Chapter Text
𝒑𝙚𝒓𝙘𝒚 𝒂𝙣𝒅 Nico stood opposite of eachother.
“Nico-i. Biancas..” Percy trailed off, fidgeting with his fingers “I’m sorry. I really am..”
Nico stared at him for a while, taking a small step back and a breath.
“your promised..”
he whispered, shaking. He twisted to see the Big house
“Chiron woulda- told.. me..”
He stuttered
Percy just looked down.
Nico swallowed, wiping his tears and turning to run to talk to Chiron.
Percy stared at Nico’s retreating figure, the dark-haired boy running toward the Big House, desperate to confront Chiron to tell him Bianca wasn’t gone- that she would come back. Percy accepted that all this blame fell on him, his stupid mistake had cost Bianca, a child, her life. It was all his fault, if he had stepped in or stopped her, he’d have died instead. But if that wasn’t worth it? Percy shifted on his feet, finally tearing his gaze away from the Big House, toward his own cabin.
The clouded, rain-scented atmosphere didn’t help his depressive state. A couple of campers gave him glances out of the corner of their eyes, whispering and giggling amongst their cliques.
Percy's feet dragged as he made his way to Cabin 3, fighting the quiver in his lips—the heat burning behind his eyes. Pushing the door with his shoulder, the thud made him flinch slightly; as he kicked the door shut with his foot, the calmness of his cabin disgusted him. A surge of nausea rose immediately as the sea scent of his cabin overwhelmed his senses.
He practically crawled toward the back of his cabin before heaving next to the saltwater fountain, hot tears filling his eyes and streaming down his cheeks.
After a few moments, he leaned back, breathing heavily, then collapsed against the cool, marble tile.
His body shook with sobs, slowly rolling onto his side and tugging his shirt collar away from his neck. He stared at the wall for a long while, memorizing each crack of saltwater-damaged wood
He took a deep breath, trying to ground himself.
He forced himself to his feet and shakily lifted each foot behind the other.
He opened the small dresser drawer beside his bed and grabbed the anxiety medicine he’d stolen (honestly, he did feel horrible for stealing!) from his mother. He swallowed two green pills, guilt sitting like a rock in his stomach.
He stood, tiredly pacing in his cabin— he’d have to wait for the pills to kick in properly, and that’d take time, time Percy decided he needed for more important activities.
He thought for a minute, mumbling incomprehensibly to himself, the pressure of being the chosen one- Poseidon’s son, the boy who’d be forced eventually to save the world of demigods and mortals single-handedly, and only if he could bend the will of both the gods, the Fates, and any other creature out to kill him.
If this quest hadn’t killed him, someone else would. He was acutely aware of the Fates' hold on his life, their long spiny hands wrapped around his neck like a noose, tightening with every step forward.
Percy crawled back onto his bed, pulling a blanket over his head, sobbing pitifully into his pillow like a child much younger than him would.
While his tears dried, pillow damp with heavy emotions, his brain continued to process everything, Bianca’s last words playing over and over as he mumbled prayers to whatever god might grant him the time of the day to kill him and pull him from his suffering- though not a single one responded. Percy curled into a fetal position, knees pulled to his chin, the rough fabric of his jeans against his skin.
His subconscious relentlessly attacked him, to haveIt let Bianca die; to have let Zoey die; to have let Thalia leave Camp Half-Blood. Even though he missed Thalia like a passed sister, he truly loathed her aswell, to have let him take the full, impossible weight of the prophecy, he couldn’t help but think she made a selfish decision.
His thoughts drifted back to Bianca, who had died so unfairly, and Percy almost thought she had to still be alive among the forest creatures somewhere. He knew she was far more deserving of life than he was.
Tired and teary-eyed, he decided he needed to leave. Leave camp, leave these memories, leave everything behind. He pulled himself out of his bed of self-pity.
Percy searched for a bag, settling on a backpack from his floor and packing it full. protein bars, a sleeping bag, some water, and the bottle of anxiety pills, Gods know he’ll need it.
Seemingly dazed by the SSRI, he climbed out of his window, landing on his feet, trekking down towards the woods, as he passed into the dark, the foliage was abundant; branches scratching at his face, thorns digging into his arms, leaving lengthy abrasions across his skin.
It was as if the forest itself had grown hands and claws, trying to pull him back into his misery and self-pity.
Percy's muscles burned with effort, eyes closing as he forced his way through the dense forest.
His breath grew shallow; he coughed dryly once, twice.
Head spinning.
The crunch of dead, dry leaves under his boot, crushed accidentally, he didn’t mean to.
——-
He was a long way from Camp Half-Blood when he noticed the gentle, warm oranges of sunrise—the blue midnight fading into morning.
His head spun for a few moments as the new light fell on his skin. His head felt like it was splitting, limbs weak with movement, hands trembling, breathing shallow, eyes crusted with dried tears.
The sounds of the forest made Percy’s rising panic falter, the gentle lull of cicadas and birds, the gentle breeze contrasting with the hurricane raging inside his mind.
A sound of movement pulled him back to reality; he glanced around the small clearing, eyes landing on a small bundle of black fur stumbling through the dead leaves, he shifted onto his knees, crawling toward the creature and sitting back on his thighs to stare at it, dark, spiky fur, red sharp eyes that didn’t fit its littleness. Percy scooped it into his hands and it yipped loudly—a lone hellhound pup?
“hey.. buddy.”
Percy rocked it gently, trying to calm it the way he would a child; it barked again, quieter.
He stared at the creature in his hands, then, ever so carefully, pressed it against his chest. He hadn’t expected a creature of the night to be warm; its fur soft, eyes big and round like saucers now. Percy squinted; it nuzzled into his chest, and he slowly lay down on his back, eyes on the little puppy on his chest, its fur practically glowing in the orange sunlight.
He shifted to look up at the canopy—the sky peeking through with the brightness of morning. His eyes fluttered shut, body relaxing.
The hound curled up, its small body rising with every breath.
Percy opened one eye to peek back down at the hound, his hand raising to stroke its fur.
He thought of names—‘shadow’? Too on the nose, ‘bailey’? He shook his head at himself.
“Dumpling?” Percy thought aloud. “Yeah—that’s good!” He smiled, picking up the hound and holding him over his head.
“How do you like that? Dumpling?”
It barked excitedly.
“I think you like that.”
He rolled onto his side and set Dumpling down. It trotted around the clearing, Percy watching with a gentle grin. Eventually, he stood and walked slowly behind Dumpling as it sniffed further into the woods. He tightened his backpack straps and started walking.
The sun was at its peak when Percy stumbled out of the woods and laid eyes upon a tall inn building, he glanced around— a few small convenience stores, a dead-end street at the end of a pocket neighborhood.
Percy swallowed; the area made the hair on his arms stand up. Dumpling made a small bark and rubbed against Percy’s legs. He lifted the puppy and walked into the inn’s front doors. Fighting the itching feeling that something was off, he approached the counter, where an older man sat, giving a polite nod.
“one room?”
he asked. Percy noted his confusing accent—nothing he’d ever heard.
“just one.”
he replied, pulling out his wallet.
“how much for a couple of nights?”
The man eyed Percy up and down.
“10 for each night. You’re awfully young to be out this far.”
Percy felt goosebumps, setting the money on the counter for four nights.
The man slid him his room keys and nodded toward the stairs.
“room 5. If you have any questions, I’ll be here. Don’t be too loud. No parties. Curfew’s at 10. Don’t bother the other guests, kid.”
Percy nodded curtly and hurried up the stairs with Dumpling.
He sat on the surprisingly large bed of his room, it was well cleaned in here, a small Tv sat on a desk near a office chair, a little sofa, carpeted floors, and a queen-sized bed in the corner by the window. Dumpling had jumped up on the bed and stretched out, snoozing on its back.
Percy stared for a minute, his situation slowly processing.
He was in the middle of nowhere.
With limited money.
No way to call his mama.
And only a random hellhound puppy to keep him company.
He laid down, closing his eyes, a little nap wouldn’t do any harm, he was bone-tired.
—-
Percy woke up at 4am, Dumpling lying on his arm, making it numb.
He sat up, carefully laying Dumpling back down, and pulled himself out of bed, then silently out his room, out of the inn, to the 24 hour convenience store, he glanced at the cashier and gave a nod, walking quietly to the back, and picking up a small box of cigarettes, shoving it in his pocket along with a lighter, then grabbing sour candies.
He put the candy on the counter, cashier barely looking up, then waving him away after he paid.
Percy went silently back to his room, stuffing the cigarettes into a pocket of his backpack, and lying back down with Dumpling.
He knew it was a bad idea to get cigarettes, let alone stealing them, but he needed hit- at least out here. he’d quit once he got to a settled point.