Percy Jackson: The Kind-Hearted Son of Ares

Chapter One

Whenever something good is about to happen in my life, fortune leans forwards, rubs it hands together evilly and says to itself 'Yes, I'll screw you up big time!'

The day that the Hydra attacked my school was of no exception.

Let me back up a sec. My name is Dennis Walker. I have short, dark brown hair with navy blue (almost black) eyes. I'm sixteen, live with my single mum and have just about the worst life in the history of the world. No matter what it is in my life, whenever something positive happens, something ten times worth knocks me back into the hell-hole of misery I call self-pity.

People often expect me to be angry when stuff like this happens but they'd be surprised. I don't get angry. I don't get mad. I don't think in my sixteen years of misery, I've ever had an outburst of negative emotion. I just smile, nod and accept it because that's what I've lived with.

So when on perhaps what was the worst day of my life so far came around, and a nine headed serpentine… thing swarmed through the wall, I stood there for about three seconds, shrugged, and then ran like hell.

I knew what the thing was that was for sure. Greek Mythology was a passion of mine. I loved to read. It may seem odd but not all demigods are born to read only ancient Greek. I could read English just as well as any one else could. I could even read a little Spanish and French too.

Anyway where was I? Oh yes, running for my f*****g life (I don't believe in cursing). The Hydra opened all nine of its mouths and let out an almighty, awful screeching howl. I clapped my hands over my ears and lent against the wall beside me, my head was throbbing so much from that endless squeal from behind me.

The Hydra's scream ended. I shook my head, grateful that it had stopped, before realising it had only done so to begin chasing me. I wasn't completely worried however.

Whenever I daydream about stuff like this happening, I always map out a plan in advance. May sound weird I know but you never know when something like this really is going to happen in real life.

So I knew where I was going.

I ducked right and span into the door of the sports hall. I stepped back once, lifted my leg and kick the door open. The lock shattered and I jumped in. I sprinted over to one of the cupboards and kicked the door open again. I frantically searched through the room's confines.

By now people were screaming. And by that time, the Hydra had reached the hall doors. It began to bash down the wall above the door, the gap too small for the thing to slither through.

Before the first brick was loose however I'd found them. The school's supply of javelins (my school is a sports collage). I lifted the wire mesh box out of the cupboard and pulled out another bag. I emptied the contents and put the javelins inside. I zipped the bag up, but with a javelin in hand and another with its handle just poking out of the zipper.

I rushed to the fire escape on the other side of the hall, as the Hydra bashed down the wall. I slammed on the release bar and slipped out side and closed the doors behind me. The walls shook as the Hydra smashed into it. I ran across an empty and deserted playground (it's used by the students to get in and out of school mostly).

I reached the wire mesh fence that acted as the last hurdle, stopping students from cutting school. However there was a sizeable hole that nobody seemed to have noticed, or at least to bother replacing. I threw the bag of javelins through, passed my other javelin through the gap (don't wanna skewer myself do I?) and stepped through the hole myself.

I picked up the javelins and turned to face the school for one last time. Something told me I wasn't about to return here for a while.