The Daughter of Artemis ψ Percy Jackson

Ch. 3: What The Hell Is Going On?!

     "No! No, no. It's fine! Really," She waved me aside, walking around me. "I've got it! I'll jus' close t'is door," she pulled on the sliding door that separated the kitchen from the front room and slid it so only her head was showing, "an' get the door, ye stay here." Then, she quickly closed the door before I could protest. 

     I opened and shut my mouth in surprise. What was she hiding from me? I tiptoed over to the door and pressed my ear to the crack. Maybe she had a secret boyfriend. I think anything other than that would be rude to leave me hanging on the explanation of this weird, magic locket.

      Sitting in the closed off kitchen, I imagined Cherrie making her way to the door. She didn't want me to be seen, and while it made me feel a bit anxious, I felt it was best to stay put and respect her wishes... no matter how odd.

     I listened as Cherrie answered the door. "Ye can't be here. It's in'erference!" She muttered.

     "Interference? That rule would apply if I was a god." I heard a woman coldly sneer. "Where is the girl?" I froze, is this why she was acting weird?

     "Wha' girl?" Cherrie giggled, "Ye mean me niece?"

      "Right, your niece. Where is she?" I frowned. Who was this woman and why did she want to know where I was? Obviously, I was the girl they were talking about, Cherrie didn't have any relatives, or at least that's what she'd told me.

     "She's back at me bro'her's house. Where she belongs. Why?" Cherrie was a pretty fair liar from what I could hear. I pressed my ear to the crack in the door and winced when it caused a loud creak to echo through the house.

     "Really?" The cold voice sounded smug, and I heard footsteps coming closer.

     Quickly, I closed my locket, causing the bow and arrows to disappear. The footsteps got closer to the door, so I scrambled to look as if I hadn't been listening by the door and sat at the island counter.

     Violently, the door slammed open, making Orion let out a yelp of surprise from under the corner of the kitchen. Worried that he'd hurt himself, I sent him a calming look before addressing the elephant in the room.

     "U-uhm, the lady from the Apple store?" I jumped up from my seat, frowning as I thought about the music player Cherrie and I had bought. Was there something wrong with it?

      "Hmm, yes dear." Her voice changed to sound sweeter, but I could hear an undertone of venom still coursing through her words from when she'd been verbally fighting with Cherrie.

     "What do you want?" I stepped closer, challenging her as I remembered how she'd barged into the house. Clearly, this wasn't a business visit, but I was still a little scared, unsure about the feeling she gave me.

      "We need to talk." Her eyes trailed to Cherrie who had walked up next to me with a frown plastered on her face, replacing the smile from before. "Alone."

     "I don' think tha's a good ide-" Cherrie stepped forward, but I cut her off, not wanting her to get injured by the malicious lady in the room. I had lost too many female figures in my life to trust the scene in front of me.

     "Okay, let's talk outside," I spoke softly, trying to keep the woman calm so she wouldn't try to hurt Cherrie or her baby. I walked to the front door and held it open for her.

     "Perfect," She sneered a little and stepped onto the porch, into the storm.

     I turned and closed the door, but when I turned back around, the cold, creepy Apple lady was gone, and in her place was a monster with leathery skin.