~* Chapter One *~

Only in the darkness can you see the stars.

That's what his therapist said. She really seemed to like that phrase, she kept repeating it over and over and over again during their little forty-five minute sessions. It was a deep and meaningful quote, she would explain, about finding hope where you least expect it and bravely trekking on when life got rough because you never knew what you might find. Even the bleakest situation had a silver lining. Percy had never heard anything more idiotic. He was blind, he was never going to see the stars again.

It was a nice day, he remembered. Such a nice day. It was Tuesday, a simple stupid little Tuesday afternoon that his mother happened to have off. Which was awesome, because Sally rarely ever got any time off. She works...worked...so hard all the time, but she got that Tuesday off.

And he remembered how happy she was. She planned the entire day out a whole week in advance. They were going out to eat, just the two of them, to a real restaurant where they could actually sit down and eat. She decided last minute that they were even going to take a cab instead of walking the two blocks, a luxury they could rarely afford. They should have walked. It was only two blocks - why didn't they walk?

But they didn't walk - they took a cab. She was smiling, he must have said something funny, maybe a joke or a story he did not know. But he remembered she laughed and smiled, that warm motherly smile that banished all the bad things in the world and shined so bright it put even the sun to shame. She smiled and that was the last thing he ever saw.

Darkness. Pain. Those were the first things he noticed when he woke up. He opened his eyes and was met with a sea of darkness, a swirling mass of disorienting suffocation before the pain hit. It started in his head and spread down, like molten lava in his veins. He took several deep breaths to try and center himself and will away the pain, but it only grew more intense.

He blinked, and blinked again, trying desperately to see something as he fought down panic. There was something in his mouth that prevented him from crying out and his arms felt like they were glued to his side. His took in a ragged breath through his nose and was assaulted with a terrible smell of what he later learned was anesthetics.

He began blinking furiously, starting to hyperventilate, trying so hard to see something. Why couldn't he see anything? Where was he? Where was his mom? And, oh God, why wouldn't this pain just go away?

He yelled, or at least opened his mouth to emulate a series of muffled squeals through his breathing tube, thrashing around to the best of his limited mobility. Oh God, oh God, oh God, pain, fear, hurt, darkness, stop, stop, STOP!

And then it did.

Or at least, the pain stopped.

The darkness continued on. When he woke up next, he felt no pain. It was like being underwater, he thought lethargically as he felt someone pat his arm. His head felt like it was being compressed slightly, and everything sounded kind of muffled. It was still dark. Why was it so dark? It was dangerous to swim in murky water.

He turned his head to tell the owner of the arm this.

"It's not dark out sweetie," came the slightly muffled reply.

"Pitch black," Percy corrected her lazily. "And Mom says not to swim in murky water. S'not safe."

The voice didn't reply for a moment. "I'm going to ask you a few questions okay sweetheart? Don't worry about answering right or wrong, just say what you see okay? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Percy squinted. It was still dark out. He told her as much.

"Can you see them now?"

He couldn't. Without really knowing why, he felt himself grow uncomfortable. The steady noise in the background increased: beep... beep..beep, beep, beepbeepbeep.

"Hush, now honey, calm down it's okay. I'm going to go fetch the doctor right now okay sweetheart? Just stay calm, everything's alright, everything's going to be just fine."

Everything was not alright. In fact, nothing would ever be alright ever again. His mom was gone. Sally Jackson, the world's most amazing, spectacular, singularly most perfect human being was dead. The doctor, because he was in a hospital he finally realized (the beeping of the heart monitor was what finally clued him in), spoke, saying terrible things like 'drunk driver', 'killed instantly', and 'probably didn't even feel it'.

It had to be a nightmare, a horribly vivid and twisted nightmare that he would wake up from any second now. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. He was met with the same oppressive darkness of the last hundred tries. That at least made sense - there was no light in the world without his mom.

Concussion, that was another word the doctor threw around. This one, however, he believed pertained to him. At least, it would explain his constant headache and lack of vision. The doctor always wanted to talk. How was he feeling? (Lost, alone, frightened.) Was there any change in his vision? (No, the darkness seemed to have seeped right inside of him and forced out all that once was bright and happy.) Did he need anything? (His mom, he needed his mom.)

Severe ocular trauma can sometimes lead to temporary blindness. That is what the doctor said the first week. Now, he amended as he prodded at Percy's face, in extreme cases, severe ocular trauma could lead to cortical blindness. Or, as the nurse translated, permanent blindness.

Blind.

A small insignificant word with the power to break spirits and ruin lives. Rather like that other simple but loathsome word.

Orphan.

Except this word, this one tiny six letter word, absolutely destroyed lives. Blind was like the bad foundation in a building, unsafe and frightening but still able to stand, while orphan...orphan was the wrecking ball that cruel fate sent to demolish what was left of him.

Percy Jackson, the Blind Orphan. Broken, ruined...demolished. He cried. He screamed. He sat in silence and darkness and soul crushing loneliness.

Then they released him and he was standing in the middle of his room (was it really his room? It didn't feel like his room, it didn't feel like his apartment, none of it felt real, none of it was real).

He had to learn to do everything all over again. Literally everything. A sickeningly sweet lady from some child service/therapy place would arrive every day at eight o'clock sharp to teach him. Teach him how to put his shirt on right without his sight, make breakfast without his sight, walk without his sight, live without his sight. It was humiliating, exhausting, frustrating, and so terribly hard. How did people live without their eyes? (How did people live without their moms?)

He stumbled throughout his day, constantly knocking into things and falling over. He acquired an extensive collection of scrapes, bruises and cuts from attempting the simplest of tasks (washing his hands, making his bed, walking).

Sometimes he just lost it. He threw things, punched walls, tore at his scalp with his fingernails until he could feel blood flowing down his forehead.

The lady would tsk and hum, "Oh sweetheart, oh honey," in that disgustingly sweet voice and he just gave up. What was the point?

School started in the fall. He had forgotten about school. Sally was supposed to help him search for a new school over summer, but they had not got around to it. His social worker found him one instead. This new school only accepted him because of the accident. They felt too guilty to turn away a recently orphaned blind boy. He hated it. The teachers all talked to him in that quiet soft voice, like he was a baby deer they were trying not to spook. Are you feeling alright dear? Do you need any help? You can talk to me anytime you need.

The students, however, were the worst. He could hear them whispering around him and feel their perfectly functional eyes on him. It made him sick. Most of the kids avoided him, he could hear them scurry away quickly when he stumbled by. Quick, move here comes the blind kid.

A few students tried to talk to him. They seemed to think it was 'cool' that he couldn't see. After all, who wouldn't want a broken friend, someone to manipulate and boss around without knowing that you were actually leading them to the girls' bathroom or using them to get out of class early.

He hated it. He hated everyone.

Reading with his sight had been difficult enough, braille was impossible. He fell even further behind in his classes. He found that he didn't quite care.

Sometimes he would lie on his bed, close his useless eyes, and pretend. He would image his room and himself walking around, doing normal everyday things. He would imagine getting dressed and being able to pick out his shirts based on their color, watch his hands as he made breakfast, gaze at the sun as it slowly set over the city. And he would see his mom. She was there beside him, smiling that bright happy smile he saw before the darkness. He would stay like this for hours, from the time he got home from school until Gabe shattered his peace. He spent his entire weekends, just lying there, pretending.

It hurt to open his eyes after. To open his eyes and be met with the soul crushing darkness and loneliness. Sometimes, he thought about just never leaving. About staying there and never opening his eyes ever again, letting the darkness take over and disappear into his happy colorful fantasies…

That was until a loud knocking on the door disrupted his musing one afternoon. He didn't know what day it was (what did it matter anyway?) or how long he had been lying there, but he would always remember that knock. He twitched in annoyance and turned over in bed, putting the pillow over his ears to drown out the noise and return to his bright daydream. But the knocking did not stop. In fact, it simply got louder.

"Um, hello? Perseus Jackson?"

Huh. Someone was looking for him. A year ago, this might have concerned him or put him on edge, but now...it actually intrigued him. When was the last time someone had sought him, Percy Jackson out? He couldn't remember.

He answered the door.

"Oh, hello Percy my name is John Mayer. I was your mother's lawyer, may I come in?"

John Mayer, as it turned out, was an extremely incompetent lawyer. Not that Percy knew many lawyers, but he assumed that none of them stuttered so much, or waiting so long after their clients' deaths to fulfill their wishes. Percy gripped the side of the table so hard that he could practically hear his knuckles turn white in outrage at the blatant disregard of his mom's wishes.

"My mothers' will wasn't right?" Percy ground out slowly.

"Um, well she had recently changed it you see, and, ah, I've been, ah quite - " Mayer cleared his throat and Percy gritted his teeth. "Well, here are the changes."

"It sounds like a piece of paper," Percy spat as something brushed against his clenched fists.

"Well, yes. You see in her last, ah, amendment your mother wanted two letters to be sent out."

"Letters to who?"

"Whom," Mayer corrected immediately. Lucky for him I'm blind, Percy thought grimly, or I'd punch him square in the face. "To you, Perseus Jackson, and a man named, ah, Poseidon Olympian."

"Who?" Percy asked, brow furrowed. He had never heard of Poseidon Olympian. Why would his mother write to someone she never told him about?

"Poseidon Olympian. He's a very famous marine biologist - world renown."

"Why would my mom write to a biologist?" Percy demanded, confused.

"Well, ah, maybe you should read her letter - she explains it better."

"Oh geez, I'd love to, too bad I'm blind." Percy snapped.

"Ah, yes, that's ah..unfortunate..." Mayer stumbled and Percy snorted in disgust. "Here I guess I'll read it to you." The poor excuse for a lawyer cleared his throat and began to read.

"'My dearest Percy, I hope to all the heaven's that you never receive this letter. Because if you do, that means you're all alone and I am so sorry. Baby, I love you with all my heart. You are my pride and joy and I would do anything to keep you safe and happy. But, I am a selfish mother. When I first saw you, my precious boy, I wanted to keep you all to myself. I didn't want to share our time, our memories, with anyone else. Not even your own father. You could have known your father, but I was far too cowardly and selfish to make that call. And for that I am sorry.

Your father's name is Poseidon Olympian. He's a renown marine biologist now. We only knew each other for a short time. He had just lost his family and was looking for some comfort. I provided that comfort. We grew quite fond of each other, but he got offered a major career opportunity that he couldn't pass up. So I let him go. He was still hurting and needed to spread his wings. He never knew I was pregnant and I never told him. Perhaps that was wrong of me, but I never regretted it. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me Percy and I love you more than anything else in the world. All I want is for you to be safe and happy, dear. Please, if I am gone, give this Poseidon a chance. He might surprise you. I can't bare the thought of being torn from you Percy, but even more I can't bear the thought of you sad and alone. Please give him a chance, for me.

I love you so, so much. Don't ever forget that.

Forever, your loving mother.'"

Percy bowed his head, blinking away tears as his throat closed. Mayer gave him a few moments to recollect himself.

"So, ah, when should I set up the meeting?" Mayer asked.

"What?" Percy croaked.

"The meeting with Mr. Olympian," Mayer said slowly. Percy frowned, clutching the letter his mother wrote. The letter he could never read.

"I don't want to meet him," Percy snapped.

"You don't -" Mayer stammered. "But - your mother -"

"You didn't know my mother!" Percy said angrily.

"I know, but -" It was too much. His head throbbed, a dull pain that reminded him too much of anesthetics and pain and loss, and it was too much. He needed to be alone, he just wanted to be alone.

"Get out!" Percy growled, tears welling up in his eyes again. "Out, out!"

"Now, just a minute -"

"Get out! " Percy half shouted, jumping to his feet. "Get out, get out and don't come back!"

"Okay, okay, calm down, I'm leaving," Mayer said quickly, "Just...here's my card in case you ever change your mind. And you really should stop and think - "

"Out!"

"Okay, okay," Mayer muttered and Percy heard his chair scrape against the floor as he got up, followed by hurried footsteps and, a moment later, the door opening and closing. Percy stood there long after the lawyer had gone, blinking back tears as his throat burned. Somehow he found himself in his bed, sobbing and rocking back and forth, clutching the note from his mother. He wanted his mom. Oh god, he wanted his mom.

He dreamt in color that night, like every other torturous night. His mom was there, running her fingers through his hair and looking down at him with a small sad smile on her face.

"I love you, Percy," She said, "More than all the stars in the sky and water in the seas."

"I love you too Mom," he said, reaching for her hand only to be met with air.

"Please, baby, for me." She pleaded and he somehow knew she was talking about the letter - about this Poseidon Olympian.

"I don't want to, I don't care. I don't want a father, I want you," he cried, reaching out for her once more. Just like the last time, his arms passed right through her. A tear leaked out of her eye.

"Please, for me."

He woke up with tears on his face. The world was still dark.

"Okay," he sobbed quietly, hugging his pillow to his chest, "okay Mom. I'll call, I'll call for you."

He managed to get Gabe to dial the number for him. It took a lot of bribery and pleading, but eventually the man dialed Mayer's number to get 'that damn boy to shuddup'.

"Hello, John Mayer to whom am I speaking?"

Percy cleared his throat, fiddling with the cord to the phone as he reluctantly said, "This is Perseus Jackson...Sally Jackson's son."

"Oh yes, Perseus!" The man cried, "Have you changed your mind?"

Percy ground his teeth at the man's smug tone. "I want to meet Olympian."

"Splendid! Oh, that's good news indeed, he'll be over on Friday!"

"Friday?" Percy repeated, disoriented. What day was it again? How soon was Friday?

"Yes, yes, that will do just nicely. So glad you called young Mr. Jackson, we will see you then!"

"Wait, what day is it?" Percy tried to interject, but the lawyer had already hung up. Percy stood there in shock, holding the silent phone to his ear.

"Gabe!" Percy hollered, "What day is it?"

"Wednesday, don't they teach you anything at that school?" Came the nasty reply. Percy ignored him. Wednesday. He was meeting Poseidon Olympian in two days. He felt dizzy.

"I hope you know what you're doing Mom," he muttered, putting his head between his legs. "God, I hope you know what you're doing."

A/N Hello again, this is a sort of a continuation of my story From Amidst the Darkness, but from Percy's POV instead of his father's. Not all the chapters will be as choppy as this, but I felt that this style fits this chapter best. I don't know how many chapters this story will have or which parts of From Amidst the Darkness I will do, but there will be a few. Also, I am not a doctor nor am I blind so please forgive any mistakes. Until next time, I hope you enjoyed ~*