The fluidity of the sea and its people (Khr X Pjo)

chapter 4

"Thank you for your purchase, have a great day sir" Sally said with a forced smile, exhausted from all the people. She let out a sigh of relief as the man finally left.

"Long shift huh?" Jack, the store shelf stocker asked. Sally looked towards her left where Jack was giving the store counter one last wipe. Sally gave him a tired look, "yep" she replied with a sigh, while doing the floors one last sweep.

Jack was an employee since the store first opened, and has been ever since than. He befriended Sally a week after she first got the job, claiming, since her last name of Jackson was quite close to his name of Jack, he would look out for her.

Sally would always be eternally grateful for the older man's help, especially when he would give Sally the silent comfort she needed when days with Gabe got too stressful and hard.

Sally grimaced while stretching her arms behind her head, groaning with relief as the muscles loosened as she relaxed.

Sally looked at the clock, 4:01, "time to leave" Sally remarked as she left the store. Sally had to close yesterday, so today was Jack's turn to close up.

The street's were filled with honking horns and desperate footsteps of people running to their destinations, trying not to be late. The fumes of the city danced around her, with tourists gagging at the stench of the nearby dumpsters. The chilly air nibbled at parts of her arm not covered by her worn cardigan.

While walking back, Sally found her thoughts drifting back to the man who came to the store asking for directions. Sally's expression softened, thinking about how much the man cared for his son. How much blatant adoration and love he had for him.

Sally could almost imagine the same scene but with Poseidon instead of the Asian man, cradling Percy while whispering small, but precious promises of love.

Sally blinked. When had her thoughts shifted so drastically? She let out a small giggle and shook her head, no Sally's currently life was as perfect as it was going to get, especially with Gabe out of the picture.

Gabe, Sally shuddered.

Sally knew he had to go, and would never let that monster near her child again.

But what would she do now? Sally gave Percy a brave face, but she herself didn't know what to do. Unlike Percy (for now at least), Sally knew she only had a matter of hours to figure out a new plan.

Sally continued contemplating this, while walking down the New York sidewalk.

Ever since she was young, Sally noticed things no one else seemed to, like little winged. creatures playing in the nearby ponds, and strange one-eyed men going to the local burger chains.

But the one oddity about her that stood out the most was the way she could see people.

If she really focused on a person, Sally could sense a sort of aura on a person. It allowed her to get a feel for what kind of person they truly were.

It was only recently, thanks to Poseidon, that Sally was able to put a title to her peculiar ability, being clear sighted, a quite gifted one at that.

Sally sometimes thought of it peering into someone's soul.

Jack had the aura of a kind person, like a warm apple cider during a snowstorm.

Meanwhile, Gabe had the presences of a fruit that had ripened too much to the point that it rotted. The history lover in her would compare it to old European nobles, trying to hide their filthy smell with layers of perfume.

Although at first Sally wished to believe the hint of rot from Gabe was her imagination, she soon discovered it was the sickly-sweet aura that was fake. And not the layers upon layers of disgusting rot that Gabe wore like a second skin.