8:30 PM, 2006, Montauk Beach

Small waves washed up onto the sandy pearls of the beach. Seashells glittered along the shoreline and the moon's light reflected off the surface of the water. A breeze went by a boy, whom was standing in the sea. The mixing of the waves and the sand caused the boy to squirm his feet at the new sensations of the wet sand. The boy, no older than 10, was now crouched down. He was looking for a seashell, a beautiful and complete one. The stars shone brightly overhead and a light tint was present among them, indicating light clouds. The boy groaned silently in annoyance as the waves wouldn't bring up any good seashells. He didn't want to settle with a near perfect one, no, he wanted the most perfect one he can lay his hands on. Seconds passed, then minutes, before he found it.

A seashell, no larger than the boy's fist, was staring back at the boy with shining eyes. Sea-green eyes, one that match the color of the sea at certain times. The boy quickly plucked up the seashell, holding it in his hands with awe. He rubbed his fingers on the rough surface, as if checking if it was real or not. It was a beautiful seashell, looking as if it had come from the shell of a very large hermit crab.

"Mom! I found one!" The boy grinned, standing up and running back into the beach where a woman sat. The woman was beautiful in the moonlight, making her seem much younger than she actually was. Brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and brown eyes laid upon the boy running up to her.

"Percy!" She laughed, "What did you find?" The boy, Percy, grinned even bigger than before. In the boy's eyes, the most perfect woman in the whole world was Sally Jackson, who just happened to be his mother.

"Look!" He held the seashell up to her nose, "I found a seashell for you!"

"You didn't need to get me one, Percy." She said softly, although pleased her boy gave her one.

"I wanted to, Mom! Look," He pushed the seashell even closer to her, if that was even possible, "I found a perfect seashell."

She studied it for a second, "It indeed is perfect Percy. And beautiful too. Just like you." She pulled him closer, causing him to squeal, before kissing his forehead.

"Mom!" The boy protested, straining out the 'm' in the end. But he was still smiling. The mom eventually pulled away, much to the dismay of the boy.

"Look up at the stars Percy." He obeyed. "Remember all the stories I told you?"

"Of course! Like Hercules!" His eyes gleamed and she raised an amused smile.

"Yes, of course like Hercules. Now, do you remember what hero I named you after?"

"Perseus!" The boy said proudly, puffing out his chest.

"Yes, Percy. Do you want to know why?"

"Because he skated Medusa!" The boy said, completely unaware of her shaking her head at his response.

"No, Percy. Do you know how his life ended? He was one of the only heroes to have a happy ending. Not even the mighty Hercules could escape his bad luck forever," The boy frowned, "But Perseus did find good luck. He got to live happily ever after in the end, and I want the same for you."

"Don't worry Mom!" The boy laughed, "I will get a happy ending! I'll do it for you!" The boy hugged his mom, who was struggling to keep in her laughter. She looked up at the constellations for a second, seeing Orion with his dogs running across the sky. Her attention turned back to Percy as she noticed his eyes dropping slightly.

"It's getting late Percy, let's head back to the cabin. Help me pick up this blanket." She stood up, still holding his hand, and they both started to pick up the blanket.

'Make sure to shake off the sand, Percy. We don't want that in the cabin, don't we?' His mom always chastised him, reminding him to do so. He didn't forget this time and immediately begun shaking the blanket. His mom was unprepared for the shaking as she didn't think he will remember as he kept forgetting that, but she laughed in the end and helped him. Eventually they stopped and wrapped up the blanket before making the trek back to the cabin.

Percy's eyes drifted back over to the sea, "Mom, why did dad leave?" He sounded pained.

"He didn't want to leave Percy. But he got lost in the sea. He was a wonderful man, strong, caring, everything you see in a perfect person." She said wistfully, but Percy's night was ruined as anger started bubbling in his chest.

"Why did you marry Gabe?" He growled, refusing to make eye contact with her and instead glaring at the sea as if his dad would come back immediately and they could live a life together, happily.

"Percy, you're getting tired. Lets get you to bed." She avoided the question, instead pushing Percy over to the cabin. She unlocked the door and Percy immediately ran to sit on the coach once the door was opened.

"No no Percy. Bedtime, no TV." She told him, closing the door and walking over to stand in front of the TV.

"But Mom! I'm not sleepy!" He was lying, and his mom knew it. Why'd she have to know when I'm sleepy?

"Yes you are Percy, now head back to your room," He opened his mouth to protest but his mom continued, "Yes, Percy. You already ate dinner. If you want to grow to to be strong like Hercules, you need sleep. Not even he could have done all of what he did without it."

Percy groaned, before sluggishly walking into his small room and plopping himself under the covers. His mom joined him in his room, tucking him in, and kissing him goodnight.

"I love you," she muttered and he nodded before closing his eyes to Hypnos.

2:00 AM, 2006, The Cabin

A loud bang exploded around the cabin. The sleeping boy immediately jumped up from his dreamless sleep, his head spinning around trying to find the location of the bang. Before he could, the door to his room opened and a very distressed Sally ran into it and closed the door.

"Percy!" She forcefully whispered, completely putting him on high alert. What was happening?

"Mom?" He whispered back, staring into her brown eyes that held so much fear in them. He hasn't seen her like this, well, since a couple weeks back when Gabe was getting heated about losing a high stake poker game. She told him to go to his room before Gabe could get up and he did, shutting the door behind him. He remembered hearing a clash of glass and something else, and a whimper. He didn't know if that was from him or his mother and he couldn't decide before another glass bottle hit something. He cried himself to sleep that night, being more scared than he had ever been in his entire life.

"Percy," her mom jarred him from his thoughts, "Go hide under your bed, you'll see a hatch under it, go in it."

He looked incredulous at his mother, "What about you?"

"I'll follow you in, just go."

"Not without you first."

"GO!" She almost yelled out. By now Percy could see tears streaming down her cheeks. He went out to touch them but his mom grabbed his wrist. She pulled him up to her chest and was whispering so swiftly that he couldn't heart anything.

"I love you Percy, just remember that."

"What do you mean? You're coming too right?" He whimpered back, tears now streaming down his cheeks too.

"Yes." She said after a while. "Just go quickly."

He nodded, pulled away from her, and went under the bed. He tried to feel around for a latch but he kept wiping his face because the tears were starting to blind his vision. Another loud bang and he sped up his efforts. Eventually he found the latch and pulled up with all his might. A small door opened, only big enough to fit a small person in. He started to make his way in before something happened.

BANGGGGG!

This was louder than the other ones and he heard the door to his room opening too. He froze and turned back to his mom. She caught his gaze and a silent message went to him that only meant 'Stay quiet.'

But quickly, before he could react, a man entered his eyesight. Black boots, that's the only thing he could see, approached his mother swiftly. She tried to grab for anything in her pockets before pulling out the seashell he gave her.

Percy's eyes were wide as his mother started screaming, collapsing on the ground and clutching her stomach with one hand and the seashell with the other. No! That was Percy's only thoughts as more tears streamed down his face. He tried opening his mouth but found no voice in it. The man with black boots stood over his mother and pulled out a knife.

Sally Jackson looked at her son with one final, stern look that only meant Get in the hatch, now! Percy understood luckily and he disappeared down the hatch. She smiled wistfully, trying to think about all the good memories she ever had. Poseidon, meeting Poseidon was the first memory she had. Percy. He was the second and the last as a second knife hit her back, this time entering her heart.

She collapsed completely on the ground, her eyes gazing upon the eyes of the intruder. That was the last sight she had as she closed her eyes.

Golden. The eyes were golden.