This is the start of my new story, "The Orphan Prince". I had the idea of it when I read, "The False Prince," and decided to twist it a little. "You're Beautiful Too" will come out soon.
I ran for it while, as fast as I could, swiftly through the forest and trying hard not to make a sound. But it didn't matter. They found me in anyways and ran right for me. My legs were burning while my breath was speeding up. I was losing energy, and fast.
I kept looking back, turning and turning, just to make sure that they weren't tailing me. I brushed my hair back with my fingers and kept going forward.
I kept running, farther and farther. I didn't hear their footsteps. I slowly scrunched down and breathed, my hands on my knees and my hair spilled over my forehead. I silently coughed, wheezing in the thin air. I need to get away.
Suddenly, they appeared in front of me.
"Hey, what'cha doin? Do you think that you're gonna get away with it?" And the began to kick me. The biggest one kicked me on the legs, causing me to fall, then, kicked me again, harder, in the stomach. I coughed up blood.
"What'cha gonna do now, ha? Watch'a gonna do now?" They surrounded me and kept kicking. There were around five of them. My head, arms, legs, stomach, anywhere that you can imagine, they kicked. My torn and tattered shirt and pants looked more like strips of clothing that were seamed together, tearing apart more as they kept kicking.
"Stop..." I croaked, the blood in my mouth tasting worse.
"Stop, guys," said a skinnier boy. "Let's go back. If they find out we're gone, we're going to get into trouble." They grumbled amongst each other and agreed.
"Alright," a short one said, "let's go." They began to walk through the forest, back to the orphanage, but the biggest one kicked me once more, making me spill blood out of my mouth once more.
"Tell anyone about this, and you're dead." Then, they all left me lying on the ground, panting for breath. I quietly stopped breathing heavy and slowed down, but my eye sight was getting more blurry. Then, I blacked out.
I slowly grumbled and my eyes opened. The soft chirps of crickets were surrounding me, like those group of boys. There was a eerie, melodic sound but I was too disorientated to think. When I did, my head hurt. I reached up to rub my head. I couldn't see anything, since it was too dark.
'It's night,' I thought to myself. 'What time is it?'
I picked myself up with my arms, but they suddenly gave out and I fell back onto the ground. I winced at the pain that was soaring all across my body. I could still taste the blood that was in my mouth. I bit my lips and picked myself up again, though this time, a lot more careful and gingerly.
I felt like a rag doll. I was being pushed around, thrown, torn apart, bitten. I didn't feel any difference from it to me right now. I carefully touched the soft bruise that was on my stomach, then, my head. There was blood, I could tell, but I was afraid to find out to what extent that the injuries had caused.
I stumbled across the dark forest, trying to navigate my way to the orphanage that I was running away from. Oh, sorry for being rude, but from my what just happened, I didn't think that it was the right time for and explanation.
My name is Percy. Percy Jackson. Don't call me anything else. Just Percy Jackson. I could be described as weak, pathetic, or unfit, but I just describe how I look, not that it matters. Right now, I have dark brown hair, some light streaks from the end of my hair. My green eyes aren't common, but I try to the best to hide them. When you're from around here, looking straight into someone's eyes means that you want a challenge. And you're gonna get it.
That's partially the reason why I'm in this mess. Before the group of boys came, I was alright being battered with scars and bruises, slowly healing. However, after the beating that I just got, I don't think that it'll take a short time for recovery.
I had looked them into the eyes. They thought it was a challenge. They thought that I could beat them. And let me tell you, I could. I was just holding back. I'm a lot swifter than them and slimmer, easily making me fit into almost any crack or crevasse, unlike all the unruly kids back there.
I've lived in an orphanage for the past two years of my life. I'm twelve. That young. You might be wondering what happened for me to end up in a orphanage. That's an easy explanation that doesn't need to go on and on. Parents died in a fire. Brother went missing. And I'm stuck here.
I continue to keep walking, avoiding all the trees, but the painful feeling in my gut and head made me double over. I picked myself up from the ground, covered with leaves, but kept walking.
I had finally reached the orphanage that I was originally at. It wasn't any different from a cottage, except maybe the size. It was a little bigger than the normal house. The walls were made of straw and hay, with a few hard rocks around it. I drag myself to the front and knocked on the door. A big woman opened it, blinding me with the lights that glowed on the inside. My eyes closed shut, then slowly opening as the woman, known as Mrs. Poppy, lectured me about being late once again, ignoring the fact that I was bleeding and shivering. Hey, when you're in Ancient Aquatica, it's hard to get good service.
"Now Mr. Jackson, how do you expect me to come here at this time? You know that everyone has a curfew and that you are suppose to be here before the moon comes out. The king and queen's orders are strict, but they will protect you kids. Now, hurry in before you catch a cold." She hurried me in and that's when she noticed the bleeding wounds. She sighed.
"That's the fourth time, Percy. What's going on?" And I gave her the same answer that I've been giving her every since the first time I was assaulted.
"I fell down from Zeus's fist." I didn't expect her to believe me, but she let it go, not wanting for me to explain everything.
"Okay, young man. Your dinner is upstairs in your room. Oh, and tell Trevor to come down here. He made a big mess in the kitchen and expects me to clean it up." She kept going on and on about that while I slowly snuck behind her and walked upstairs to my room.
I passed a couple of doorways, where all the other boys were staying. One particular door was opened and the group of boys that kicked me were all there, laughing and eating.
When they spotted me, they silenced and their leader, the bigger kid, or Matt Sloan, walked up to the door and glared down at me.
"Why, Jackson, what ever happened?" he asked, feigning sincerity. I shrugged.
"I fell from Zeus's fist. Oh, and Trevor? Mrs. Poppy wants you." He gave me an evil smile and walked back. I continue on down the long hallway until I was in my room. I opened the door to find my food gone. Those guys must of taken it. I sighed and stumbled into the dirty room called the bathroom and bandaged myself up. I hung my shirt on a rusty hook that was there. When I had taken care of my wounds, I gently walk back to my bed and plopped down, regretting ever doing that because I winced in pain. My arm rubbed the side where Matt had kicked me and where Steven had kicked my head.
I stared up at the empty ceiling. The only light source was that of a small lantern that sat next to my bed and the window if the sun was out. I didn't have a closet like the other boys did, but I didn't have any clothes except the ones that were on me. I didn't share my room, unlike everyone else besides Mrs. Poppy, but I liked it better this way. I could think without the noise.
I was lucky that my room had a lock, but I forgot to lock it today and the boys stole my dinner. However, I wasn't hungry either way.
I lay on my side, the one that didn't hurt, and continued to concentrate. Though, I found myself fall asleep fast.
The next day, the light shined through my window and into my face. I blinked my eyes open and found my breakfast next to my bed, by the lantern. It consisted of bread, oatmeal, an apple, and a jug of milk. I ate everything and gulped down the milk. I was hungry, especially when I didn't have any dinner last night.
I almost forgot about my injuries when I got up, but soon the painful feeling shot back up through my body and I let out a muffled scream. I walked to the bathroom, one step at a time. It felt like they were made of lead, but eventually I made it into the bathroom and took of the bandages, looking into the mirrors. I almost screamed again when I saw the extent of my injuries.
The big gash through the left side of my body was red from the blood, but purple, blue, and brown. It was sickening to look at and I wanted to vomit, though I was afraid what would happen if I took the bandages off of my head.
I decided against it, leaving it on for a little bit longer. I looked at myself in the mirror again. Not to shabby. I chuckled against the pain.
I could hear Mrs. Poppy call down all the boys and the scrambling that was there every morning as they all ran down as fast as they could. Sometimes, Mrs. Poppy talked about extra food, or a game, or some other boring thing. I didn't know about today.
After everyone but me was downstairs in the big dining hall, I took the scraps I call clothes and put my shirt back on. You could see the bandage through all the holes, but it's what I got. Clothes don't come cheap around here. The only other way is to steal it and I've done that before, but was caught.
I had on a sullen face and forced myself to walk down the stairs. There were tons of kids. All of them boys and they were seated in the dining hall, where we usually each lunch, dinner, and all sorts of things that the boys do. I was the only one that went straight up to my room.
They were all talking to one another, leaving a small section of a table on the far side of the room for me. No one wanted to be by me. I was the loner. At first, it was intimidating, but after two years, I fit right in. With myself, at least. The front of the room consists of a wall full of nothing. It looked like it was rotting and I was at the opposite side, so I considered myself lucky.
I sat down and watched the stares that I was getting from the other boys. They were glaring at me or laughing. Matt must have said something. Probably about how stupid I was for falling off of Zeus's fist for the fourth time.
Mrs. Poppy walked into the room after a few minutes. But she wasn't alone. I was the first to notice the man that was beside her.
He was a well dressed man, meaning that he must have been rich. The sparkling jewels on him confirmed it. He was probably a nobleman of the king. I snorted. Why would he be hear. We're just filthy boys.
Mrs. Poppy exclaimed for everyone to look at her and the dozens of boys in the room obeyed, most likely staring at the rich man next to her. The room hushed and everyone turned so their attention was on her. She was smiling wide, something that I've rarely seen, only except when some boys get adopted for a family. Maybe this man wanted to adopt a boy. Too bad it's not going to be me. Seeing me dressed like this, I probably won't be chosen.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Mr. Santos." Mr. Santos smiled at us and everyone but me gave a smile back. I could see that he was only looking at a specific person. Or people. "He has come today to talk to all of us about adopting quite a lot of you." There was murmuring amongst the crowd. Mr. Santos began to talk.
He had an accent that only a few Aquaticans have. Most of them are squires to the king.
"I'd like to adopt some of you boys," he said, smiling. There was something about him... "Mrs. Poppy was very kind letting me adopt some of you handsome young fellows. You will be coming home with me and I'd really enjoy your company. However, I'll only be able to adopt four of you, so please don't be discouraged if you aren't picked. Now, if you are able to line up, please stand in front of me in a single file line." Immediately after saying it, everyone shot up from their chairs and ran to the front of the room, lining up. They were pushing each other and shoving, but eventually was able to form a line.
"Now, now, no pushing and shoving." Mrs. Poppy was smiling happily. The line of boys reached to the back of the giant room. I was the last person.
I wasn't able to hear some things that the front were saying, but when I got to the middle, I could see a group of boys in the corner, looking down at the floor. Pour souls probably didn't get picked. Matt Sloan was one of them and I was cheering on the inside. But I didn't cheer for long. I didn't get picked. At least, not that I know of.
There were only around four boys left in front of me. On the opposite side of the room, there were three boys lined up. He was going to adopt them. Something about two of them sent chills up my spine. What was it?
The other our boys that were in front of me looked down on the floor and walked to the rejected side of the room. There was a tingle that flowed through my body and I had a bad feeling.
Mr. Santos was right in front of me. When I was this close, I noticed things that I hadn't before. He was a well dressed man, but more extravagant than I've realized. He had intelligent blue eyes and his black hair was trimmed so that he had an average face. His features didn't stand out except for a scar that ran down his neck. He wore a green jacket with gold embroiled on and jewels stretching from his shoulders down to his thighs. His shoes in particular did not look comfortable, but it was one of the most beautifully decorated that I've seen.
When I was right in front of him, my eyes went straight up to my face. Everyone was watching, including the adopted boys. First mistake.
"Hasn't anyone told you to not look in the eyes of your superior?" he asked, the thick accent curling on his words. I kept my eyes on him.
"Who said that you're my superior?" Mrs. Poppy seemed enraged.
"Mr. Jackson! I insist that you talk to Mr. Santos in a softer tone or I will remove dinner tonight from you!" Mr. Santos chuckled.
"That's all right, Mrs. Poppy. I like the attitude in this one." Everyone seemed shock and I found out why. He was questioning me, unlike the rest of the boys that he met. "What is your name?" I smirked.
"Didn't you hear her say it? It's Jackson. Percy Jackson." There was snickering behind me.
"Well, Mr. Jackson, how would you feel if I adopted you?"
There was an outburst behind me.
"Him? You want him?" Matt Sloan exclaimed.
"Matthew!" Mrs. Poppy yelled. He was silent fast.
"Anyway, what would your answer happen to be." I shrugged. To tell you the truth, I didn't think that I'd ever be adopted, let alone from a rich man.
"I don't know," I said quietly. He squinted his eyes and nodded.
"Well, then, let's find out." I looked up at him shocked as he looked around the room and held up my right arm. "I have found my last boy. Thank you." People were groaning and he walked me to the other side of the room that the boys were located in. I recognized some of them immediately.
One of them was Jake. He was medium built, a little taller than me, with black hair and hazel eyes. The one next to him was Daniel. He was my height, with dark brown hair like mine, but longer and his eyes were blue instead. The last boy was Trevor, the boy that Mrs. Poppy had made me call down yesterday. Trevor wasn't necessarily bad. At least, not as bad as Matt Sloan. Trevor had held back when Matt and the other boys kicked me yesterday and he was obviously more educated than the rest of us. He told us once that he lived with his aunt and uncle, but they weren't able to take care of him. However, they gave him all the books that he could possibly find. Trevor, like all the other boys, had dark hair. His eyes were a slight tint of brown with green, almost hazel, but not all the way.
When the rest of the boys in the room were addressed out of the room, Mr. Santos walked over to us and cleared his throat, but didn't need to since the four of us stayed quiet.
"You are probably wondering why I chose you four. Well, I will tell you in a little while. First, let's go to my carriage." We followed him out to the entrance to the orphanage and standing by the lake, was a magnificent carriage decorated in silver décor. The curly q's were intricate, seeming impossible to design. Yet, it was right in front of me. The mares were beautiful as well. One was a chocolate brown horse, with a mane so soft that I could almost feel it from here. The other was a snow white horse that seemed calm and gentle.
Mr. Santos led all of us into the carriage. I wanted to go in, but for some reason, I was reluctant. He looked at me questioning as he noticed that I was hesitating to go in.
"What's wrong, Percy?" Huh, he had the decency to remember my name.
I shook my head. "Nothing." And I climbed into the carriage. Mr. Santos sat down, next to me. The other boys looked over at me with jealousy. I was sitting next to the richest man we've ever seen.
He called to the man that was driving the carriage to go. I noticed that there were also two other men sitting behind me, staring intently. I was uncomfortable, but ignored the feeling. Why would Mr. Santos have two people behind us? They were well built, with muscles bulging out. They seemed like twins, with red hair, freckles, and swords by their sides. My eyes widened when I saw them. Mr. Santos snapped me back.
"Now, you boys are actually picked for a special reason." There were a million questions that were running through my head. Why would Mr. Santos chose us? Me? And what was so special?
One question ran through my head, ringing out so loud, that I almost clasped my hands to my ears. Why do all the other boys look like me?
"First, I would like you boys to eat and rest. Being in that cramped home must have been hard." After an hour ride, Mr. Santos called out to the driver and we stopped. I stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air that was around me. The other three boys stepped out and did the same.
Suddenly, I had a bad feeling. About this. About this whole adopting thing. What was Mr. Santos going to do with us?
So I decided on one thing. To run. There can't be any other way out of this.
"Mr. Santos, I need to go." He looked at me weird, his eyes squinting, then, smiling.
"Okay." There were bushes, as tall as me and I ran to them while the other boys were all getting ready to talk to Mr. Santos.
I slowly crept to the back of the bush and peeked through a hole. No one was there. This is my chance.
I turn around and start running. I tried to best I could to make sure that I didn't make a sound and that no one was chasing me. It was like yesterday.
I could feel the wind catch in my hair as I took of as fast as I could. I turn back once more. No one.
Then, I stopped. I breathed heavy and looked behind me. No one was chasing me. I must have gone too far.
I smiled.
But it didn't last long as a sudden bang behind me knocked me off of my feet and onto the ground. The bandages on my head began to bleed through and my eye sight became blurry. The last thing I saw was a head of red before I blacked out into darkness.
