The Player's Proposal

42: 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.