literature

Hum

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The fire flickered against the cave walls, the shadows dancing around the tiny flame in a world of darkness. The flames should have provided some warmth, Annabeth decided, but she was finding more and more that everything in Tartarus was cold, dead.

Her hand moved to hover above her ankle, her fingers picking at the bandages wrapped around it like a present. Percy and she had managed to find her backpack, torn and missing some supplies, but also having others. Like ambrosia. And nectar.

What a stroke of luck it had been to find the pack among the wreckage, for indeed it had been a very very hard fall.

Annabeth watched the wood turn scorched under the fire's wrath, curling off into strips of dark white ash. There had been a moment--brief moment--where the world had turned to a blackness even thicker than this one as she fell. Percy's hand had slipped away from her wrist, and there had been nothing. When Annabeth had opened her eyes again she had found Percy's face hovering above her, shining like an angel's in the circle of light his sword had cast, a miracle. There had been tears in his eyes.

Annabeth suspected she had died, but neither she nor Percy had brought it up again after that. Up until now her mind had been preoccupied evading monsters, but sitting safe for the moment, motionless, her thoughts had plenty of time to wander.

What would happen if she had died? If the Doors of Death had kept her alive standing open--which logically speaking was a high possibility--what would happen when they were forced shut forever?

Would Annabeth leave again?

Annabeth's free hand strayed to her face where a strand of loose hair hung limp and dirty. She picked it up, winding it round her finger on a nervous impulse. Part of her understood her death at the end of this journey wouldn't be relevant if Percy and she never reached it--surviving and finding the Doors was the main priority--but there was still the quiet fear within her that spoke there would be nothing for Annabeth to look forward to when she saw the sunlight filter into this black pit.

The terror was frustrating, but impossible to push away no matter how hard Annabeth shoved.

Warm fingers curled around her hand then, scalding against her icy skin, and Annabeth jumped out of her worries. "You okay?" Percy's voice, nothing but a murmur.

Annabeth gazed at his hand cradling her hand on her sore ankle, his pale skin a contrast to her darker complexion.  She figured it was probably best to keep her thoughts to herself; Percy had enough on his mind as it was. Annabeth couldn't be a distraction. "I'm fine," She lied with only a pinch of consequential guilt. "Just tired."

Percy pulled Annabeth against him, weaving their fingers together like strips of lace. "Why don't you try to get some sleep?" His grip was warm and secure, and Annabeth instantly felt better. "I'll take first watch."

Annabeth laid her head on his shoulder, releasing a long relaxed breath, reveling in his closeness. She couldn't recall the last time they had just sat like this, somewhat at peace, but she was finding more and more that it was time she craved. She felt Percy rest his head against her own and wondered if he was thinking the same thing.

After all, they may not have that much time together left.

Percy's fingers drew soft circles across Annabeth's hand and the inside of her palm tingled with tiny flames. Perhaps everything around her was frozen, but Percy was the fire who's heat burned through the ice, even stronger than the real flames dancing across the earth in front of them now. His presence was light itself, bright and homey and alive. She hoped it never went away.

Annabeth's eyes fell closed even as her mind protested for them to stay open. Percy and she worked better together; if something were to happen she wanted to be awake for it. But her body was already beginning to float into that sensation of sleep that was like drifting on an ocean surface. And the water was warm, comfortable.

Annabeth was nearly gone when a soft, sweet tune drifted to her ears. It was the sort of methodic sound you would hear from someone who didn't have much experience with music; gentle ups and downs of notes entirely their own. Off pitch yet perfect.

They did not pull her back to shore but merely joined in her drift. Annabeth felt the vibrations coming from his throat before she knew. "Are you humming?"

The music stopped, and Annabeth immediately regretted opening her mouth.

"Yeah," Percy sounded different in her dream world, softer. "I figure since I can't sing you to sleep...humming is the next best thing. Plus, it's really dark and dreary down here. A little happy music might liven it about a bit." The words were slow and uncertain, as if Percy were afraid of how she would perceive his idea.

Annabeth felt her lips curl up into a smile. "I don't think it's working," she teased sleepily and thankfully Percy caught on to the joke...and her acceptance.

"You're supposed to be sleeping, Wise Girl. Not criticizing." Annabeth could picture Percy in her mind's eye, an embarrassed blush bright on his cheeks, fading as his smile grew.

"I'll criticize if I want to," she told him.

"Then I'll hum if I want to."

"I never said you couldn't."

Percy snorted. "Go to sleep, Miss Chase."

"OK," Annabeth shifted closer to his neck, returning to her weightless warmth. "You can continue humming now."

Percy did, low but now with acquired confidence that had been missing before. Annabeth figured he was still smiling; she could hear it in his voice.

After a few moments she caught him add a handful of words to his rhythm, an awkward medium between being sung and being said. "I'll hold your hand...Never let you go again..." The made up lyrics washed across Annabeth like the ocean tide. These next few hours may very well be the last of her life, but if that was the case it was not such a bad way for her story to end.

She was with her best friend, and he was not leaving her side.

Salty sea air brushed across Annabeth in a gentle caress, and she turned her face toward it, breathing it in as the current of sleep swept her away.

And the heartbreaking cheesiness continues.

Well I was sitting here just now, trying to study for my Spanish midterm, when an image of Percy humming Annabeth to sleep down in Tartarus (since he can't sing according to what he told us in The Last Olympian) popped into my head...And it was too cute to ignore so of course I quickly grabbed my laptop and turned it into something. haha I can just hear his voice cracking in my head as he attempts to somewhat sing the made up, yet relevant, lyrics to her. (If you were confused about the end Annabeth is smelling Percy because she's so close to him and he has that salty sea scent to him haha)

This story also gives you some insight into my theories about Percy and Annabeth's whole falling situation. I think--since Percy survived a volcanic explosion and then hurtled to the earth like a meteor before--he can probably survive the fall. Annabeth, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have as much durability as him, since she broke her ankle landing on it while falling during her quest in The Mark of Athena, so I see her dying during the fall...but then immediately coming back to life because the Doors of Death are still open and allowing souls to escape from the Underworld. But that leaves the question of what happens when the Doors close? Will Annabeth's soul return to the Underworld since that's where it's supposed to be if she does die from the fall to Tartarus? Will the same thing happen to Hazel, since she's supposed to be dead too? And it goes on to say that if all of this stuff DOES happen like I'm predicting, will closing the Doors have something to do with Percy's impossible sacrifice since doing so would potentially kill Annabeth and Hazel, and he promised never to let Annabeth go again?

Woah, guys. I think I'm starting to scare myself now. I really need to know what's going to happen in the House of Hades haha Do you guys have any theories?

Percy and Annabeth belong to the amazing Rick Riordan
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HaraCho's avatar
OMG. You just killed me. I LOVE YOU!