Something I dreamt up last night. The story of Sally Jackson. Hope you like it.

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You might want to check out my other stories:

Percy and the Shipwrecked Mermaid ( s/10072064/1/Percy-and-the-Shipwrecked-Mermaid )

and Translations ( s/10226968/1/Translations )

Have a nice day!

May I present to you...

Making It Count

"Daddy! It's there! There! Make it go away! Please! Daddy!" My stifled cries filled the room. I hid my face in my blanket and curled up tightly to the end of the bed.

My father sat at the end of my bed running his hands through his hair. "Sal, there's nothing there. It's alright. The monster's gone. Don't worry. It's gone."

He tried his best to comfort me, but I couldn't stop seeing them ever since It happened.

...

It was two years ago. At my best friend Lucy's house. I was 6.

We'd gone to the park because it had the best swings in the area, and we loved the swings.

We were there, chatting happily, when I saw it.

It towered over us, eyeing me wearily. Its red eyes bore into me. It had two, clean rows of razor-sharp fangs protruding from its jaw. Acidic green saliva dripped from its mouth, making whatever it hit quickly begin to disintegrate. It stood sturdily on its muscly legs, just over 2 metres away from me.

My heart stopped as it lurched into my throat, choking me. My eyes flared with fear. My feet became rooted to the floor, while my insides tried to escape.

"...Ahh..." A strangled note left my mouth.

"What's wrong Sally? Are you scared of dogs?" Lucy looked at me inquisitively, totally oblivious to the creature in front of her.

I finally let out a scream. "Monster! Evil! Giant dog!" I didn't know what to call it. It was more than just a dog.

Lucy called her mother. "Mum! Sally is scared of the Great Dane."

...

It ended there. I didn't see Lucy again. My mother said it was because Lucy was too busy. I knew otherwise.

It's because they think I'm crazy.

My parents have 'special meetings' with my teacher at school to discuss my behaviour.

I think we're moving.

They want to get me tested. Prove there's something wrong with me. Explain why I keep seeing these 'things'.

But they don't know.

They don't know they're real. Very real.

I was tested.

They diagnosed me with schizophrenia.

I 'see' things that don't exist.

I can't tell fact from fiction.

But they don't know.

They still don't believe me.

...

I turn to books as an escape. I read, constantly. I read fantasy tales of wizards, aliens and spies. From elves to talking animals; I've read it all. But nothing captured me like the legends did. The creature that I saw aged 6, was written about in ancient tales.

My Dad says I've been reading too much mythology and my over-active imagination is causing me to re-live the stories.

No, the stories follow me.

I didn't have many friends at school. Nobody wanted to be friends with a book-obsessed schizophrenic.

I bottled it up. I stopped complaining, and cried in silence at night.

"Teenage hormones." They said. "It will stop." They said.

So I did.

I hid it well through my exam years. My grades were average, I had trouble with maths, but I excelled at English.

I want to be a writer one day.

Pour my experiences onto paper, in a 'fictional' story.

...

I didn't want to burden my family anymore; they found it hard to care for a mentally unstable child.

So at 18, I moved out.

I lived in a small flat about three hours' drive away from my parent's home. I didn't have the best job, working at a sweet shop, but it paid the bills. It was only temporary, until I was able to pay for university to continue my career as an author.

...

I was 19 when I chose to have five days off in May; it wasn't the height of the summer, so I would be avoiding any tourists, and the weather was still warm.

I booked my parent's favourite beach cabin in Montauk. It reminded me of different times, when I didn't see Them.

The cabin was quite small, only two bedrooms, but I was alone so it didn't bother me. It had flaked pale blue weather boarding on the coastal side, and you could evidently see it had taken a battering.

Inside, the floorboard grooves were filled with fine grains of sand and you felt a slight crunch when you walked on it bare foot.

Although I loved every tiny detail of the cabin, the view was my favourite.

The cabin sat alone on top of one of the cliffs, yet was hidden from the mainland. You could see for miles over the horizon. On a clear day, you could watch tiny dots of boats make their way around the cove.

The village was only a short walk away which gave you enough privacy while still allowing you a quick trip to get the needed supplies.

...

I visited the beach on my first day and sat down with my faithful companion: a book. The beach was relatively quiet so I was left undisturbed. I subconsciously crunched the sand between my toes as the story's tension rose.

"Get off me you stupid dog! Madam, restrain your pet!" The woman's screams pierced the comfortable hum from other tourists.

"I can't! He never listens!"

"Get a lead for it! Control it somehow!"

This time I resurfaced from my book and took a glance at the commotion unfolding before me.

It was back.

I froze. The familiar sense of panic took over as my body began to tremble. I tried to calm myself by taking deeper breaths. It hadn't noticed me yet.

I closed my book quickly, losing my page. I ignored it. I subconsciously started to pack my things back into my bag, while my eyes remained glued to the beast.

I hadn't seen It since the park.

I shook my head to remove the thought; I didn't want flashbacks haunting me now.

It turned.

Red eyes met mine; recognition flashed across them.

It let out a deep, throaty growl.

And began to stalk towards me.

I wasn't just a rabbit in the headlights; I was a rabbit in the laser beams.

I closed my eyes as my vision began to blur from tears. Sobs wracked my body and I became the petrified six-year-old all over again.

It growled again and I could tell it was advancing quickly.

I opened my mouth to scream, but somebody else's voice spoke.

"It's okay. The... Er... Dog... has gone now." The soothing yet gravelly voice said the word 'dog' like it was a foreign language.

I shook my head, not wanting to open my eyes out of fear of It re-appearing.

"Monster." I yelped, my voice a harsh tone.

I felt him sit down next to me and place an arm over my shoulder.

I felt his breath down my neck as he lent towards my ear. He whispered softly, "I can see it too."

...

He explained to me that he was a lifeguard at the beach; his name was Peter. He had striking sea-green eyes which changed colour with his mood. He was tanned; he had clearly lived on the beach for most of his life. His smile was warm and comforting, his hair wild. The salt clung to his skin. He had a wicked sense of humour.

We spent the rest of the afternoon together, chatting and splashing in the water.

I left the beach when the pink streaks of sunset began to appear in the sky, thanking the man for reassuring me.

One thing repeated itself in my mind 'I can see it too'.

I didn't get much sleep that night.

The second day I returned to the beach with my book. I enjoyed the gentle rolling of the waves; it calmed me as I continued to read.

My mind was elsewhere. His words kept me up as I replayed our conversations.

His mesmerising eyes.

His untamed hair.

His infectious smile.

I had to admit he was attractive.

The thing that surprised me the most was when I felt a familiar figure sit down next to me.

"Sally." He said.

"Hello Peter." My stomach did a lively gymnastics routine as I greeted him.

I looked into his eyes; I was easily getting lost in them.

We spent the day the same as the previous, laughing and exchanging stories. He enchanted me with his magical tales of the seas. He liked to sail a lot, and had many exotic experiences from his travels.

He sent electricity up my arm when he held my hand.

We were the last two on the beach, departing at sunset. When he kissed my cheek I was grateful for the sun's orange glow because it hid the rosy tint in my face.

"See you tomorrow Sally."

"Sally, I've got something to show you." We walked hand in hand down the pier when he stopped.

"Okay, I want it to be a surprise. You've got to trust me now. I want you to close your eyes and follow my lead."

"Uh..." I was feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Don't worry, I've got you. It's safe." He looked me in the eyes; who could resist them?

"Of course." I closed my eyes.

"Now you must promise me you won't open them until I say so."

"I promise."

He took me round various twists and turns, leaving me an agonising wait until he would reveal the mystery.

"You can open them now." He placed his arms around my waist.

"Oh, my... That's so kind! You'd do that for me? Gosh... Thank you!" I snuggled my head into his neck.

In front of me was a small boat. On the deck was a beautifully laid picnic.

"Sal, today... We're going sailing."

...

That day I had my first kiss. And I have to say, it was blissfully perfect.

...

In the evening, I returned to my cabin feeling so happy and content. Peter was so nice to me, he didn't care if I was schizophrenic or not. He liked me for me.

But I was leaving in two days.

The next day he took me to a sweet tea shop which overlooked the bay. We sat together in the window and ate homemade sandwiches and ice-cream.

He said it was his favourite 'plaice'.

Cue hysterical laughter.

...

I had had a restless night. The more I got to know Peter, the more I couldn't help but wonder why some things just didn't add up.

I'd been avoiding bringing It up the whole time. But I was itching to ask him.

"Peter?"

"Yes Sal?" He took my hand in his and began to rub circles gently with his thumb.

"Why can you see them too?"

His face fell and his eyebrows contorted in thought. He let go of my hand quickly like I was an infectious disease.

"I'm sorry Sally. I'm sorry for doing this to you. But I had to, you understand that?"

I nodded, signalling for him to go on.

"Sally, what you saw was no 'dog'. That was a Hellhound."

"What?" I shouted so loud I earned stares from other customers. "Sorry." I said in a normal volume.

"Not here." He grabbed my hand. Shoving money on the table, we left the café.

...

When we were alone on the beach he stood in front of me.

"Sal, The 'dog', it was a Hellhound. I can see them too. The monsters are everywhere. You weren't hallucinating. You are a clear-sighted mortal."

"But I'm Schizophrenic, they diagnosed me. I see things."

He leaned in closer and his green eyes swirled with a new found passion.

"Sally, the Greek Gods are real. It's all real."

I was silent.

He placed his hand on my shoulder; I hadn't noticed I was shaking.

"One thing that isn't though. I'm not Peter."

My mouth formed a perfect 'O'.

He looked to the floor, and then reconnected his eyes to mine.

"I'm Poseidon."

As if on command, the waves behind him formed a trident.

We held each other in comfortable silence.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered, barely audible.

"I really like you Sally, and it's too dangerous. I'm not even meant to be here, let alone here with you."

His eyes were filled with so much sorrow and hurt.

Matching tear streaks were on our faces.

"I'm so sorry. I don't want to hurt you Sally. But I have to go. And I know you do too. We can't do this."

I hugged him so tightly, afraid to let him go.

"I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to either."

Our foreheads were connected, his arms around my waist, mine his neck.

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to speak "I..."

"Shh. There's nothing needed to say." He reached down to his short pockets. "I want you to have this Sally. To show that I'll never forget you."

In his hand was a silver necklace. A small shell charm hung from the centre.

I didn't know what to say, I was speechless.

He slipped the necklace round my neck, fastening it carefully at the back.

He closed the gap between us. His lips tasted of the salty sea breeze. The kiss held so much desperation, longing. A final goodbye.

"Thank you so much Poseidon. For everything. I will never forget you." I breathed.

"Thank you Sally. I will miss you very much."

I looked into his eyes for the last time, blinking back tears.

"Goodbye Sally Jackson, the beautiful woman I met at Montauk."

He turned towards the waves and began to walk to the water's edge. He stopped when the water reached his ankles.

"You don't know how hard it is for me to say this; but I want you to forget me. Move on. Live a normal life. It's the best way."

And he stepped back into the waves and disappeared into the ocean.

I collapsed onto the sand and cried.

On my final day it took so much energy to just get out of bed.

I moped through the cabin, unsure what to do with myself.

Several times I felt for the necklace, just to prove it was all real. It had really happened. He was gone.

...

I found my feet had taken me to the beach and on top of a rock that jutted out from the cliff. I sat there, staring out to sea. The waves crashed gently against its edge and I was lightly splattered with the spray.

I repeated his words aloud to myself for comfort.

"I will miss you very much."

"I want you to have this Sally. To show that I'll never forget you."

"I really like you Sally, but it's too dangerous."

"Goodbye Sally Jackson, the beautiful woman I met at Montauk."

But the part that broke my heart the most was his final words.

"I want you to forget me."

I screamed in anger. "I can't forget you! Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" I shouted out to sea, at no one in particular. My voice was lost in the sea air.

Angry tears burned down my cheeks. "Why did you do this to me?" My words became broken as I struggled to speak through rage and sobs.

I grabbed the necklace. "Why did you even give this to me? So you can pity the stupid mortal girl who fell for you?"

I pulled the necklace free from my neck and held it in my palm. My tears splashed onto my hand.

"Of course I can't forget you. This just reminds me..." I choked.

I balled my fist and threw the necklace into the water.

My voice fell to a whisper. "Reminds me of how much I love you."

I pulled my legs to my chest and rested my head on my knees. I let my hair fall loosely as it was blown by the gentle wind. My eyes were bloodshot and sore from crying.

"Sally Jackson." A familiar voice disturbed me.

I looked up to see the most amazing man I have ever met stood before me. All my anger drained out of my body as I looked into his enchanting sea-green orbs.

"I believe you lost something." He opened his weathered hands to reveal the necklace.

He crouched down to my level.

"I love you Sally."

"I love you too Poseidon."

He pulled me into a warm embrace.

He whispered gently into my ear, just as he had done when we first met. "This is our last day, so let's make it count."

I visit Montauk beach at the same time every year. I stay in the same cabin, sit on the same rock and read the same book.

Although I may not see Poseidon, I know he's watching.

Because this time, I'm not alone.

This time, I have Perseus.

Perseus Jackson.

Our son.