Who are you? (I should be asking you that.)
He can freeze time. Everyone freezes, but somehow, she's not part of everyone.
A story based on a prompt from this Instagram account: writing. prompt. s
Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus belong to Rick Riordan.
The day starts well enough, is what Rachel Elizabeth Dare would like to tell herself but somehow the universe seems to be against her today.
She made sure to set three alarms last night, but still managed to sleep through it all. Apparently setting that certain pop song about baskets and courtside queens was no match to her stubborn ass when it comes to sleep. The song wasn't bad. She likes the artist and its message against bullies, as a matter of fact, but she's heard the song too many times that right now she's about ready to throw it up. Moving on, Rachel was running late. It even annoyed her that she couldn't even stick one or two buttered toasts into her mouth.
After Rachel buttoned down her blouse and brushed away nonexistent dust on her slacks, she grabbed her car keys and purse on the kitchen counter, checked the door's lock twice and took to the stairs, two steps at a time.
Rachel Dare glared hatefully at the traffic that greeted her. She was going to be late at the rate the cars were moving. The bank doesn't open until eight sharp. It's convenient that it's only a few blocks away—a 10 or 15-minute of breeze walk, give or take. So, with a huff, she threw her car keys in her purse and resorted to walking. She's in need of exercise, anyway.
A few minutes into her breeze walking, she couldn't handle it anymore. She pulled the tangle of headphones from her purse, wrote a mental note to finally buy those wireless ones, plugged it on her phone and easily placed the buds in each ear. She tapped on a random playlist from her heavy rotations and hit the shuffle play. A song with amazing bass starts playing.
Now, construction works were no longer new around her area. There was always something getting built or being repaired. People would go on with their business, and traffic would still be the same with or without the constructions. It might've been because Rachel Dare was in a hurry or because she was enjoying the music blaring from her earphones. It could be both, too, but there's only one thing clear: Rachel Dare did not notice the heap of metal beams hovering above or the slow moan of the crane as its chains slowly give under the weight of all those beams.
She was bobbing her head to the rhythm of the music. The chains creaked and moaned again. A few people began to notice. Everything happened in a moment after that. The chains finally snapped. Someone shouted but failed to get the woman's attention. The crowd screamed Rachel Dare's vision snapped at the sight of the gaping people, and then she looked up. The metal beams loomed above, hurtling towards her. She choked on a scream. Her knees felt weak until her legs wobbled and gave up.
Rachel Dare slumped on the ground, looking absolutely terrified at the beams falling towards her. She had an arm over her eyes as if the gesture would save her.
The gesture didn't.
She waited to feel the pain or to feel something, but there was nothing. There's only nothing and then the dust.
The metal beams had fallen in front of her. Rachel Dare was still slumped on the ground and shaking. She did almost die. People were crowding around and asking if she was okay. The beams must have been a few meters off of her position or maybe the wind affected their velocity. Maybe she was just really lucky. She thought she didn't care. She's alive and that's what matters now.
Rachel looked around. There were too many faces poking and inquiring. Police and an ambulance siren holler in the distance. Someone asked again how she was feeling. She only nodded.
It wasn't only until later when the paramedics had escorted her at the back of the ambulance and had checked her for any signs of injury, that she's finally fully absorbed her near death experience. She was no longer shaking, yet she still pulled the blanket around her. She sighed. She needed to inform the bank she wouldn't be showing up for work today.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and sent a message. It was informal, but hey she almost died. She doesn't have the verve to make a decent email. The green check that told her the message was sent glared at her. For a while, she only looked at her screen, and then, she was looking for her earphones.
Arguably the earphones were a part of her exciting predicament, but she'd had them for some time now that she's grown sentimental over those death traps. She doesn't remember taking the buds off as much as pocketing them, still, she turned her pockets inside out in hopes she had. Empty. She grabbed her purse beside her. Slowly, she pulled out the earphones. A frown pursed her lips as she stared, mystified, at the pair of earphones that were properly coiled.
Everything and everyone froze. The new Michael Bublé song paused. The customer sitting at the table next to him was stuck mid-sip. The couple in front remained holding each other's hand and unblinking. Percy Jackson looked at his wristwatch and then at the café's red retro wall clock. Both were stuck at 3:15 in the afternoon. He started to be sure. Not a single hand moved.
He's had it for a while, about a few years now. He didn't have it from the start, whatever this is. If he had, maybe his mother would still be here. It didn't matter that she died of cancer. He really doubts this thing he could do with time would have stopped it from happening. It would have only prolonged the pain and inevitable, and he can't do that to his mother.
When she passed away, Percy Jackson was alone. He had gotten a few part-time jobs and sidelines until he finished high school. After graduation, he got himself a more stable job and was no longer working contractually. He's saving up for college. He always wanted to be a marine biologist, as he's always been in love with the sea and everything in it. That want burned more through the years like compensation for all the shit he went through. It was a fiery stubborn drive against everything that life threw at him.
The thing is, it's not only a well-paying job he got after graduation. A week into being a high school graduate, he learned he could freeze time. The discovery wasn't even climactic too, nothing close to a life or death situation. It was on a normal Saturday. He got an off for once. He was on his worn-out couch, watching a replay match on UFC while scrolling through Grover's text messages and waiting for his Chinese meal.
Grover Underwood is his best friend growing up. He's on the other side of the planet at some kind of save the earth campaign with his girlfriend and a bunch of his eco-warrior friends. Deep inside, Percy Jackson knows he's not entirely alone. Grover likes to remind him that with a bunch of text messages and frequent calls.
Percy smiled at the picture Grover had sent him. His best friend's girlfriend and said man were smiling at the camera. Juniper, Grover's girlfriend, was holding a sapling with both her hands.
The bell was rung and cheers erupted in the octagon arena. Percy's gaze pinned to the television. He grumbled. Of course, he didn't see the winning takedown. He could look up videos online or watch the next replay, but still, he raised a hand in exasperation and waited for the winner to be announced.
He waited a moment, but no announcement came. The frame seemed stuck on the winner's barely beaten-up face. Percy blinked. He grunted and made a grab for the television's remote beside him on the couch. He switched channels. Every single one was all frozen. He got tired and placed it back on UFC. Still on a freeze frame. He turned the TV on and off. It was still the same. He sighed and with one hand combed back his dark hair. Finally, he hauled himself off the couch and approached the television. He checked its back, the sides, and even the plug. Nothing was sparking or smelled burning.
Percy Jackson took a step back and stared at the television screen. He was starting to get really tired of the fighter's face. Out of ideas, he waved one hand in front of the television. Percy wasn't shocked at first when the people in the match started moving again. The announcer declared the winner—drawling the fighter's name in a way that made it more dramatic.
Because Percy couldn't immediately grasp what happened, he waved both hands again. Cold flooded the pit of his stomach when the announcer paused. Percy ran a hand through his hair again. His hair jutted haphazardly. He didn't notice he was trembling until he raised one hand and snapped his fingers. The announcer finally finished and the referee lifted one of the winner's fisted hands up in the air. Percy snapped again. The winner was frozen in his moment of victory.
A short breath knocked out of Percy's mouth. He smacked his lips and ran both hands on his face as though the action could wake him up. It didn't. He snapped his fingers again. The television continued. Snap. Pause. Snap. Play. There were knocks on his door. He almost jumped out of his skin. It was his Chinese.
"Coming," Percy responded. He threw the television one last look. The winner was being interviewed. Slowly, he opened the door.
Just as he was handing the delivery guy his pay, Percy snapped the fingers of his free hand. The guy stopped, his outstretched hand left unmoving in midair. Percy studied him and looked around, looking for some kind of sign that this was only some elaborate gag show, but nada. The delivery man was unblinking. His mouth was slightly open, obviously frozen in a moment he was about to tell Percy something.
Percy snapped his fingers. The delivery guy reached for the money like he wasn't just momentarily frozen in time.
"Thank you, sir," he said to Percy and began to put the money in his belt bag. Still quite unbelieving, Percy snapped his fingers again. Sure enough, the man stopped. He was stuck at that moment, and finally, Percy laughed. It was a short incredulous laugh that'd make anyone think he's crazy. Maybe he is. Everything was just so unreal.
When the delivery guy took his leave, you can't really blame Percy Jackson for checking if he can do what he just did do. He snapped his fingers again. The poor delivery guy was once again frozen in the hallway.
"Shit," Percy Jackson had only said.
Snapping his fingers to return time and himself out of his reverie, the people began to move again. The couple in front was still holding hands, but the man told the woman something inaudible and she laughed. A new song started playing—a latest Muse song.
Percy watched the red retro clock tick as he took one smooth sip from his black coffee. He waited until he could hear Matt Bellamy's voice, and then he snapped his fingers again. Everything was once again unmoving.
He tapped his fingers on the wooden coffee table and leaned back on his chair. He let his thoughts wander for a while. He's gotten better at freezing a specific object or living thing too, although it could do some more work. He only has exactly one minute before the spell breaks and everything starts moving on their own again even without him wanting them to. That's how his thing works. It's a marvelous trick limited to a minute. Percy is not complaining. He may have already accepted whatever this is, but it didn't mean he doesn't get unnerved.
The day he told Grover about it, his best friend laughed at him for a brief moment before he asked, wide-eyed, "You're not joking?"
Telling Grover and making him believe are two different kinds of difficult. His best friend was pretty convinced in the beginning that he's only getting pranked grandly until he's realized that his pet cat will remain mid-jump in the air and, "Perce, did you just break my god damn calico?"
Grover took it pretty well too. He's more excited than bewildered. Even though he's as curious as Percy how he got it, he's quicker to set questions aside. With his help, Percy has learned that no, he can't freeze the whole world but only a few miles around and yes, the spell breaks after a minute even without him willing the time.
Percy took another sip from his coffee and stared out the café's glass windows. Weekends don't apply to a busy city. The view outside the glass windows tells him so. It wasn't even rush hour yet, but the number of people frozen outside made him feel too glad that it was his off day. He supposed the reefs can wait for him today. After all, it's back to work tomorrow and he's sure he's going to be out all day. Fieldworks can be arduous but Percy loves every minute he spends in the water and all works that meant caring for the marine environment.
He took a deep breath. A small smile was on his face. Outside the café was a woman with short light hair in a bob that reminded him of Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction, except blonde. Her hair was tucked behind her ear to reveal a white wireless earphone. Percy smacked his lips disapprovingly. The last time Percy's seen someone wearing earphones while walking, he had to freeze everyone and everything to save her from falling metal beams. He wished people were more careful.
The woman with blonde short bob remained in his vision. He studied her. She was reading—a bunch of printed out handouts on her left hand and a white blazer over her right arm. She was wearing a black tank top and a pair of casual jeans. Percy looked at the still frozen red retro wall clock, and then back at the woman. There was something wrong.
The realization came down on him all at once, a moment after she flipped one paper over another. Percy felt himself jump from his seat. He looked around. Everyone was still frozen in time. He looked back at the woman again. She continued walking. His mind swirled. He tried composing himself. He looked at the red retro wall clock again. It was still stuck in time. He looked at his wristwatch then. There were still a few seconds before this breaks, but somehow…
Percy ran to the café doors, coffee already was forgotten. He circled on his spot outside the café, looking for the only moving person in the crowd. He doesn't know if she's noticed that the people around her seemed stuck in a time lock, or maybe she's noticed. Maybe she just does not care. Maybe she's used to it. Maybe she knows. Maybe she can tell Percy whatever the hell is this that he can do. There were so many maybes that were running in his head.
Once Percy spotted her, he called out. It was the same moment the spell broke and everything continued. Maybe life just plays with him that way. People bumped into him. Some even threw him colorful words that he's sure his mother would have not been fond of hearing. He moved his way through the crowd as he grunted excuses.
He stopped at the last place he saw her, but she was no longer there. He snapped his fingers, freezing everyone in place once again. He's tall but still, he raised himself on his toes and looked over the crowd. Redhead, no. Baseball cap, no. Blonde! Not that. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He whirled and looked for something that could give him more height. Picking a green metal bench, he ran towards it and stood there.
The word "no" repeated in his head. The crowd began to move once more. He couldn't find her. He must have been standing on the bench for a few minutes when a police officer told him to go down. He was only left off with a warning and a firm talking.
Percy took one deep breath. Maybe he was only seeing things. Maybe he had overlooked. Maybe he had a mistake on his part that made him think the woman was not frozen like the rest. Maybe he was over-caffeinated. He tiredly combed his hair with one hand again and nodded to himself.
He made his way back to the café.
The orange and yellow leaves falling from trees soon turned into cold breeze and snowflakes. People started putting on more layers of clothing, singing Christmas carols and or not, and shoveling snow that ends up blocking their driveways.
It seems time goes by fast when you're always preoccupied with work. For Percy Jackson, it's not entirely true. He can always take a minute anytime he desires. A minute is enough to give himself a breather, a quick jog to the nearest toilet, or pull a harmless humorous prank on an annoying individual who's skeptic of marine preservation and foul enough to rile him up.
Winter then turned to spring, and spring is nearing its turn into becoming summer. Percy could already feel the rise of the temperature and the harsh sting of heat from the concrete. A strong wind blew and played on his already disheveled hair. You'd think to be in a city with towering buildings would stop any strong wind from gracing the population, but no, it's always there. Percy had always wondered about that.
Exhausted, Percy Jackson picked up his pace and pushed open the library's big double doors. The smell of books wafted to his nose and he sighed. He's not big on reading but he always loved the smell of books. His mom used to work part-time at a public library on days she doesn't have work at the cutesy sweets shop a few blocks away from their old apartment. They didn't have much that time, but Percy loved every moment of it.
He walked and navigated around towering wooden bookshelves and wide tables.
The library was teeming with people—mostly students cramming whatever knowledge they could restock their brains with for their finals. A young man had color-coded index cards in his hands and was muttering Physics formulas. Percy noted he was having a hard time remembering the formula for translational motion. Scrunching his nose, Percy moved forward. He wasn't too fond of Physics.
Finally, the cold air from the air conditioning system took over. Percy sighed in comfort and walked the aisles of bookshelves as he savored the smell of books and the good memories they brought.
Percy instantly remembered her, the moment he saw the almost familiar blonde bob. Her hair has grown from time. Unlike the first time he saw her, her hair now was curly like a princess' or like Kate Hudson's corkscrew-ish curls in Almost Famous. She was wearing a loose grey cotton shirt and equally comfortable dark jeans. She looked more serene than the last time.
He thought of walking away, and then he thought of approaching her. He wasn't sure. There was still that doubt that maybe he had only imagined her going against the frozen time. So, he waited—an internal struggle—and watched from quite a distance as she scanned the thick leather-bound book she had in her hands.
Beside her was Will—if Percy remembers correctly—one of the newly hired library assistants. He was on a ladder and dusting the pile of books there, before putting them back in order. Percy's pretty sure he just dusted them the other week, but who was he to point that out.
Percy only continued watching Uma Thurman or right now she's Kate Hudson. A nagging thought in his head kept insisting he should just go and get it over with, but as the seconds tick, the idea seemed to get crazier.
He was still debating with himself when Will had finished dusting off the books. Even gently, his descent was still wobbly. His foot caught the last step of the ladder, he toppled over but thankfully did not come crashing down. The ladder tipped and began to fall—right towards the same woman with fairly good bob.
"Look out," Percy Jackson found himself warning. The woman turned. Her grey eyes—Percy was admittedly shocked at how vibrant they looked—landed first at him, and then at the falling ladder.
He wasn't thinking when he did it. Well, to be fair, Percy wasn't thinking about most of the choices he did in his life. Percy Jackson snapped his fingers, and the time stopped.
The ladder paused midair. Will was frozen in his spot with a hand outstretched in front of him, in an attempt to still catch the falling ladder. The book the woman had in her hands was already lying open on the carpeted floor.
For a brief moment, no one moved, except for Percy. Until, the woman with grey, grey, eyes and blonde bob turned to him. She looked shocked, and it was an understatement.
"You can move," Percy said incredulously, mostly to himself.
"You did that?" She asked him. Percy swallowed. She was even talking. Unable to form coherent words, Percy only nodded.
Her grey eyes trained on him as if she's tearing him piece by piece—scrutinizing and studying. Percy shivered. She no longer looked out of it. Instead, her initial look of shock was replaced with something akin to marvel and denial, he thought.
"How," He was going to ask, but before he could even convey whatever it was he was going to say, she bolted. She pushed him aside and he stumbled towards one of the shelves. His back ached at the sudden impact, but he ignored it and ran too.
She was almost at the exit when Percy caught up with her.
"Hey," Percy shouted. It was, of course, only in vain, as she only shot him a glare but continued running away nevertheless. He felt stupid but continued to chase after her.
Percy watched in awe as she turned around shelves and corners, and ran on tabletops when her way was blocked by Mrs. Dewitt, the old librarian, and students. It was the first time he saw someone ran away from him with so much resolve that he was sure he should've felt offended.
He snapped his fingers—willing the woman to stop—but she never did.
The woman with grey eyes outran him and vanished from his sight. Percy ran a hand through his hair—chasing the breath she literally knocked off.
She might've gotten away now, but not in the next time he sees her.
It was officially the season of summer. The heat felt harsh to the skin but the breeze still brought enough chill.
Beaches, resorts and indoor pools are always flocked with people. The number of tourists is growing as the days go. Any business benefitting from the season took advantage of the surge of people and had already marked up their prices.
Percy Jackson pulled himself from the pool. He grinned and shook his head. Drips of pool water flew from his wet dark hair. He made his way back to the white poolside bench where he left his towel and phone.
A woman with long auburn hair stood next to the bench. She was wearing one of those strapless swimsuits in maroon color. If she's planning to swim, she definitely chose the wrong attire. Her blue eyes zeroed in on him and she smiled. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't tell.
The woman had his towel draped over one arm and in her other hand was his phone. Although Percy didn't like what he saw, he didn't show it.
"Thanks," he told her, the moment she handed him his towel. He looked away as he dried his hair.
"You're welcome," she answered, too merrily. "Here," she then said, handing Percy back his phone, when he had already left the towel on his shoulder.
Percy muttered a short word of gratitude again, checked his phone for messages—there were a couple from Grover—and turned his gaze back to the woman.
He knew he's met her before, but he couldn't put it when and where. What he only knows is that she's called Kelly or maybe Mary.
"Abby," she pointed to herself, grinning. "We met at last week's festival, remember?"
Ah, Percy thought, nodding. At least, he got the y-part right.
"You're here for a swim, Abby?" Percy asked her. He had already started thinking if ending the conversation right then will be taken as impolite.
She perked and flashed him a bright grin. "Yes, but I'm not really good," she told him. She then said something about learning to swim and how much she's really nervous about it.
Percy had meant to listen, honestly. But the moment his eyes honed in on the woman with short curly blonde hair and grey eyes, he's forgotten about Abby.
Her hair still had that Kate-Hudson-from-Almost-Famous look, but the longer Percy stared, the more he thinks she looked like a princess especially with the curls of her hair. The woman was on another white poolside bench. She was wearing a blue cover-up and a long flowy skirt in the same color. In her hands was a thick leather-bound book.
Of course, she's reading again the next time I see her, Percy thought to himself. He watched as she tucked a few strands of her curly hair behind her ears. Her eyes remained focused on the book she was reading. Percy found himself smiling.
"Who are you looking at?" Abby had asked, offended. His cheeks flared. She got his attention now, alright.
"Could you excuse me for a moment, Abby," he told her instead, gave her a tight-lipped smile, didn't even wait for her response, and went up to the familiar grey-eyed woman.
Percy cleared his throat first. Maybe he should have thought about what he's going to tell her first. He tried his best not to put a hand on his nape. It's his nervous tick, and he refuses to acknowledge that he is, in fact, nervous.
She looked up from her book. He had forgotten how intense her grey eyes are. They reminded him of storms, the end and glint of a fishing hook, a shark's fin or better yet a pearl from an oyster that's freshly pulled right out of the bay. The color's absolutely calming and endearing; the intensity made his heart do a series of jumping jacks. Gently, she closed her book, not taking her eyes off of him.
"We need to talk," Percy said. He really does not know where he was getting all this confidence, but it feels all or nothing now.
Admittedly, he's scared that like before, she's going to run off again without giving him a chance to talk or get a sensible answer. He really should have thought this out first.
"Yes, I think we do," she answered, and it took a moment for Percy to realize that she's not running away but instead, had agreed. Her voice was soft and a little quiet. Percy could almost see a hint of a smile gracing her lips. He focused.
Moving as though she had all the time in the world, she pulled herself from the bench. Percy would've offered her a hand if he wasn't too entranced at her and at how easily this was going as compared to the last time they had seen each other.
Finally standing up, she began to move around him. She was looking at him like a cat would look at a prey—cornered and helpless. Okay, so maybe Percy was a little scared of her, even if he's the one who can freeze time. He couldn't help it. Her eyes seem to pick on him piece by piece.
"Hold this for me, please," she told him. A pretty wide smile graced her lips. Percy only nodded, dumbfounded, and grabbed the book.
Maybe he should have not thought it sooner, because as soon as the book was in his hands, she ran away.
Percy sputtered. He made an attempt to plead her to stop but thought against it. He sighed—annoyed—left his phone, towel and the woman's book on the bench she's previously occupied and made chase.
People had told them to "watch it" or a few colorful words as they ran around the pool towards the exit.
They couldn't run as fast as they can since one false step could make them slip or knock out their heads. It had been easy running after her.
The idea struck him all at once. Percy ran—enough to stay on her tail but not enough to catch her. Once she's near the double-doors, he snapped his fingers.
All the noise died down with the sudden stop in time.
The woman pushed the door open, or at least she tried to, but it wouldn't budge. Like everything else, it was stuck too.
Percy slowed his pace down. She continued to push the doors. She huffed, before pulling the doors. She grumbled. Truth be told, he found it a bit entertaining and was tempted to watch her make the door budge.
Afraid to see her come up with a solution or, Percy touched her shoulders gently. She whirled, blonde curly hair flying, and crossed her arms as soon as her eyes met his. She looked like she wanted to beat him up or cry. Maybe it was both.
Percy raised his hands. "I just want to talk," he told her.
For a moment, she was only quiet. She was rocking back and forth on her feet, but she never did remove her grey eyes on him. Although unsettling, they're undeniably beautiful.
Percy waited. Time began to unfreeze, but he was quick to make it still with another snap of his fingers. He waited again.
The woman's shoulders began to slump. She still had her arms crossed in front of her, but she managed, "Fine, talk."
Like a cue, those words were enough to make his mind flooded with questions. He needed answers. He needed to know what this is or what he is, even. How did he get this? What does this mean? Why him? Why now and not then? Is he crazy? Maybe, he got in an accident years ago and is actually in a medically-induced coma, and this is all a dream. If not, then holy shit, he can freeze time! And why is she the only person, by far, who doesn't seem to be affected? Percy had many questions, but none of that he was able to articulate first.
"Who are you?" He asked her.
The woman's lips slightly dipped. She was looking at him critically with those grey eyes that seemed to bore on him. His skin felt like wildfire.
A heartbeat later, she said in return, "I should be asking you that."
Still debating over myself if I want to continue this or not.
Thank you for giving this your time. Conquer 2019!