Young Writers Society

Nic

I take several deep breaths before letting myself out of the bathroom. My expression is straight and composed, but my eyes show my worry and my fear. The nurse leads me through the crowd, which sounds silent to me despite the knowledge of the girls screaming and reaching toward me, and to a room in ICU.

My heart pounds faster and faster as I step through the doors, listening to what he has to say but not allowing myself to react until I'm alone with a sleeping Jackie.

Jackie

I hear the doctor exit and sigh in my sleep, a hand moving over to my stomach. I feel nothing, and make a puzzled face before shifting in my place.

Nic

I numbly lower myself in the seat beside Jackie and set a hand over hers. No, it couldn't be. Jace said he saw us with a child, close to now. This can't be the way this one turns out. This is our only tie, right now. I don't want to lose her...

"I'm so sorry, Jacks," I whisper, burying all emotion.

Jackie

I start tearing up and sigh. Our kid can't end up like this. I open my eyes and glance down at my stomach, "She's not gone though..."

Nic

I gently scoot her over and lie at her side, wiping her eyes. My hand resets itself over her stomach, but my other stays at her face.

"But it's all my fault," I whisper.

Jackie

I flip over to face him and shake my head, "It isn't your fault, Nic. She's fine."

Nic

I study her before nodding, averting her gaze. At first, I don't want to bring it up; but then I realize how much I want something to blame and how I don't want it to be anyone else but me. I can't blame her, then this won't work.

"You hurt yourself because of me, so yes, when it boils down to it, this is my fault," I say.

Jackie

"If you keep saying stuff like this, I will hurt you," I respond, flashing a smile.

Nic

I study her before flashing a smile back. Is that humor? She's not the least bit peeved?

Okay, so I can be a hilarious, complete a*s and she breaks up with me; but I can be a self-loathing d-bag and she stays with me? What the hell?

"You confuse me so freaking much," I say. "I just.. don't understand you."

Jackie

I shrug and close my eyes, "You don't have to."

Nic

Remembering the blood on my hands, I think it best to freshen up. The last thing I need is the paparazzi to have pictures of me covered in blood. I plant a kiss on Jackie's forehead and stand.

"I'm going to wash my hands, alright?" I say. "I'll be right back."

I walk out of the room and down the hall toward the bathroom, careful about who's following me.

"Hey, baby, remember me?"

Pausing, I glance over my shoulder where the voice came from but see no one. I shake my head and turn around, freezing when I find an oddly familiar female standing in front of me. In her hands is a knife. Before I can say anything or move out of the way, disintegrate even, she digs the knife into my stomach and leans me against the wall, out of view.

My breath catches in my throat, and adrenaline begins rushing through my veins. It does no good, though, as she drags the knife up through my torso until it barely touches my sternum. Blood begins to flood my mouth, and agony replaces the adrenaline's place.

"That's for forgetting you were mine," she whispers, ripping out the knife. "And this is for lying to me."

The knife slices my throat just enough to sever my vocal cords. I bring a hand up to my neck and slowly slide to the floor. Time slows some, and in a blink she's gone. I can't breathe, beginning to choke, and I can't call out for help. A puddle of my own scarlet liquid surrounds me, growing wider within seconds as my eyes begin to close.

Jackie

I feel something happen and the baby kicks. Something happy with her, and I sit up, finding her connection between someone break. Nic...

I try to calm her and scream for a nurse, "L-Look for him," I reply, gasping again, "P-Please. He was on his way to the bathroom."

I try to stand but my leg doesn't let me, and a doctor tries to hold me down, "We got him. He'll be fine, we're working on him right now."

"N-No I have to see him," I whisper, struggling, he has another person hold me down, and I lose almost all my energy.

Nic

Stirring, I tell myself I'll count to three until I open my eyes. I feel no pain, so I don't think I'm alive anymore; and I don't want to confirm or deny that. When I do open my eyes, all I see is blinding light and I have to close them again. Once I adjust, I look around again.

This can't be Olympus. I always thought it would be less pearly gates and more Parthenon. This is too green, too Americanized, and just a little too... country.

Where the hell am I?

I sit up, finding myself lying in grass, and look down at my condition. The wounds, the blood--they're all still there; it's only the pain that seems nonexistent. Someone appears before me, and I nearly jump out of my skin.

"Jeez, you like scaring the hell out of dead guys?" I mutter.

"You're not dead," he says plainly. "You're just not quite alive, either. They're working on that, I believe. I wanted to talk to you about something, and this is somewhat of a halfway point between home and my next delivery."

His image clears, and I almost think he's Jace for a moment.

"Hermes," I whisper.

"Yes, son, hello," he says without expression.

Jackie

They keep trying to hold me down and I scream, coughing. The baby keeps kicking and I know then something's up. I start sweating but soon relax, shivering.

Nic

"Where am I?" I ask.

"That's not of import," Hermes says.

He glances around when I try to stand, ignoring my struggle. After a few moments I just stop trying and continue to sit in the grass.

"Then what is of import?" I ask.

"You," he says. "Normally, I don't care enough to travel into the mortal world on anything other than deliveries; but you and your brother are attracting a lot of attention upstairs. Especially your brother."

"So you're here to tell us to behave," I state dryly.

"No, I'm here to warn you of what's to come," he sighs. "Your brother knows. Athena and Apollo have seen it as well. Keep one eye open at night, and stay away from the south side of town."

"This is some kind of curfew then."

"You're thick, you know. This is a warning. Heed it or not, I don't care. I have much more children."

He steps closer and snaps his fingers, the scene going black.

"Just remember I warned you," he whispers.