Trring Trring!
"Hello?"
"Paul? Its me, Percy."
"Percy? I thought you were in Greece? What's wrong ? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." A pause. "But they're coming , Paul. They're coming for Mom. You need to protect her. "
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, they are going to kill her! Use the weapons under the couch. Protect her Paul! Please!"
"Percy, you - Sally, are you okay?"
A new voice. Its faint. "Paul! Help!"
"Paul? What's going on?"
"They're here!"
"Help!"
"Sally! No!"
"Paul! Its not safe! RUN!"
" Leave her alone!"
"NO!"
"Sally…."
The phone falls from Percy's hand.
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the death of…
It was her wedding day, and his mother was finally happy. He could tell, from the way she walked, with her head held high, the way she was laughing, with genuine mirth in eyes. For the first time since Gods knew when, Sally Jackson was not worried.
Paul was happy too. Percy could tell that he did love her, and he was even willing to put up with her ADHD, dyslexic, delinquent kid for her. He wanted to make her happy, and he did make her happy…
... Till death do us part.
Percy remembered when he had told his parents about the second Titan War. They had consoled and comforted him, assuring him that he had done the right thing, telling that he was a hero. He had told them the real heroes were the ones who lost their lives in the war, and Sally had smiled sadly. Paul just laughed.
"Percy, the heroes are the ones who keep living. The dead go to Hades. They move on. It's harder for us up here to do the same."
...leaving a grieving son behind...
The caretaker saw the boy kneeling in front of the gravestone. His rheumy old eyes could still make out the boy's green tear filled eyes. The caretaker shook his head. It was always sad when a parent went. He wondered if he should comfort the boy, but people came everyday to mourn, and the world kept spinning. The kid would live, and that was the tragedy of the living. The dead are dead, and the living have to live with the knowledge.
The boy was kneeling in front of the gravestone.
"When you die, it doesn't just affect you. You can't just give your life for someone. What made you think we would be okay without you? We need you. Why did you have to-" His voice cracked. "-to go?"
He took a deep breath. Tears were streaming down his face freely.
"You weren't a demigod, but you were as brave as any of them. I know you will get into Elysium. "
He wiped his eyes stubbornly.
"Thank you for everything. For taking care of me. For always being there. For taking my place. It should have been me. I'm the one who should have died. You didn't deserve it. You shouldn't have. Why did you have to be such a hero? "
He smiled sadly.
"Now I get what Annabeth's always going on about. She's devastated too, you know. She cared about you, and you just threw your life away for someone else."
Percy Jackson stood up.
"Well, I guess this is finally….goodbye."
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the death of Paul Blofis, a hero until the end.
What do you think? I might do others if you leave a request..