Drowning in the Siren's Song

Chapter 1

One of Percy's earliest memories was of when Sally sung a lullaby to him, tucking him under the covers. It was beautiful, the lilting words and sugar-sweet tunes lulling him to sleep. He had been fascinated by the art since then, wordlessly mouthing the notes of the latest song he'd heard and gently humming under his breath when he was sure Gabe was asleep.

Even though he was young, he was good enough to be called a prodigy, with his sweet voice and ability to learn a song by simple listening to it once. He was well-aware of the fact.

He knew that boys his age couldn't sing like he did and what he enjoyed was abnormal, and so he tried to stop but just couldn't. He feared his step-father's fury if he found out he was being weird again, but there was just something about speaking through music which appealed to him, called to him. And so, he kept it a secret, using his voice only when he was alone, singing to the trees and flowers and the cat from the apartment across theirs. Little did he know, that they heard him. The trees and bushes to whom he bore his heart, listened to his songs with perked ears.

Singing was the only release he had. Once the pain was too much to bear, or the strange creatures kept on creeping near, he would run to the garden at noon, and sing his heart out. Sometimes he would just open his mouth and hold a single note, pouring all his worry and pain into it, or he would give it a tune and shout with his words. 

The dryads were shaken to their core. Such a young child, a newborn in their eyes, so how could he muster up so much pain? Whenever he came, he would be slightly limping, or hunched over with bruises which were only seen when his shirt was ruffled by the breeze. But it was his emotional pain which was relived when he left, but not his bodily wounds. 

It was a single tree which was Percy's secret haven. A large tree in the corner of a garden close to his apartment was where he could be found when Gabe left the house. Percy curled at her roots, humming a lullaby he'd remembered from his mother. Though the song was meant to be calming, he sung it with such longing, it reached her depths. The Oak tree, after standing there for hundreds of years, had woken from her slumber by his pain and before she knew it, her eyes had watered and green droplets were rolling down her wrinkled face. 

What was it that hurt him so deeply, she wondered?

But something about the child struck a chord within her. She didn't want him to suffer. And so, the great Oak dryad decided to bless the child, appearing in front of him as an old lady with green tinted skin and hair the same shade as the brown of her bark. 

"We shall respond to your voice, young one." she said, smiling gently. She reached out a hand and patted his hair, her wise grey eyes promising him.
"When you are lost, sing to us and we shall show you the way." Percy was fascinated as he watched the old lady glow a soft green as she kept on speaking. The atmosphere of the garden had changed. The plants seemed to stand taller and the flowers looked brighter. Little ladies in shimmering green dresses peeked behind the bushes, shining bright just like her.
"I give you power, Perseus Jackson. The power to wake my brethren and the power to guide them. I give you my blessing as a dryad and as a nymph of the great Oak tree. Use it well." Her gentle voice changed, booming loud and proud. 

Though he didn't know what was happening, he knew that what she said was no joke. He felt different. Somehow, he felt more at peace. The colors seemed more vibrant and his injuries healed like he'd just dumped a bucket of water down his head. His mother has warned him not to talk to strangers, but the instincts he'd developed were calm and quiet. The elder in front of him was someone good. She wouldn't hurt him.

He was young but he was smart. He bowed low, as much as his bruised ribs allowed and said what his intuition suggested. "Thank you." he whispered, knowing that what she gave him was worthy of gratitude.

After that day, she would look after the boy, awaiting his visits and his voice. He would sit at the base of her trunk, the tree bringing him a loving comfort as he rested his forehead on her bark and sung from deep within his core. She would cry when he poured pain in his melodies and smiled when he sang of his mother and her love. 

Its wasn't long after she blessed him that he started calling her grandma after seeing her human form. Having no knowledge of the Greek world, the innocence of the child brought joy to her, and her dreary life watching the world worsen became much brighter. 

He began to trust her, slowly opening up to her. He told her about his step-father and showed her his powers and the way he could twist water in the air. He wore a proud smile as he made the water float in the shape of the Oak tree, he'd practiced hard. That was when she realized that he was a part of her world. It didn't take long for her to understand who had broken the oath and why his songs held power. 

Though she was quite confused. He had seemed like a Greek demigod, but with his fluency in both Ancient Greek and Latin, made her question his lineage. Having the power of a Siren told her that he was the son of Neptune, but his sea-green eyes were the splitting image of Poseidon.

But she was sure he had the power of the Sirens. Then again, the Sirens she'd heard of before only unleashed their powers once they were well-past their youth. The youngest she remembered was two decades in life. An emotional 'incident' or 'impact' was needed to 'unlock' the powers of a Siren, so how was Percy, who was barely 6 years in the world, capable of such power?

It was when she asked to meet his mother, whom he loved so much, did she understand the answer to her question.
"She's not here anymore, grandma. She's up there" He had said, pointing to the sky, too bright for his words. "Gabe says that she left me, but I don't mind. It's good that she went away. At least she won't get hurt anymore." He said, nodding to himself.
"I keep singing the songs she sang to me so I don't forget her. She had brown hair like yours grandma, and blue eyes like Miss Blue Bell! She was very pretty. Her eyebrows would gather here," he pointed to the center of his forehead, imitating a frown, "when I didn't say please or thank you." He rambled on, telling the garden little things they used to do and how she used to scold him. 

Oak had tears running down her face, and so did the rest of the nature spirits. The anger they felt could not compare to any other in the world, yet the sadness they felt was more profound. Oak grabbed the raven-haired boy and hugged him close, surprised to find him trembling from head to toe. Feeling the warmth of a hug after so long, he burst into tears, sobbing loudly on her shoulder, grabbing her tunic in his tiny fists. He was in hysterics, the grief hitting him in waves. 

The tiny siren was hurt by the monster of a step-father, but Oak understood that he had a purpose. Sally had indeed been smart to choose the human, but her choice ended up hurting him more than she would've imagined. It protected him from monsters in the outside world, but what about the monster in his home?

All Oak knew now was that she was going to protect her grandson, however she could.