Supernatural ~ Percy Jackson

VII

PERCY POV

The rain kept coming down.

We got restless waiting for the bus and decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Annabeth was unbelievable, but Margaret was the best. I definitely would have thought she played soccer and not sword-fighting. 

I wasn't too bad myself.

The game ended when I tossed the apple toward Grover and it got too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, our Hacky Sack disappeared— core, stem, and all.

Grover blushed. He tried to apologize, but we were all too busy cracking up.

Me and Margaret hadn't made up yet, but the atmosphere felt less tense with Grover and Annabeth.

Finally, the bus came. As we stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favorite school cafeteria delicacy —enchiladas.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said tensely. "Maybe it's nothing."

Margaret began looking over her shoulder with us, "No, it's something."

The first thing we had agreed on in a while. I started looking over my shoulder constantly.

I was relieved when we finally got on board and found seats together in the back of the bus. We stowed our backpacks.

Margaret and Grover sat together with me and Annabeth on the other side.

Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh.

As the last passengers got on, Annabeth clamped her hand onto my knee. "Percy."

An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless orange-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered, and my heart skipped a beat.

It was Mrs. Dodds. Older, more withered, but with the same evil face.

I scrunched down in my seat.

Margaret POV

"Who is that?" My eyes were looking where Percy's and Annabeth's fell on three old women. The sight of them sent chills down my spine.

"My math teacher." Percy looked uncomfortable.

The bus pulled out of the station, and we headed towards New Jersey, "She didn't stay dead long," Percy's voice quivered sharply. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime." 

He looked to Annabeth for the answer.

"I said if you're lucky," Annabeth said. "You're not."

"All three of them," Grover whimpered. "Di immortales!"

"Okay, we need an exit. Start looking for open windows or... um, maybe an emergency door?" I was aware of how unsure I sounded. However, everyone began frantically looking around.

"They don't open," Grover moaned.

"And there is no back exit." Annabeth groaned in frustration and panic.

By the time we began accepting, there was no way out, we were almost to the Lincoln Tunnel.

"They won't attack us with witnesses around," Percy asked. "Will they?"

"Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth reminded him. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."

"They'll see three old ladies killing us, won't they?" Despite the frustration and situation we were in, I snickered at his... joke. If that's what you will call it.