𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 | ᵖᵉʳᶜʸ ʲᵃᶜᵏˢᵒⁿ

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵

Enid's gaze landed on Annabeth, who extended their tickets to the train conductor with a confused look. The conductor's eyes swept over the group of four. "You're in Cabin 17B?" he inquired, his voice carrying a hint of intrigue as he awaited their response.

Enid's eyes darted to Annabeth, seeking guidance before she hesitantly replied, "Yeah, that's us." Her voice wavered slightly, betraying a sense of uncertainty.

"Follow me, please," the conductor requested, gesturing for the group to accompany him as he led the way down the narrow aisle of the train car.

As they trailed behind the conductor, Enid leaned in close to her friends, her voice barely above a whisper but dripping with sarcasm. "This is just like being escorted to the royal chambers," she remarked dryly, a wry smirk playing on her lips as she added a touch of levity to the moment.

Annabeth looked at Enid with a mixture of resignation and affection, like a seasoned parent accustomed to their child's antics. The conductor led them to their cabin, and as they looked, they noticed that the window was broken and their belongings were in disarray. "You wanna explain?"

"Wait. Wait, you think we did this?" Percy questioned, his voice tinged with disbelief as he surveyed the chaotic scene before them.

"Did you?" the conductor inquired, his tone neutral yet probing.

"I mean... How? And why?" Percy responded, his voice betraying a mix of confusion and incredulity.

"Sir, when we left to get breakfast, everything was intact," Grover explained to the conductor, his tone earnest as he conveyed their confusion and concern about the state of their cabin. "We don't know how this happened."

"We got a waitress here, says she heard the window smash, and then heard children's voices," the conductor relayed, his expression serious as he shared the witness account.

"Oh, come on," Percy muttered in disbelief, unable to fathom how their innocent breakfast outing could have led to such chaos.

"Can you tell me what time you left the cabin?" the conductor asked, his tone firm as he scrutinized the group.

Enid, her usual confidence shaken, glanced at her friends before nervously giving a last look to Annabeth.

Annabeth noticed Enid's unease and decided to step in. With a hint of attitude, she addressed the conductor, "Are we under arrest?"

"I don't think you wanna take that tone with me, little girl," the conductor replied, his voice stern and unyielding.

Annabeth glared at him, her eyes flashing with defiance. "Are we under arrest?" she repeated, her tone carrying even more attitude than before.

After that, the conductor told the group to wait and go back down the narrow aisle to their seats. As they settled back in, the tension was palpable.
Percy slumped into his seat with a frustrated sigh. Grover glanced around nervously, his eyes darting from one friend to another, while Annabeth kept her eyes fixed forward, her jaw set in determination. Enid crossed her arms as she sat next to Percy.

"So we're just killing time 'til we find out that guy's a werewolf or something, right?" Percy whispered to his friends.

Enid shot a sharp glare at the policewoman keeping an eye on them, her irritation evident. "I don't think he's a monster."

"Hard to say." Grover muttered.

"Well, if he's not a monstre, what's going on here?" Percy asked, his tone laced with curiosity and suspicion. "Why would anyone tear our room apart?"

"Maybe they were looking for something." Grover suggested, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"We don't have anything," Percy frowned.