ELYSIAN, the riordanverse

29

MOURNING

The waves crashed against the shore, not stopping once. Whipping at the sand, they retreated back into the ocean which looked black and murky today.

 The ground shook, destroying everything in its path. Fissures were created everywhere. The soil was ripped apart, the plants dying. Fruits withering. 

The sky thundered. Lightning struck. The grass burned.

It seemed that today the seas, the earth and the sky were mad.

They were.

For today was the day Sally Jackson had died.

***

'No,' Percy whispered, as he felt himself fall to the floor. His knees scraped against the checkered tiles as he clawed at the ground. 'No. No. No. No.'

'This can't be happening,' The son of Poseidon whispered again, his sea-green eyes fluttering close. Percy continued to pull at his hair. His eyes brimmed with tears. He refused to believe it. Even as the police officer told him that the plane had crashed. Even as his mother's body was brought into the room, covered with a white cloth, body motionless.

Tears fell down Percy's cheeks.

For today was the day Sally Jackson had died.

Percy stood up, his knees wobbling. Annabeth, at his side, like always took his hand, entwining their fingers together. Percy looked down at her.

His eyes, which were usually filled with love, now held an almost murderous look in them. The same look Annabeth had seen when he was about to choke Misery in her own poison. The rage in Percy's eyes only seemed to grow the closer he walked to the stretcher where his mother's body lay.

He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. Percy turned his head to see Paul, his stepfather. No, his father. Paul had been the father he'd never had before. Paul was a man, perhaps the only man worthy of Sally Jackson's love... And here he was, tears in his eyes as he looked at his wife.

His wife who had breathed her last breath.

Percy only got more angrier as he looked at his sister, Estelle. She was only eleven. The same age he had been when his life had been flipped upside-down and now Estelle's life would be flipped upside-down too.

For today was the day Sally Jackson had died.

Today was the day that Percy's mother was dead. Today was the day that Estelle had been deprived of the best mother ever. Today was the day that Paul had lost the woman he loved.

Today, today was the day that a brave and strong woman had died.

Percy strode ahead, tears still flowing. Fury still present in his eyes.

He reached the stretcher and pulled down the cloth.

His mother's eyes were closed, and there was a peaceful look on her face. Sally's frizzy hair looked just like it would on any other day.

There was stain on her shirt, not blood.

No.

It was applesauce. Estelle's favorite.

Sally had given the box of applesauce to her daughter just the day before and she'd almost tripped over a book which had been lying around. Sally didn't fall however. But a blob of applesauce had fallen onto her shirt.

Paul had washed it off has best as he could, but Sally had just laughed. "Oh, it's ok, Paul. What's one more food stain, anyways?" she had said. And then she had laughed again.