the worst one...

l opened my eyes and saw Percy walking towards me and Charlie who walked towards me, too. But in the next moment they saw each other... They started fighting! In the nightmare l thought they would kill each other! But in the next second l found myself standing in a living room. There were a lot of people. I looked around and saw Percy and Charlie talking. I wanted to go to them, but l couldn't move. It was like someone made me to stand there and watch. And it was something that l should watch. I saw Annabeth and another girl walking towards boys and kissing them. I understood in the nightmare that l'm afraid to lose them both. As l understood that l found myself in the arms of the golden hair man who was sucking my life like a vampire.

I rubbed my eyes. I was too tired and wanted to sleep. But l couldn't sleep. I shouldn't sleep. Because when l close my eyes and fall asleep, l found myself in the arms of that man. I didn't want to feel that pain and that fear. But, as the man said, l couldn't run away from him.

"Stef?" I heard Percy's weak voice. He was sleeping and l woke him up. I was sitting with my back to him and was breathing heavily. I heard a rustling of blankets. "Stef? What have happened? Another nightmare?" I nodded. "Come here".

It looked like Percy was totally awake. He hugged me from behind.

"So, as l understand you have nightmares every day...?"
"Yes"
"Um..." He understood that l lied him two days ago. "Can you tell me what it's about?"
"About a golden hair man, Pers. He comes every night to frighten me, as he said, "to take all my fear". He always touches me and that touches are so painful" My voice trembled. "I... l...He scares me, Percy. It's like he is taking my life..." l remembered something. "He said in the first my nightmares that... that he will wait until my birthday... But sometimes l see my dad. It was he who said that l didn't need to worry, that he finally decided about me, it was he who told me about my powers and my destiny..." My body started trembling.
"Hey, shh... Everything will be okay. Do you believe me? When do you have your birthday?"
"I'll be 18 June 22..."
"Oh... Big girl..."
"Percy, shut up!" I pushed him gently in the ribs.
"What?!" I knew, he was smiling.
"Nothing... My dad said that it's my destiny to save the world from... from hell knows whom!"
"We will find out. We have Rachel. She's our Oracle. She'll help us." How he said "us" made me feel so much better... "So, this problem is nearly solved. Then... We need to train harder and more. We have less than one month...So, you will be a great fighter in about two weeks. See, it`s easy. What else?..." We sat in the silence for a minute. I thought Percy had been deciding if he could ask something. In about a minute he decided. "You talked to your father?"
"Yes... He appeared before all of this rushed into my life. And he showed me you... All of you... At first l didn't understand that, but now l see it clear. He showed me demigods walking towards me. There were thousands of them. Also he showed me a fight of sea and sky..." l made a pause.
"Are you saying that your father Zeus told you that we will argue a lot?" Percy asked. Ughr! Percy! You're a real Seaweed brain!
"Um... No. Actually, l think that meant that we will be friends who will fight for each other, who will do anything for each other..."
"Like best friends?"
"Yep!"
"Like best friends who sleep together in one bed?"
"Um..." Hopefully, it was dark and Percy couldn't see my face...
"I'm kidding!" Percy laughed. "I've never had a best friend who was a girl... Yeah, l know you want to ask about Annabeth... I'm reading your mind, too!"
"That means that l'm a horse? Great! You're the best best friend l've ever had!"
"Oops! Nope. You're definitely not a horse. You're my best friend."
"So what about Annabeth?" I wanted to hear what Percy would say.
"Annabeth... We were 12! I didn't think about love or something. I didn`t think about Annabeth as someone who… You know, I didn`t think about that, but l knew it somewhere inside. My mom... She always spoke about Annabeth, she sometimes made me to phone Annabeth and to go with her somewhere..."
"Ah... I understand..."
"Is that like this with you and Charlie?"
"Um, Percy..."
"I'm your best friend, you can tell me..."
"Percy, l'm not really sure about that... I can't tell you anything concrete. When l'll be sure, l'll tell you. I promise." I didn't want to talk with him on that theme... And l tried to forget "best friends"...
"Okay." Percy nodded. "Um, then... your powers... Air?"
"Yep!"
"I heard how you've saved Clarisse..."
"Yes... You know, she really doesn't want to lose her status and place in this camp... She whispered me "Thank you..." and then told me that she wanted to scream. She was afraid to fall..."
"Clarisse... You know, she always bullied me. And now she does it, too. But most of the time we're friends... You know, she's a good fighter and she really can teach you..."
"No, l don't want daughter of Ares to teach me."
"Why?"
"I...l don't know... It's more comfortable for me to be with you or Jason..."
"You know, l feel like that, too..."
"Um, you feel comfortable being near Jason?" I asked laughing.
"No... You've just broke such a...fantastic moment!" Percy laughed, too. I thought he would say "romantic"... "Do you wanna sleep?" Percy yawned.
"Um, yeah... l need to sleep if l want to beat freaking golden hair man with fire in the eyes!"
"Fire in the eyes?"
"Yep..."
"Was it Ares?"
"Um, don't know... I don't think he would frighten his cousin..."
"Ha! You don't know him! I fought with him."
"Really?"
"You think l'm lying?"
"Nope, l believe you."
"Then let's sleep... I need some sleep..." Percy leaned back and fell on the bed.
"You knew that you drool when you sleep?" I laid beside him.
"I heard it. But not from you..." Percy's face was in two inches from mine.
"What do you mean?" I looked in his eyes. It was dark, but my eyes could see anything that was near.
"Um, just... That means that you watch me sleeping..."
"Show me a person who wouldn't look at another person who is lying beside him!" I tried to make a joke, so that l couldn't betray my blush.
"Yep, you're right..." Percy was looking in my eyes. I thought why he didn't sleep. "You know, l watch you, too. And you know, what? You don't definitely look like a horse!"
"Thanks" l smiled.
"Then good night?"
"Nighty night!" I said and Percy closed his eyes.

I couldn't sleep. For about a few minutes l was laying watching Percy asleep. But then l couldn't lie anymore... l stood up and, as l got dressed, went outside. It was a quiet and calm summer night. The warm air brought salty smell from the sea. The small breeze blew on me. I wanted to go to the beach, what I did. The sea was as calm as all that night. Waves slowly and smoothly rolled ashore. I stepped into the water. It was a little cold, but l needed that cold. I was too agitated due to sleep and talk with Percy... This water cooled me and tempered my enthusiasm. It calmed and lulled me as Percy always did.

I looked up and saw a starry sky that was my father's possession... How could that be? I mean, how one person can rein the whole sky? Day and night? How? It's just impossible! My mind refuses to understand that...

Then l saw a light in the sky. This light was coming towards me. It was Akteon.

"Hello, my dear!" I looked him in the eyes. "Why did you come to me? I don't need help now..." Akteon whinnied. "You can't be fooled... Yes, l'm too worried about everything... And what am l doing with Percy? He says we're best friends... But I... Um, never mind. And my nightmares... What should l do? I need some sleep... But it's been 3 days since l slept normally... l...l'm so tired... And Charlie… What do you think he is doing now? Maybe he's reading, or maybe he's sleeping, or driving somewhere, or eating... Does he think about me? What does he feel? Does he want to phone me, to meet me, to spend time with me? Charlie, l miss you so much... Yes, Akteon... I miss him... You know it's like when you lose something, you start to understand how important this something was...” he pushed me in the side and whinnied.
"What do you want? You want to fly? But... Um... Okay..." l climbed the Pegasus. "Where are we going to, Akteon?"

The Pegasus ran raising his speed. In the next moment we left the ground. We were flying under the enormous sky. We felt freedom in our hearts. We were away from all problems, all feeling, all that life...

We flew above the sea, cities and forests. I didn't know where we were flying, l was just watching people under me. But in a few minutes l started to think that l know the place where we flew. In another few minutes l was totally sure. Akteon was flying to my home...

I thought like that at once, but then l understood that we flew to Charlie. In a few minutes we landed near Charlie's house. It was dark, so l thought that everybody was asleep.

I asked Akteon whether he could take me to Charlie's balcony. So, in a few seconds l was there standing next to the open door to Charlie's room. I knew he never closes it.

I made a step forwards and entered Charlie's room. It was dark, but l knew every corner of his room. I made a few steps forwards and stopped. I was waiting until my eyes got used to the dark. As it happened, l saw everything clearer.

I saw Charlie lying on his bed. I made a few steps toward him. His face was calm. His chest rose and fell slowly. He slept soundly. It seemed nothing could disturb him. But in the next moment, he rolled onto one side and almost shouted "Stef!".

I closed my eyes. I felt awful. Why did this Pegasus fly with me to Charlie?! It makes everything only worse. I miss you, Charlie... Unfortunately, you can't see or hear me, but l'm here, Charlie... And l feel so horrible... I wished l could wake you up and tell you everything... But will you believe me?... You didn't believe me... And what if you would be hurt? After l told you... What if... I want to hug you... I want to be here with you. I even want to go with you to The Bahamas or wherever! I... l'm so terrified with my future, my destiny... I don't know what will be in two weeks... What will be with me? With you? With the world?... The fates said that l need to save Olympus. But why me? You know, there are thousands of demigods in the camp... All of them want to go on some quest. Why couldn't they give a chance to those demigods?... What if l won't survive?... No! I will! And we will go together to the university as we agreed in our childhood. Charlie, l can't leave you alone. I won't leave you alone! You need to know that... that l'm here. That l was here... I need to write a note!

I went to the desk, took some paper and a pen and wrote:

"Charlie...
I can't... I shouldn't be here and write to you. But l'm here. I saw your sleeping. Please, don't be angry with me. I couldn't wake you up. Why? Because you wouldn't believe me... You didn't believe me that l'm a demigod... But this is true...
Charlie, l miss you. Really. But l can't go home... l have some destiny... My future had been planned, so...
I need to go. I wish l could wake you up, could come home, could be *** (words were crossed out)
Miss you,
Stef..."

As l finished writing, l felt like l would burst with tears. I was tearing apart by two worlds. And l couldn't choose between them. Because l wasn't asked to tell my opinion. Because l wanted to be in both of them. Because l was a part of two of them.

A few teardrops felt on my note. Then another portion of tears felt. I couldn't control myself anymore. So, l rushed towards Akteon.

"Fly me to the camp" l whispered in his ear.

All the way back to the camp l was calming down. Sometimes, l burst with tears and gelasmus. But at the end of the flight l was too exhausted to feel something, to do anything, to think about something. All my power was gone and left me only my lifeless body. I was like a rag doll without any feelings and emotions.

After we landed in the camp, l said goodbye to Akeon and went to Percy's cabin. As l entered it, l went toward a sofa and laid there. As soon as my head touched the armrest, l fell asleep.

Notes

Next chapter...
Guys, l really hope you like it
This fanfic starts to become much more than just a story for me...