Another rather introductory chapter.
English is not my first language, so please be kind!
Percy dreamt.
The water was calling him. Logically there was no way he could hear the sound of the waves in a plane – thousands of meters below him. But he had surely heard voices whispering his name. „Perseus...come home."
He jumped awake in his seat, sweating and panting as if he'd been running for his life. Even the old lady in the seat next to him shot him a worried glance.
„You okay sonny? I haven't seen anyone sweating that much since Marge from my bridge club was in her menopause. And that old hag didn't look as bad as you do."
„No thanks, I'm fine" Percy groggily replied, not noticing that everyone in the vincinity was looking at him. He really needed something to drink, otherwise he would die from dehydration. Of that he was perfectly sure.
Luckily the flight attendant freed Percy from his misery when she brought up some wet towels to clean himself and a large bottle of water which he immediately emptied.
The rest of the flight to Glasgow was uneventful. Percy tried to stay quietly in his seat. He decided that he'd caused enough trouble for one day. In fact, so much trouble that the other passengers were looking at him weirdly when he walked down the aisle for a stretch.
'Damn, it's not my fault that I keep having those dreams. Dr. Miller surely will adjust my medication when I'm back home. Maybe it's not the best thing to mention that I'm hearing voices now.' Percy sighed and leaned back, drowning in his thoughts once more.
Dr. Miller, the resident psychiatrist his mom had carried him to against his will, was always very quick with prescribing medication for his ADHD. While this was not the biggest problem, the man was also more than convinced that Percy showed symptoms of a severe psychosis.
„Perseus, the sea awaits you...please come home."
Percys' eyes shot open again. There! Why didn't anybody else hear those voices? The other passengers didn't seem to notice anything and kept to themselves, not noticing that something supernatural had just happened.
Oceans Deep
'Finally' Percy thought when he stepped out of the plane. The ten hour flight from New York to Glasgow had completely drained him of his energy. Right now, he had to look for a man, Dr. Frederick Chase to be exact, who would take him to Skye, where he and also his great-granduncle
Mungo MacDonald lived. His mother had arranged the meeting when it became clear that Mungo wouldn't be able to come to Glasgow to pick him up.
"Hey! You must be Percy if I'm not mistaken" a man in his early forties came up to him and patted him on the shoulder.
„Welcome to Scotland, where it always rains! I'm Dr. Frederick Chase. But you can call me Frederick."
„Percy Jackson" the boy replied and shook the hand that the older man offered.
„So Percy...Did you have a good flight?" Frederick examined the boy closely.
„Yeah, although there were some nasty turbulences when we crossed the atlantic" Percy replied tiredly, not telling Frederick the whole truth. If he did, the good man would have probably labeled him as a nutter.
„We'll still have a little flight time ahead of us. Travelling to an island by car can get quite difficult" Frederick winked.
„Well, I'd prefer no more travelling by plane, but this time there is no way around it, I guess".
Percy and Dr. Chase made their way to the hangar in silence. And if Percy was honest, he preferred it that way. He was still shaken up from the events that happened during the first flight. Talking against wind and heavy made it very difficult to have a proper conversation as well.
Oceans Deep
Finally in the air again, Frederick noticed that Percy was shivering.
„Are you cold?" came a concerned voice from behind. „Do you need it to be a little warmer? I'm sure I can get a blanket for you."
„No, thank you Sir" Percy replied. „I just hate flying, that's all. The air isn't my favourite element"
„And what is actually your most favourite element? And, please! No Sir! I've told you to call me Frederick!"
„Water!" shot it straight out of Percy. „Although it really scares me sometimes" he admitted.
„I understand you. Water is a force to reckon with. And sometimes it's right to fear it. While we can't live without it, it can destroy us and everything else in under a minute."
Percy wanted to agree but Frederick didn't stop talking.
„I actually have a daughter. She spends her vacation time with me. I think you two will get along quite well. She's a nice girl, but she hates being near the water. She tried everything to stay home in the States but her mother and I have an agreement that she spends the weekends and summer vacations with me.
Ah, did I tell you that you'll be staying with us for the first weeks?"
„Ehm, no? I thought I'd stay with Mr. Mango."
„Mungo" Frederick corrected him „Is actually a traditional Scottish name. Anyways, he was just released from the hospital and is in no state to take care of a 15-year old boy. So I offered him my help. Annie, my daughter, and you will visit him once a day to bring him some food. He'll probably ask for beer or something stronger but don't give him alcohol, under no circumstances!
I'll be busy at the science center, so I'll have no time to look after Mungo as well."
'Oh noes! Best vacation ever! Playing caretaker for a 100 + year old man. Can it get any worse?' Percy thought but a weak „Okay, sure!" was the only thing that came out of his mouth.
After that, they spent the rest of the 1,5 hour flight in silence. While driving to his house, Frederick picked up the conversation once again.
„I work at the Marine Science Center in Portree. If you love the water so much, maybe you'd like to come by. Most of the work I do is quite analytical, but on good, clear days you can hear the whales singing."
„Really?" Percys eyes lighted up like a child on Christmas but he waited for Frederick to continue.
„No. You can't hear any actual singing. Just imagine how funny it would be if you could hear whales smashing Beyonce medleys through the underwater microphones. The whales make their very own sounds. Like bats, whales use the echolot for orientation, their sounds being transported through the waves.
And yes. You're welcome anytime!" Frederick smiled. „Sadly, my daughter is interested in architecture, especially from Greece. She definitely hasn't inherited my love for water. Just five more minutes, then we'll be home."
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the house that would be Percys' home for the next few months.
Said 'house' was a huge stone manor, with a large garden, old trees and an impressive view over the cliffs.
„Percy, please go up to the door and ring three times" Frederick told him when he stepped out of the car. „This will get my daughter out of bed" he said cheekily.
„Sure thing!" Percy smiled. „Shall I take some of the bags with me?"
„Nah, leave them in here. We'll unpack the car later"
Percy went up to the front porch and knocked three times. Knocked, because he couldn't find a doorbell. Surprisingly the door was answered immediately. 'Maybe his daughter is already awake' he thought and looked up.
The person behind the door was someone he thought he'd never see again, hell, he hoped that we wouldn't have to see her again. Long, blonde hair. Big grey eyes. Stuck up bitch.
The angry and disbelieving expression on his face matched the one on hers.
„You?"
I hope you had fun reading the first installment.
I'd appreciate a review. Even if it is just a smile. :)
Cheers!
