When I told you the truth, I felt like I could breathe again .
Melanie was not really in the mood to tell Percy her secret. But she felt like she needed to be honest with him.
She found him alone in his cabin doing.... Nothing.
He was sitting on his bed with that horn in his hand. He looked up the moment she came in.
"You were weird." Melanie stood in front of Percy with her arms crossed. "What?" He looked up confused. "Giving me a look."
"Are you sure you want to go?" Percy looked very... sad? He was fumbling with his hands.
"Yes, I am sure. Are you trying to be mean to me or something so it will hurt less?" Melanie sat down next to him.
He didn't respond.
"Percy?"
"Fine, yes." He pouted at her. "What if one of us dies?" Melanie rolled her eyes. "We are not stupid enough to die."
A slow smile started to appear on his face.
"Alright," Percy stood up. "Let's go." He started walking away, but Melanie grabbed his hand.
"Wait, I need to tell you something." Melanie let the words slip out of her mouth.
He walked back towards Melanie and sat down again. "What do you need to tell?" Melanie was surprised by the attitude of Percy, he wasn't joking around like usual. He seemed serious.
"You know why I am afraid of thunder and loud noises?" Melanie asked, looking at her hands. "No."
"One night, a face appeared in my window. A voice sounded in my head saying that I will remember him. He never left my mind again." Percy looked at her.
"Normally I would say it was just a nightmare, but now anything is possible." His hand gently grasped Melanie her hand. "Did he bother you?"
Melanie nodded. "He told me to kill you." Percy his mouth fell open, his eyes widened. "What?" His hand let go of her hand.
Melanie couldn't blame him. "He told me that you had to pay for what you have done. The worse thing it that I felt like he was telling the truth." Melanie looked at Percy his scared face. "Not the killing part." She added. Percy let out a breath.
"Why?"
"It started after we left Grover at the station. I tried to supress it, but than he made me feel so much pain. I had to scream, that's when I passed out." Percy seemed to think. "The panic attack Luke was talking about?"
Melanie nodded. "It was just me feeling so much pain." Percy his hand found hers again. "I am so sorry. I don't know how to fix it."
"It's okay. I don't feel much pain, only a sting some times." He still looked pretty worried. "Does anybody know?"
Melanie shook her head. "No. Well, only you now." She paused. "But don't tell anyone.
"That you have someone torturing you?" Melanie sighed. "I don't want people to know about it, because it's weird and I just don't want to." Percy still seemed like he wanted to tell everyone. "Fine."
"Promise me."
Percy looked at her. "I promise I won't tell anyone unless you want me too." Melanie linked her pinkie with Percy his pinkie.
"Now, don't break it."
~~
Melanie was done packing before she even started. She had nothing to bring with her.
The camp store loaned them one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas. These coins were as big as Girl Scout cookies and had images of various Greek gods stamped on one side and the Empire State Building on the other.
The ancient mortal drachmas had been silver, Chiron told them, but Olympians never used less than pure gold.
Figures.
Chiron said the coins might come in handy for non-mortal transactions—whatever that meant. He gave Annabeth, Percy and Melanie each a canteen of nectar and a Ziploc bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if they were seriously hurt.
It was god food, Chiron reminded them. It would cure them of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn them up, literally.
Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told Melanie and Percy had been a twelfth birthday present from her mom.
Yes, Athena.
She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve. Melanie was sure the knife would get them busted the first time they went through a metal detector.
Grover wore his fake feet and his pants to pass as human. He wore a green rasta-style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns.
His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff's "So Yesterday," both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.
They waved good-bye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean, and the Big House, then hiked up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus.
Chiron was waiting for them in his wheelchair. Next to him stood the surfer dude that was always hanging around the hospital.
According to Grover, the guy was the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. Today, though, he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so could only see extra peepers on his hands, face and neck.
Melanie wondered how much pain Argus must be feeling. She herself hated things close to her eyes. How did he survive?
"This is Argus," Chiron told them. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."
Melanie heard footsteps behind her. Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes. "Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you."
Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around.
Melanie just rolled her eyes. That dude obviously saw her as a little sister.
"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told Percy and Melanie. "And I thought ... um, maybe you could use these."
He didn't give Melanie anything. But he handed Percy the sneakers, which looked pretty normal.
Percy smelled at them. Melanie raised her eyebrow in response.
Luke said, "Maia!" White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling Percy so much, he dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared.
"Awesome!" Grover said. Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days...."
His expression turned sad.
Something about Luke just felt off. The way his eyes seemed to narrow slightly, the way his lips just twitched so little. That only Melanie seemed to notice it.
"Hey, man," Percy started. "Thanks."
"Listen, Percy ..." Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just ... kill some monsters for me, okay?"
Percy and Luke shook hands.
Luke patted Grover's head between his horns, gave a good-bye hug to Annabeth, who looked like she might pass out, then he nodded at Melanie.
After Luke was gone, Percy told grey eyed girl, "You're hyperventilating."
"Am not." Annabeth didn't want to meet her eyes.
"You let him capture the flag instead of you, didn't you?"
"Oh ... why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?"
She stomped down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road. Argus followed, jingling his car keys.
Melanie smiled. She was so into Luke
Percy picked up the flying shoes. He looked at Chiron. "I won't be able to use these, will I?"
He shook his head. "Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air ... that would not be wise for you."
He nodded.
Percy turned to Grover.
"Hey, Grover. You want a magic item?" His eyes lit up. "Me?"
Melanie was slightly offended. Why didn't he offer her the shoes?
She would love to have a magic item.
Pretty soon Percy laced the sneakers over Grover his fake feet, and the world's first flying goat boy was ready for launch.
"Maia!" he shouted. He got off the ground okay, but then fell over sideways so his backpack dragged through the grass. The winged shoes kept bucking up and down like tiny broncos.
"Practice," Chiron called after him. "You just need practice!"
"Aaaaa!" Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading toward the van.
Melanie grinned and ran behind Grover.
Leaving Percy and Chiron to talk.
Melanie calmed Grover down after his flying trip, and plopped down next to Annabeth in the car seats.
Melanie was struggling with the sword at her side, it was too long and it wasn't comfortable. "You have to do it like this."
Annabeth her hands twisted the sword and yanked it towards the left. Now Melanie could sit natural.
"Thanks." Melanie mumbled. Annabeth just looked out of the window, lost in her own thoughts.
Melanie wondered how it must feel for her. Leaving her home, thinking she would not come back.
Percy opened the car door and sat down in the front seat.
Argus drove them out of the countryside and into western Long Island. It felt weird to be on a highway again, Annabeth and Grover sitting next to Melanie as if they were normal carpoolers.
After two weeks at Half-Blood Hill, the real world seemed like a fantasy. Melanie found herself staring at every McDonald's, every kid in the back of his parents' car, every billboard and shopping mall.
"So far so good," Percy said to Annabeth, from the front seat. "Ten miles and not a single monster."
Melanie rolled her eyes.
Annabeth gave Melanie an irritated look, like it was all her fault and looked at Percy. "It's bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."
"Remind me again—why do you hate me so much?"
"I don't hate you." Melanie raised her eyebrow.
"Could've fooled me." She muttered.
"I didn't say I didn't hate you."
Melanie narrowed her eyes, huffed and looked out of the window.
She folded her cap of invisibility, feeling uncomfortable by the silence of the dark haired girl.
"Look ... we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."
"Why?"
She sighed. "How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."
Melanie did think that was disrespectful.
"They must really like olives." Percy stated.
"Oh, forget it."
"Now, if she'd invented pizza—that I could understand."
"I said, forget it!" In the front seat, Argus smiled. He didn't say anything, but one blue eye on the back of his neck winked at Percy.
Melanie caught a hint of a blush on Percy his neck. She rolled her eyes. Great, he was having a crush on a girl that could kill them any moment.
Traffic slowed the down in Queens. By the time they got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain.
Melanie didn't like the rain. Percy casted a worried glance trough the mirror at her, but she just looked at her hands. Not daring to look at the window, afraid the man would show up.
Argus dropped them at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side, not far from Percy his home.
Percy made a weird movement at a mailbox, but before Melanie could ask what was going on, Argus gave Melanie her bag.
"Thanks."
An eye winked at her.
Argus stayed with them, to make sure they got the right bus tickets. Then he drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch us as he pulled out of the parking lot.
Grover shouldered his backpack. He gazed down the street in the direction Percy was looking. "You want to know why she married him, Percy?"
Melanie stared at Grover.
"Were you reading my mind or something?" Percy asked, obviously confused.
"Just your emotions." He shrugged, like that was any better.
"Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that. You were thinking about your mom and your stepdad, right?"
Percy nodded. "Your mom married Gabe for you,"
Grover told Percy. "You call him 'Smelly,' but you've got no idea. The guy has this aura.... Yuck. I can smell him from here. I can smell traces of him on you, and you haven't been near him for a week."
"Thanks," Percy said. "Where's the nearest shower?" Melanie smiled weakly at her best friends' response.
"You should be grateful, Percy. Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his Camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, you probably would've been found by monsters a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you. She was a smart lady. She must've loved you a lot to put up with that guy—if that makes you feel any better."
Melanie wondered in what universe that made Percy feel any better.
The rain kept coming down. They got restless waiting for the bus and decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples.
Annabeth was unbelievable. She could bounce the apple off her knee, her elbow, her shoulder, whatever. Making Melanie wonder if Camp Half-Blood had some sort of secret activity for that.
Melanie was not bad but not good. She often let the apple fall down, but managed to somehow catch it again.
The game ended when Percy 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 Annabeth, Melanie and Percy were too busy cracking up.
Finally the bus came. As they stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favourite school cafeteria delicacy—enchiladas.
"What is it?" Percy asked. "I don't know," he said tensely. "Maybe it's nothing."
Melanie raised her eyebrow. She looked over shoulder, but she saw nothing suspicious.
She was relieved when they finally got on board and found seats together in the back of the bus. They stowed their backpacks.
Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh. Making Melanie sigh in frustration and glare at the other girl. "Stop it." She slapped against Annabeth her hand, making her stormy grey eyes focus on the girl next to her.
She just huffed annoyed and looked away. Melanie was thankful she did stop slapping her poor cap.
As the last passengers got on, Annabeth clamped her hand onto Melanie her knee. "Melanie."
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 Melanie heart skipped a beat.
Not in a romantic way.
It was Mrs. Dodds. Older, more withered, but definitely the same evil face.
Percy next to Melanie scrunched down in his seat.
Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Otherwise they looked exactly like Mrs. Dodds—same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses. Triplet demon grandmothers. They sat in the front row, right behind the driver.
The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves. The bus pulled out of the station, and they headed through the slick streets of Manhattan.
"She didn't stay dead long," Percy said, his voice was shaky and strained. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime."
"I said if you're lucky," Annabeth said. "You're obviously not."
Melanie had to hold herself from laughing in this deadly situation.
"All three of them," Grover whimpered. "Di immortales!"
"It's okay," Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. Melanie could hear in her voice she was lying. It was not okay.
"The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows."
"They don't open," Grover moaned.
"A back exit?" she suggested. There wasn't one. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped.
Melanie just sat in her seat. Not really getting an idea from what was going on.
By that time, they were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel. "They won't attack us with witnesses around," Percy said. "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?" She thought about it. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof ... ?"
"How the fuck are you going to climb out of the roof with mortals around?" Melanie snapped at Annabeth frustrated to be trapped inside a bus.
"Well, I was just giving ideas. You are not doing anything!" Annabeth whispered yelled back.
"Guys," Percy mumbled.
They hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.
Mrs. Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the rest-room."
"So do I," said the second sister.
"So do I," said the third sister.
They all started coming down the aisle. "I've got it," Annabeth said. "Percy, take my hat."
Melanie looked at her confused. Was this some sort of big brain plan?
"What?" Percy asked.
"You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."
"But you guys—"
So, Annabeth wanted Melanie to sacrifice herself so that Percy could just get away?
"I am not sacrificing myself." Melanie held her hands up. Annabeth looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"Why not?"
"I am not going to be a pawn, and just let myself get killed. I have been thrown in this new world, and you just expect me to follow you along like I have no brains?"
"Well you have no choice, Melanie." Annabeth turned to Percy and started rambling her plan.
"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," Annabeth said. "You're a son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."
"I can't just leave you." Percy side eyed Melanie.
"Don't worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"
Percy his hands trembled, he took the Yankees cap and put it on. He just disappeared.
"Great Chase, you got us killed." Melanie mumbled. "Oh shut up." Annabeth gritter her teeth. Her hands were clenched down on her seat, focused on Percy.
Mrs. Dodds stopped but moments later she continued to walk to Melanie and her camp mates.
Right in front of them they transformed. Hideous wailing sounded from the Furies. The old ladies were not old ladies anymore. Their faces were still the same—Melanie guessed those couldn't get any uglier— but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips.
The Furies surrounded Melanie, Grover and Annabeth, lashing their whips, hissing: "Where is it? Where?"
Melanie was freaking out. People around her started screaming. "He's not here!" Annabeth yelled. "He's gone."
Melanie was too scared to yell or even move, she was frozen.
The Furies their faces changed temporarily. The man of her nightmares just flashed in front of her eyes.
She broke.
Melanie screamed, pain leaving her body. Her voice was loud and clear, the pain finally left.
The bus jerked to the left. Melanie was thrown against Grover, he pushed her away. The Furies were smashing the windows. Tears steamed down Melanie her face.
Pure chaos.
"Finally you used your powers." The male voice whispered in her ear.
"Get out of my head!" Melanie sounded weakly, fatigue taking over her body.
No more pain, but she just felt empty. As if the pain belonged with her.
The bus wailed, spun a full circle on the wet asphalt, and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him.
The Furies regained their balance. They lashed their whips at Annabeth while she waved her knife and yelled in Ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans.
Melanie her head was leaning on Annabeth her shoulder, her eyes trying to stay open. Her vision was blurred and she felt Annabeth stand up.
And Melanie didn't knew what she missed, but the next moment Annabeth was on a Furie their back.
The hairs on Melanie tingled.
Lightning.
"Melanie, Get out!" Annabeth yelled at the girl who was slumped in her seat. "Now!"
She tried to stand and thankfully didn't fall over. She stumbled towards the exit.
Percy grabbed her hand and pushed her outside the bus, quickly followed by himself.
"You okay?" He asked, while trying to recap his sword. A tourist snapped a photo of them.
Great, Melanie couldn't look any better than she felt.
"Our bags!" Grover screamed. "We left our-"
BOOOOOM! The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof, but an angry wail from inside told the friends Mrs. Dodds was not yet dead. "Run!" Annabeth said. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"
"Wait." Melanie mumbled. A huge headache took over, and she clamped down onto Annabeth her arm.
Not long after her world turned black.
~~
Where true colours reveal,
So, I am going on vacation soon. And might not be able to update because I don't have access to Wifi.
11.1 pages 3,861 words
Edited? 🔴