Chapter Text
The world moved around Percy like a mirage. Walls seemed to be shifting and changing. The shadows in the alleys warped into creatures that shouldn’t exist.
Percy hugged himself tighter. He was going crazy. He had to be.
He had imagined a whole person and years of memories, and now he was seeing things. The devil must have Percy’s heart in his hands.
Despite his best efforts, Percy couldn’t stop the tears burning in his eyes. The city he had always felt so familiar in was now Satan’s playground.
Just as he was turning onto his street, a misty beast crawled from the shadows before him. Long talons stretched towards him, poised to rip his heart from his chest. Percy’s heart pounded against his chest as if it were trying to beat enough for his lifetime. His lungs pulled in gasps of air that barely filled his chest. Percy was going to die. He was sure of it. The witch hadn’t killed him, but this taloned shadow beast was sent to finish the job.
Surely this was a dream.
He had to be!
Percy pressed his eyes shut against the coming darkness of the monster, praying to find only the stained ceiling of his room.
Nothing.
His eyes revealed only the monster of darkness coming closer.
There was not a priest throwing him a coat pin. No divine miracle that would save the day. No way out.
Percy crumbled into a ball, clutching his head, tears streaming freely down his face. He didn’t want to die. What had he done to deserve the devil’s wrath?
The cold presence closed around Percy’s tiny trembling form. Taking him into arms of shadow. The world dissolved, leaving nothing but darkness deeper than what is found when you close your eyes.
Percy let out his final breath as the cold shadow collapsed around him.
“Percy!” A warm familiar voice broke through the cold.
It’s not real, Percy told himself. Your brain is playing tricks. It’s not real!
Soft hands wrapped around Percy. Pulling him into an embrace.
Percy’s eyes blinked open, met by warm brown eyes that were crinkled with past smiles. Relief washed through him, pulling him from the cold shadow. Percy buried his head into his mama’s shoulder, basking in her warmth.
“Percy, are you feeling well?" Sally’s slightly panicked voice cut through the raging storm in Percy’s mind.
Percy shook his head slowly, not yet trusting his voice.
Sally scooped Percy into her arms, worried eyes scanning him for wounds. Percy clutched his mother even tighter.
“Shall we get you inside? You are quite wet.” A small nod was all Percy offered in response.
Any other day Percy would never have let himself be so helpless in his mother’s arms, but today he was willing to be carried like a five-year-old once more. His body still hadn’t got the message of his newfound safety. Every inch of his body was quaking, and his mind couldn’t get rid of the horrid image of the shadow monster. It was too much to forget. He was going to have nightmares for weeks; he was sure of it.
“What did you see on the street, Percy?”
What? Had she seen it too? Percy was convinced it had been an apparition, a vision only seen by him.
Sally nudged Percy’s arm slightly to get his attention. “Percy?”
“I-I saw a demon. It was massive with long claws. It was so cold." Percy's voice quivered as he envisioned the monster.
“Oh Perce… I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let this go on for so long. I knew something like this would happen.” Sally was talking to herself more than to Percy.
The whole day had been too much for Percy. He let himself lie weakly in his mother's arms. Her words playing in his mind. Did his ma know something? No. She would never hide something from him, would she?
Sally had to shift Percy’s weight to get the door to their home open. She was panting slightly. Percy was getting too big to be carried like this.
The door opened, releasing the overwhelming smell of cigar smoke and booze.
His darling stepfather was home.
Immediately, he squirmed out of his mother's arms. He refused to be seen being carried into the house soaking wet and shaking like a little bitch.
Gabriel’s voice boomed across the tiny house. “Ay! Is that my whore back?"
Every muscle in Percy’s body tensed. Sally sighed.
“Your wife and son are home.” Sally said as she shed her jacket.
“Good, get the boy to fetch me a drink from the shed.”
Sally grabbed Percy by the shoulders as he started towards the backdoor. “I’ll get it, darling. You go get dry.”
Percy nodded mutely.
Sally left to scour the kitchen for something to give to Gabe and his friends. Percy left up the creaky stairs. The third step wobbled dangerously, no one had had the time to fix it yet. Such a small thing in a crumbling house.
The upper floor of the tiny house consisted of nothing but a threadbare double bed, the pile of blankets on the floor that was called Percy’s bed, a lone chair in the corner of the room under the small window, and a set of drawers that held all their paltry belongings.
Percy shed his outer layers, hanging them over the back of the chair. The same treatment met his cravat and shirt. Percy only owned two shirts; his second one had so many mending patches it was like Theseus’ ship, but right now he didn’t have much choice in clothing. Most of his clothes were similar.
Just as he was pulling on his waistcoat, a yell echoed up the rickety stairs. “You’re not going anywhere, whore!”
Percy scrambled to the top of the stairs. His ma was exciting the small room at the back of the house, Gaberiel close on her heels.
“I was not asking Gabriel. I will leave enough money for three days.” Sally shot back, her skirt gathered in her fists.
Gabe was left spluttering. He was near helpless without Sally.
“Percy, collect your things. We shall leave shortly,” Sally called up the stairs.
Gabe grabbed Sally’s wrist. “You’ll not go anywhere. You have no money.” Gabe said with a twinge of panic laced through his voice.
“You’ll find you’re wrong. I shall reiterate, I was not asking for permission.”
Sally pulled free from Gabe and started up the stairs. Percy hurried back into the bedroom. He was at a loss.
"Ma, what’s going on? Where are we going?” Percy asked frantically when Sally entered the room.
Sally’s eyes were glistening with the beginnings of tears. She placed her comforting hands on Percy’s shoulders. “We’re going away for a short time. I need you to trust me, Percy.”
Percy could only nod.
Sally shuffled around the small room, stuffing clothing into a small bag frantically. Percy followed suit with a little more trepidation.
Once their bags were packed and Percy had pulled his still damp coat and cap on, they headed for the door.
Gabe.
Of course, Gabriel wouldn’t make it easy.
He was stood in front of the door. A cigar in his mouth and hands balled into fists.
“Please move Gabriel," Sally snarled.
Gabe held his position. “You and the boy will not be going anywhere.”
Sally took a step forward trying to push past him to the door.
Thwack!
Gabe punched her hard across the face. “I said you’re not leaving, whore.”
Sally stumbled, falling to the ground, clutching at her face.
The same surge of anger rose in Percy. A deep-seated power rose from his gut making his body tingle. The wetness of his coat and cap no longer felt uncomfortable. Instead, the drops of water still clinging to the fibers ran into his body.
Percy stepped towards Gabe getting between him and Sally.
Gabe swung his fist at Percy. Percy dodged easily, ducking under his arm and slamming his fist into Gabe’s jaw.
His stepfather was left spluttering, his jaw red and bruised.
Percy grabbed his mother's arm, and they rushed from the house, leaving Gabe clutching his jaw.
The two of them sped along the street for a few blocks until the rickety old house was left long behind them. Percy turned to his ma and looked her up and down. “Are you ‘right?”
“Yes. Yes, Percy, I’m fine.” She pulled Percy into a hug. “We need to get to the train station. Our train departs soon.”
“Ma, where are we going? Why?”
“We’re just going away for a bit. To get out of the city.” Sally avoided Percy’s eyes.
No answers then. Percy thought to himself.
Sally took off in the direction of the train station, Pery trailing after her. The rain had finally relented, leaving a damp London in its wake, the lazy summer sun hanging above the buildings, casting long shadows that danced joyfully. They taunted the lost boy training after his frantic mother.
***
The train station was packed. People were yelling, laughing, and crying. Words were exchanged between families and lovers and businessmen and friends. Each person with a story and a journey to complete.
Percy felt as though he were floating. Different from all those around him. Sally hadn’t said a word to him. She had told him to wait while she got their tickets. There had never been so much secrecy, so much silence between the two.
The train didn’t arrive for another fifteen minutes. Sally and Percy sat in uncomfortable silence. Neither was brave enough to break the growing tension.
When the train finally arrived, it brought a wave of relief for Percy. At least they were doing something now. Despite the panic and fear of not knowing what was happening, a little bit of excitement was growing in Percy. He had only left London once before years ago. He could barely remember that short trip to the seaside town. Sally never really explained her want for that trip, only that she was looking for an old friend. Percy couldn’t remember if she had found them or not.
What he could remember was the train. The train ride had been magical! They had gone past so many fields full of cows, horses, and crops. Through towns so unlike the big city, it felt like they had travelled to a new land. The world had felt so big then, the train an endless snake.
Now, the train felt smaller and a little more oppressive. He and Sally were sandwiched between other travellers. The small gaps only offered glimpses out the window. Percy tried to crane and bend his neck to get a better view of the world speeding past them.
Thankfully, after the first few stops the train made, more than half the passengers alighted, leaving a space next to the window Percy slipped into.
The fifth stop the train made found them in a small town with only a handful of people milling around the platform. This stop was far longer than the others as they unloaded some of the cargo in the tail-end carriages of the long steam train.
Percy’s eyes darted around the small town visible out the window. The setting sun bathed the tiny wooden houses in pink light. People were moving about the town centre packing up market stalls of fabrics, fruit and vegetables.
One stall, though, was left standing. Three old women were sat in front of a fruit stall with some of the largest strawberries Percy had ever seen. But Percy’s eyes were entranced by the gigantic sock they were knitting. They were big enough for a giant to wear.
Percy was in such wonderment at the sight he almost forgot about the still-present tension between him and his mother. “Ma! Look at the size of those socks.” 'Percy exclaimed, tugging at Sally’s skirt.'
Sally’s eyes drifted towards the old women. When her vision settled on the three old ladies, her eyes grew to the size of saucers.
The old lady in the middle looked up directly at Percy and, with a long pair of scissors, cut the yarn connected to the socks.
Percy swore he could hear the snip through the glass of the train window.
Sally’s panic rose once more, spilling into Percy’s mind. She grabbed both of his shoulders, staring into Percy’s eyes. “Were they looking at you, Percy? Tell me they were not looking at you.”
“They were. Why does this matter?”
Sally let out a shaky breath. “This is bad. This is very bad.”
“Ma? What’s bad? You’re acting very queer.”
Sally shook her head, not answering her son.
The train started to move. All Percy’s interest in the train dissipated, leaving only worry for his ma. He had never seen her act like this.
What was so important about those old ladies’ socks?