Percy grumbled, trying to hoist his duffle bag into the trunk of their car. His mom had suggested that he pack the majority of his clothes, as that way he wouldn't have to do laundry as often. He had also been forced to surrender his cell phone, something that put him in a particularly bad mood.

"I'm sorry, honey," Sally said, glancing nervously at him. "I just can't risk you putting yourself in danger. I know if you keep it you're going to want to call your friends."

Percy replied by pulling his headphones over his ears and tuning her out. Maybe that was true, but he still didn't think it was fair of her to expect him to abandon his entire life in one day.

"What are you going to tell everybody?" He finally asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Oh, I don't know," Sally said, her voice tired. "I'll figure something out."

Percy nodded, her evasiveness giving him a headache. "I think it's going to rain," he said, pointing at the encroaching storm clouds.

"Well, that's okay, these are the back roads so they'll probably be empty anyway." She looked quickly at Percy, trying to smile encouragingly. "Are you nervous?"

Percy shrugged. "Am I supposed to be? I don't really know what to expect, do I?" he asked pointedly.

Sally sighed. "I do happen to know that they're not going to make you start classes right away."

"They're not?" Percy asked, surprised.

"Of course not, sweetie. You're still in high school. They'll give you a couple of months to settle into your room."

Percy considered this. "Yeah, okay. But then what? I mean, are there just regular classes or something?"

"I think I should probably wait for them to explain that to you." Percy didn't reply.

"I'm sorry honey, really," Sally said, after a few minutes. "But everything I tell you puts you in danger."

Percy frowned. "And you can't even tell me who my father is?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry."

It took all of Percy's energy not to burst with fury. It was hard to believe that just that morning he'd been taking the SATS.

"There it goes," Sally said quietly, reacting to the sudden torrents of rain. Percy ignored her. "Honey, can you just check the back window every once in a while? It's hard to see through all this."

Percy obediently turned, checking to see if they could turn. "Your fine," he said, "There're like no other cars on the road."

Sally nodded, seeming relieved. "Alright, good."

"Hey mom, where is this place anyway?" Percy asked, noticing some signs indicative to their location.

"Oh, it's about another hour away," she said, "I can't tell you the exact location."

"Of course," Percy said, his voice vile with sarcasm.

"Honey, please," Sally said, "I'm just trying to protect you."

Percy grew quiet after that, doing his best not to think about everything that was going to come. He was still a bit surprised with himself for accepting all that he'd been told; it left him wondering if perhaps he'd always thought that something was different about him.

"There's a car," Percy announced absentmindedly.

"A car?" For some reason Sally sounded slightly panicked.

"Mhmm," Percy replied.

She stalled the car, her face pale against the evening sky. "Alright, I'll double back I think, head over on the other highway."

"What?" Percy said, exceedingly aggravated, "That's in the other direction!"

"Shh… not now Percy." She was biting down on her tongue, her eyes glued to the sight of the car in the rearview mirror. "Honey, see if you can get a look at the driver."

"What?" Percy replied, sufficiently annoyed.

"Percy!" Sally replied, trying to keep her eyes on the road, "Do you not understand how important this is?"

"Fine, sorry," Percy mumbled, spinning his head slightly. "Can't see him anyway."

Sally timed looking at him with slamming her foot on the gas pedal, the combination of which made Percy wince. "You're not just saying that, are you?" she said, her face taught with worry.

"No…" Percy said reluctantly, "Uh, is everything okay?"

She ignored him, thinking hard. "We'll go to the nearest gas station, you can go inside and go out on the other end. Run down the highway's sidewalk, I'm sure someone will pick you up before long."

"Pick me up? What, like hitchhiking?" Despite the gravity of the situation, Percy found himself grinning. It was one of those wild adventures that he and Rachel had always wanted to try.

Sally answered him vaguely, obviously focusing on speeding to the nearest Exxon. "Of course not. They're prepared for something like this." She stole another glance at her son. "It's almost never a safe journey."

"But," Percy began, doing his best to retain a fragment of common sense, "How will I know who to flag down?"

"Don't flag down anybody," Sally said, suddenly sounding both lucid and stern. "The right people will find you, don't worry." She grimaced. "You just have to run, okay baby? This – this could be dangerous."

She suddenly hit the brakes, causing Percy to jolt forward in his seat. "I love you Percy. I'll see you soon, okay?"

It took Percy a moment to realize that she was saying goodbye. "Wait, just like this?" he asked, slightly appalled. "I – I can't just run."

"Honey, you have to," his mother replied softly, reaching up to stroke his hair, "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine." Her intended comfort only made him long to stay with her in the dry, safe comfort of their car.

They let several seconds pass, enjoying the moment of relative peace. Finally, Percy drew a shaky breath and tossed his secondhand ipod next to her. "Keep it charged, okay?" He leaned over, giving her a hug, "I love you mom."

She smiled genuinely as he climbed from the car. "That's my boy."

"See you mom," Percy said, giving her a half-wave as he headed behind the gas station.

"Remember, don't stop running!" she called after him.

Percy's heart couldn't help but skip a beat as he heard the car start. There was nowhere else to go now; he had to figure this out alone. He obediently headed for the highway, doing his best to keep pace despite the downpour.

At first, it was kind of fun, like he was some fugitive heading for safety. However, the rain persisted and it wasn't long before Percy's sneakers were slick against the sidewalk. He stumbled several times, all the while trying not to lose energy or get too cold. The prospect that there were many ways he could die before reaching safety was certainly not encouraging.

Just as Percy was about to give up and pass out, a honking car sent his adrenaline into overdrive. But there was something about the rain and the haziness of the situation that caused Percy to stop, and stare at the car. Even if it meant his death, he knew that there was no way he could get anywhere by running.

His body froze exaggeratedly as the car's window was rolled down. "Hey, do you need a lift?"

A million thoughts whizzed through Percy's head, finally leading to mumbled acceptance. "Thanks," he said quietly, allowing the sudden increase in temperature to calm his panic. "I'm Percy."

He flinched involuntarily as the driver smiled. Obviously he was about to die or something. "Oh good, I almost thought I'd picked up the wrong person. Nice to meet you Percy, I'm Grover."