~Playlist: "Monster" by Imagine Dragons~

"I've turned into a monster"

Thalia's POV

The click of metal on metal roused me from my fretful sleep. I blearily blink as my eyes adjust to the bright light that is now shining into my cell.

A familiar pair of blue eyes meet my own as I gasp out a breath. He says nothing, though his eyes flash an equal amount of pain and pride.

"There will be a trial," my little brother announces. "For Willow Livingston, Charlotta de Rosa, and Thalia Grace." He stumbles upon saying my name, but not noticeably so. "It will be conducted tomorrow afternoon, and the sentence will be declared then."

Willow licks her lips before speaking. "The sentence won't be combined, will it?" She shoots a menacing glare at Charlotta, who ignores her. "Because I believe some actions were worse than others."

"Yes," my brother agrees. "Some most definitely were."

His blue eyes connect with my own. I try to say so many things in that second of connection: my fear, my regret, my sorrow, my helplessness. But Jason looks away, as if he doesn't even know me. As if he doesn't care about me at all.

He leaves just as swiftly as he came in, leaving me with nothing more than a scrap of new information.

"He never did answer my question," Willow says with a small pout. "How rude of him. If I wasn't without my knife, he would have been easy to break."

I snap my neck up and look at the taunting in her green eyes. She bares her teeth into a seemingly innocent smile as she twirls a strand of her blonde hair.

Willow hurt Luke. Willow hurt Annabeth.

I didn't even think. I lunge for the girl who had caused every bad thing to happen. Without me knowing, I reach for her throat with the intent to wrap my hand around it.

I land on top of Willow, the momentum making us both fall over. She struggles, but my anger is too much for her to overcome. I press my elbow as hard as I can against her throat. Willow's lovely face turns red, then purple.

Willow hurt Piper. Willow hurt me, and everyone else that was dragged into her sadistic chess game. But it's gone too far, and too many people have gotten hurt because of her.

If I'm going to be dragged into hell, I'm bringing her with me.

Charlotta is screaming and trying to pull me away, but I use my shoulder to shove her back. I've made too many mistakes for this one not to count: if I'm to be condemned to a fate I don't deserve, I'm going to make sure the monster responsible for this mess goes down with me.

The metal door swings open, and I still don't stop. Willow's eyes widen as her narrow frame spasms wildly. She's suffocating, and it's because of me.

Strong arms do what Charlotta couldn't. They pull me away from Willow, yet no one goes to help her.

It seems that I'm not the only immoral person in this room.

No, I correct myself in my mind. Not a person. A monster. Because only a monster would look at a person, and decide they want to kill them.

Only a monster would willingly suffocate another.

I feel a needle get shoved into my arm, and I gladly fall into the sweet relief of oblivion.

I see the dark hole in front of me, and I throw myself into it's waiting arms.

*****

When I wake up, I see that I'm no longer in the cell. A ceiling fan greets me overhead, spinning slowly, almost lazily. Blankets are piled on top of me, and I struggle to shove them off.

"They won't come off," a scratchy voice says with a small sniffle. "It was either this, or back into the cell. I figured you'd prefer this option."

For some reason, Annabeth came to visit me. In the otherwise seemingly normal bedroom I'm now in, she's standing on the opposite side in a plush chair. A wall of protective glass separates us.

To keep her safe from the monster that is me.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, fighting to keep my voice light.

"Tomorrow, the jury will decide whether or not you are fit to remain in Illea, to remain a free citizen. And with what the evidence is saying, it looks as if yesterday was your last day as a free girl," she says, her gray eyes staring coolly at me.

"The evidence that you have so far," I correct. "Annie, I know you don't believe me. I know that you don't want to believe me-"

"That's not true," she says defensively. "You think I wanted this? You, my best friend, working with my other best friend, who, by the way, is supposed to be dead?"

Throughout the years of knowing Annabeth, I had never hated her intelligence. Now, however, I resented it.

"Where is Luke?" Annabeth asked me. I winced visibly, and turned my head to face the floral wallpaper that decorated the room. "If he's alive, as you claim him to be, where is he?"

"How am I supposed to know?" I snap, turning my head to face her once again. "I've been stuck with Willow, then with Percy, then in a prison cell. I haven't had any time to see him."

She tries hard not to show it, but I can tell that she's struggling to keep her composure. "Then it seems that you did all of this for nothing."

Tears spring to my eyes. "You still don't believe me? After everything we've been through, you don't believe that I'm a good person."

"It's funny," Annabeth says, acting as if I hadn't said anything. "That after all that running you did as a child, everything caught up to you. You found your brother again, but you let him go. You told Luke you loved him, but you didn't chase him. You had me all along, but you never realized it. There are people that love you, Thalia Grace, but you're too blind to realize it.

"No, you're not blind," Annabeth continues. "You're a coward. You're a coward, and that's all you'll ever be. You're too busy wallowing in self-pity to see what is there right in front of you, too busy acting like no one cares to actually bring yourself to care."

"Why did you come here?" I inquire. "To make me feel worse than I already do?"

"I came here," she hissed, all signs of the sweet disposition she wore as a child gone. "To see what I should say tomorrow. All the Selected is on the jury, you see. I came here to see if there was anything worth saving."

All of her words come rushing at me, as if I was previously under the water, where all sounds become indistinct and muffled, but had now come above the waves in time to hear what Annabeth had to say.

"Tell me one thing," I whisper. The lack of any noise tells me that she is listening. "What's the sentence if they find me guilty?"

A pause. "Execution."

I inhale sharply, even though it's what I was expecting. Somehow, the words seemed cruel on Annabeth's lips.

"Execution by whatever means the jury deems necessary," she continues. Her voice is nasally, and I know that she's trying not to cry.

"I love you," is all I say. "If I'm to never talk with you again, just know that you've been the sister I never had. And every step of the way on this long and crazy mess, I've loved you."

I force myself to look at the girl-no, the woman-that I've loved for so many years. Tears sparkle in her gray eyes.

"You may be a coward," she says slowly. "But for good reason. I know what you've been through. I know that Willow most likely threatened to hurt me, and that you sacrificed yourself to save me. I know that ever since Jason was taken from you, you've been hesitant to love. But you have a light inside you, one that's been flickering ever since this cursed Selection started. Don't ever let that light burn out, Thals. Or else, no one can save you. Not even me."

Annabeth left, and it wasn't until she was long gone that I realized what her conclusion was from her visit.

Annabeth was going to fight for me.

A/N
That was a bundle of fierce emotions from Thalia. Hopefully, this trial will work out the way everyone plans.

Today's shoutout is @djbergman who has posted several things on my conversations board. Thank you so much for being such a dedicated fan!

The trial will start next chapter, and continue for several more. Can't wait for everyone to read it!