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Something in the back of his head told him that this wasn’t real. It screamed at him in an attempt to remind him that he might be laying in the infirmary, passed out on the floor, and he should get up before someone found him.
He chose to ignore the voice, curious and nostalgic for the sights surrounding him.
He was right in front of Zeus’ Fist in the woods. It was a warm summer night by the feel of it, a gentle breeze drifting through and rustling the leaves on the trees. In the sky, the moon and stars shone brightly, illuminating the darkened clearing.
Will heard a voice, different than the one at the back of his mind. It sounded underwater for a moment, hurting his head. He rubbed his eyes roughly, tuning out his surroundings for a count of three before looking up again.
He felt his heart skip a beat as he saw two faces standing in front of him. Lee Fletcher was grinning lazily and looking down at him, his Apollo-standard glow seeming to shine through even in the dark. Next to him, Michael Yew was watching Will expectantly, having to look up a bit to catch his gaze. His expression was twisted into his typical resting glare, but the mischievous sparkle in his eyes betrayed any feelings of animosity he tried to project.
“Well, kiddo? You ready?”
Will blinked again, mouth slightly agape as he stared at his brothers in confusion. He didn’t know why they were here. They shouldn’t be here, according to the little voice in his head. But his memory felt heavy and foggy, and he couldn’t remember why it was so strange they were here. They were his brothers; it would make sense that they would find him in the woods doing…
“Uh, why am I here again?” he asked absently, still wracking his brain to understand his conflicting feelings. He heard Lee laugh, a rich musical sound that filled the clearing ( he always loved Lee’s laugh ).
“Always the absent-minded one, hm? You would lose your head if it wasn’t attached to your body,” the oldest boy teased. Next to him, Michael was smirking with more apparent amusement, elbowing Lee.
“Just explain to him again so we can get started. If he forgets he’s the monster's problem now.”
Will’s eyes widened. The little voice reminded him that the monsters in Camp weren’t too bad; he had faced creatures just as bad, if not worse. But in that moment, something turned in his mind. Suddenly, he was eight-years-old again, hungrily absorbing the tales of fear and heroism by his older siblings.
Lee, meanwhile, shot Michael a look before turning to explain the situation to Will. “Well, long story short, Val managed to strike a deal with the harpies so that they leave us sun-scented spawn alone for the night. And that is why, I humbly welcome you, my dear, sweet, brother, to our new Apollo Cabin tradition of hide and seek!”
Lee paused, clearly expecting a huge reaction. When all he got was a sarcastic slow clap form Michael, he continued talking.
“Ok, listen. It’s just a normal game of hide-and-seek, but we’ve got the entire woods all to ourselves.”
Michael hummed in agreement, “Yep. This is Apollo Cabin exclusive, so we don’t have to deal with overly competitive Ares kids or Hermes kids playing dirty.” He paused, seeming to think for a moment, “Although, no promises that all of us will play anymore fair.”
Lee grinned at that, but Will was distracted again. Everything about the situation felt vaguely familiar. He was sure that the entire scene in front of him was pieced together from his early Camp memories, but it felt so… real .
“What about the monsters?” Will asked, feeling his lower lip tremble a little. He wanted to follow his siblings, but he was scared ( he was so scared ).
Lee huffed, glaring at Michael momentarily. “Don’t listen to what he said, kiddo. He’s just trying to get you in your own head.” Crouching down in front of Will, Lee grabbed his hands into his own. Will couldn’t quite make out what either of their hands looked like, but he felt the reassuring warm touch grounding him.
( After all, how could it be fake when his big brother felt so alive? )
“You’re going to be ok, Will. How about you count first while we hide. Then, all you have to do is come find us ok? Come find me.”
He squeezed Will’s hand tight, as Will nodded slowly. He could do that; he could find his brothers and sisters.
The excitement of the game settled in as the fear left his heart momentarily. He caught sight of his other siblings, all standing in front of him and smiling expectantly. He involuntarily found himself memorizing all their faces and physical quirks: Kassy’s slightly choppy bangs, Andrew’s faded scar on his neck from his travels to Camp, and the sharp glint of Elle’s perfect teeth even in the dark night.
He covered his hands over his eyes as he began to count. Will was steadfast and consistent, ensuring to add the quick mississippi ’s in between so it was fair. He realized too late that he forgot to ask how long he should count for, so he stopped at sixty seconds.
Uncovering his eyes, his heart dropped. Everything was dark, but no longer with any gentle guide of light from the moon. He was lost in a blackened expanse that seemed to have no end.
Will frowned, speaking up shakily. “Guys? Is this a joke?”
It wasn’t funny if it was a joke. But he doubted it was, especially when no one responded immediately.
Suddenly, he heard Lee’s laugh echoing. He couldn’t pinpoint from where, but it was near him. He took off running to the right.
“Lee? Lee, where are you?” he shouted, blindly racing forward. Each step was terrifying, as he was sure any second now he would spring too far ahead and there would be nothing below him.
As he tried to chase Lee’s laughter, he heard Kassy’s voice break in. She was humming softly, in a way that seemed shy but clearly crystalline.
He felt himself freeze, trying to pick a direction. Another sound cut in, this time Ray whistling sharply. He heard Valerie’s giggles, Elle’s tuneful scat singing, Michael’s quiet chuckles… sounds that belonged to his siblings soon began to overwhelm him.
Will closed his eyes, clamping his hands over his ears and counting to ten again. When he opened his eyes again, he half-hoped that he would be back at his spot at Zeus’ Fist, ready to chase down his siblings scattered among the woods.
Instead, he was alone again, the darkness growing more oppressive each passing minute. His lower lip trembled as he fell to his knees, clutching at the ground below him in an attempt to feel stable, only to realize that there seemed to be nothing below him.
Don’t leave me alone . Not again , he thought as the world seemed to ripple around him before going out of focus all together.