Eventide

Chapter 4: Sally's Disappearance

        Wind slammed against the Camaro and rain lashed the windshield.  Darcie had no clue how the she saw where she was going but never once did the woman take her foot of the gas.  The boys were in the back talking but Darcie had given up on listening in as more than half of their was garbled or lost.  "What's going on?!" she yelled.

"Is she one of them too?" Sally shouted.  From the corner of her eye Darcie saw Grover nod and Sally paled.  Just then something bellowed, whatever was chasing them was right behind them.  Darcie could tell because every time the thing took a step the car bounced a little.  Just then Sally swerved so hard to the left that they started to hydroplane, Darcie caught sight of a 'Pick Your Own Strawberries' sign before Sally got the car to straighten out and continued speeding down the road.

"Where are we going?" Percy asked.

"The summer camp I told you about earlier, the one your father wanted to send you to." Sally yelled as the two boys began to argue as Grover said something about cutting the yarn and dying.  She swerved to the right to avoid a flying figure now lost behind them in the storm.  

"We're going to make it!" Grover shouted.  As if on cue a blinding flash struck the car and the world exploded.  

       Someone shook her as Darcie clutched her pounding head, "Wha-at happened?" she looked up blearily at Percy.  

"Lightning struck the car, you've got to get out, NOW!" he started dragging her and once out she stood up.  She looked around only to scream, standing not too far away was a thing, the thing was about ten foot tall and it's head was that of a bull.  Somehow she knew it was the Minotaur from Mr. Brunner's myths, just like how she knew Grover was a satyr.  But it didn't make sense, those things weren't real.  And yet here they were, right in front of her. "Grab Grover, I have to get my mom!" Percy yelled, Darcie looked to where Grover lay in the grass and bent over to pick up his arms.  "Get to that tree," Percy pointed to a huge pine, "MY mom says we'll be safe there!"

Darcie nodded her thoughts coming as slow as syrup, she groaned dragging Grover closer and closer to the tree, it was hard.  The grass was as slick as ice and Grover was not as light as he looked.  The Minotaur roared picking up the Camaro and throwing it down the road. Percy had gotten Sally out just in time.  "PERCY!" Darcie screamed as the thing charged.  Miraculously Percy sideways as the thing rushed past but now it was headed toward and practically crawling Sally Jackson.  It caught her in huge blue tinged fists as she struggled to breathe kicking the air.  

"MOM!" Percy yelled.  With a roar the thing closed it's fist tighter around Sally's neck and then Sally dissolved into golden light.  There was a brief blinding flash and then she was gone, just like that.  Darcie wailed and Percy sobbed hysterically.  And then the thing turned towards her and Grover, "No!!" he stripped off his red rain jacket and waved it, "Hey Ground Beef!" the Minotaur roared turning back to Percy and started to get ready to charge.  As Percy jumped he went up instead of sideways landing on the thing's neck as it's horns got stuck in a tree.  It attempted to buck Percy off but Percy grabbed one of the huge horns and pulled back.  With a snap the horn broke and Percy went flying back to the ground.  The bull-man screamed in outrage and pain as it charge once more at Percy.  But Percy drove the horn up and under the things ribs.  The thing roared one last time as it burst into a cloud of sand-just like Mrs. Dodds.  

Percy joined her grabbing Grover's other arm as they hauled the boy down the valley to a huge farmhouse.  They were both crying as Percy continuously called out for his mom.  "P-Percy I don't understand!  Wh-Wh-What happened?!" Darcie asked for the umpteenth time.  "She's-she's just gone!" she tripped and started rolling down the hill stopping with a painful thud.  Percy helped her up and she gripped Grover's arm as they continued dragging him.  The last thing she remembered was Mr. Brunner's face peering down at her.