Chapter Text
I'm considering going to therapy
At this point. Was I in a mental
Institute in my past life?
Look, I didn't want to be half-blood.
If you're reading this because you think you might be one my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or your dad told you about your birth and try lead a normal life.
Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.
If you're a normal kid , reading this because it's fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to lead a perfect, normal and stable life.
Don't say I didn't warn you?
My name is Percy Jackson, I'm twelve years old, until a few months ago I was a boarded student at Yancy Academy a private school at upstate New York for troubled kids.
Am I a troubled kid?
Yeah, you could say that.
I could start at any point of my short miserable and delectable life to prove it. Everything just went 'Icarus like',
last May when our sixth-grade class took a field trip to Manhattan, twenty-eight mental kids, two teachers on a yellow school Bus heading towards Metropolitan Museums of art to look at Greek and Roman shit.
Sounds boring right?
Well if you're a student you have to learn it like your life depends on it
Because it does. Grades matters guys, it defines your life.
Mr. Brunner was the middle-aged guy in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a scruffy beard and a frayed tweeted jacket that always smells like coffee. You might think 'oof he looks boring!', But he always tells stories and jokes, he also let's us play games in class too. He had this awesome collection of Roman armors and weapons, that's why when it comes to his classes my attention would be so on caught to the lesson.
Coming to this field trip I had hoped that I wouldn't be in trouble.
BOY, I was so much more than wrong.
Bad things happen to me every field trip that I went through, an accident or intentional. Fifth grade? Yeah......we went to Saratoga battlefield, I had this accident with a revolutionary cannon and BOOM! I didn't mean to aim it at the bus also Fourth grade? Another yeah.......you see we took a behind-the-scenes trip at a Marine world I hit the wrong lever then SPLASH! My classmates took an unplanned swimming.
At this trip, I was determined to be good.
I kept asking myself, how the hell did I keep up with Nancy Bobofit? This kleptomaniac, freckled red head, crazy and a shmegegge girl that kept throwing her sandwich peanut butter at Grover, my best friend.
He was an easy target, he was crippled and he easily cried. He had a note excusing himself from PE. He walked funny or more like he walked like every walk hurt him but don't let him fool you, you should've seen him run at enchilada day.
I couldn't do anything because of my probation, courtesy of the principal whom threatened death-by-in-school suspension. Nancy used it at her advantage to bully Grover because if any accident, mild embarrassment or wild shit that happened, I will always be blamed.
"I'm going to kill her", I snarled under my breath, holding on to the chair in front of with a harsh grip. Grover tried to calm me down, "It's alright, I love peanut butter".
He dodged another piece of Nancy's lunch. That perra.
"Does that apply when peanut butter is in your hair? No", I stood up, ready to rip hair off but Grover pulled me down, "Don't! You're on probation remember?"
I stared at him and considered the consequences, I wish I could've decked Nancy right there and then. The suspension would've been nothing compared to what I'm about to do. But then again, it would disappoint my family and I hate the look of disappointment in my family's faces.
Mr. Brunner (my most current teacher) lead the museum tour, he rode in his wheelchair guiding us to the big and echoey galleries and art. It blew my mind that this stuff survived for a lot of thousands of years, I nearly tripped trying to catch up to him, while staring at the Egyptian section. What he was talking about was really interesting, especially after I just read Illiad with my brother. I love the the different theories about the death of the daughter of Clymnastera? Was that her name? Anyways.
He gathered us around this tall four- metre-tall stone column with a sphinx on the top was a grave marker, a stele and started telling as about it, he started telling us about the side carvings and of course and I listened, it was interesting. Mom taught us this things as bedtime stories and I really love learning about it. Mostly in silence. My classmates just wouldn't just shut up (mostly Nancy) and even though I'll tell them, Mrs. Dodds would just give me the evil eye.
Mrs. Dodds was this little math teacher from Georgia, that look mean enough to drive a Harley right through your locker. She had come to Yancy hallway through the year because our last teacher had a nervous breakdown.
From the first day I knew she would like Nancy Bobofit and I knew they were devil spawn or I was the devil spawn. She would point her crusty and wrinkled finger at me and say 'now honey' and I knew I'll have one-month school suspension. One time she made me erase math workbooks until midnight.
I told Grover that Mrs. Dodds wasn't human, he looked at me and agreed, 'you are absolutely right'.
Mr. Brunner kept talking about Greek funeral art. Nancy snickered and talked about something about the naked guy on the stele.
I turned around, finally deciding I wasn't having it, "Will you shut up?"
It came out louder that what I meant to. The whole group laughed. Mr. Brunner turned around, "Ms. Jackson", He said, "Did you have a comment?"
"None, Mr. Brunner I was just politely telling Nancy to shut up".
"Then will you tell us about what this pictures represents?"
I had a wash of relief, I knew this story. "That's a famous story of Kronos eating his children because of the curse his father gave him". I naturally knew about Greek Mythology, in fact it was the only subject in my life that I am good at. My mom would tell me about them and say:
'Remember every myth has its truth behind it'.
I continued, "Kronos is the king of the titans and he dwelled in Mt. Othyrs. When Rhea had their first child, he got nervous remembering, his father's word that one day his children will betray him and so he ate Hestia, their first child but her siblings recognized her as the youngest when, Zeus the youngest child of Rhea and Kronos, whom Rhea hid by feeding Kronos a rock in disguise for Zeus, then Zeus devised a plan where he became the wine bearer for him and when he gave Kronos wine, (I thought, once in a while wasn't Dionysus the one who created wine? Then what was the right term for it? Soju, I bet) it was mixed with mustard and what not". I continued, "after that he barfed up his sibling with Hestia lastly."
"Eeeeew". Commented some girls behind me. Ew indeed. I mostly avoid their group, the social hierarchy of girls were a brutality I'd never get involved myself in.
"Then there was the titans war with the gods and, the gods won". Some snickered behind me.
Mr. Brunner nodded, satisfied.
Then Nancy mumbled, "Like we're going to use this in a real job, as if our job applications would ask, 'Please tell us why Kronos ate his kids?"'
"And why indeed Ms. Bobofit?", Mr. Brunner asked.
"Oof, Busted!" Grover cackled beside me.
"Shut up". Nancy scowled, her face brighter than her cheetos hair. At least the insufferable girl got shut up and caught. This were the times sometimes I think Mr. Brunner was not human, I barely even heard her, yet somehow Mr. Brunner did.
Then I answered, "Because It might be useful for demigods if they exist. Every mythology and folktales has truth behind it , therefore this stories might be deemed useful for demigods, or it's because it's just fun to know about it Nancy".
Nancy glared at me.
"Correct and full credit to Ms. Jackson".
He again nodded, satisfied. I beamed at him. "On that happy note, Ms. Dodds can you lead us outside?", I guess he's not good at changing the subject.
The class drifted apart and I saw a couple of guys as usual acting like doofuses. Then I saw and heard Nancy Bobofit talking about, "hey did you know me and my family got invited by the Romanov family to this party at Acapulco". Or whatever rich people do.
"Ms. Jackson". I knew that was coming. I told Grover to keep going. "Sir?", I asked turning around. He gave me this look, that you couldn't let go. The look that he had, was that like of a thousand years old dude and that he had seen more than we could imagine.
"You must learn how to answer my question", Mr. Brunner told me. I kept my face cool, but still inclined my head to the side, didn't I said the right thing?
"About the titans or about how that could apply to real life?".
"For real life. About how it will apply to real life", I nodded slowly, with how he insinuated it, it sounded like it was indeed important,
He continued, "What you will from me is vitally important and that I expect you and only accept the best from you".
There it is.
Frustration and Anger.
At least I wanted to be, at him. But found myself thinking, how come the story of Kronos and his children was vital? Is this one of riddles and metaphors again?
"Yes sir, I'll try harder", I finally answered.
He nodded.
Mr. Brunner then sent a sad look at me and the stele as if he'd been on the girls funeral. He told me to go outside and eat my lunch, I did.
Overhead, a storm was brewing I figured that it must be global warming or climate change. The weather's been weird across New York since Christmas
We've had massive snow storms, flooding, wildfires etc.....It looked like nobody noticed it.
Ms. Dodds seem to not notice Nancy stealing something from a tourist.
Grover and I sat at the edge of a fountain. "So um.. dentention?".
"Nope not from Mr. Brunner," I shrugged, "I just wish he'd lay off sometimes, I mean, I'm not a genius".
Grover snorted, "Are you sure? You mostly get B's and C's".
"Exactly!" I finger gunned Grover. Grover looked like he was about to say something. "Can I have your apple?", I didn't have that much appetite so I let him take it.
I watched some cabs going to the Fifth Avenue then I thought about mom and my brother and how much I missed them. I just sometimes want to ride a taxi and go home. Mom would be happy to see me and disappointed too. She would almost immediately sent me back to Yancy and I would oblige. I couldn't stand the look she would give me. I'm probably going to get kicked out anyway, this is my sixth school in sixth years, after all. My brother would probably tell me to go to school or he threatened to never go to one.
Mr. Brunner sat in his wheelchair hat was park on a handicapped ramp and ate celery while reading a paper back novel. A red umbrella stuck up from the back of his chair making it look like a motorized Cafe table.
As I was about to open my lunch, unfortunately Nancy Bobofit and her typical mean girls group came and dumped her half-eaten lunch on Grover's lap
"Oops", she said while smirking.
I stared directly at her face. At the exact moment, I thought of ways to sent her directly to the ICU, but it stayed a thought . The only though of being expelled stopped me. Nobody. Nobody fucks with my friend.
I tried to stay cool, but with her voice alone she would already annoy me. The school counselor told me a million times —close your eyes, count one to ten and ten to one— to control your temper. But I was beyond mad that a wave roared in my ears.
Next thing I knew, Nancy was splattering in the fountain.
"-did you see that-"
"-like the water pulled her-"
Shit.
All I knew was that I was in trouble again.
I grinned at Nancy's destroyed makeup. But it was worth it. She yelled, 'IT WAS PERCY! She pushed me!', as soon as Mrs. Dodds checked if poor demon spawn Nancy was okay, Mrs. Dodds turned to me, there was a triumphant shine in her eyes that as if she was like she was waiting for this chance to terrorize me again her whole life.
"Now honey—", she started but I cut her off.
"Yeah, I know", I grumbled '"Another month of erasing math workbooks." I know I wasn't supposed to say that. But who gives a flying fuck?
"Come with me", Mrs. Dodds ordered.
"No!" Grover yelped. "It was me! I was the one that pushed her!"
Dayum. We stan a brave best friend, I was stunned, My best friend always get scared to death by Mrs. Dodds, I couldn't believe he covered up for me.
She glared at him so hard his whiskey chin trembled. "I don't think so Mr. Underwood", she insisted.
"—but—she—wait—!"
"She. Will. Go. There."
"It's okay man", I continued, 'if she'd kill me, I'd hunt her ass down." But he didn't look convinced.
"Now, honey," Mrs. Dodds barked at me. I forgot she was there for a second.
Nancy Bobofit smirked at me. I gave her my, I'll kill you later deluxe glare or my I'll meet you in hell deluxe glare.
I turned to Mrs. Dodds, but she wasn't there. She's standing at the top of the stairs in the museum, gesturing impatiently ate to come. How the hell did she get there fast. Or wash she that excited in killing me?
Another part of me is thinking that it must've been my ADHD because I somehow always lose count of time,the school counselor always say that.
I wasn't sure. So I went after her.
Halfway up the stairs I glanced at Grover, he looked pale and he was looking at Mr. Brunner with a pleading look,he was glancing at me and Mr. Brunner. But Mr. Brunner was busy reading his novel.
I looked back Mrs. Dodds was gone, again, she was now inside the building at the far edge of the entrance hall.
Is she planning to make me buy Nancy a new shirt?
But that wasn't her plan. I followed her deep to the museum. When I finally caught up with her, ironically we were in a Greek and Roman gallery except for us it's empty.
She stood with her arms cross,making a noise behind her throat,growling, in front of a big marble frieze of the Greek gods. It's weird being alone with a teacher. And it was cracking me up.
She was glaring at the frieze as if she wanted to pulverize it.
"You've been giving us problems honey". She said, I did the only safe thing "umm yes ma'am....."
She tugged at the cuff of her leather jacket. "Do you really think you would get away with it?"
The look she had in her eyes was beyond mad, it was evil. I believed she wouldn't hurt me, but I was again so dead wrong.
"I-I'll try harder ma'am".
Thunder shook the building. I looked around and tried to find escape exits and weapons to fight against Mrs. Dodds.
"We're not fools, Persephone Jackson!" She shrieked at me. I flinched and looked at her blankly.
"It was only a matter of time before we found you, confess now and you shall suffer less pain", Mrs. Dodds said.
I don't know if I should be angry at the fact that she called me by my full name, or be confused and scared at the same time.
Nevertheless I didn't know what she was talking about. Did she found out about my illegal stash of candy that I've been selling?
Calm.
Stay calm.
'Well?', she snarled.
"Ma'am I don't—", I stuttered.
"Your time is up!", She hissed.
Then, it happened, her eyes began to glow like barbecue charcoals, her fingers stretched, it turned into talons, her jacket melted into big leathery wings. She was the opposite of a human. She was a disheveled old hag with bat wings and claws and razor sharp mouth that'll slice me to ribbons if I didn't think fast.
Things got stranger. Mr. Brunner who had been just outside the museum minutes before, now wheelchaired into the doorway of the gallery, holding a pen.
"What ho! Percy!", He yelled and throwed the pen he was holding to me.
Mrs. Dodds lunged at me. With a yelp, I dodged her razor talons and I felt it slash through air behind my head. I snatched the ballpoint pen in the air but when I caught it, wasn't a pen anymore, It was a sword, it radiated, something.
Power.
It thrummed under my skin, and fit right into my hand.
Mrs. Dodds spun around towards me. Nearly dropping the sword, my hand hold unto it tightly till my knuckles turned white.
She snarled, "Die honey!" And dashed towards me.
I did the most natural thing to do for me in this situation: I went straight at her, going into a familiar ballerina pose, both of my hands holding the handle, my body suddenly automatically went into a good position and then swung like batshit crazy. With strength that I didn't know I had. Adrenaline does wonders.
It diced her. Slicing her diagonally, she was vaporized on the spot, I didn't think about the sound she made.
What I saw next was something.
Her eyes were wide open that yellow light exploded in it, her jaw wrung open that it was hanging on it's hinges.
Gods.
The sound.
The sound of flesh that I tore to two pieces and the inhumane scream she let out that was ironically almost human.
She exploded to yellow dust, there's nothing left there except the yellow dust, the slight smell of Sulphur and a dying scream and a chill of evil in the air, as the pair of glowing red eyes are still there.
I was alone. I stared at where she once was, blankly.
BuZz
I was only met with silence.
ITCh
There was a ballpoint pen in my hand.
buZZ
Mr. Brunner wasn't there.
ItCh
Had I just imagine the whole thing?
No. No.
Too real. I definitely fought it. (Fury? Erinyes? Eumenides? A vampire? Who fucking cares. It was fucking real.)
Thunder shook the building and that was enough to get me out of shock. I shook my head and the feeling wasn't gone. My gut was telling me something is going to happen.
I went back outside. It started to rain. There's something wrong. So fucking wrong. The itch is still there. The fucking BųžŽ.
Grover was sitting by the fountain a museum map tented over his head . Nancy Bobofit was still soaked from her swim in the fountain,grumbling to her hooligans . When she saw me, she said, "I hope Mrs. Kerr wooped your ass".
"Who?" I snapped, my eyes flaring, she flinched but managed to roll her eyes at me.
"The math teacher duh," she left almost immediately.
I hoped this is just some twisted sick joke or prank but she looked serious. When I asked Grover about Mrs. Dodds he said, "Who?"
"Not funny, you know what I'm talking about."
Thunder boomed. I closed my eyes and craned my neck, jaw clenching. Something. Something was wrong. Something was going to be wrong.
I saw Mr. Brunner as if he didn't move and went up to him. He looked up from his book, a little distracted. "Ms. Jackson, please give me back my pen, kindly bring your own utensil next time."
I frowned, reaching in to my pockets. This was so wrong. Whatever that's going to happen Mr. Brunner was involved. I handed the pen-§wöřđ to him and felt incomplete and the opposite of calm.
He stared at me blankly. "Who?"
I internally groaned. Of course him too.
I let out a slow exhale and with a grit of my teeth I said, "Absolutely nothing sir. Just a headache, maybe the finals is getting on me."
He stared at me. "If you say so, Ms. Jackson".