Okay, so here's Chapter One! Please review! It means a lot, and if I don't get any reviews, then I might not write it because it no one reviews, how do I know anyone's reading it? So please review. ~Ali

Chapter One

I stand up by Zeus's throne on Olympus. Percy's funeral is today. Someone managed to get me into the dark gray halter dress that I'm wearing, and I honestly can't remember how I got here. All of the gods are standing by their thrones, wearing dark colors. His casket is sea green, the exact color of his eyes. The top is kind of clear, so I can see his face. He's smiling. He's wearing a clean white shirt and simple black pants. Riptide is in his right hand, which with the left is lying on his stomach.

All the gods are quiet, and most of the females cry quietly. Poseidon is crying, and Ares is trying not to, but I can see the steam coming up from behind his sunglasses. Even my mother is solemn, a lone tear track down her face.

Percy's smiling.

The world explodes around us, three of the nastiest giants appearing out of the smog. Someone screams, and I can't see anything. I can't feel Percy by my side anymore. Something is approaching on my left side, and I instinctively reach for my knife before I remember that I lost it down a Hyperborean giant's throat.

"Percy, where are you?" I whisper.

The thing is coming closer, and then it does something weird. It pulls its arm back as if to scratch its head. Too late, I see the spear flying towards me. Unable to move, I close my eyes and hope it ends quick.

"I love you Percy," I whisper one last time.

But the pain never comes.

Why is he smiling? He's dead. He shouldn't be smiling. He left me alone when he promised me he wouldn't. Just. Like. Luke. And now he's smiling, just like he used to when he made a joke and started laughing at himself.

The funeral starts, and I notice just about everyone from camp here now. Clarisse, Thalia, Nico, Rachel, Will Solace, Grover, and others that I can't name are here. Someone starts talking about something but I'm not paying attention. After a while our friends get up one by one and start talking about how he was such a good friend and that he will be missed. They all tear up, even Clarisse. Nico gets up next.

"Um, I just wanted to say how Percy always put everyone in front of himself, and it wasn't just his fatal flaw. He had such a big heart and he cared about everyone. Even up to his last moments he was taking others into consideration instead of himself. He saving more than one of us here, and if it weren't for him, many of us wouldn't be here today. I talked to my dad, and he gave me the permission to do this. I want to reassure all of you that he is in Elysium, and is waiting for two very special people to join him."

That does it. I start crying, and I hear a lot of other sniffles as well. I look up at the gods, who are still solemn and unemotional. Like they really care. They're immortal and have probably gone to more funerals than anyone else in the world. This is just a waste of their time and they will probably just go out and party when it's done. I mean, when one kid dies, they can just make another one. It's so sick.

I think about what Nico says some more, and for the first time, it hits me. I'm alone. He's gone. I start crying harder, and I can't take it anymore. I can't so this on my own.

I run out, pushing blindly past anyone in my way, not caring what they think. I bolt to the elevator and am out it at the bottom before the doors have opened all the way. Reaching in my pocket, a find something. A pair of car keys. Finding the right one, I jump in and start driving. I have no idea where I'm going or how long it will take me to get back. All I care about is getting away from my pain, searching for the numbness that I can't seem to grasp.

I drive and drive until the tears stop. When my eyes are finally dry, I look up and see that I'm somewhere in Tennessee. I have no idea how I didn't run out of gas, but I don't care. Searching around, I find some cash in the back and get a cheap hotel room. Right now, I don't want to ever go back to camp. Maybe someday, when I'm ready I'll go back. But not now. I climb into the crappy hotel bed and cry myself to sleep and hope the dream doesn't come.