The Forbidden Daughter | PJO Book One

six

"I'm sorry." Ariana noticed the sincerity in his voice.

"It's fine." It was the answer she gave to everyone when they asked her about her childhood, 'oh it's fine' or 'I don't really care'.

"You're pretty good with that knife," Percy said, changing the subject, speaking to Annabeth.

Ariana was glad as she wiped a few loose tears.

"You think so?"

"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me." Percy added.

Ariana couldn't really see, but she thought she might've smiled. Ariana shipped the pair already.

"You know," Annabeth laughed slightly," maybe I should tell you... Something funny back on the bus.."

Whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by a shrill toot toot toot, like the sound of an owl being tortured.

"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried. "If I could just remember a "find path" song, we could get out of these woods!"

He puffed out a few notes, but the tune still sounded suspiciously like Hilary Duff. Instead of finding a path, Percy immediately slammed into a tree and got a nice-size knot on his head.

After Percy tripping and cursing and generally feeling miserable for another mile or so, Ariana started to see light up ahead: the colours of a neon sign.

She could smell food. Fried, greasy, excellent food. She realised she hadn't eaten anything since they left at Half-Blood Hill, and even then they lived on grapes, bread, cheese and extra-lean-cut nymph-prepared barbecue.

"Have you ever tried a cheeseburger?" Percy asked. "You know since at camp they only serve healthy things."

Ariana smiled. "I have. The stoll brothers will give me some takeaway or candy now and again. Sometimes they leave camp to quickly get stuff."

They kept walking until they saw a deserted two-lane road through the trees. On the other side was a closed-down gas station, a tattered billboard for a 1990s movie and one open business, which was the source of the neon light and the good smell.

It wasn't a fast-food restaurant (like Percy had hoped). It was one of those weird roadside curio shops that sell lawn flamingos and wooden Indians and cement grizzly bears and stuff like that.

The main building was a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of statuary. The neon sign above the gate was impossible for Ariana to read, because if there's anything worse for her dyslexia than regular English, it's red cursive neon English.

To her, it looked like: ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROIUM.

"What the heck does that say?" Percy asked.

"I don't know." Annabeth said, trying to read the sign.

After a moment or so, Ariana figured it out. "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."

Grover nodded, he was the only one without dyslexia. "Yeah."

Flanking the entrance, as advertised, were two cement garden gnomes, ugly bearded little runts, smiling and waving, as if they were about to get their picture taken.

Annabeth and Percy both crossed the street, following the smell of the hamburgers.

"Hey..."Grover warned.

"The lights are on inside." Annabeth said. "Maybe it's open."

"Snack bar." Percy said wistfully.

"Snack bar." Annabeth agreed.