𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐊𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄, 𝗅𝗎𝗄𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗅𝖺𝗇

𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖾

004. 𝗄𝖾𝖾𝗉 𝗆𝖾 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾, 𝖺𝖼𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗂𝗌 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝖾.

JEALOUSY WAS BOUND TO RUN RAMPANT IN A CAMP FULL OF CHILDREN, but I hadn't expected people to be so cruel. It was no secret Percy loved his mother, we all heard about his outburst in the Big House when Dionysus asked who Sally Jackson was.

And to use that love as some awful tactic to hurt the poor boy? That was just low.

There was a night where I walked into the cabin after a shower. Percy had this newspaper in his hand, and a look of complete despair etched to the wrinkles on his face.

BOY AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER FREAK CAR ACCIDENT

BY EILEEN SMYTHE.

I snatched it from him, though it was clear he had already read it.

Reading it myself, I noticed it alluded to Percy kidnapping his mother, a narrative fuelled by the words of some man. Whoever Gabe was, I hated him. "Your mom knows it wasn't your fault. Gabe is a loser, and the media will hop on anything and make it whatever it needs to be in order for them to get a couple reads. Don't take it seriously. They're just trying to hurt you."

He just flopped down on his bed and sighed.

I clapped twice, muttering, "lights out."

Percy awoke the next morning after mumbling all night. A tired yawn expelling into the fresh air as he squeezed his eyes shut in preparation for waking up.

"I've been trying to ignore your sleep talking quirk, Perseus, but it's getting concerning. Care to share?" I grumbled out, my eyes void of anything as I adjusted to the morning light.

"You sleep talk too." He uttered back, sitting up in his bed, "Aion? Your brother?"

Percy casted a look my way, for some reason I couldn't meet his gaze. My body tensed, and even though I couldn't see my face, I just knew my misery was displayed so vividly.

I felt my heart in my stomach, caving in on itself. "Yes." I answered curtly, "he died getting me here, hellhounds. My dreams happen to be the only time I see him, even if they are just replays of the night he—" The word I was looking to say died in my throat. I gulped, shaking my head. "Your turn."

"I was running along a beach during a storm. There were two men fighting, but every time I tried to get near them the wind would blow me away." Percy took control of the conversation, letting out his own shaky breath. "At some point the earth opened beneath me, swallowed me. Are bad dreams— what? Genetic?"

"You have no clue," I muttered to myself more than anything, massaging the tension from my neck.

If I could explain the feeling in my chest, I would, but I couldn't seem to put into words the absolute dread brewing within me.

I listened to Percy shift across the room, sitting down beside me on my bed. He remained staring at the empty wall, but he continued speaking to me. "Should I be worried?"

"There's so much you don't know." I murmured, my throat closing in on me, "there's so much you should know and for some reason I feel like I won't get the time to teach you."

"You're worried." Percy observed. He tried to place a comforting hand on my shoulder, unfortunately, he didn't inherit the same power I did.

His touch only fueled my fear. "Concerned." I corrected, stretching my arms over my head. I rolled out of my bed and glanced at him. "We're going down to the lake today."