Legend Of Perseus: The Missing Bolt

~Chapter 14~

The next morning we got back walking until I spotted a deserted two-lane road through the trees. On the other side, there 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 enticing smell.

It wasn't a fast-food restaurant but one of those quirky roadside curio shops that sold lawn flamingos, wooden Indians, cement grizzly bears, and other oddities. The main building resembled a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of statuary. Above the gate, a neon sign written in red cursive neon English caught my eye. Great we arrived at Medusa's lair

"What does that sign say?" Clarisse asked.

"I'm not sure," Annabeth replied. She was an avid reader, but her dyslexia made it challenging.

I translated for them, "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."

"How can you read that?" Annabeth questioned. "Aren't you dyslexic?"

"I trained my mind a lot," I replied. Flanking the entrance, just as advertised, were two cement garden gnomes, ugly little bearded figures with smiles frozen on their faces, as if they were about to pose for a picture. We crossed the street, lured by the scent of hamburgers.

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

"Snack bar," Clarisse added with a longing look.

"Snack bar," Annabeth agreed.

"Are you both out of your minds?" I hissed. "We need to stay on guard. I suspect..." But they ignored my warning. The front lot was a forest of statues: marble animals, marble children, even a marble satyr playing the pipes.

"Don't knock," I ordered. I knew where we were, but I wasn't going to spell it out to them.. "I sense a monster."

"There are no monsters here," Annabeth reassured me. "All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"

"A little, but I'm not willing to risk our lives."

Then the door creaked open, revealing a tall Middle Eastern woman. She wore a long black gown that covered her entirely, with only her hands visible, and her head was veiled completely. Her eyes sparkled behind a curtain of black gauze, but that was all I could make out. Her hands appeared aged but well-kept and elegant, making me imagine she was once a beautiful woman who had aged gracefully. Her accent hinted at a Middle Eastern origin as well. She addressed us, "Children, it's too late to be out alone. Where are your parents?"

"They're... um..." Annabeth began.

"We're orphans," Clarisse blurted out.

"Orphans?" the woman repeated, the word sounding peculiar in her mouth. "But, my dear! Surely not!"

"We got separated from our caravan," Clarisse explained. "Our circus caravans. The ringmaster instructed us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Do we smell food?"

"Oh, my dears," the woman said, "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Please proceed straight through to the back of the warehouse. There's a dining area." We thanked her and entered.

Annabeth muttered to Clarisse, "Circus caravan?"

"Always have a strategy, right?" Annabeth sighed and rolled her eyes.

The warehouse was filled with numerous statues of people in various poses, outfits, and expressions. I was on high alert, surveying my surroundings. I noticed Aunt Em had locked the door behind us, which raised my suspicion.