My mother teaches me bullfighting
We tore trough the night alonf dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camero. Rain lashed the windshield. I didn't know how my mom could see anything, but she kept her foot on the gas. Every time there was flash on lighting, I looked at Grover sitting next to me in the backseat and I wondered if I'd gone insane, or if he was wearing some kind of shag-carpet pants. But, no the smell was one I remembered from kindergarten field trips to thr prtting zoo-lanolin, like from wool. The smell of a wet barnyard animal.
- Wow, thank you so much for this wonderful write-up. - Grover says mockingly
All I could think to say was. - So, you and my mum, know each other?
- Somehow it sounds like you had something else in mind.. - Thalia says with a raised eyebrow.
I don't know, it was just strange that mom wasn't shocked. - says Ariel.
Grover's eyes flitted to the rearview mirror, though there were no cars behind us. - Not exactly. I mean, we're never met in person. But she knew I was watching you. - He says.
- Watching me?
- Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend. I am your friend.
- This sounds worse and worse. - Hermes says laughing.
- Uhm... what are you exactly?
- That doesn't matter right now.
- It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my best firend i a donkey-..
Grover let out a sharp, throaty - Blaa-ha-ha!
I'd heard him make that sound before, but I'd always assumed it was a nervous laugh. Now I realized it was more of an irritated bleat.
- Goat! - he cried.
- This whole situation is getting more and more chaotic. But I love it! - Nico says laughing.
- What?
- I'm a goat from the waist down.
- You just said it didn't matter.
- Blaa-ha-ha! There are satyrs who would trample you under hoof for such an insult!
- Whoah. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like.. Mr. Brunner's myths?
-Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a myth, Ariel? Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?
- So you admit there was a Mrs. Dodds!
- Of course.
- Grover, you shouldn't have told her then, you'll just confuse her more. - Annabeth says, as Grover just looks at her sheepishy.
- Then why-...
- The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract, - Grover said, like that should be perfectly obvious. - We put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd think the Kindly One was a hallucination. But it was no good. You started to realize who you are.
- Why couldn't she know she was a demigod? Everyone seems to be trying to hide this from her. - Zeus asks.
- Everything is explained in the following sections. But the point is that it is dangerous to be the children of three brothers.- Ariel says, to which Thalia and Nico nod in agreement.
Amphitrite and Triton look at Ariel sympathetically knowing what's wrong.
Poseidon looks at his daughter worriedly. Zeus and Hades look at each other bewildered.
Hermes, Apollo and Ares are ready to protect Ariel.. and increasingly misunderstand their feelings.
- Who I - wait a minute, what do you mean?
The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. Whatever was chasing us was still on our trail.
- Ariel. - my mom said. - There's too much to explin and not enough time. We have to get you to safety.
- Safety from what? Who's after me?
- Oh, nobody much. - Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment. - Just the Lord of the Dead a few of his blood-thirstiest minions.
- Grover! - Thalia and Annabeth shout at the same time.
- Hades! - Poseidon stood up angrily and looked accusingly at his brother.
Hades sits in shock as he squeezes his wife's hand. He can't belive he attacked the little girl.
- Why did Hades attack Poseidon's daughter who didn't know anything about us then? - Artemis asks in shock.
- We really can't say anything now. But it will make sense why he does it. - says Ariel.
The gods look at Ariel like she's crazy.
- Grover!
- Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?
-I love that everyone is listening to Mama Jackson. - Clarisse says with a laugh.
- Yes, she even fights with our fathers. - Thalia says.
Zeus looks at his daughter in shock and so do the other gods. Woman laugh at this.
I tired to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I couldn't do it. I knew this wasn't a dream. I had no imagination. I could never dream up something this weird.
My mom made a hard left. We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket fences.
- Where are we going? - I asked.
- The summer camp I told you about. - My mom's voice was tight, she was trying for my sake not to be scared. - The place your father wanted to send you.
- The place you didn't want me to go.
- You are a stubborn girl, aren't you? - Hermes asks with a wide smile.
- You have no idea how much. - says Ariel, blushing slightly.
- Please dear. - my mother begged. - This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in danger.
-Because some old ladies cut yarn.
It just getting worse. - Aphrodite said worriedly.
- Those weren't old ladies. - Grover said. - Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means- the fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you're about to.. when someone's about to die.
- Whoah. You said "you".
- No I didn't. I said "someone".
- You mean "you". As in me.
- I meant you, like "someone". Not you, you.
- Kids! - my mom said.
- Did you guys really fight about this on the road? - Annabeth asks in shock.
- Yes. - Grover says with a slight blush.
She pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she'd swerved to avoid- a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.
