Hush
Prologue
Percy Jackson laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. With a long day ahead of him, he couldn't help but feel as if something was off.
While his ears could hear the birds singing their usual melody, it sounded so much clearer than before. As he sat on the side of his bed and went to yawn, no noise escaped his lips. He tried to say hello but he could only mouth the words.
Shaking his head. Percy stood up. Perhaps this was only happening to him. Maybe there was something wrong with his throat. But the moment he stepped outside, he realized how wrong he was.
Percy watched as everyone wandered the camp with dry eraser boards and markers in their hands. He even spotted a few people using sign language. It didn't take long for a marker and dry eraser board to be shoved into his hands by one of the teachers.
At first, Percy panicked. For him and many others, speaking was a part of life. It was a gift he was blessed with and for it to be taken away like this kind of hurt. But as the hours passed, it felt nice to hear the sounds of nature.
Not wanting to go to class, Percy headed out to his pier, where he sat on the edge. The smell of the fresh water, along with the waves giving off a light breeze, truly felt relaxing. It didn't take long for Annabeth and Grover to join him.
"This is weird," Grover wrote.
"Not really. Think of this as a challenge," Annabeth wrote back.
They turned to Percy, who didn't want to say a word. He knew if he didn't, they wouldn't leave him alone. So, he merely wrote one word, then showed it to the both of them.
"Peaceful," Percy replied.
Grover tilted his head while Annabeth nodded. She noticed Percy wasn't his eager self. He was more relaxed, as if he was almost one with nature. She was glad to see him like this. So she rose to her feet, pulling Grover up as well. Percy was about to follow them when Annabeth wrote something down.
"We are going to see if anyone needs help adjusting. We'll be back later."
Nodding, Percy turned back to the lake. The moment they were gone, he closed his eyes. The sounds of the lake felt nice on the ears. As the wind blew upon the lake, causing the ripples to strengthen. It didn't take long for a voice to echo through his mind.
"You enjoy the breeze of the lake and the sounds that it brings." the voice said.
"Who are you? Percy asked.
"No, it's too soon for names, but we will meet one of these days. Remember, this silence is a double-edge sword. speech even more so. For not everyone who loses this gift thinks like you." The voice said.
Opening his eyes, Percy rose to his feet. The voice was gone. His mind wondered who could that be and if they caused all of this. Shaking his head, Percy headed toward the main house. He needed to speak to Chiron about this. Percy hoped he could shed some light on this mystery.