Nightmare | Percy Jackson

Prologue

Alp's POV

Every night, as I fall asleep, I enter a realm filled with terrifying monsters that could make even the bravest men cry. However, tonight was different. This time, I found myself walking along a beach at twilight, with the soothing sound of waves lapping at the shore in the background. As I glanced around, I saw nothing but beach sand on one side and the ocean on the other. When I started walking forward, I noticed a soft glow and what appeared to be a hunched shadow near a fire. Was this a nightmare? Despite my fear, I cautiously approached the figure, only to realize that it was a boy. This realization eased the tension in my body. As I looked closer, I noticed that he seemed familiar, yet I was certain that I had never seen him before. The boy had midnight-colored hair and deep blue eyes, which matched the color of the ocean. He seemed unaware of my presence, and I couldn't help but think that his survival skills were seriously lacking. Slowly, I sat down next to him, and he startled, as if ready to flee. Annoyed, I rolled my eyes.

"Who are you?" the boy asked, sounding alarmed.

"I could ask you the same thing," I replied.

"Well, I asked first," he retorted indignantly.

"Alp, Alp Finley," I said, offering my hand.

After a moment's hesitation, the boy took my hand. "Percy Jackson," he responded. My hand went limp with shock. "Per-ercy Jackson," I stammered. This had to be the same Percy Jackson that Grover and Chiron were sent to protect. He looked exactly as Grover had described him. I scolded myself mentally to keep it together. Percy gave me a strange look. "That's what I just said, didn't I?" he remarked. I scowled at him, not appreciating his sass at all. Shaking my head, I looked away.

Percy yawned and mumbled to himself, "I didn't know my imagination was able to conjure up pretty girls." I couldn't help but hide my smile, as he didn't think I was real. Well, I couldn't blame him, as he wasn't accustomed to magic like I was. After sitting next to Percy in silence for a while, I felt the familiar sensation in my gut, signaling that one of us was about to wake up. The beach began to swirl in front of me, and I smiled softly to myself. For once, a dream wasn't a painful experience, and I had a feeling that it would only get easier. Feeling my mattress underneath me, I smiled, stretched out my limbs, and grinned like an idiot at the ceiling. I waited eagerly in bed until it was time to get up for breakfast.