Solangelo 2

NICO

I sit up suddenly in my bed. I wipe my forehead, soaked in sweat. It takes me a while to catch my breathe.
When I finally do, I get up and find a shirt to pull on before heading outside, where it's still dark out. I like the brief time before dawn, when it's dark but you can feel it getting lighter. 
I roll my shoulders, stretch, getting out of my head and away from the feeling of that box. I walk to the edge of the pier, beside the lake, and look out.
The sun rises to my left and I can see a slight glimpse of it.
On impulse, and because I can still feel the sweat on me, I jump into the lake. Fresh water cleansing me. I normally don't go in the water unless Percy is close, but I know that the ladder is beside me.
I lean over to grab it, but cannot find it. I force myself to open my eyes underwater but cannot see anything. I turn, frantic, starting to feel desperate for a breathe.
I kick my way up and break surface, and finally find the ladder. I cling to it and recollect my breathes, but I can still hear thrashing in the water.
I look out and see a girl, blonde and tanned. I recognise her from the Aphrodite cabin. I think her name's Grace.
'Hey.' I shout, looking to her, then looking behind me, 'Hey! We need some help!'
I look to her and then behind me, but no one's coming. I don't have enough time to go in and grab someone. I grab one of the cables and start padding towards her, but I can tell she's struggling.
I get close to where she was but she's no longer making any movements. I can't see her.
I jump in. I look for anything at all, but I find nothing. She's not here. I can see the light reflecting on the water now. And my chest is getting tight. I push myself to the air above, kicking frantically. I break the water and sit up in bed.
'Hey, you're okay.' Will says, but I can barely hear him.
'What? I...I...' I look around the room, incredibly confused. I can't make sense of it, 'I was outside. I'm not...'
'You're okay. We're in your dorm.' Will says, taking my hands in his as he always does when I have nightmares. 'You okay?' He asks as my breathing slows and I start to make sense of what just happened.
'Fine.' I say, quietly, unconvinced.
'Tartarus?'
'Yeah. Yeah.' I say, not ready to decipher what I was dreaming about, 'Sorry. Go back to sleep.'
'It's okay. Come here.' He says, and pulls me back down, wrapping his arms around me. It takes me a while before I close my eyes again, but when I do, I'm back in Tartarus.