Solangelo 2

NICO

Will places me down against the wall, and sets away checking my pulse, my breathing, everything he can think of. I let him, staring ahead at nothing in particular.
I can see Percy leaning against the opposite wall, his head resting gently on the side as he tries to block us all out and talk to Annabeth on a phone that one of the Hephaestus kids made for him - more of a walkie talkie than a phone.
Will sits beside me, our arms pressed against each other. I look at him, and my head burns for a moment.
'You okay?' He asks.
'This isn't right.' I say, slowly. Carefully, looking around the room.
'What isn't right?' He asks, but the world tilts as he speaks. I feel sick.
'This isn't real.' I say, suddenly so sure.
'Nico, yes it is.' Will says. Piper and Hazel stop to watch us, noticing our raised voices.
'This isn't real. You're not real. I'm dreaming.' I say, standing up, supporting myself on the table. And all at once, Will's face drops. He stares at me, cold, unfeeling.
'I've got my grips on you.' He says, but his voice is monotone. It isn't him, 'can you feel me, in your head? Can you feel how close I am? Have fun figuring out what's real, Nico.'
As he says my name, I gasp and breathe in a load of air. I cough out water, my lungs burning. I'm drenched. I frantically look about, trying to figure out where I am, what happened.
'Nico, calm down.' Percy says, one of his hands on my shoulder.
'You're okay.' Will says, sitting back slightly, letting out a relieved sigh.
'What just...what just happened?' I ask, unable to understand what's going on.
'You almost drowned. You were down there for a good three or four minutes. Percy had to dive in after you.' Will explains.
'No...but...it was the sea creature...I was...' I look at Will, and he looks concerned, 'Thalia's unconscious. Close to dying.' I say, looking to Reyna. She shifts in her place.
'How did you know that?' She asks.
'Wait, What?' Percy asks only to be ignored.
'It's all in my head. I...i...I can't figure it out. I can't...is the boy okay?'
'He's okay, you saved him. He said he didn't realise he was falling until he was halfway down, said he didn't jump, wasn't pushed. Was just suddenly falling.' Will says.
'He didn't...' I stop talking, realising suddenly what could be happening.
'You okay?' Will asks.
'It's happening in my head.'
'What do you mean?'
'He fell in my head. I saw him fall.' I say.
'He said he didn't fall.' Will explains again.
'No, I know, but what if he did, but only in my head. It's like I saw it, and it happened and passed on into the real world.'
'You saw him fall off the edge of the cliff in your head, so he starts falling in real life?' Will summarises for me. He looks to Reyna and everyone else, 'have you guys ever heard of something like that before?'
They all shake their heads, apart from Reyna, who stands staring at me, a look of dread on her face.
'Reyna, what is it?' I ask, knowing something's wrong.
'I know what's going on.'