Poseidon and Sally: Love Story

Visit Four

'Can I go for a swim now? Please Mom? Please, please, please, please . . . . ?'

Sally had to laugh at the overly eager expression on her eight year olds son's face. He was beaming up at her, an all too familiar twinkle in his green eyes. She resisted the urge to just hug him tight and never let go because honestly, most days, that was what she felt like doing to him.

It was right up there with wrapping him up in cotton wool and candyfloss stuffing.

'No, Percy. It's late, and it's dark.'

'But Mom - we're on vacation!'

Hardly, she thought sadly. She would have loved to one day take Percy somewhere farther. Somewhere more exotic. But taking Percy on a plane would practically be suicide. Zeus would see he had a quick death.

'I know, Perce, but it's way past your bedtime.'

He gave Sally an innocently created puppy dog face and she felt my shields and walls fall down. He was so like his father, it was unbelievable at times. Sometimes, it hurt to register how similar they were.

'Ok, fine, we can go for a walk down the beach - but no swimming, Percy! I'm warning you! Tomorrow, OK?'

He didn't argue. He was happy with that proposal. The pair went outside, the weather a little colder than usual. Sally shivered and pulled her cardigan tighter around her. She followed her practically bouncing son from the cabin and out along the beach. There was complete silence, broken only by the crashing of the waves. This beach meant a lot to her. This was where . . .

She triggered herself out of her thoughts. It wasn't a clever to thing to think about.

Because she had been even more worried about Percy's safety, lately – too many strange things had happened. He had been expelled from his last school. She had no other choice; after this summer, he would have to go to a boarding school. But not too far away. She was too selfish to let him go too far.

'Hey, Mom!' called Percy suddenly, pulling her out of her little trance. She did that too often. Sally turned to face her son, who was stood at the water's edge, looking intrigued.

'What is it, Percy?'

She approached him and he grabbed her hand, dragging her towards him. When she was by his side, he pointed at the waves lapping the ground just inches away from his feet. 'What is it?' she repeated again, a little nervous. He pointed at the water more forcefully, his eyes wide, innocent and interested. 'Mom, look!' he exclaimed. 'Look, can you see a woman? There?'

'No,' said Sally, shocked, before realising. Poseidon. 'Percy, can you see a man there, too?' she added, leaning over. She couldn't see anything. She was just a regular mortal. Plain old, boring, one hundred percent human.

Percy's eyes narrowed and he looked for a minute. Sally's gaze flickered from her son to the sea before he finally sighed and said something.

'No. Just a woman. But – she's smiling at me.' There was another silence, in which Percy looked very confused. 'Who is it, Mom? What is it?'

'Nothing, Percy,' she sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder. His eyes remained narrowed and he carried on staring at the water. Finally, he knelt down, his knees making dents on the sand, and he ran a hand through the water. As Sally watched, she could have sworn that she saw ripples of water travel metres out to the sea. For once, she knew she wasn't imagining it. And Percy wasn't imagining that woman. Was Poseidon trying to tell him something?

'She's gone,' he said eventually, standing up. He glanced at his Mom, seeing the worry – and something else, too – etched onto her face. 'Sorry, Mom. Did I scare you?'