𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 | ᵖᵉʳᶜʸ ʲᵃᶜᵏˢᵒⁿ

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦

She looks at Percy. "Your father. The Sea God told me that he loved me. I felt as though he saw me in a way i had never felt seen before. But the Athena declared that i had embarrassed her and i needed to be punished. Not him. Me. She decided that i would never be seen again by anyone who whould live to tell the tale."

"That isn't what happened." Annabeth gets defensive, crossing her arms over her chest. "My mother is just, always."

"The gods want you to believe that, that they are infallible. But they only want what all bullies want. They want us to blame ourselves for their own shortcomings."

"That is not what happened. And you are a liar."

"Something's burning," Medusa sighed as she got up, looking at Percy. "Would you give me a hand in the kitchen? I think lunch is ready."

Percy glanced at his friends, wondering if he should go or not. Annabeth shook her head, signaling to him that it wasn't a good idea. But Percy didn't listen to her. He got up from his chair and followed Medusa into the kitchen. Enid and Grover continued to devour and drink everything on the table.

"Damn, I think I'm in love with those chocolate bars," Enid said with her mouth full as she devoured all the chocolate bars on the table.

"Guys," Annabeth interjected, catching their attention, causing them to stop eating and move. "Get ready to run."

"Aww, is it time to leave already? I only ate three cereal bars," Enid complained like a five-year-old with her mouth full.

Annabeth shook her head in despair. Grover stood up, wiping his hands on his jacket, his eyes reflecting concern. Enid took a sip of water before getting up too, her playful demeanor masking the worry in her eyes. Annabeth reached out and took her hand, pulling her next to her, a subtle gesture of comfort and protection. "I hope next time you listen to me."

"Relax, Annie," Enid chuckled nervously, her fingers fidgeting with the pink macaron as she tried to lighten the mood. "We're still alive."

Suddenly, Percy rushed into the dining room, his eyes wide with urgency as he put his finger to his mouth to signal them to be quiet, his gaze briefly meeting Annabeth's before turning to Enid, a hint of concern lingering in his expression. With a swift motion of his hand, he urged them to move quickly. Percy handed Grover the shoes Luke had given him, instructing him to slip them over his hooves.

The four of them huddled together in the basement, seeking refuge in the dark corner, their hearts pounding with fear and anticipation. The basement door groaned open with an eerie creak, the sound sending shivers down their spines. As they descended the stairs, flames erupted, casting an ominous glow that illuminated the torches scattered around the basement.

Percy's breath caught in his throat as he came face to face with a statue, its frozen gaze sending a chill down his spine. Enid's eyes widened as she realized the entire basement was filled with them, each one more haunting than the last.

As the heavy door sealed shut, Annabeth instinctively seized her friends' arms, propelling them forward with urgency. "Come on," she urged, her voice a mix of determination and fear.

Together, they raced through the dimly lit chamber, the eerie shadows of the statues looming ominously around them, each frozen figure seemingly watching their every move with silent judgment.