daylight | percy jackson

running away from the orphanage

Percy, who had been watching with a mixture of concern and fascination, couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes. "That was..incredible." 

Aria, now able to stand on her own, flashed him a grateful smile. "Thanks. Perks of being a child of Apollo."

As the group made their way back to the peculiar diner, the forest seemed to thicken around them. Grover, ever attuned to the natural world, couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. 'Guys, I don't like this. There's something off about this place," he whispered, his eyes darting nervously between the trees.

Percy clapped a reassuring hand on Grover's shoulder. "Come on, it's just a diner. What could go wrong?"

Despite his apprehensions, Grover was gently ushered inside by his companions. The moment the door swung open, a chime echoed through the air. The interior was surprisingly quaint, adorned with mismatched chairs and tables. A warm, homely aroma wafted from the kitchen, promising a comforting meal.

In the corner of the room, Grover's eyes widened as he spotted a small statue of someone who Aria guessed he recognised.

"Guys, there's something seriously weird about this place. We shouldn't–"

Before he could finish his sentence, the door creaked open. A mysterious figure, clad in a long black veil, stood by the entrance. The air in the diner seemed to still as all eyes turned toward the enigmatic owner.

"Children," she said, her voice silky and smooth, "It is far too late to be out all by yourselves. Where are your parents?"

"Dead," Aria said.

"Six feet under?" Grover chimed in.

"Buried," Annabeth continued.

"We, uh, ran away from the orphanage. Didn't like the soup they were feeding us," Percy concluded.

"Yep. Lot's of sadness. And soup," Aria said.

"Orphans?" the woman exclaimed. "Oh you poor sweethearts!"

Aria faked some tears and acted out a sniffle. "It was really hard losing our families, but the one thing that made us feel better was food. And on that topic is that food I smell?"

"Oh yes yes, you must come in, poor children. My name is Aunty Em. Head straight to the back of the warehouse where there is a dining area."

They gratefully flashed their nicest orphan smiles at the lady and headed inside.

"Soup? Really?" Aria whispered to Percy.

"I was under pressure!" Percy defended.

Walking through the warehouse was like walking through the terracotta warriors. Statues of people in all different kinds of poses filled the room, and Aria couldn't shake the weirdness of the whole thing. Gnome Emporiums were creepy.

"Sit down my darlings," Aunty Em said.

"Don't need to ask me twice," Percy exclaimed, already rolling up his sleeves as if he was about to dig into a five course meal.

"Excuse me ma'am," Grover said, "we don't have any money."

"No worries children. This is a special case. A free treat for you little bundle of joys."

"Thank you," Annabeth said.

Aunty Em's expression momentarily soured as she shot a distasteful look in Annabeth's direction. However, the transient disapproval was swiftly dismissed, and Aunty Em regained her composure.

"Of course, Annabeth." Aunty Em replied, her tone now affable. "You have such gorgeous grey eyes my dear."

Annabeth, momentarily surprised by the unexpected comment, managed a nod of acknowledgment. In a swift motion, Aunty Em disappeared behind the dirty counter and brought back plastic trays filled to the brim with cheeseburgers, fries, and shakes.