AN: This is dedicated to a friend of mine. She went through a tough time, and I'm glad she got through it!


Leo woke up in a sweat, he had just woken from a real life nightmare. It happened a long time ago, but he couldn't forget it. It was engraved in his brain, for the future. It would always be there. No matter what he tried, the still could remember it.

Some people told him to forget it, and that six years was enough to forget it. What some people don't know is that the past will never be forgotten, it will always be there to haunt you. No matter what you do, it will always be there, like a ghost.

It can bring on phantom pain back, even though it doesn't even exist. People live through out there lives with this pain, a pain you can't just take pain relief to get rid of. This is something most people go through, but never really show it. They just keep it in their heads, like Leo.

Bullies, the number one reason kids don't want to go to school. The verbal abuse that no one deserves, but people still get it. Peoples opinions start to clog our own, it changes how you see yourself. The way that you feel about yourself.

For most kids going to school, is like entering prison for the first time. You have no idea what people will do to you today. You roam the hallways in fear, wishing no one could see you walk by. You wish sometimes you had Annabeth's invisibility cap, just so you could get around people. Just wanting one day alone.

Leo understands this, he went through it every time he ran away. Every new school he went to, the new bullies found him. He would just walk away, but it didn't stop him from hearing the words. They were now written in stone on his brain.

No matter how much we try to erase these word, they will always be there. Screaming at you when you least expect it. Leo's usually showed up whenever he did something wrong. When ever an invention failed, or whenever he burned something when he was out of control. For most it's the same thing, we down ourselves when we lose. We can't help it though, we're so use to someone telling us this. We kind of just get use to the fact, we just call ourselves things when no one else is there.

Some people call this the victim card, bu it's not. Our minds have been train to this being the norm. That this will always happen, and if someone else doesn't say it to us, we do.

People call us victims, which we are. Yet some still call us weak. Weak for not standing up for our selves. We should be able to do that. What those people don't realize is that its easier said then done.

Teachers sometimes don't know whats going on, they try, but they don't see it. They always blame the most convicted, which usually the victim. Now we thinks it's our fault. They think that they had done something wrong, when in real life they were doing the right place. They feel like they deserve this, even when they don't.

For Leo, he was reliving the moment John beat the crap out of him. His phantom pain was all there. He could see John's smile as he beat the heck out of him. The guy was laughing at him, he was psycho.

He heard everything, the crunches, laughter, and breathing. It was like going through Tartarus for a second time. Leo couldn't do anything but take it. Waiting fo it to end soon, praying he would be alive when this guy was done.

All his friends saw him as an all around happy guy, but none of them knew what was really going on. The thoughts that were dumped in his brain, all the lies. They didn't know from day one he had been afraid everyday.

Leo is going through what many normal kids go through, the pain of fear.

Leo sat up in his bed and looked at the clock. It was only five in the morning, no one else would be up. Leo snuck out his room and up the stairs to the dining room. He grabbed some lucky charms. He thought maybe Demeter might see this, at least she would be happy.

He was wrong, someone was up; Percy. Percy walked up to Leo as he was eating. "You know, I never saw you as a morning person Leo." Percy laughed from behind him. Leo put on a fake smile, the best he could.

"Nope, just was hungry. Let me guess, same thing for you?" Leo asked.

"Yep, how'd you know?" Percy said with that sarcastic smile.

"Annabeth told me how much you eat. She said you eat more than most satyr's do. There is also the fact I've cooked dinners the last couple days." Leo laughed. "Yea, you eat a lot."

"Leo, did you have a nightmare? I heard you screaming a couple of minutes ago. It wasn't too loud, but I heard it. I know you didn't just come down here for food." Percy said. he looked Leo in the eyes, and he knew he couldn't lie.

"You could say that." Leo mumbled under his breath.

"Look, I don't know what's wrong, if I did I would be more help. But, this must be something you need to solve not me. I just want to tell you, when ever you need to talk to someone, we're here. We wont judge you, we probably went through something similar, different, but similar." Percy told him.

"Thanks, but why do you want to help me?" Leo asked.

"I want to see your real smile dude, I'm sick of all this fake stuff." Percy smiled and left.

Maybe one day, he would be able to get over this. All he needed were true friends.