found Percy outside an apartment petting a large dog, and when I say large I mean, compared to Percy it was gigantic to give you an idea it could be able to stand up on it's hind legs and rest it paws on his shoulders and it's head on top of his. It had a pure white coat and I could tell that it was a wolf hybrid.

Percy saw me and stood up, the dog stood protectively at his side, "Can I help you." he said bitterly, I didn't exactly think through what i was going to say to him, I nodded at the large animal " Is he yours?"

The dog got up and began lumbering down a alley, "Not really." said Percy, we stood there for a couple seconds, snow started to fall. "I need to get going." he began backing up toward the apartment. "You don't need to go in there." I blurted out

Percy, face went pale and his eye slightly widened, " What do you know."

"Enough, I can help you."

"I can handle myself." he began walking away, I flashed in front of him

"Knock it off." He growled going around me

"Why stay here Perseus," I called after him " You just leave and stay at camp, and have this whole thing can be over."

"I can't." he said, I flashed in front of him again

"Why not?" I said

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because of my mom."

I looked stared him, "Where is your mother Percy?"

He rubbed his hands together, "I don't know, but she promised she'd come back, and I can't forgive myself if she comes back and I'm not there."

I stepped to the side to let him pass, Percy looked up at me

"You can't tell them, Luke, Nico, Annabeth, and Thalia can't know anything about this."

I nodded

"Swear?" he said

"I swear."

I watched at Percy climb up the emergency ladder and through a window, I leaned against the wall wonder if I made the correct decision.

I jumped and retracted my hand when I felt something wet touch it, I looked down found the wolf dog from before, giving me a sad look. I knelt and looked at the red bandana hanging around his neck, on the edge of it the name "Jackel" was printed on it. I scratched him behind the ear and began counting.

[Percy Pov]

I dropped my backpack on the ground and took off my hoodie, I ran my hand through my hair ready to drop on to my bed, and sleep forever. Literally.

The door flung open and I felt annoy as I whipped around, "Out here." Gabe commanded

I walked pasted him, guarding my face with my hands, I stood in my usual spot in the middle of the living room. Gabe held $30 dollars out in front of him, "What is this?" he said

"Rent." I mumbled

"Rent?" He repeated "I thought last time we talked we agreed on 50 per week."

I paled, I don't even remember that, "Where's the rest?" he stepped closer to me, I backed up and shrugged.

"You don't know?" he cornered me between kitchen counter and his body.

Gabe suddenly raised his hand, and I was on the floor, my cheek throbbed, Gabe grabbed my hair and pulled me up. The air was knocked out of me when Gabe knee hit my stomach. It pained me to think that I was able to to take on monster or after monster, but I wasn't able to take on Gabe. He was just too big.

"Maybe I can knock the memory into you." he growled

My face suddenly met the hard granite counter top, the world spun and a metallic taste filled my mouth, making me feel sick, I didn't want to swallow so I turned my head and let it drip out of my mouth.

Gabe grunted in disgusted " Can't your body fluids inside yourself just once can you, your fucking disgrace."

I turned my head to look at him, "I'm the disgrace, have you seen yourself, your sad fat excuse for a man, you just lazy around here all day. You have no friends at all, your own family probably abandoned you. If it wasn't for my mother, you won't be even able to survive a single day.

"Now why would you say that?" said the voice in my head

Gabe roared in anger, his face was purple as his meaty hands enclosed around my throat, the air left me, ever now again I felt my head crash against the floor, I struggled to look at Gabe, his beady pig like eyes were filled with fire, he was yelling. My head was buzzing so much that I couldn't hear him. I tried reading his lips, "Stop smiling." he was saying

Smiling?

Was I?

I was, and I think I was laughing a bit too. I stared at Gabe's face, I was dazed and clinging to the last bit of air in my lungs. Suddenly Gabe's head flicked upward, he grabbed his face and howled in pain. I saw my chance, I crawled out from underneath, him. I coughed and wheezed has the stale apartment air filled my lungs. I have to get out

I pulled myself up using the wall as my aid, and looked at Gabe, he was still hold his face.

"That's the second time..." he panted

"First the knife coming fly across the room, then the mirror." he said " It's all YOU...your.. your a monster...a DEMON!"

There's that goddamn word again, and he's really calling me the monster?

I rubbed my twitching eye as I scanned my environment looking for a exit, our kitchen was just a half kitchen. To my left there was the granite counter top and Gabe's fatty body, between the two was was a slight gap, if I was fast enough, I could slip between them and bolt to the front door, I thought about Gabe catching me, knocking me into the counter, and the corner slamming into my ribs, and shuttered. To my right was a sliding door that led outside to a balcony, with no fire escape on it. Unless Manhattan suddenly decided to flood, there was no way I was able to survive a 6 story drop, just before the sliding door, right next to Gabe was the phone. I have to get it.

Gabe caught me eyeing the phone, " What are you look at?" he took the phone of the hook, "This?" he tossed it to me "Go ahead."

I turned the phone on and Gabe continued to talk, "But of course it will take time for them to get her by the time they get here, I'll make sure this whole apartment is up in smoke, and even if you do survive you'll probably get placed it a home with other freaks like you, never to see your she-beast mother again."

I hung up the phone and let it drop to the floor, when I looked up again Gabe was in front of me "Just as I thought." again he forced me onto the floor, he forced my left arm to extend and pinned it down. Something in his hand caught my eye, he held it up so I could see it. "Remember this?" he smiled as he spun the knife between his finger "same one you use you voodoo powers on."

He moved the knife to my pinned arm, I felt the tip of the blade touch my wrist, slowly more and more the pressure increased until sharp agonizing pain was being dragged down my wrist. I let out a yell, and Gabe's elbow hit my cheek. The pain seemed to go on for hours and hours, the blade crave deeply into my flesh, it dragged in all different directions up my arm till it reached the inner part of my elbow. He finally released my arm, my finger touch a pool of warm liquid. I felt sick, I watch the ceiling spin above me. Gabe started on my other arm, the cut was much deeper this time. My whole body went numb, "Just let it happen." said the voice

I closed my eyes, I was tired.

The became suddenly very hot, like I was stand near a fire, Gabe's weight lifted off me. I heard him scream blood murder, his screams became chokes. My stomach churned, his screams became watery, next I heard the strange sound, of liquid splattering against the floor, I felt a couple drops hit my face, I shivered I closed my eyes even tighter. There was a heavy thump, and then foot steps.

I shivered, someone or something thing touched me, I drowsy feeling washed over me, and the pain didn't seem to hurt as much any more.