𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒 [pjo]

six; shallow graves

━━━shallow  graves

.・゜゜・───・゜゜・．

The walls were rough tightly-packed dirt, pebbles, and rocks falling off and knocking against Cal's face as she scraped her palms on the rough walls. She felt like she was drowning, the sound of falling dirt and clashing metal sounded like Gaea's mocking laughter. The whisper of her sleepy voice crawled up Cal's spine, and her hands slipped from the rough dirt. She fell and landed hard on her back, gasping up at the clear blue sky above her, the clear blue sky above that was slowly disappearing, consumed by the closing ground.

Cal's blood roared in her ears like a typhoon. A soft whisper breathed past her neck, and a whisper swallowed her whole.

My dear one, you're going to die down here. Gaea's voice sounded like the walls crumbling around her, ringing deep in her bones and filling her with dread. You're going to die, and your body will be in a nameless faceless grave.

Cal scrambled up onto her feet and returned to the walls around her, digging her numb fingers into the tiny crevices. She was not going to die in this sorry shithole, and her Percy was not going to remain Gaea's pawn.

Above her, Blackjack neighed and Piper was screaming, and Cal's heart squeezed in her chest. She pulled herself up, digging her fingers back into the rough stone, and ignored the sting. The diminishing sunlight graced her cheeks and she gasped, reaching her hand out to touch the closing crevice. The tip of her middle finger ghosted the ridge of a crevice before the sound of moving dirt filled the hole. She looked down and stared in horror at the dirt rising beneath her. Her heart, her poor, sorry heart, pounded against her ribcage, demanding freedom. She swallowed with a throat the size of a straw and pulled herself higher, reaching again for the rough ridge.

"Help!" She yelled, and above had gone silent. "Help, please!"

"Callahan?" Piper's voice echoed in the tiny chamber, and Cal gasped.

"Piper, Piper! I'm right here!" She reached her hand out to Piper, and almost sobbed when Piper's rough calluses scraped against her tender skin. The girl grabbed at Cal's wrist and tugged with all her might, gasping from the strain of Cal's weight. Cal heaved herself up and out, collapsing against the hot asphalt.

"Gods..." She shivered and burned her eyes with the sunlight, grinning up at the empty blue. Her hands felt like they were on fire, and she savored the harsh sting. A looming dark shadow blocked the sun out, and Cal blinked at Blackjack.

"Hi, dude." She nodded at the stallion and pulled herself up. Piper grabbed her palms the minute she stood up, surveying the scrapes and raw skin.

"You okay?" The girl asked, and Cal nodded.

"It's nothing, I promise." She stared at Percy's limp form and nodded, "we should get back."

In front of them, the horizon glared.

.・゜゜・───・゜゜・．

The four of them landed on the deck to surprised stares, as expected. Callahan slid off the stallion's back, her hair plastered to the back of her neck. She winced at the stinging in her palms, and Annie was in front of her in a heartbeat, her hands wrapping around Cal's wrists. She turned Cal's palms up, her grey eyes analyzing the scrapes covering the tender skin.