I'm never going back there Percy thought to himself as he sat alone in a dark alley. It had to be close to midnight and he was in the wrong part of town, but he didn't care he just wanted to go get away from Him, the burden of his mother, Gabe Ugliano, his abusive and drug-addicted step-father. Percy wished he could just run away and never look back, but he couldn't. He couldn't leave his mother, Sally Jackson, alone with that sorry excuse for a man. He heard a gunshot and he thought Alright time to get going. He got up and started jogging down the alley way back to his apartment. Half way there he heard another gunshot, a closer one, and an ear-splitting scream that pierced the night; even over the traffic of Manhattan he could clearly hear the yell and recognized the voice as his mother's. He took off at a run and arrived at his apartment just in time to see Gabe fire the final bullet that struck Mrs. Jackson dead. Percy stood in the doorway, frozen too scared to move. Then just as Gabe turned his head, Percy took off at a dead run. He ran down the five flights of stairs, sprinted down the streets and didn't stop until he reached his favorite spot in the City, Oak Bridge in Central Park, right on Bank Rock Bay. He sat down on the bridge and thought about what he should do. I could go the Police Department but who's gonna believe a 12 year old? Percy slept on the bridge that night, and when he woke up in the morning he knew exactly what to do.
The next day Percy sat in the bushes in front of his apartment complex in the upper-east side. He sat there for almost three hours until he saw Gabe leave the building. He sprinted towards the doors and up the stairs. Percy picked up the welcome mat and grabbed the spare key. He quickly unlocked the door, ran to his room and packed a small bag for himself. Percy then skidded into the kitchen and raided the fridge and pantry. Percy was lucky his mother went shopping yesterday morning. No, he thought, Don't think about her. It will only make things worse. Percy stared over the countertop and at the dining table. He couldn't believe that a little over 24 hours ago his mother was sitting at it with him telling him to have a good day at school and to stay out of trouble. When he couldn't bear it any longer he bolted out the door and thought about where to go next. Percy ended up sitting in a cab taking him to his favorite place in the world, Montauk, Long Island.

"Where in the world have you been? 11:00 is too late for a 12 year old to be out." Fredrick Chase slurred. It was obvious to Annabeth that her father was wasted.
"I was out at the Joseph Bryan Park" Annabeth replied.
"Alright" her dad mumbled. That's it?! No 'where have you been the part 11 hours'?! No 'I told you to be home by six'?! Annabeth thought as she walked through the house. She knew her father had an alcohol problem, and that it was definitely getting worse, but he had always paid some attention to her. Now the only things he can think about are Helen and the twins. Oh, I wonder what Helen is going to do to me tonight. Annabeth shuddered at the thought of her abusive step-mother. Oh, god. She also told me to be home by six. Annabeth realized.
"Annabeth? Is that you?" Annabeth heard the voice of Helen coming from her father's bedroom. "Come in here, now." She demanded. Once Annabeth got through the door she could tell that Helen had been smoking. The smell reeked off her body and throughout the room.
"Come here, Child" Helen said in a low tone. Annabeth braced herself for what would happen next.
"What time did your father and I tell you to be home by?" Helen asked
"Six o'clock" Annabeth muttered.
"What was that I can't hear you, Child."
"S-six o'clock" Annabeth stuttered.
"SPEAK CHILD! WHAT TIME DID YUR FATHER AND I TELL YOU TO BE HOME BY?" Annabeth braced herself, she knew what was coming. She always tried her hardest to keep Helen from exploding but tonight she was just sick of her, and her father and the twins.
"SIX O'CLOCK! YOU TOLD ME TO BE HOME BY SIX O'CLOCK" She didn't care anymore if Helen hit her or her father ignored her. All she wanted to do was run away now. Helen's hand snapped back and flew forward towards Annabeth's face. Her face exploded with pain and Annabeth clutched her cheek and staggered in pain.
"That ought to teach you a lesson at snapping at me." Helen said, sounding satisfied.
Annabeth was close to tears as she sprinted from the room, down the hall and into her own bedroom. She sat down on her bed and laid there for a while. After about an hour she got up, got her gym bag from her closet and packed a bag. She didn't know where she was going, but she did know that she wanted to be as far away from here as possible.

Nico sat in his Dad, Hades di Angelo's, office lobby waiting for him to get off from work. He went up to his receptionist, Mr. Charon, and asked when he would be able to see his father.
"Mr. di Angelo is a very busy man, Child. He doesn't have time for kids at this moment." Charon answered
"Well tell him something very important happened and that I need to see him know. It is a family emergency." Charon could tell the young boy was on the verge of tears and caved. He let Nico go into the office. When Nico got into the office he saw his father hunched over his computer and called out his name.
"Dad"
"Yes Nico" His dad answered
"I have bad news. It's about Bianca. She-she is…"
"Spit it out, Boy" His dad snapped.
"She got hit by a car crossing the street and is critically injured." Nico managed
Mr. di Angelo's face paled "She what?" He yelled.
"She has a 10 percent chance of living. We need to get to hospital. Now" Nico was bawling and Hades was also close to tears.
"Alright" was all he said as he got up and walked out the door telling Charon he was taking the day off. He caught a cab and he piled into the backseat with his son. When they got to the hospital, Mr. di Angelo went up to the receptionist.
"Bianca di Angelo" he said in a tight voice
The nurse looked up with sympathy in her eyes as she said "Room 279"
"Thank you" was his reply as he down the hall, his son following on pursuit. When they got to her room, in the critical care wing, Hades rapped on the door and entered. When he saw the Bianca his face fell. Nico started crying all over again and ran up to his sister. Hades seemed to be frozen with shock and couldn't move. He just stood there and stared at his 14 year old daughter.
"Come on, Bianca" Nico sputtered "Please, just wake up. Please" Nico didn't know what to do. He kneeled at his sister's side and cried silently. Please, Bianca. I lost mom, I can't lose you too. Nico thought as the machine beeped and slowly came to a stop. Nurses and Doctors came rushing in and ushered Nico and his father out of the room. Nico didn't know it but that would be the last time he saw his sister, alive or dead.
It was about one o'clock at night when they got home and Nico went straight to his room and fell asleep crying. When he got up he found his father sitting on the sofa with at least 2 dozen empty beer bottles an empty scotch and an empty brandy bottle. His father himself was dreary-eyed and half asleep when Nico found him. Nico called out to him and got no answer.
"DAD" he yelled. Hades mumbled something that Nico couldn't make out. He shook his dad and asked him to repeat what he said
"Go away, Nico. I don't want you" Mr. di Angelo said
"What do you mean, dad? Of course you want me; I'm all you have left. You're all I have left" Nico said his voice cracking.
"No son. You look and act too much like your mother and Bianca. I could deal with it before because of Bianca being alive and she being the one that took of you. Now I have to deal with you and you are the perfect combination of the both of them. Now that they are gone I don't know if I can stand you being around me"
"B-but you are the only person I have left" Nico stuttered.
"NO! YOU CAN'T STAY HERE" Hades replied
"No, dad, that's just the alcohol talking, you need me as much as I need you."
"YOU NEED TO LEAVE. I will give you one hour for you to get your stuff together then I don't care what you do."
"Dad, what is a ten year old going to do on the streets" was Nico's reply
"I will give you a thousand dollars" Hades said with anger in his voice "Now you better start packing, you've already lost ten minutes"
When Nico left the room to go back to his bedroom he sat on the bed and thought over what just happened. I'm not leaving he thought with determination. He will have to drag me out by my arms and legs of he wants me to leave. Nico did pack a bag though, just in case he was forced to go.
When the hour was up Hades came in to his son's bedroom and saw him lying on the floor playing his DS.
"What in the world do you think you're doing?" Hades asked, irritated
"Oh! Hey dad! What are you doing in here? Do you need something?" Nico asked with an innocent smile on his face
"YOU NEED TO LEAVE" Hades screamed at his son
"NO DAD, YOU NEED TO LEAVE" Nico responded
"SON. YOU. NEED. TO. LEAVE. NOW"
"YOU CAN'T SO THIS TO ME, DAD" Nico yelled at his father
"Alright, son. Your choice but if I came back in an hour and you're still here you will get a surprise" Hades said with a swirl of evil in his dark, black eyes.
Nico sat there, on his bed doing different things. Sometimes reading others playing his DS. He wondered when Bianca's funeral would be but then instantly regretted in. Once he started thinking about her he couldn't get her out of his head.
When the next hour was up Hades came back into the room and grabbed Nico by the scruff of his neck and brought him into the living room. He had Nico sit on the sofa and went to get something out of the kitchen. When he came back into the room Nico couldn't see what he was holding but it seemed to be bulky. He put the thing down on the coffee table and had Nico move into an armchair across the room. Once Nico sat down Hades sprung onto him punched him with all his might. Nico was caught off guard and it didn't register in his mind what his father was doing until he was done. Nico was tied up in the chair. His hands and feet were tied together and the rest of the cord was tied behind the back of the chair.
"What are you doing?" Nico asked, now scared of his father
"Giving you your surprise! SURPRISE! If you want to live in this house then you have to carry your own weight. You will get a job and cook meals and NOT complain about it!"
Nico was speechless. He didn't know his dad was this crazy.
"Well why did you have to tie me up to tell me that?" Nico asked
"So I could do this" Hades said as he swung at his son. Nico's left cheek exploded with pain and his eyes went fuzzy for a moment. Hades swung twice more at Nico and after the third one Nico had almost past out from the pain.
"Every time you disobey me that will happen, got it?" Hades asked
"No wonder your parents named you Hades, you really are hell" Nico retorted
That comment earned Nico another punch.
"You will tell no one about your 'surprise', understand?" Hades said malevolently
Hades untied Nico and told him to go to his room. Nico sat on the floor and thought about what had just happened to him. He hit me, he actually hit me. I always knew he didn't like me but this is over the line. Nico thought. He knew what he had to. He was very glad he had packed that bag. Before Hades could come back up Nico grabbed his bag and the money his father had given him, opened the window and jumped. At least it's only the second floor Nico thought as he jumped. Well, I'm out! What to do now? L.A. is a big city. Nico asked himself as he walked down the street, every once in a while turning to look at his house to make sure Hades wasn't following him. Didn't Dad every once in a while complain about his brother in New York? Yeah, he did! At least he had an idea of where to go. Nico walked farther down the street and was a block away when he heard his father yelling in victory.