The Dream

Percy POV

I don't remember much after the stabbing. I was still half-conscious when the ambulances arrived. The noise was barely audible.

I remember Annabeth crying.

I remember what she said. I love you. I wanted to hear those words come from her mouth, but not in a situation where I was dying.

And, I was dying. I could feel it. The light drained out of my body, and my soul escaped. They say that life flashes before your eyes when you die. It certainly flashed before mine. Most of it was bad memories and experiences.

Most of my life was filled with pain, but there were good times with my mom, friends, and Annabeth. A wave of darkness (with faint sparks of light) entered my mind.

Pain exploded in my stomach with every movement. Every motion that the paramedics or my friends made on my body stabbed me with pain. Pain numbed my body and my senses. As I mentioned, I am dying.

I officially lost consciousness in the ambulance. My body swept away from me, and rather than seeing darkness, I pictured light.

The last thing I felt was Annabeth's hand squeezing mine.

The last thing I heard was 'I love you.'

***

Light.

Beautiful rays of sunlight fell upon my face. I gazed at the sun that was high in the sky. The water gleamed with different shades of light.

I was at the beach. My bare feet sunk into the sand while I look around. The warm sand soothed my skin. I was the only person on the beach. It was the beach of heaven. I love hanging out at the beach. The breeze flowed through my clothes and hair. The water crashed against the sand in white foams.

A smile befell my face as I ran towards the water.

Suddenly, the image changed. People started to arrive at the beach. I stopped running as I gazed at the three figures playing in the water.

I recognized one of them.

Annabeth was wearing a gray sundress. The water soaked the silk against her legs, but she looked so beautiful as she splashed the kids. Wise Girl looked older by (at least) 15 years, but she was still recognizable.

Sunlight reflected off the diamond ring on her finger. It had to be a wedding ring.

Then, my eyes focused on the two kids: a girl and a boy.

The girl was older than the boy by a few years, but they were both young. The little girl had dark raven hair and gray eyes. A smile was emanating from her face as she hugged her mom so that they both fell into the water.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing as I watched them.

Then, the boy joined in on the fun. His long blonde hair was blowing wildly due to the wind. He laughed excitedly while pouncing into the water.

"Mama, look. I find a shell," he exclaimed eagerly.

"It's beautiful, honey. Why don't you add it to the collection?" Annabeth suggested. The boy lit up while running towards the sand.

He was running right towards me. He paused a few feet away and looked at my face. I noticed that he had sea-green eyes. When he's older, the boy would be very handsome.

"Daddy, I found another seashell. Is it worth adding to our collection?" he asked. Anticipation waited on his small face.

"I- it looked perfect," I answered softly.

A brilliant smile entered the child's face while he hugged me tightly. I froze as his small arms wrapped around my legs. He didn't come higher than my waist. I recovered quickly and picked the boy into my arms, holding him tightly.

"Daddy, you should join us in the water," the boy exclaimed. "It's so much fun."

He scampered out of my arms and dropped the shell into his pocket. Then, he ran back towards the beach. I smiled as Annabeth's gaze locked onto mine.

Every time I look at her, I fall in love all over again.

I wanted to join them in the water. My feet carried me through the warm sand; each step took me closer to the waterline.

"This is what you're missing out on, Percy," a man's voice resonated.

I paused and turned towards a middle-aged man. He had the same eyes, hair, and mischievous smile like me. I only recognized him thanks to some pictures that my mom kept. My dad died when I was still an infant.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to the beach for you. I visit every so often to greet people, but I didn't expect to be greeting you so soon. You're only a teenager," he expressed.

He walked closer to me, and I got a better look at him. Poseidon had very tan skin, and he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts. His green eyes glistened in the sunlight.

His hand came and rested on my shoulder.

"If you join the beach, this is what you're missing."

"What are you talking about? I love it here. Annabeth is here, and my friends will probably come too. Even the little girl and boy-"

"are not real, Percy. They aren't real yet," Poseidon interrupted.

"Don't you see, Percy? You're in the dream of Elysium. Anyone that comes here obviously wants to stay."

I turned back towards Annabeth and the kids. They were happily playing in the water. How could this be not real? It was so wonderful.

"Your father is telling the truth, Percy."

I whirled around to see my beautiful mother. My legs catapulted me forward as I embraced her. Her warm hands wrapped around me.

"Mama, I miss you so much. I love you so much," I cried.

"I know, honey. I watch you from above. I know exactly how you're doing, and I'm so happy that you're finding safety, freedom, and happiness," my mother smiled.

Her hands rested against my cheeks.

Poseidon came next to us and wrapped on arm around Sally Jackson. They have reunited again in heaven or the dream of heaven.

"We love you so much, Percy," Poseidon expressed. My mother nodded while patting my cheek softly. "You've grown into such a wonderful young man. You still have a life to live."

"You still have life to bring forth into this world," Sally whispered as we gazed at the two kids playing in the water.

"It's beautiful here. It's so pain-free."

I turned towards my mother and father, but they were gone. They were walking towards the waterline, hand-in-hand. They were leaving me, going back to where they came from.

At the instant their feet touched the water, their smiling faces faded.

They dissipated into mist, and the breeze took them away.

"We love you, Percy," their voices resonated around me. A strong breeze whistled through my clothes and hair before leaving me alone.

Annabeth and the kids were calling me with smiling faces.

This isn't real though. They were luring me towards a happy place. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to go there. I wanted to join my parents and my family.

However, it wasn't the right time yet.

I couldn't join them yet. I still have a whole life to experience.

The world (life) may be filled with pain, but it is worth living. I had to go back to Annabeth and my friends. If I didn't go back, I'd miss out on so much joy and love.

Suddenly, the beach started falling apart.

Annabeth and the little kids faded. The sand fell into the ground, and the water flowed away from the sand.

Pain exploded in my stomach.

The wind blew violently as I looked at my hands. They were stained with red thanks to the stab wound against my gut. I clutched my stomach tightly.

The sunlight faded and shadows entered.

I got one last glimpse of the beach before darkness consumed me.

***

My body felt numb. I couldn't move because it felt like a cinder block was sitting on my chest. My senses weren't back yet either, so I couldn't see or hear anything. However, I was conscious, aand I knew that I was alive.

That's better than nothing if I say so myself.

Before I could open my eyes, I was able to hear people. The room was quiet, but people were talking. I recognized Grover and Annabeth. Others were in the room as well.

"What if something is seriously wrong?" Annabeth asked. "He's alive, thank the gods, but what if he isn't the same. Why isn't he awake yet?"

"Honey, Percy was stabbed in the stomach. He lost a lot of blood. It's going to take time for him to wake up and recover," Helen's voice comforted Annabeth. She comforted me as well. It made sense that it would take time for me to fully wake up.

"He's waking up," Grover exclaimed.

The noise pierced my body, and I groaned. My back arched upwards, and my head pounded. However, that was nothing compared to the stab of pain in my stomach.

Note to self: don't move too much.

"Hey, buddy, I saw your fingers moving. Can you open your eyes?" Grover asked softly. I felt his hand grasp my arm and squeeze it.

Annabeth was on my other side. She was holding my hand, and I slowly started to sense her warm presence. Gods, I love her.

Leaving the beach was hard, but it was so worth it. Being around my best friend and girlfriend was enough to jolt me back to reality. I don't need heaven as long as I have them.

They were my heaven.

It took a lot of energy to simply open my eyelids. My vision was blurry, and it took several minutes to clear up. Grover's and Annabeth's faces came into view. They both had worried expressions, but they were smiling at me at the same time.

"Did," I huffed. "Did you guys miss me?"

"Seaweed Brain," Annabeth exclaimed excitedly. She threw herself at me. Her arms wrapped around my head while she pressed her face against my neck.

I winced at the sudden intrusion. Regardless, I accepted her embrace. It felt so good to be alive and in her arms again.

"I love you, Wise Girl. I had to come back," I whispered.

Annabeth's tears flowed out of her eyes and landed on my cheeks. "Gods, I was so scared. If you do that ever again, I'll kill you myself," she warned.

She kissed me softly, and I returned the favor.

Then, Grover wrapped his arms around me too. He was crying like a baby even though I was okay.

"All right, enough crying, both of you. I'm alive. You should be throwing a party and getting drunk. Not crying," I expressed with a smile.

They chuckled while making me more comfortable. Helen went to call the doctor so that they could do an examination. I was feeling fine, but the pain was flaring in my stomach and my head.

"It's okay, Seaweed Brain. Just relax," Annabeth whispered. She was gently stroked my hand with her thumb. It was very nice.

"Annabeth, I just knew that I had to come back to you guys. I knew that I couldn't stay in that place yet," I explained.

"What place, Percy?"

"It's kind of a long story. Right now, I just wanna sleep."

My body felt numb, and everything hurt. I needed rest. Grover and Annabeth nodded. Grover fixed my bed and pillows while Annabeth brushed my hair.

"I love you, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth whispered before kissing my forehead.

I smiled warmly before sleep took over.