Something smelled fishy.
Like, not literally. Figuratively.
The library just seemed to quiet.
Don''t get me wrong. Libraries are always quiet. But you know, there's normal quiet, there's awkward quiet, and there is it-is-too-quiet-and-something-is-definitely-wrong-here quiet.
I could tell something was out of place. It was pretty eerie. I kept fingering my hair clip. It was a normal, for a hair clip, I suppose, until it morphed into a deadly weapon. And yes, you did hear me say that.
The librarian was creeping me out too. She kept staring at me. When I got here this morning, she smiled at me, and I swear she had pointed teeth. Swear it. Now, for other people, they would have called it a trick of the light. Not me. These situations, sadly, happen to me a lot.
And when I mean a lot, I mean, like, as many as one or two attacks per day.
Oh, did I say attacks? I'm so sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. Did you pee your pants? Cuz if you did, I would have laughed.
Really hard.
Ooookay, Chiron says I have to get back on track. Whatever.
I was reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid, just minding my own business, sitting on the overly-stuffed, flower print, huge recliner that was under the windows, right next to the kids' books section. The librarian came up to me and said, 'Sweetums, your mother called. Your name is Naomi, right?'
"Yeah." I said cautiously. "Where is the phone?"
"It's in the study room, farthest to the left. Right over there." she replied, pointing.
I slowly got up and sauntered over to the room. I silently shut the door, and scanned the room.
Yep, just as I expected. No phone.
I turned around. Working quickly, I popped my hair clip open and pulled it out of my hair. Holding it behind my back, I felt it elongate as I watched the librarian advance towards me through the window.
So I did the probable thing.
No, I did not run away, scream, or faint.
Heck no.
I closed my eyes, concentrated, and snapped my fingers.
Okay, maybe that wasn't probable.
Still, it did help. It dissipated the Mist, a magical power that cloaked mortals' visions, so they could not see the horrible Greek monsters living among them. Thing is, the Mist affects demigods too.
Yeah, I said demigods. More on that later.
I opened my eyes again, to look around anxiously for the librarian. A monster in disguise is bad, but a lost monster in disguise is worse. A lot worse.
I stumbled backward as the door was flung open, and I finally got a glimpse at the monster's true form.
"A lamiae!" I gasped. These monsters were folkloric, similar to vampires and succubi, that seduced young men and then fed on their blood. Apparently, they ate girls too.
I pushed myself against the wall. She looked like a normal human, but her eyes were yellow and her teeth were sharp, deadly, and pretty disgusting. She definitely needed to brush and floss.
She eyed my hair, then hissed, "Where'ssss that little clip, yessss, the little clip issss in your hairsss?"
"I don't have it." I replied. She stepped closer. "It didn't go with my outfit, so I left it at home." I added, as she came even nearer, and I squished myself against the wall even harder. Leaning in, her nose was inches away from mine. She grimaced, probably trying to smile, epically failing.
"Ifsss the clip issss gonesss, you are weaponlessss?"
I nodded. "What do you want?"
I saw her looking greedily at my neck. Either she was thinking about taking my blood, or taking my amulet.
My amulet was a teal stone, changing between light blue and light green, dangling on the silver chain. It was the last thing I had of my parents.
Seeing the look on my face, she smiled. "I needssss all three. Blood, for mysssself, and the amulentsss and clip for my Ssssponsor, ah yesssss." Then she suddenly stiffened.
"The clipsss!" she exclaimed. "It issss here!"
"No!" I shook my head, a little to quickly.
"You lie! I can ssssmell the metal on youssss! Givesss itssss to me!" She shrieked, lurching forward.
"You asked for it." I cautioned, suddenly whipping my 'clip' out. Instead, grasped between my fingers was a wicked-sharp, gleaming sword, throwing off an eerie, green light. The lamiae leaped back, and I shoved my sword between us.
"Dude." I drawled. "Ever heard of toothpaste?"
The lamiae snarled. I took a quick step forward...
....and stabbed her in the chest.
