A/N: Yes, here it is at last! A new chapter. Phew, it'sa lengthy one again, but to tell you the truth, all chapters of this story are going to have 10.000+ words. It's just how I roll, lol.
Also, I think you'll be happy to know that this whole story is finally mapped out and outlined chapter by chapter. It's going to be an epic one. With my outlines, this is going to have about 200 (!) chapters, which is insane, I know, but there's a lot of things waiting to be told. So buckle up, kids, it's going to be one hell of a ride.
I hope you enjoy this chapter. Personally, I had a lot of fun writing it.
And again, thank you guys for your comments and favs! It's a pleasure receiving your reviews, and I appreciate each and every one of you so much! Thank you, truly. You make writing this story so exciting and fun for me.
DESTINY CALLING
3. THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
Sally Jackson regretted many things.
In her thirty-seven years of life, she had done the occasional mistake every now and then, and if given the chance, she would go back in time to do better. As much as she tried to be a decent person, a good human being, there were times when she slipped and that was okay, because in the end of it all, she was only human. And being human meant doing stupid mistakes over and over again until the lesson wasn't only learned but it also stuck.
Her daughter, however, was something she would never, ever regret.
The joys of motherhood hadn't always been … well, joys, but all the tears, doubts, and break-downs were worth it. The endless nights when her infant daughter would cry for hours and she would break down sobbing because she didn't know how to make it stop were worth it. The torturous cycle of wondering whether or not she was good mother was worth it. Sally realized it every time a smile lit up her daughter's face, every time she would laugh in happiness and hug her and return her love.
The strongest women out there, she thought one day, are mothers.
It was also that day Sally realized that, ultimately, her daughter didn't need her anymore. Not in the way she did only a few years ago. Percy was sixteen now, and wasn't that just astonishing? Every time Sally closed her eyes she still saw the little girl, all pastel dresses, pigtails, and toothless smiles. The little girl who came home from playing outside with sand in her hair, flushed cheeks, and adorable tales of how she'd caught a frog. On some particularly good days, even a butterfly. Then she would open her eyes and the little girl in her mind vanished to make place for the sixteen-year-old teenager who smiled with just a little more sass now, who, instead of trying to catch animals, went out to meet boys and drink liquor in secret. A girl just a few years away from reaching womanhood. It didn't only frighten Sally, it also made her wonder what would become of her now.
She had dedicated her life to being a mother. Perhaps it was time to reignite herself as a woman again, to reach out for the world and live a little for herself again. Perhaps her daughter needed her now in different ways. Perhaps Percy would now need her advice and support more than her protection and forever love.
No matter what path her life would take her on, Sally would be prepared for it, because she knew that being a mother didn't mean losing herself as a woman. Being a mother strengthened that position. Wasn't this the ultimate essence of womanhood? To be able to carry a babe and give birth, to grant life and bring a breathing, living human being into the world? When Sally pondered on it, she liked to remember words her own mother had told her once upon a time: "Being a parent means that now it's your mission to teach a girl how to be a woman and a boy how to be a man."
It was kind of beautiful, until it wasn't.
Until a call made Sally remember that a part of her daughter was something entirely different, something larger than life.
"Am I speaking to Sally Jackson?" A grave, male voice asked after she answered the phone.
"Yes," she said, puzzled. "I'm sorry, who is this?"
There was silence for a minute or so, and Sally was few seconds away from hanging up when the man spoke again. "My name is Chiron. I'm working at a place called Camp Half-Blood, which you may or may not have heard of," he said, and Sally's heart leapt to her throat. Her hands turned clammy. "I'm calling because of your daughter. We have someone watching over her at her school."
Sally Jackson's world started to crumble.
Two days after that phone call, Grover cursed his fake human legs as he limped through the school hallways, which were, luckily, devoid of any students right now.
He had spend the last half an hour or so searching for Percy, who hadn't shown up to neither their Chemistry class nor to Geography. Of course, he had tried asking around, but these days, it was hard to ask anyone anything about Percy. The girl who had once been the center of the entire school was now an outsider, and that was all because of him. Grover couldn't keep his guilt at bay. Because he couldn't stand up for himself, Percy had become somewhat of a public enemy of the school. The incident with Justin Walker and the rumor he had brought in the world was almost forgotten by now, but that didn't matter. Percy continued to hang with him, and that was enough for the other kids to shun her.
At last, Grover found her.
She sat sprawled out on the front steps of the school, frantically scribbling on her notepad. When she noticed him approaching, she stopped and looked him up and down with raised eyebrows. "Jeez," she said. "What've you been running from?"
Grover half-snorted, half-panted. "Not running," he wheezed with a glare at her, which looked about as scary as a kitten hissing for the first time. "I was looking for you, actually."
"Oh." Percy looked down at her notepad with a frown. "Why?"
"Why?" Grover repeated incredulously. "You skipped both Chemistry and Geography. Excuse me for being worried that you might have been abducted by some maniac this morning!"
Percy snorted with humor and put her notepad aside, scooting over to make place for Grover, which he gladly took. "You're adorable when you're angry, G-man," she chuckled, nudging him slightly with her elbow.
"Funny," he remarked with a half-hearted roll of his eyes. "What've you been doing here?"
"Homework. I forgot to finish the English assignment Mr. Richards gave us yesterday," Percy said, a grumble evident in her voice.
She pulled her woolen cardigan closer around her torso, and the movement made him take a look at her. She wore a lilac blouse underneath, the soft color accentuating her peaches and cream complexion. Her khaki shorts were held at her hips by a brown leather belt, and nothing in her appearance indicated that she was no longer the popular girl she had been only a few weeks ago. With her hair braided loosely over her shoulder and a hint of rose dusted along her cheekbones, she looked like the perfect example of a well-liked, well-received teenage girl, who had no worries about anything.
"You okay?" Grover asked anyway, because appearances were misleading more often than not.
Percy glanced at him sideways. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, it's just … the whole business with – with … you know what," he muttered, stumbling awkwardly over his words.
Surprisingly, Percy remained silent.
She looked away from him towards the quiet parking lot stretching out before them. The heat from two weeks ago had almost completely vanished now, leaving a pleasant chill in the air and the occasional showers of rain. The sky above their heads was an endless stretch of greyness and a few darkish clouds, which thankfully passed the area without unloading onto the streets. A mix of red-brownish and golden leaves twirled across the pavement, and the smell of wet earth and chestnuts hung in the air, an indication of the approaching autumn.
"Nah," Percy said finally. "It'll blow over in a few months. No one will even think about us then."
Grover hoped she was right.
"We've gotta go back inside," he reminded her. "Latin's about to start in a few minutes."
She grimaced and turned on her spot to look at him pleadingly. "Can't we skip? Please?"
"Nope," Grover said with a laugh as he stood, stretching out a hand for her. She took it, letting him pull her to her feet, a silent huff on her lips.
Together, they walked back inside the school towards their Latin class, where already a group of students stood in front, waiting for Mr. Brunner. He came, thankfully, right on time, and as the other kids swarmed in, Percy and Grover chose the back seats to sit in, as far away from the front as possibly.
As Mr. Brunner started his class, Percy settled on staring out of the windows, tuning out her teacher's words. It was only when he mentioned something about a test that she startled and tore her gaze away from the rain, which had begun drumming against the pavement outside. She looked around the room, noticing how the others appeared to be on edge while Mr. Brunner rummaged through his briefcase.
Percy nudged Grover with her elbow, whispering, "What did Mr. Brunner just say?"
"He's giving us back our tests," he answered in an equally low tone. "You know, the ones from last week."
Of course.
How could she have forgotten?
Licking her lips nervously, Percy shifted on her chair, lacing her fingers together to keep herself calm. She hoped she had done well on the test, even though she had been overwhelmed with other things at the time they wrote it, which she, frankly, still was. Nevertheless, a good mark (for her standards) would considerably lift her mood from the freezing point it had been in during the past few weeks.
"Don't worry," Grover mumbled through the corner of his mouth, noticing her anxiety. "I'm sure you did good."
Percy smiled in thanks and tensed unconsciously when Mr. Brunner reached their table. He handed Grover his test (a C), giving him a nod and moving on to Percy. He stilled, hesitating as he passed her the paper. "Maybe you will do better next time, Miss Jackson," he said before retreating.
She swallowed and glanced down.
A big, red F glared back at her.
"Don't let it bother you," Grover tried to comfort her, squeezing her shoulder. "It's only the first test."
"No, it's fine." Percy placed the test between the pages of her book, her hands slightly shaking. "I had a feeling that I would flunk it. It's no surprise, really."
Grover tried to say something, but a look from Mr. Brunner shut him up. He send a worried glance at Percy and kept passing notes with her during the class in hopes to district her at least a little. When the bell announced the end of the period, the class filtered out quickly enough for Percy to linger a bit behind as she packed her books away into her bag.
"If you want to, we could skip the rest and head to the city," Grover whispered as they started for the door, quickly looking at Mr. Brunner to make sure he wouldn't hear his suggestion.
Percy smiled at that, shaking her head. "Nah, it's all good. We -"
She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence.
"Miss Jackson," Mr. Brunner said as they were about to leave the room. "Can I have a minute please?"
Percy furrowed her brow, a heavy feeling settling in her stomach. "Of course," she answered. Turning back to Grover, she said, "You go ahead. We'll meet up later."
He hesitated, sending a confused look at their teacher. When Percy smiled at him in reassurance, he nodded slowly and left the room. Percy approached her teacher, who sat behind the desk with a pile of papers in front of him, an ink pen between the fingers of his left hand.
"Grab a chair and sit down, Miss Jackson," Mr. Brunner told her, and she hesitated before doing what he said.
"Whatever it is, sir," she started, "I didn't do it."
He chuckled softly. "There's no need to worry. I did not ask you to stay behind to give you a lecture or a punishment." Percy remained silent, blinking in confusion, which made him grow serious. "Miss Jackson, I noticed that you have been having some troubles with the other students."
Percy's face closed off in an instant.
"It's nothing, sir," she said quickly, her eyes focusing on something behind his desk. "Just some conflicting opinions."
But Mr. Brunner had those wise, kind eyes that somehow made it impossible for her to tell him a good lie. "It is not nothing when your accomplishments suffer because of it, Miss Jackson." His voice was warm and devoid of any negative emotion. "I talked to the school advisor. He informed me of your learning disabilities."
Percy's eyes snapped to him, and she shifted on her chair in discomfort.
Her teacher was closing in on a subject, which frequently made her lose patience. Talking about either her dyslexia or her ADHD was something she didn't particularly like, and she was tired of teachers who tried to guide her in that matter without really knowing what it was about. Scoring less than the other students in tests and exams was a crappy feeling, and even being the popular, well-liked girl hadn't helped the slightest in academics. It certainly wasn't healthy thinking, but knowing that she couldn't write down an entire essay without screwing up the first paragraph made her feel … less than among kids, who looked forward to going to Harvard or Yale after graduation.
"I'm dealing with it as best as I can," Percy said a little too snappy than she intended to.
Mr. Brunner smiled kindly. "And I don't doubt that. All I am saying is that you don't let yourself be distracted by those … conflicting opinions. If you need help, you're always welcome to come to me, Miss Jackson. You are a smart girl. I sense lot of potential in you, and it would be a shame if you don't pursue it."
Percy blinked, surprised by his words. A teacher had never before reached out to her this way. Usually, they considered her a lost cause after seeing her fuck her tests up. "Thank you," she murmured, the fight leaving her body as she realized that she was not getting backed into a corner here. "I'm sorry for … uhm, for failing the test."
"There's no need to be. We all make mistakes."
She nodded, lowering her gaze to her hands. Her nails were painted pink, and three dainty rings sat on her fingers; two on her left hand, one on her right. "Can I go now, sir?"
"Yes, that would be all," Mr. Brunner said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair. "Enjoy your break."
Percy nodded once more and set the chair back before leaving. In the hallway, she lingered a little, hesitant to approach the cafeteria which would be crammed with students by now. The test inside her bag was paper that was as light as a feather, but it suddenly seemed to weigh a ton. She had tried so hard to do well, to show her mom something she could be proud of, but the events of the past few weeks had taken a larger toll on her than she'd thought they would.
Regardless of what Percy had told Grover about being fine, it would be a lie to say that it didn't effect her at all. She was still only human.
Percy's stomach twisted in a negative feeling when she approached the cafeteria, and her gut normally didn't lie. That's how she knew something was wrong. Loud noises came from inside, and when she placed her palms against the double swinging doors and pushed them open, she wished she had arrived earlier. Her blood froze inside her veins, and a strange sensation roared through her ears, almost like a furious wave.
The first thing she saw was Grover standing in a circle of students. The second thing her eyes focused on was the two guys, Evan McLeod and another football jock, who threw a navy blue backpack around, which she knew was Grover's. Justin watched the whole thing with the rest of the football team, snickering gleefully. Allison and a few of her girlfriends stood at the front, laughing at Grover's desperate attempts to snatch his backpack back.
"Hey!" Percy yelled, clenching her hands into fists as she saw Grover's bruised cheek. The laughter silenced, and the kids turned around to look at her, some of them parting the way to let her go through to the front, where the whole spectacle took place. "What the fuck is this?"
Percy stood next to Grover's side, laying a protective hand on his shoulder. Thankfully, he wasn't much taller than her. She glared at the round of students before settling her harsh gaze on the main offenders.
"Look, it's your girlfriend, Underwood," Evan sniggered. "Coming to rescue you as always."
Gritting her teeth, Percy stepped slightly forward as if to protect her friend from any other harm. "Give him his backpack, McLeod," she snarled.
It went eerily silent in the cafeteria, the other kids not daring to make a move, because all of them wanted to see how this would go down. Percy ignored it, barely keeping herself from shaking with fury. She clenched her fists further, her nails digging into the flesh of her palms.
"I don't think so, Jackson," Evan responded with a smirk. "Don't be such a buzzkill."
Percy narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to the boy, shaking off Grover's hand when he tried to keep her away. "I said," she repeated, ice in her voice, "Give. It. Back. Asshole."
"Buh-huh, you no longer have a say in this school, Percy," Allison spoke up, and Percy's gaze whipped to her, bright green eyes piercing the girl. There was something on the tip of her tongue, perhaps some insult or some witty comeback that Percy could throw in her face, but she exhaled loudly and turned away from her to deal with Evan. She didn't think she could handle her former best friend right now.
"Do I have to repeat myself again, McLeod? Give me the bag, or I swear I'll knock the teeth right outta your fucking mouth."
Usually, Percy tried to refrain herself from swearing too much, but there were times like these when she simply didn't care about what she said or how she said it. Her entire body trembled with suppressed anger, and it was so intense that she could feel deep within herself the desire to make them hurt and feel humiliated like Grover did. It was as if something primal roared to be released from inside her, like the tempestuous rolling of an ocean that destroyed everything in its wake.
Evan took notice of the fury radiating off her small form.
"Suit yourself, Jackson," he said, much too casually, throwing her the bag. Thanks to her quick reflexes, Percy caught it on time.
Much gentler, she handed the backpack to Grover before turning to glare at her classmates. "Back off," she said with the threat evident in her voice as she pushed through the crowd, Grover close on her heels. "All of you, back off."
After a quick trip to the director's to get some ice and excuse their presence from the rest of the classes, Percy and Grover found themselves sitting on the front steps of the school for a second time. The brief dousing of rain had already ebbed away, leaving the pavement wet and muddy. Grover held the cooling pack to his face and watched as Percy paced up and down the asphalt in front of him, swearing beneath her breath. Some of the words he caught her saying had the tips of his ears turning red.
"Percy," he interrupted her. "It's okay. I'm fine now."
She whipped around, and the fire inside her eyes was ferocious. "It is not okay! How dare they … how dare they to push you around! I just … I want them to get punished for it, I want them to learn the hard way that it's not okay to bully people around and … " Her voice cracked as all the pent up anger from the past weeks exploded from within her. Her braid had loosened further, one or two dark strands now curling down the sides of her red face. It gave her a dishevelled look, fitting for her state of mind.
Grover lowered his gaze, wincing as he shifted the cooling pack higher up to his temple. Percy's eyes narrowed at that. "How did you even get this?" She pointed at the swelling on his cheek. "Did they - ?"
"No," he hurried to say. "Someone just tripped me, and I got unlucky and hit my face on a table." She eyed him warily, not believing his words. "Look, I'm honest here, Percy. I'm not lying to protect one of them or anything. I promise."
Her wariness faded away as she heard the sincerity in his voice. "I'm sorry," she whispered, sitting down next to him. "I'm just so, so angry."
"I know," Grover mumbled. "Believe me, I know."
They went silent for a minute or two. Then, Percy suddenly perked up, her eyes shining with a new light. "I know where we could go." She quickly got to her feet. "C'mon, let's get a taxi."
Confused, Grover tagged along, stuffing his ice pack into his backpack.
They ordered a taxi on the main street, which took them to Percy's home. Surprisingly, her home was a small, comely house in the suburbs. It was two-stories high and had a creamy veneer with a brick roof, a neat front lawn, and the hints of a lovely backyard. A shiny, red Volvo was parked at the curb, which was presumably her mother's since he had seen Percy get picked up from school in that car quite a few times.
"Eh, I think I'll just wait outside, Percy," Grover said nervously as they approached the front door.
She looked up from rummaging through her back in search for her keys. "All right," she replied with a half-shrug, blowing a piece of hair away from her face. "I'll be quick."
Finally finding the keys, Percy unlocked the door and stepped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar. Without taking off neither her jacket nor her shoes, she went to search for her mother, who she found working at the kitchen's counter, a chopping board and vegetables before her. Her brunette locks were up in a bun, and she had tied a white-pinkish apron around her torso.
"Hey, Mom," Percy said, which made her look up.
"Oh, hello, sweetheart." Sally frowned in concern, momentarily stopping her chopping. "School called earlier. They said you excused yourself from the rest of your classes?"
"Yeah, about that - there was a little disagreement at school, and Grover got himself injured," Percy fibbed. "But it's nothing bad, just a little swelling on his face. The principal let us go earlier. Anyway, I want to make him feel a little better so can I please borrow your car to show him Darla?"
Sally shifted from one leg to the other. "Grover, huh?" she asked, and was it only Percy's imagination or did her mother's voice just rise about an octave?
"Yes, Grover."
"Well, all right then. But please be -" Before her mom could finish her sentence, Percy rushed out of the kitchen up the stairs to throw some stuff together that she would need. Sally sighed, and while her daughter looked for her things upstairs, she went to make some sandwiches for her and her friend.
Percy came back down after a few minutes. She had changed into leggins, a beige pea coat, and brown leather riding boots. "Oh, yummy," she chirped at seeing the snacks her mother had prepared. "You're the best, mom, seriously."
Sally rolled her eyes. "And don't I know it." She helped Percy pack away the sandwiches into the backpack she'd gotten from upstairs. "You'll probably need to refuel the car on your way home, so take some money with you. And please be careful."
"I will," Percy promised, kissing her mother quickly on the cheek before heading for the door.
"And next time I see you running around the clean floor in your shoes, I'll make you scrub it all by yourself! You hear me?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
The door fell shut, and Sally sighed loudly. She remained still for a little while wondering if it was wise to let her daughter be friends with that Grover. Mr. Chiron, the man who had called her two days ago, had told her the boy was a satyr, responsible for her daughter's safety.
But how safe could her daughter possibly be in a world of gods and monsters?
After almost an hour drive, Percy pulled to a stop near a, seemingly, deserted farm, which stood on a hilltop overlooking the bordering evergreen woods and a small river. It's a lovely sight, she thought as she climbed out of the car, like something from a picture book. She didn't even mind when her boot-clad feet sank into wet, muddy earth. She was much too occupied with the sudden hit of nostalgia as she remembered her childhood summers, which she'd mostly spent on this farm. If she closed her eyes now and concentrated hard enough, she knew she would be able to remember her own laughter and her mother constantly telling her to stop chasing the cat's tail.
"What is this place?" Grover asked in an astonished voice, effectively snapping her out of her nostalgia.
Percy grinned and turned around to face him, raising her arms in a demonstrating gesture. "This, Grover, is the place I basically grew up in."
He blinked, perplexed, opening his mouth to ask another question, but Percy cut him off by grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the door. "Drop that suspicious look, G-man," she chuckled. "I didn't take you here to murder you secretly, I promise."
"That's reassuring," Grover deadpanned.
Percy snorted and banged the old, rusty door knocker three times before stepping back and waiting. It didn't take long for the door to open. An ancient-looking man with matted, grey hair and weary eyes glared down at them, a pipe in his mouth and a crinkled newspaper, which looked like it came from the 40s, in the grasp of his bony, wrinkly fingers. However, his glare vanished as soon as he realized who he had in front of him.
"Perseia!" His whole demeanor lit up, and a shine entered his blue eyes. "What a surprise!"
Normally, Percy cringed whenever someone used her full name. This time, though, she didn't even do as much as blink. Her mouth opened, and she released a joyful laugh, hugging the old man tightly. "Hi, grandpa. Sorry it took me so long to come see you."
Grover tried to do his hardest to keep his jaw from dropping. Frankly, he had excepted anything but that. He had been so occupied with finding out who might be Percy's father since the day he met her, he hadn't even thought of the possibility of her having living relatives from her mother's side of family. When they pulled apart, he saw that the smile they had on their faces was the same, slightly crooked and lined with dry humor. Grover was instantly sure Percy's mother smiled the same way.
"Grandpa, this is Grover Underwood, my friend," Percy introduced him.
The man sized him up with hawk-like eyes, which made Grover shift uncomfortably on his feet, before grunting in what seemed to be a satisfied way. "Walter Jackson," he said, his voice raspy, shaking his hand. "Come on in, children. You're right on time. I have just put the kettle on."
Grover hesitated before crossing the threshold, Percy's smile encouraging him to enter a room, which probably was the dining room. It was small and dusty with the smell of tobacco and herbs lingering in the air and not much light coming through the square windows that were covered with thin, old curtains. A circular wooden table stood in the middle, three rusty chairs surrounding it. It wasn't exactly highly modern or tidy, but it oozed a certain rustical charm that made the room seem cozy and familiar.
"Gramps, when did you clean here the last time?" Percy asked as she sat down at the table, amusement shining in her eyes. She took off her coat and laid it over the back of her chair. Underneath, she wore a dark-brown cotton sweater, and a dainty silver necklace dangled from her neck, the tear-shaped pendant sparkling when the light hit it the right way.
Her grandfather laughed good-heartedly, taking off the kettle from the gas stove when it started to whistle sharply. "Child, my bones are old and weary. I'm in no shape to be cleaning."
Percy helped him pour the steaming water into the mugs she had fetched from the cupboards. "What's with Chad, then? Isn't he around?"
At that, Grover perked his ears up, accepting his tea with a tiny smile.
Chad.
That was a new name.
And if he didn't suddenly start to hallucinate, he could've sworn that the natural flush along Percy's cheekbones lintensified at the mention.
"Chad has gone to college," Walter said with a chuckle. "His mother comes around every now and then, and he does as well when he has time."
"I didn't know that." Percy settled into her chair and clasped her mug with both hands. She sighed contentedly upon taking a sip from her tea, which tasted strong and sweet at the same time, just how she liked it. "Anyway, I hope you won't mind me taking Grover to the stables. I want to introduce him to Darla."
"Of course I won't mind. Tell me, how's your mother, child?"
Instead of answering right away, Percy took a sip of her tea and avoided her grandpa's eyes for that little moment. "She's fine," she replied then with a casual shrug. "She's having a reading next weekend. In Denver, which she's so excited about she can't sit still when she talks about it."
Her grandfather nodded, his posture straightening with pride. "Always knew Sally's destined for a great career. Unfortunately, she couldn't realize her dreams of becoming a writer earlier, because she met that blasted father of yours."
"Gramps," Percy said immediately. "Please, not now."
She saw Grover perking his ears up from the corner of her eyes as her grandfather started ranting. "The only good thing that came out of that relationship is you, Perseia," Walter spat, and turned to look at Grover. "Can you picture my heartbreak, boy, when my daughter came to me in tears and said she was pregnant? Barely twenty-one and pregnant! Met some older man, you see, and decided she was in love with him. In love, my ass! He left her the second he realized he had to take on the responsibility of a child! Didn't even have the balls to come see me face to face! I'm telling ya, boy, I've always known that man was a good-for-nothing!"
"Grandpa!"
Percy's sharp exclamation made him stop.
Guiltily, he looked at her, his eyes softening when he saw her pinched look. "I'm sorry, child," he said ruefully. "I shouldn't have brought it up."
She dropped her expression and reached out to pat his hand. "It's fine. Just tone it down a bit next time, yeah?"
Seeing the way Grover stared at them, Percy mouthed a "Later" into his direction and, for the next few minutes, continued telling her grandfather about everything that had transpired in her life in the past weeks. Of course, she let out the troublesome details, not wanting to worry him any further. She hadn't even talked to her mother about it yet, and she didn't know if she actually would.
When the mugs were empty and the stories all told, Percy's grandfather send them outside.
It seemed it had gotten even colder while they were inside, or maybe the contrast between being inside a warm house and getting out into the bleak weather again was too stark, but Percy buttoned her coat up anyway. She was thankful that Grover decided to keep quiet for the moment instead of hammering her with questions she didn't necessarily want to answer right now.
"So, where are we going? And who's Darla?"
"You'll see in a few minutes," Percy said with a mysterious smile and led him to the stables.
It smelled like manure and old hay inside, but she didn't even scrunch up her nose. This was a place that she had made a lot of memories in – including her first kiss with Chad Larkin when she was fifteen, the former stable boy turned college frat boy. He was a bit older than her, which had been an exciting thought for her in the moment it had happened.
Percy turned around with a smile on her face and said, "Ta-dah!"
Grover blinked at the horses in their stables. "Uhh, that's … not what I expected."
"I used to come here every summer as a child," Percy told him as she went over to a stable, where a beautiful, ivory-colored mare stood huffing. "My mother always accompanied me. Half of my summer I spent here, the other half at Montauk. I discovered my love for horseback riding here, and ever since it's been … well, it's been like an outlet for me. And this," Percy ran a hand through the horse's mane, "is Darla. She's mine."
"She's a beauty," Grover said as a smile began forming on his face, which made Percy beam at him. "So you used to come here every summer? I take it you don't spend much time here anymore?"
Percy sighed. "Not as much as I'd like to," she replied. "My mom and Gramps … it's complicated."
Luckily, Grover didn't respond to that. He simply nodded and looked around at the other horses, which made Percy ask, "You wanna take a ride?"
He startled. "Eh, I'd rather not. I do like horses, but they'll probably throw me off."
Percy eyed him curiously but didn't press on it. "You mind if I take her out?" She nodded at Darla. "I think she's probably impatient to go out for a while."
"Not at all," Grover answered. "Gimme those sandwiches your mom made, and I'll be perfectly content to stay here."
"All right," Percy laughed, opening the stable to let Darla out. "They're in my bag. Make yourself at home here."
She picked up the riding gear she found in a corner of the stable, prepping the mare for a ride out. She swung herself up onto the saddle with a ease, clapping the horse's side to coax the animal into moving. With one last wave at Grover, who'd settled into a heap of hay, she left the stables, the reins clasped loosely inside her hands.
"C'mon, girl," Percy whispered as they approached the seemingly endless grass fields. "Let's go."
She tightened her legs around the horse when it broke out into a gallop, gathering speed until the mud flew through the air beneath its hooves, until the wind became so strong Percy had to squint her eyes against it.
This was what she loved most about riding.
The sensation of freedom coursing through her veins, the wind whipping against her face and through her hair, the feel of the powerful animal between her thighs. They would most probably be sore like hell afterwards, but she didn't mind. She liked the soreness.
The landscape flew past her in a mix of green and brown colors with the river stretching out on the other side, and her worries dissolved into nothing just like that. Her dismay about her bad grade, her anger with her classmates and the school in general, her frustration about how she couldn't get a grasp of the situation … it left her mind as if evaporating into smoke. It seemed so invalid now to Percy, and she couldn't help but feel slightly stupid and angry with herself that she had allowed it to smother her.
She wasn't like that.
She just didn't let things that she knew she could handle with ease hold her under.
With her mind cleared, Percy rode back to the stables, her chest heaving with her excitement from the trip. She found Grover in the same spot she had left him in, sitting on top of a hay pile. He looked up from devouring his sandwiches at hearing Darla's hooves clack against the stone ground.
"Your hair looks like you've just taken a ride on a rollercoaster," he teased her.
She pulled a face as she hopped off the horse's back, reaching into her coat pocket to fetch out a scrunchy. "Let me give you a word of advice, G-man," Percy said and tied her long hair back in a ponytail. "Don't ever make fun of a girl's hair. It could cost you your life."
Grover nodded solemnly. "Advice taken."
Percy chuckled softly, taking off the riding gear from her mare before ushering her back into her stable. She grabbed a broom, starting to sweep the stone ground from all the hay pieces and the dirt.
"You know, a lot of girls would cringe away from doing this," Grover noted as he got to his feet, fetching another broom to help her with the cleaning.
Percy snickered. "I would as well, normally. But my mother always says: Take care of your own mess, and others will not find a reason to pick at you. That's pretty solid advice, which I try to live by."
"Agreed," Grover laughed. "Your mom's a wise woman."
She nodded with a smile on her face, and they proceeded to clean the stables in silence. That silence didn't last for very long, though. Percy could sense the hesitation radiating off Grover, knew he had tons of question he simply didn't ask, because he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. She appreciated that. But the tightness on his face unsettled her anyway, and so she sighed before starting to talk, "I'm sorry for the way my grandpa behaved earlier."
Grover looked up in surprise. "You don't have to be, Percy. I mean, it's not your fault or anything."
"I know." She heaved a sigh. "He's … he's very alone. He's been ever since my grandmother died in a plane crash almost thirty years ago. And his relationship with my mom has always been tense. My grandma somehow managed to put the two of them at ease when they were in the same room, but after she died, they grew apart. These days, they don't even talk to each other anymore."
Grover frowned, hesitating before asking, "It's because of your father, right?"
Percy bit the inside of her cheek, faltering for just a moment. The broom's branches looked so much more interesting all of a sudden. "Yeah," she answered after a few seconds. "Grandpa hates him for leaving my mom, and she always defends him. It's been the subject of many, many fights between them."
She didn't like the way Grover studied her. It was like he was searching for a clue, for an answer to a mystical question she didn't know yet.
"And where do you stand in all this?"
Percy chose to ignore that, because frankly, she had no idea how to put her thoughts into actual words. Where did she stand in all this? What was her stance on her begetter? For all its worth, she couldn't call him father, because wasn't a father someone who was there for his child, who raised it, fed it, cared for it? She'd never even met the man, and she wasn't sure if she ever wanted to. Once, when she was a little girl, she had longed for a father's protection, for a dad's strong and warm embrace, but those times were long gone.
"I'm sorry," Grover apologized, noticing her silence. "I didn't mean to pry."
She shook her head, smiling. "It's okay, G-man, don't worry yourself. It's just something I don't like talking about."
Once they were done with the cleaning, they put the brooms back, and Percy made sure the horses had all their fair share of food and water. They returned to the main house, where her grandfather sat in a rocking chair on the patio, a pipe hanging from the corner of his mouth. His eyes lit up when he saw them approaching.
"I saw you taking Darla out for a ride," Walter noted as they walked the steps up to the patio.
Percy nodded. "Yeah, it was about time. She was already getting impatient." She sat down on a cushioned bench and scooted over to make place for Grover, curiously eyeing the book in her grandfather's hands. "What're you doing?"
The book turned out to be a photo album.
"Looking at old photographs," Walter said with a fond look at the pictures. He pulled off the tape from one of them, passing it over to Percy. "That's your grandmother when she was your age."
The black and white picture showed a beautiful, young girl with long, raven hair and a blinding smile. Percy turned it around, discovering a signature on the backside that said: 1963, Soviet Union.
Next to her, Grover made a surprised sound. "Your grandmother wasn't American?" Curiously, he looked back at the photograph and then at Percy, spotting a few similarities between her and her grandmother. They had the same set of dark, elegant eyebrows, the same thick, sweeping lashes.
Before Percy could explain, her grandfather answered, "No, she wasn't. She immigrated from Eastern Europe to the US during World War II." He took a puff off his pipe, the corners of his eyes crinkling with a smile as he took a trip down memory lane. "I met her in Brooklyn after I returned home from the war. Was the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes upon. We married shortly after, and a few years later, Sally was born."
Percy listened with eager eyes, never tiring of hearing this story. She couldn't remember her grandmother very well, but the stories her mom and her grandpa always told her painted her in a wonderful light.
They sat on the patio until dusk started to approach and the first stars gleamed high up above their heads. Percy and Grover left with the promise to visit her grandfather again soon, and as they walked towards the car, Grover broke the silence by saying shyly, "Thanks for bringing me here."
What he actually meant was 'Thanks for showing me a part of your past', but Percy got the message anyway.
"You're my best friend, Grover," she said with a smile, pressing a button on the car keys that made the headlights flare up briefly. "And I think we both needed a little distraction after this morning."
On the next day, Percy hadn't forgotten what she had remembered during her ride out with Darla.
(She wasn't like that.)
(She just didn't let things that she knew she could handle with ease hold her under.)
So the next morning, after cheerleading practice, Percy intended to go through with it and shut her classmates down once and for all, and who would be better to target than the one who currently held in the position of the popular girl?
Allison Meadowes didn't suspect anything when she opened her locker in the girls' changing room, checking her reflection and touching up her makeup. She was thoroughly happy with the way her life was going right now. She had risen to the status of the most popular girl at school, her grades were splendid (as always), she was secretly seeing Justin Walker, and she was successfully on her way to take away the captain's position of the cheerleaders from Percy Jackson.
Allison Meadowes was thoroughly happy with the way her life was going.
Until she wasn't.
A sudden sound, like sneakers squeaking on the tile floor, made her startle. She stilled with her hand halfway up in the air to reapply her mascara, perking her ears up to listen if there was somebody else in the changing room. As far as she knew, all the other girls had already left for the break.
The room remained silent.
Shrugging her shoulders, thinking it to be a trick of her imagination, Allison went back to her makeup. Just as she was about to free her hair out of the ponytail she'd kept it in, the strange noise resounded again. This time, it was as if someone had released a muffled cough.
Allison's heart rate picked up. She had seen enough horror movies to know this was how it usually started, with the maniac kidnapping the young, innocent girl and keeping her as a trophy in his dungeons. Her hand slowly crept to her bag, searching for something she could potentially use as a weapon if needed. Quickly, she shut her locker and turned around to her left side only to let out a startled yelp.
Percy Jackson stood leaning against the row of lockers, still in her cheerleading uniform and with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She regarded her with something not unlike amusement in her eyes, as if internally laughing at her discomfort.
"Percy!" Allison put a hand on her chest, glaring at the dark-haired girl. "Jesus, can you be any more creepy?"
Her former best friend cocked her head to the side. She was so ridiculously pretty that Allison could feel the envy turning her face red. "Relax, Allison," Percy said with a roll of her eyes. "Don't get yourself so worked up over me."
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Allison asked with a scowl, choosing to ignore her words.
Percy gasped dramatically. "What, I can't be in the same room with you anymore?"
"Just answer the question, Percy," Allison snapped. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."
Percy pinched her mouth. "All right," she said. "Look, I'm trying to do this the civil way, so please just do what I say. I want you to leave Grover alone once and for all. I want you to stop picking at him, I want you to stop even looking at him in the wrong way. Can you do that, Allison?"
The other girl raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Oh my god, just listen to yourself," she scoffed. "How delusional are you? Your glory days are over, Percy. You can't tell me what to do, and even if you did, I wouldn't do so anyway. Underwood is a pathetic loser, and the sooner the both of you realize that, the better for everyone else."
For a while, neither of them said anything.
Then, Percy's eyes hardened, and she took a step closer to Allison.
"Allie," she started sweetly, "Have you already forgotten that we were best friends once? Have you forgotten all the dirty, little secrets you told me? How you cheated your way through the last year's exams? Or how you fooled around with Cindy Porter behind Richard Hill's back, your boyfriend at that time? Think of all those things you told me. I mean, I'm not trying to threaten you or anything, but they're just waiting to spill over my lips."
Allison paled considerably. "You wouldn't," she choked out. "You're bluffing."
"Am I?" Percy stepped closer. "Do you want to find out?"
With her heart pounding behind her ribcage, Allison tried to think of something to say, but she came out empty. She tried to remember something that Percy may have told her at some time, something to use against her, but with horror rising inside her, she realized that her former friend had never told her much about herself.
"I'm saying it this one time," Percy continued sharply. Her green eyes had darkened to an emerald color, and the little hairs on Allison's neck rose in alarm. The air around her felt thick and tense, as if she stood on the docks, looking upon a sea that was about to wreak havoc. "Leave Grover alone. I don't care what you try to pull against me. I can handle myself, and I think you know that very well. If I catch you or anyone of your friends giving him a hard time, you're gonna be so very beyond sorry. Don't even try to push me around, because I will push back."
Then, upon sensing Allison's fright, Percy moved away from her.
"Have a nice day," she said with a smile, but it was a smile full of false sweetness. She slammed an open locker shut on her way out, with so much force that Allison could feel the tremble beneath her feet and in her bones.
Grover noticed the change on the same day.
In their second break, he joined Percy at a table in the cafeteria and looked around the room with wary eyes. Normally, as soon as they set eyes on him, the kids threw every insult they could think of at him. Now, they didn't even spare him a glance, and when he accidentally met Allison Meadowes' gaze, the girl averted her eyes immediately. But not before throwing a nervous glance at Percy.
"What did you do?" Grover demanded.
Looking up from the book she had been reading (Interview with the Vampire, Grover read from the cover), Percy blinked blankly at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean this." Thrusting an arm out, he waved over to the other tables. "What did you do to make them … well, ignore me?"
Percy shut her book and rubbed her eyes (probably from the pain of trying to read a book like Interview with the Vampire with dyslexia) before picking up a pizza slice from her tray. As she nibbled on it, she explained the situation and what she'd told Allison to him. "I'm impressed, though," she said at the end of it. "Allison spread the word around faster than I imagined she would."
Grover kept closing and opening his mouth like a fish on dry land. "But why did you go for her? Why not Justin or Evan?"
"Because," Percy started slowly, "Allison's the popular girl now. Everyone will listen to her. Believe me, I know that better than anyone else. And besides, girls are a lot better with spreading around the word than boys. No offense."
"None taken." Grover slumped down on his chair, staring at Percy as if seeing her in a new light. "I didn't know …" He struggled to find the right words without insulting her. "I didn't know you could be …"
"Such a bitch?" Percy finished the sentence for him with a snicker. "Don't be afraid to call it by its name, G-man."
Grover joined her laughter hesitantly. Truth was, he really hadn't known she had that vindictive streak in her, and now it added even more mystery to who her godly parent might possibly be. He had realized she didn't have any warm feelings for her father, whoever he might be, the other day at her grandfather's.
He hated this sort of thing with demigods, this mystery game when their origins were too unclear or when their personalities were much too tricky to actually see traits he could lead back to one particular deity.
Grover huffed mentally.
This could take a little longer than he'd originally thought it would.
Seven months later
Even seven months later, in April 2006, Grover hadn't figured out Percy Jackson.
He whined about that fact mentally while he fiddled with the black shirt Percy had forced him into, studying his mirror image with unhappy eyes. She had also forced him to put on expensive blue jeans that, admittedly, looked very nice. Still, Grover wasn't exactly comfortable with the way he looked as he stood in her room in front of her body-sized mirror.
They were going to a party.
Or rather, Percy had talked him into going with her.
That girl definitely has a way with words, Grover thought as he remembered her pleading with him and sweet talking him into it. At the end, he had relented much too her triumph. However, he had still not forgiven her for prettying him up. A shudder went through his limbs as he thought back to how she'd entered the room a few hours ago, armed with shaving cream and a razor (both a woman's brand) to remove the wisps of hair growing from his chin.
By the gods, Grover had even let her pluck his eyebrows into a somewhat acceptable shape. He didn't know that much pain was even possible. If this is what a girl has to do almost every day, he had thought with tears leaking from his eyes, then I will never again think they have it easier than guys.
"Grover, are you ready?"
Percy burst into the room with the scent of vanilla and roses clinging to her skin. Her dark hair fell down her back in its natural soft waves and loose curls, and a few of the front strands were clipped away at the back of her head. She wore a peach-colored halter-neck top, a denim skirt, and knee-high suede boots that had a wedge heel.
"Oh no, no, no," she said as soon as she laid eyes on him. "This is unacceptable."
Grover looked down at himself with a frown. "What is?"
"This is," Percy repeated, pointing to the shirt he had tucked into his jeans. She pulled it out again, ignoring his whines. "There! It looks so much better now."
Grover grumbled to himself but didn't dare to object. When it came down to things such as fashion, he knew it was better to let Percy have her way, even though he thought she went a little too nuts about that subject.
"Let's go then," she said, her mouth tipping up into a smile. She had put something bronzey and shimmery on her eyelids. It made her green eyes pop even more. "This party better be exciting and fun like hell, because if it's not, then all my efforts were for nothing."
"We won't have to stay there for too long, right?" Grover asked worriedly as he followed her out of her room, still fiddling with his shirt. Thankfully, her mother was away to celebrate the birthday of one of her girlfriends. "Just one or two hours?"
"Yeah." Percy grabbed her keys and a denim jacket on their way out. "If it's boring, we can go earlier and find us a Subway or a McDonald's."
Grover hoped like crazy for the party to turn out boring.
"Okay, cool," he said as they climbed into the car Percy's mom had left them.
The place the party took place at was halfway across the city. As far as Grover knew, it was the house of one of their classmates who had invited half the school, because his brother was throwing a party himself and had allowed him to do so.
"I hope they're gonna play good music," Percy mumbled, leaving the car along with Grover.
The sky was already starting to darken, and the full moon was partially hidden by some puffy clouds. It was neither too cold nor too hot, just the common April weather of New York with a pleasant breeze blowing across the streets every now and then.
"I don't wanna go," Grover whined as he looked around reluctantly. There were already people standing on the porch with drinks in their hands. Upbeat, modern music came from inside the house.
"Come on!" Percy laughed, tugging him forward by his hand. A few people hanging out in front of the house eyed them curiously. "It'll be fun! We'll dance a bit, drink a little, and if you're not having fun by then, we'll go."
Grover regarded her with a grumpy expression. "Promise?"
"Cross my heart."
After that, he relented.
The place was already full of people. There was a drinking game going on in the living room, and some others played beer pong in the kitchen. Out in the backyard, someone had apparently made a make-shift dance floor, and some of the people there lounged around on the deck chairs.
"Here," Percy said, handing Grover a red plastic cup. Sensing his hesitance, her expression quickly grew serious. "It's just beer. I won't give you any of the hard stuff, I promise."
Grover took a tentative sip. The beer was surprisingly chill, and it tasted slightly bitter, but not too bad. "Thanks," he said, which Percy smiled at.
"You wanna dance?" His horrified look made her release a loud laugh. "There's no way you'll get out of this one, G-man! Dancing is an essential part of every party."
With that, Percy took him by the hand and dragged him outside. On the way there, she said hello to people he didn't know that complimented her on her looks, exchanging a few words with them. Out in the backyard, some people already occupied the dance floor, which Grover was thankful for. It would've been so much worse if they'd been the sole center of attention.
"Don't be afraid to be a little silly!" Percy shouted over the music with a laugh as she started to move her body to the beat. The deep notes of Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back sounded through the speakers. "People are here to have a good time. They don't care how you dance or what else you do, believe me."
She makes it look so easy, Grover thought. It was one of the first things he had noticed about Percy - she was shy about very few things. He wished he could have some of that natural confidence she had within herself.
"I feel stupid," Grover said as he began to move his limbs, looking around in embarrassment. Surprisingly, no one even spared him a glance.
"That's okay," Percy grinned, and he couldn't help but laugh when she bumped her hip playfully against his side. "I'm right here. You're not alone in this."
They danced to a few more songs, and Grover had to admit that it wasn't that bad. When they got off the dance floor, he excused himself to go to the toilet, and Percy sat down on the couch in the living room to watch the on-going drinking game.
She would lie if she said she didn't enjoy this, because she did.
She liked going out, she liked getting her buzz on every now and then (even though she couldn't tonight, because she was driving), she liked socializing. Of course, she treasured her alone-time as much as anyone else, but she also wasn't the type of girl to sit her weekends out alone at home.
"What's got you thinking so hard?"
Percy looked up in surprise at the sound of the male voice.
A guy sat down next to her, offering her a red plastic cup. He looked older, which meant he was one of the college guys, probably friends with the boy's brother that hosted this party. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes, was well-built and tall. Overall, he was quite handsome, even more so than Justin.
"Oh, I can't," Percy declined, nodding at the cup he offered her. "I'm driving later."
"Shame," he sighed before smiling at her, holding out his hand. "I'm Logan, by the way."
She shook his hand. "Percy," she said and looked for Grover from the corner of her eye, finding him by the threshold of the kitchen, back from his trip to the toilet. When she saw that he was talking to a pretty red-haired girl, she had to stifle a pleased grin, mentally patting herself on the back for how successfully she had cleaned him up.
"Well, Percy, why's a beautiful girl like you sitting here all by herself?" Logan asked, and she turned back to him.
"Probably because she's waiting for someone interesting to approach her," she responded with a half-smile. He was pretty charming, and some innocent flirting had never harmed anybody.
Logan raised his eyebrows at her reply as his gaze sparked with new intrigue. "I do hope you'll consider me worth your time."
"We'll see," Percy quipped back.
She didn't know for how long they talked, but Logan turned out to be really funny and interesting, and they got a little cozier with each other after he placed his arm on the couch behind her. Percy pulled a stop on things before they could heat up when he leaned slightly forward, his eyes flickering down to her mouth.
She turned her head faintly to the other side, and his lips brushed her cheek. He pulled back, disappointed.
"I'm sorry," Percy said, her voice sincere. "I
don't kiss guys I've just met."
Thankfully, Logan recovered quickly enough. "It's fine," he chuckled. "Thanks for letting me down gently."
Percy smiled in response before getting to her feet and moving across the living room to look for Grover. She had to push through the crowd, because since they got there, the number of people had increased considerably.
At last, Percy found Grover sitting on the lower steps of the stairs.
"Hey, G-man," she said. "What you're doing there?"
"Hmm?" He looked up with glassy eyes. "Oh, hey, Percy." Leaning his head against the railing, he sighed happily. "My head's spinnin' a lil' bit, Percy. And you look very pretty tonight. Well, you always look pretty, but you look even prettier now."
Percy bit the inside of her cheek to stifle a giggle. "Grover, are you drunk?"
"I think so." A dreamy smile lit up his face. "The pretty girl gave me a drink. It was very fizzy. I feel awesome now."
"All right," Percy laughed, heaving him up. "Let's get you home. You can sleep it off at my place."
Grover didn't object whatsoever.
She somehow managed to get him onto the backseat of the car before settling down herself on the driver's seat and starting the vehicle. She let the radio play quietly, occasionally checking through the rear view mirror if Grover was all right. He was snoring peacefully in his sleep.
It all went to shit when the car started emitting weird noises. It stuttered as she drove past a row of dark houses, jolting down the street until it jerked to a halt.
"Are you kidding me?" Percy murmured, turning the key in the ignition lock. The motor revved before falling silent again, failing to start. She released a long-drawn, irritated sigh, letting her head fall back. "This can't be happening right now."
When she took her phone out to call her mother, she grimaced, disbelief coloring her features. Her phone showed no service. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Percy repeated, louder this time. Glancing back, she ensured Grover was still asleep before getting out of the car.
The sky was already jet-black, and her surroundings were silent and devoid of any people. Well, almost any people, because it was then that she noticed the person standing at the corner of the street.
"Excuse me!" Percy called out, and the person turned around.
Beneath the light of the lantern, she could see the person was a little old lady, although she looked strange for one. She was dressed in a black leather jacket. Deep wrinkles pulled the skin of her face down, and she looked rather mean.
"What is it, honey?" The old lady asked in a shrill, scratchy voice.
"Uh," Percy said awkwardly. "Do you have a phone, maybe? My car broke down, and I need to call my mother, but my phone has no service, though I don't really get why that is."
"That's unfortunate, honey," the lady said. "I'm sure you were luckier when your father send you to steal the bolt."
That was her clue to get the hell away.
"All right, I get it, no phone," Percy replied, her voice slightly rising in pitch as she slowly backed away. She turned only to …
"Oh my god!"
… only to find herself face to face with the old lady again.
"How did you - I don't - how …" Percy stuttered, horror lacing her voice as she tried to comprehend how the lady had managed to move so fast. The little hairs on her arms stood on end, and she knew this was no longer a joke or something to wave off.
"We know what you did, Percy Jackson," the lady hissed. "Give it back, and I will try not to hurt you too much."
Percy's stomach twisted in fear. She could feel cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. How the hell did that woman know her name? And what the fuck was she talking about? "You need to leave, lady," she said, her voice trembling. "Just leave me the fuck alone."
The old woman tsked. "What foul language for a pretty, young girl like you to use. I will make sure you'll get rid of it once you're dead and waiting for me in the fields!"
And with those words, the little old lady transformed into a monster.
Her eyes glowed bright red, her nails grew into razor-sharp talons, and leathery wings sprung from her back. She hissed, revealing a mouth full of pointy, saliva-drenched fangs, and flew straight at the dark-haired girl.
A blood-curdling scream tore out of Percy's throat, the noise sounding inhumane even to her own ears.
She whipped around and ran toward the car, her entire body overcome by one basic instinct: get the hell away from this monster.
She didn't get too far.
The air whistled sharply around her ears when the monster came down on her, its long talons piercing into her back. Another scream tore from Percy's throat as blinding pain exploded all over body. She could hear the thin material of her top ripping, could feel the wetness of her blood soaking her clothes.
The monster flung her through the air with supernatural strength, and Percy crashed into the windshield of the car. Glass broke all around her body, failing to withstand the force and pressure. The splinters pierced through her skin like little sharp teeth, and she wheezed for air, struggling against the blackness that threatened to take her away.
She couldn't even worry about Grover.
She could only keep fighting through the pain while pure, animalistic fear coursed through her veins. The realization of death approaching, and approaching fast, paralyzed her.
"Where is your bravery now, heroine?" The monster hissed as it landed on her, its red eyes boring into Percy's dazed green ones. "Where is your daddy, child of the sea? Where is his power to protect you?"
Something kicked off inside Percy at those words, even though she didn't understand them.
I don't wanna die, she thought faintly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
The flight instinct turned into something else within her body as a new-found, weird strength replaced the fear.
"Fuck you," Percy managed to choke out, fighting to keep her eyes open. With an acrobatic expertise, she twisted her legs and kicked the monster off her. It flew through the air, landing a few feet away from her, which gave her just enough time to get to her feet.
Percy didn't even wonder how she had managed to do that.
She simply acted on pure instinct once she saw that, this time, the monster hesitated just a little before attacking her, eyeing her warily. When it flung itself back at her, Percy clenched her right hand into a fist and send it crashing into the monster's face. It screamed in protest, landing on the ground with a loud thump.
But that didn't stop it.
As Percy struggled to keep her balance, her rapid blood loss making her sway in dizziness, the monster recharged. This time, it was successful. It threw Percy onto the ground and pinned its hands around her throat, squeezing while the young girl clawed at the monster's talons in desperation, trying to get them off her. Her lungs throbbed in pain, screaming for oxygen, and the gravel and dirt on the ground beneath her grated into her back wounds. She squirmed and clashed beneath the painful hold, choking and gasping for air as everything started to spin before her eyes, kicking out her legs, tears leaking from her eyes as she prayed, Please, please don't let me die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die …
Something happened then.
In the years to come, Percy would wonder what exactly had went through her in those moments, but the only thing she knew was that something primal awakened inside her as her gut twisted painfully as if pulling itself into tight knots.
The monster started coughing.
It froze in confusion at that, loosening its grasp on Percy's throat, which allowed her to take a huge, desperate gulp of cool air. She wrung herself free from the monster, kicking it off, and crawled away from its reach.
The monster didn't even seem to notice.
Its body shook with violent coughs, and green blood began splattering from its mouth. "Stop that!" The monster screeched, its talons clawing at its throat. "What are you doing? I said stop that! Stop that!"
The monster screeched and yelled as an unknown force ran through its blood, causing it to boil and to freeze at the same time, making it gush to the creature's throat and spill through its fangs.
And then, the monster dissolved into dust.
And Percy's legs gave away.
She fell to her knees, holding herself up with her palms against the ground. Her entire body shook with pain, and everything was so fuzzy and confusing. Her eyes tried to focus on something, anything, but she couldn't even comprehend what had just happened. A pained, faint groan came over her lips, and she tried to call for Grover, but the only thing filling her mouth was her blood.
Everything just hurt too much.
Percy couldn't support herself for much longer.
She gave in to gravity, resting her cheek against the cold ground, and allowed the blackness to take her away.
Reviews are Percy's and Grover's friendship.