Broken Pasts (Percy Jackson AU)

Then it Starts

*Percy's POV*

There wasn't many things you could do at the park. It only had a little slide, a see saw and a swing. I was on the swing, just slowly rocking back and forth. The city air was anything but refreshing, the smell of smoke was overwhelming. But it didn't seem to faze me after living in the city for my whole life I got used to the smell. I continued to stare at nothing. The scene of that night continued to replay in my head. Over and over again.

***

It was his birthday and his mum was making her famous blue choc chip cookies! And to make it even better Smelly Gabe wasn't here! He was too busy playing poker and getting drunk at one of his friend's house. The boy and his mum just sat there playing games and eating cookies having the time of their life. The best birthday ever! But that came crushing down when Gabe returned earlier then he was supposed to. Intoxicated with alcohol and he had just lost a large amount of money, he was wild.

He walked in seeing his wife and her boy having fun and wasting his money! Let's say he was beyond pissed. He started swearing his head off. When he was done he grabbed out his belt and starting beating the boys mum. Her screams pierce the air. Gabe continued to do it and just before she passed out screamed to her boy to run. He did what he was told and ran out of the apartment.

When he was out he turned around hoping that his mum was behind him. But all he could see was that his apartment was on fire. He was about to run in here but a figure stopped him. The boy whipped around to see Smelly Gabe loaming over him. He lean in towards his ear and whispered...

"Tell anyone what happened tonight, no matter where the police take you, I'll find you and kill you just like I did to your mother."

Frightened, he nodded facing his head to the ground and quietly sobbed to himself. The police came and asked what happened. All he said that he saw the smoke and ran out the building. Gabe was in the distance and over saw it.

***

I've lived with Gabe for nearly six years, and every day is like a living hell. The routine was that he got drunk, waste money on poker and blamed me for it and then beat me until I pass out. Yep that's the daily life of Percy Jackson. The sky busted into an orange colour as the sun began to set. Sighing I got up and made my way back to the Underworld.

The apartment door was never locked. Gabe was either too lazy or too drunk to care. I was creeping up to my room until Gabe yelled my name. Shit. I slowing made my way to him like a dog who knew it was going to get hit. His eyes were blood shot and his pupils were small. That's first sign that he was angry. His yellow rotten teeth sat like a bull dogs. His breath reeked of alcohol. I looked at his hand and in it was a butcher knife. I took a step back.

"What's wrong Prissy, I'm not going hurt you," his face morphed into a cruel twisted smile.

He lunged at me. For a drunken man he was pretty fast and accurate. I jumped back but I still managed to get a deep cut that ran down my arm. I bolted to my room and locked the door. Gabe was outside the door of it shouting and pounding against. I got all my stuff I needed and put it in a duffel bag. Just as Gabe breaks the door down, I went down the fire escape.

I kept on running until I was out of the city. I saw a forest and decide to stay there of the night. The trees towered into the night and the crisp air washed over me, making me feel refreshed and also peeked up my senses. I continued walking until a came across a clearing. A little clear blue stream ran down on the side of the clearing. Lushes green grass covered the ground. Plonking my bag down, I sat down and leaned against a tree.

My eyes lids closed and when I was about to fall asleep, I heard a twig snap. My eyes flew open. Was it Gabe? Surely he wouldn't find me here! My head flew everywhere trying to find the source of the noise. I was terrified, I didn't think Gabe would come all the way out here to get me. I heard another twig snapped and then I saw it.

It was a tall pitch black stallion. He entered the clearing with caution. He sniffed at the air and looked at me, I didn't move a muscle. The stallion walked towards me and when he was no more than a meter away from me he snorted and backed away and gave me the expression like, what the hell are you doing here? I laughed and he stood there still staring at me. I looked up at him and meet his eyes. It was like looking at a mirror.

They had the same shattered look, and look like they had given up on life. I guess we both have broken pasts. We gazed at each other not one of us was going to look away. I didn't know how long we had our staring competition. I swallowed the lump in my throat and gathered up my courage. Never losing my gaze I raised my hand. The stallion's eyes pricked forward, he didn't seem scared. He took a step towards me and rested his nuzzle on my hand.

We sat there enjoying each other's company. Then the black stallion decided to lay down on a long patch of green grass. It was soft, almost a pillow and it covered me like a blanket. As the night wore on my eyes became heavy. I knew the horse would look after me. Don't ask me why I just did. Using his belly as a pillow I fell asleep knowing that someone finally had my back.