Am I paralyzed? Was the first thing I thought when I landing on my back. I felt like I couldn't move a single inch. Maybe I'll have to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. What will Grover and Nico think? What about Thalia? Will my mom finally leave Gabe after this? Suddenly I heard the sound of my mom's car outside, she was carrying groceries. Gabe realized it too, and hurried down towards me. He didn't exactly say "Are you ok" or "We'll get you to the hospital as soon as we can." He said something a little more like this.

"You better say that you fell down the stairs on your own, or next time will be a whole lot worse." Worse than being paralyzed! What's worse than that?"

I heard my mom walk in. Oh no, she's going to be horrified. She saw me lying on the ground with Gabe kneeling next to me. Her motherly instincts took over and she dropped everything to rush towards me.

"Gabe! What happened?!"

"Oh, Sally. It was horrible! I told Percy to be careful when he walked up the stairs, but he didn't listen and he slipped. He fell backwards and landed on his back really hard." Gabe put on his best fake grieving voice. I would have given him a round of applause, except I couldn't move my arms.

"We need to get him to the hospital. Gabe, grab your keys! I'll carry him to the car. Percy, honey, are you okay?"

"I-I can't move." I tried to be strong for her, but she had tears forming in her eyes.

"Percy, it's going to be okay." She sniffled and began to pick me up and carry me to the car. When we got there the doctor had to crack my spine back into place. He said I was going to be okay, but I was going to be really sore for the next few days. He suggested that I didn't run at all or walk too much. He tried to get me to use the wheelchair, but I refused. The last thing I need was more attention. He told me to take pain medication and go to weekly chiropractic appointments. Which Gabe didn't seem too happy about, considering he had to spend his gambling money, serves him right.

Gabe first started to abuse me over this past summer. That's why I would try my best to stay away from home and go to the beach. It was mostly pushing me around roughly everywhere when my mom wasn't home. I wanted to tell her about it, but Gabe threatened that he would hurt her if I said anything. So I stayed quiet. This was the first time he's ever done something like this. I was afraid of him the most. Not Annabeth, not school, not Thalia when she was mad. Those things would only go so far, but I'm afraid that my stepfather has no limits, especially when he gets drunk.

I got home and my mom helped me up the stairs this time. I told her that I definitely would not need her help showering. Before I got in, I grabbed the knife that I hid under my mattress.

I started cutting when Nico showed me how to do it last year. He told me that sometimes, it helps you forget about your problems. I agreed that he was right. It made me forget, for a little while. I held the knife in my right hand. What bad things happened today? Let's see, well, I almost became paralyzed. I slashed once on my wrist. I felt blood oozing out of the cut. I had to meet Annabeth. I slashed again, and then I wondered if meeting her was such a bad thing. I guess it was at the moment. I got beat up by my cousin in front of the entire school. Another slash. Finally, I have to deal with this all over again tomorrow. Four cuts, four bad things had happened to me today, and I'll remember them for a while. Once the wounds would heal though, it felt like I was healing. Sure, they would leave scars, but they were healed. I got in the shower and rinsed off the blood from my left arm.