"You drained me of my identity and

Injected self doubt into my veins

Left me questioning my own sanity

Walking around aimlessly

At war with my own body everyday

Trying to scrub your heavy words off my skin

My mental state has been shaken to it core

I don't know who I am anymore."

- Percy Jackson (e.s)

"HEY, HEY PUNK! WHERE'S MY BEER?"

Percy winced as he tried to use his hand to open the fridge. Smelly Gabe did something to it this morning because he had closed his door too loud. Smelly Gabe came home light last night reeking of beer and alcohol. He said the bang gave him a headache so Percy had to be punished.

Not being able to use his hurt wrist and a cut on his right hand that got infected kept him from using it, the five year old boy hung his head, sniffed back any tears, and grabbed the knife mama only brought out on his birthday.

"RETARD, WHERE'S MY BEER?"

Percy tried to call back, but all that came out was a painful rasp. He fingered the rising bruises on his neck. He was crying to hard and he almost woke his mama so Gabe came in to "shut him up". It was not a good day for Percy. It was about to get worse.

He slowly, limped(because Gabe threw him into a wall for trying to run from punishment) into the room where his stepfather was laying on the couch. Gabe watched Percy walk around the room gathering stuff, not even trying to stop him. Inside the broken tv box. Under one of the rickety floorboards. In the dusty unused chimney. Finally he approaches smelly Gabe.

In his hands are; a rope, a gag, and a carving tool. Gabriel holds out a fat layered hand. Slowly and reluctantly, Percy hands him the knife that was supposed to cut the cake his mama was gonna bring him today.

With movements that should be impossible for a guy his size, Gabe slices Percy across his eye, leaving a cut going from his right eyebrow to the corner of his mouth. He stumbles back from the force of it and from shock. Smelly Gabe never cut his face in fear of being caught by Sally.

"THAT'S for taking so long, idiot."

Another slice across his chin.

"And THAT'S for getting my hopes up about my beer. By the way, where is my beer?" By now, Percy's legs were getting weak from the lack of blood and he could barely see because of the blood in his eyes.

After a few failures in using his voice, and taunts about he's too stupid to know how to talk, he was finally able to say something.

"I i I coudent open… I coudent open da refiguator door becub becub, my my my my hand, my hand… it… it hurts." Percy holds his infected hand out to show his step- father.

With fake concern, Gabe takes Percy's hand in his own. For a few seconds, Percy thought smelly Gabe was good. But his Naïveity wasn't something that should be shown around Gabriel.

With practiced skill, Gabriel stabs Percy right in the cut. Not expecting it, and from the excruciating pain, Percy screams before falling on his knees, feeling smelly Gabe clamp a cold sweaty hand over his mouth.

With a sadistic grin, Gabriel gets off the couch and walks into the kitchen. A few seconds later, he brings with him a chair. Eagerly, Gabe ties Percy up, but doesn't put in the gag. Not that anyone would help Percy, even if they did hear him.

Smelly Gabe grabs Percy's chin roughly enough to leave bruises and whispers into his face: "I'm in a bad mood, you bastard child, ya want to know why?" Percy shakes his head no, then gets cuffed by Smelly Gabe as punishment. Percy's opinion doesn't matter, is what Gabe keeps trying to drill into his head. Maybe, just maybe, Percy is starting to think he's right.

"Because, of your DAMN blue. So much fucking blue. Guess what, dumbass, I got fired because this little half-blood bitch decide to complain when a little blue got in her hair. And this little girl managed to trick everyone into believing her!"

Percy's stepfather cut The five year olds shirts away, not caring if he cut the boy, and began carving another word to go along with the others, when, he suddenly stopped.

"You know what, this isn't the only reason I'm mad. You want to know the other?" No reply. "Your mother decided to not satisfy my urges last night like she did last week. So we can have some fun like last week, before, we get to the punishment." Without waiting for any sign from Percy, Smelly Gabe had his… fun. He didn't stop for hours. And when he finally finished his two new carvings to go along with the others.

Slave

Weak

Worthless

Retard

Toy

Basterd

Just as he sat the knife down, Sally texted.

Working late till 1:00 am all week, make sure to feed Percy.

The clock struck 11:00.

Another savage grin sent into the direction of the unconscious boy. Gabriel had knocked his head against the wall after he had untied him, due to the boys struggles.

"Another hour of fun won't hurt him. Definitely won't hurt me."

"You tell anyone about this, I'll kill your mother."

- Gabe to Percy, age 4