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Percy Jackson, nine years and eleven days old, was on the bus with his mom, Sally Jackson. He was staring out the window, trying very hard not to look at the tin box of homemade cookies in his mom's lap. His mom still noticed, "You already had a plate at home," she reminded him gently.
Percy sighed dramatically and thunked his head against the windowpane. "But it's already been like three hours-" "- only thirty minutes, Percy," "- and I'm bored and hot. Just one little cookie?" Percy put on his best "I'm adorable" face. Sally looked unimpressed, "The cookies are for your new head-teacher, Honey."
Percy pulled a face but relented. He had already been expelled out of two schools (not his fault), and now they were visiting his headteacher in the new school. His mom was keen to make a good impression, and Sally Jackson's homemade cookies made for a perfect bribe.
The bus wheezed to a stop and the doors shuddered open. A man stepped on. He was wearing a too-tight uniform with a picture of a dairy cow stamped in the front. He was inhumanly tall, the low ceiling of the bus forcing him to bend down. But still, Percy wouldn't have paid him any notice if not for the sudden prickle at the back of his neck. The man looked around the bus, and Percy caught his eyes -- no, not his eyes, eye. There was a single, misshapen eye in the center of his forehead, glistening with malice. The man's too-wide mouth split into a leer. The doors squeaked shut behind him and the bus pulled off.
Then things started happening very quickly. The one-eyed man lunged towards Percy. Sally stood up and hurled the tin cookie jar at the man. He smacked it out of the air, spilling the cookies all over the cow-shirt. But he seemed to have expected a heavier target because he overbalanced and his fist slammed into the driver's shoulder. The bus jerked to the right, giving a great lurch as it skidded over the curb and headed straight for the trees at the side of the road.
Percy's world turned sideways. His ears were ringing and he couldn't see his mom. He couldn't see his mom.
And then everything exploded.
Percy woke up on the sofa of an unfamiliar living room. He lifted a hand to try to wipe off the drool (yuck) from his chin and yelped as his entire right side throbbed in protest. Percy felt like he'd been run over a bus, which was close enough to what had really happened. Speaking of bus accidents... he frowned at the room. It didn't look like a hospital -- the wallpaper was covered with floral designs and statues lined the walls, not to mention that he was lying on a sofa and not a bed.
A woman entered the living room. She wore a black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled.
"You're awake!" she exclaimed. She had a melodic voice with an accent that sounded middle-eastern to Percy. The woman reached for Percy, and he flinched back. Some buried instinct screamed at him to run. But the woman didn't do anything except to help Percy sit up.
"Calm down, dear child. Drink this. It'll make you feel all better." She pressed a glass to his lips. The liquid inside was a suspicious color of pale gold. But oh it smelled heavenly, like freshly baked cookies and the salty sea. He was drinking it before he was conscious of the decision.
Warmth spread through his body. All the aches and pains disappeared as if they had never existed. He stared forlornly at the empty glass as the woman took it away.
"Ma'am? Do you know where my mom is?" She paused in the middle of pouring into the glass. "I am so sorry, but your mother is not here."
"She's hurt?"
"No," her voice was full of sympathy, "she passed on, child."
Percy was off the sofa and standing before he realized it. "No! She's not dead! Maybe she got lost in the woods or..."
The woman set down the drinks and enveloped him in a hug. "She's not dead," he whispered into her black gown. "I'm so sorry, child."
After a moment, the woman moved away from Percy to retrieve the glass. Despite the tears choking his throat, Percy felt thirsty again. He drank.
Percy's next two days passed in a daze. It was as if he was looking at the world from the bottom of a swimming pool. Colors and shapes looked distorted and sounds were muted. Pieces of information managed to filter through, though. The Middle-Asian woman's name was Aunty Em, the umbrella stand was a statue of a girl holding a sword and Aunty Em's burgers were delicious.
Was he grieving? That would explain the fatigue he always felt and the cool blanket over his emotions. He didn't think so. There were times when the fuzziness became too much, and he would panic because it was suffocating him. His best guess would be that the drinks he'd been given contained painkillers, but he soon lost that train of thought, too.
On the second day, Aunty Em left on an errand, leaving Percy free to roam.
He was in a two-story cottage stuffed full of lifesized statues. The windows overlooked a garden, which was (surprise) also full of statues.
Percy didn't remember falling asleep, but when he woke up, it was dawn. He took a deep breath and winced as his head ached. He felt better, however. His mind felt clearer.
The next thing he noticed was the heavenly smell coming from the kitchens. Aunty Em had come back when Percy was sleeping and was now making breakfast. Percy's stomach gave a loud growl, reminding him that he'd eaten next to nothing yesterday. Bacon and cheese had never smelt so good.
Aunty Em sat down across from Percy as he dug into the food. She watched him eat through her black veil, which totally should have creeped him out, but hey, he was kinda busy stuffing his face.
When Percy had finished, she took out a small sheaf of papers and placed it in front of Percy. The first paper was full of small boxes and cramped writing that made Percy's head spin. He must have made a face because Aunty Em nodded in understanding, "They are adoption papers. Don't you remember, child? You signed the day before yesterday."
Percy didn't remember anything of the sort. "Adoption? Why? My mom isn't dead! "
Aunty Em just sighed and shook her head.
"I knew your father," she said abruptly. "I loved him once. You have his eyes, Perseus. Such beautiful green eyes."
That got Percy's attention, "You knew him? What was he like?"
"He was kind, generous. Handsome, of course." She stood up and gestured for Percy to follow. "I bought you some clothes and accessories yesterday. I tell you a story about your father after you change."