Percy's POV
In a way, it's nice to know there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong. For instance, when you're walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by monster hags, and then blown up by lightning, and it's raining on top of everything else, most people might think that's just really bad luck; when you're a half-blood, you understand that some divine force really is trying to mess up your day.
So, there we were, Annabeth and Grover and I, walking through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of New York City making the night sky yellow behind us, and the smell of the Hudson reeking in our noses. When suddenly I remembered something.
"Wait, where's Y/n?" Annabeth and Grover stopped as I spoke. Turning around as she opened her mouth to reply.
"I thought he was behind you."
I groaned as I hit my head with my hand. In the spur of the moment I hadn't even noticed our missing friend.
"We have to go back then. Come on guys! No time to waste here!" I started to run back as I spoke. But I felt a hand grab my arm keeping me from moving forward.
"Percy wait," Annabeth spoke, "You heard that wail. She was calling for reinforcements. It's too dangerous to go back."
"We can't just abandon him!" I snapped back.
"We're not abandoning anyone. Y/n will be fine. He's capable enough to find his way back to us. And if not then we can go search when everything's calmed down. But right now, we have to find somewhere to rest."
I pulled my arm away in slight irritation. I didn't like it, but as usual Annabeth had the most logical solution. So, we kept walking ahead. Grover behind and me and Annabeth at the front.
"You're pretty good with a knife." I commented.
"You think so?"
"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me."
I couldn't really see, but I thought she might've smiled.
"You know," she said, "maybe I should tell you . . .Something funny back on the bus . . ."
Whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by a shrill toot-toot-toot, like the sound of an owl being tortured
"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried. "If I could just remember a 'find path' song, we could get out of these woods!"
He puffed out a few notes, but the tune still sounded suspiciously like Hilary Duff.
Instead of finding a path, I immmediately slammed into a tree and got a nice-size knot on my head.
Add to the list of superpowers I did not have: infrared vision.
After tripping and cursing and generally feeling miserable for another mile or so, I started to see light up ahead: the colors of a neon sign. I could smell food. Fried, greasy, excellent food. I realized I hadn't eaten anything unhealthy since I'd arrived at Half-Blood Hill, where we lived on grapes, bread, cheese, and extra-lean-cut nymph prepared barbecue. This boy needed a double cheeseburger.
We kept walking until I saw a deserted two-lane road through the trees. On the other side was a closed-down gas station, a tattered billboard for a 1990's movie, and one open business which was the source of the neon light and the good smell.
It wasn't a fast-food restaurant like I'd hoped. It was one of those weird roadside curio shops that sell lawn flamingos, wooden Indians, cement grizzly bears and stuff like that. The main building was a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of statuary. The neon sign above the gate was impossible for me to read, because if there's anything worse for my dyslexia then regular English, it's red curisve neon English.
To me it looked like: ATNYU MES GDERAn GOMEN MEPROUIM
"What the heck does that say?" I asked.
"I don't know," Annabeth said.
She loved reading so much, I'd forgotten she was dyslexic, too.
Grover translated: "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."
Flanking the entrance, as advertised, were two cement garden gnomes, ugly bearded little runts, smiling and waving, as if they were about to get their picture taken.
I crossed the street, following the smell of the humburgers.
"Hey . . ." Grover warned.
"The lights are on inside," Annabeth said. "Maybe it's open."
"Snack bar," I said wistfully.
"Snack bar," she agreed.
"Are you two crazy?" Grover said. "This place is weird. Maybe we can go back now and find Y/n. Or just rest out here."
We ignored him.
The front lot was a forest of statues: cement animal, cement children, even a cement satyr playing the pipes, which gave Grover the creeps.
"Blah-ha-ha." he bleated. "Look like my Uncle Ferdinand!"
We stopped at the warehouse door.
"Don't knock," Grover pleaded. "I smell monsters."
"Your nose is clogged up from the Furies," Annabeth told him. "All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"
"Meat!" he said scornfully. "I'm a vegetarian."
"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans," I reminded him.
"Those are vegetables. Come on. Let's leave. These statues are . . . looking at me."
Then the door creaked open, and standing in front of us was a tall Middle Eastern woman-at least, I assumed she was Middle Easter, because she wore a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veild. Her eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze, but that was about all I could make out. Her coffee-colored hands looked old, but well-manicured and elegant, so I imagined she was a grandmother who had once been a beutiful lady.
Her accent sounded vaguely Middle Easter, too. she said, "Children it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"
"They're . . . um . . ." Annabeth started to say
"We're orphans," I said.
"Orphans?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But my dears! Surely not!"
"We got seperated from our caravan and lost our friend on the way here," I said. "it was our uh . . . circus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a diffirent gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?"
"Oh my dears," the woman said. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please There is a dining area."
We thanked her and went inside.
Annaebth muttered to me, "Circus caravan?"
"Always have a strategy, right?"
"Your head is full of kelp."
The warehouse was filled with more statues-people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits and with different expressions on their faces. Bu I hardly noticed I was thinking about food.
Go ahead, call me an idiot for walking into a strange lady's shop like that just because I was hungry, but I do impulsive stuff sometimes. Plus you've never smelled Aunty Em's burgers. The aroma was like laughing gas in the dentist's chair-it made everything else go away. I barely noticed Grover's nervous whimpers, or the way the statues' eyes seemed to follow me, or the fact that Aunty Em had locked the door behind us.
All I cared about was finding the dining area. And sure enough, there it was at the back of the warehouse, a fast-food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater, and a nacho cheese dispenser. Everything you could want, plus a few steel picnic tables out front.
"Please sit down," Aunty Em said.
"Awesome," I said.
"Un," Grover said reluctantly, "we don't have any money ma'am."
Before I could jab him in the ribs, Aunty Em said, "No, no, children. No money. This is a special case yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans."
"Thank you, ma'am," Annabeth said.
Aunty Em stiffened, as if Annabeth had done something wrong, but then the old woman relaxed just as quickly, so I figured it must've been my imagination.
"Quite all right, Annabeth," she said. "You have such beautiful gray eyes, child." Only later did I wonder how she knew Annabeth's name even though we had never introduced ourselves.
She quickly disappeared behind the snack counter and started cooking. Before we knew it, she'd brought us plastic trays heaped with double-cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of French fries.
I was halfway through my burger before I remembered to breathe.
Annabeth slurper her shake.
Grover picked at the fries, and eyed the tray's waxed paper liner as if he might go for that, but he still looked too nervous to eat.
"What's that hissing noise?" he asked.
I listened, but didn't hear anything. Annabeth shook her head.
"Hissing?" Aunty Em asked. "Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover."
"I take vitamins. For my ears."
But even as he responded she was already looking away. Like she had noticed something amiss. Sniffing the air intently as her eyes darted around.
"You said you lost your friend?" she asked.
After another large slurp of her drink Annabeth responded. "Yeah, we got separated after we lost our caravan. We need to find him."
She responded quickly. Though her eyes continued to linger.
"Do not concern yourselves over that now my dears. Eat! There will be plenty of time to search for Y/n later." As she spoke she seemed to give up her own search. Her eyes settling back on to us as she stopped sniffing the air. And I wholeheartedly agreed with her. Y/n could wait. Right now I wanted to do nothing but eat burgers and relax.
Though I soon noticed that Aunty Em ate nothing. She hadn't even taken off her headdress, even to cook, and now she sat forward and interlaced her fingers and watched us eat. It was a little unsettling, having someone stare at me when I couldn't see her face, but I was feeling satisfied after the burger, and a little sleepy, and I figured the least I could do was try to make small talk with our hostess.
"So, you sell gnomes," I said, trying to sound interested.
"Oh, yes," Aunty Em said. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."
"A lot of business on this road?"
"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built . . . most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get."
My neck tingled, as if somebody else was looking at me. I turned, but it was just a statue of a young girl holding an Easter basket. The detail was incredible, much better than you see in most garden statues. But something was wrong with her face. It looked as if she were startled, or even terrified. And I could have sworn that I had seen movement from behind it.
"Ah," Aunty Em said sadly. "You noticed some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."
"You make these statues yourself?" I asked.
"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company." The sadness in her voice sounded so deep and so real that I couldn't help feeling sorry for her.
Annabeth had stopped eating. She sat forward and said, "Two sisters?"
"It's a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really. You see Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young, I had a . . . a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared me bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price."
I wasn't sure what she meant, but I felt bad for her. My eyelids kept getting heavier, my full stomach making me sleepy. Poor old lady. Who would want to hurt somebody so nice?
"Percy?" Annabeth was shaking me to get my attention. "Maybe we should go. I mean we still need to find our friend. And the ringmaster will be waiting."
She sounded tense. I wasn't sure why. Grover was eating the waxed paper off the tray now, but if Aunty Em found that strange, she didn't say anything.
"Such beautiful gray eyes," Aunty Em told Annabeth again. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I've seen gray eyes like those."
She reached out as if it stroke Annabeth's cheek, but Annabeth stood up abruptly.
"We really should go."
"Yes!" Grover swallowed his waxed paper and stood up. "The ringmaster is waiting! Right!"
I didn't want to leave. I felt full and content. Y/n would be fine on his own for a bit. And Aunty Em was so nice. I wanted to stay with her a while.
"Please, dears," Aunty Em pleaded. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go won't you at least sit for a pose?"
"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily.
"A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children."
Annabeth shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don't think we can ma'am. Come on Percy-"
"Sure, we can." I spoke. I was irritated with Annabeth for being so bossy, so rude to an old lady who'd just fed us for free. "It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?"
"Yes, Annabeth," the woman purred. "No harm."
I could tell Annabeth didn't like it, but she allowed Aunty Em to lead us back out the front door into the garden of statues.
Aunt Em directed us to a park bench next to the stone satyr. "Now she said, "I'll just position you correctly. The young girl in the middle, I think, and the two young gentlemen on either side."
"Not much light for a photo," I remarked.
"Oh enough," Aunty Em said. "Enough for us to see each other, yes?"
"Where's your camera?" Grover asked.
Aunty Em stepped back, as if to admire the shot. "Now the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?"
Grover stared at the cement satyr next to him, and mumbled, "That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand."
"Grover," Aunty Em chastised, "look this way dear."
She still had no camera in her hands.
"Percy-" Annabeth said.
Some instinct warned me to listen to Annabeth, but I was fighting the sleepy feeling, the comfortable lull that came from the food and the old lady's voice.
"I will just be a moment," Aunty Em said. "You know can't see you very well in this cursed veil. . ."
"Percy something's wrong," Annabeth insisted.
"Wrong?" Aunty Em said, reaching up to undo the wrap around her head. "Not at all dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"
"That is Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped.
"Look away from her! Annabeth shouted. Whipping out her cap as she turned invisible knocking us all to the ground. Suddenly there was a loud sound of motion behind us. And I felt a swoosh of wind wash across us. Like someone had jumped over us. And I soon realized that someone had as I heard the familiar voice of Y/n yell out: "Eat metal, snake breath!"
Y/n's POV
I crept behind a nearby statue. Aunty Em struggling with her veil as my friends stood in front of her. I had followed them here and had soon realized Aunty Em's true nature as Medusa. Opting to hide and wait for a good time to make my move. Not that I was eager to fight a Gorgon. But I wasn't just about to sit there while my friends were turned to stone.
She was about to get the veil off, but I wouldn't give her the chance. I heard Annabeth yell: "Look away from her!" Knocking Grover and Percy to the floor as she disappeared.
I gripped my dirk as I took one last quick glance around the corner before dashing out. Making sure to keep my eyes closed shut. Propelling myself off of the bench hopefully towards the direction of Aunty Em. Raising my blade as I yelled: "Eat metal snake breath." (one of many one liners I had written down for moments like these).
I heard a hissing noise from below me and I tried to use the sound as I point of reference. Swinging down at her as I felt my weapons strike something. I then found myself tumbling to the ground as I landed. Keeping my eyes shut as I yelled out.
"Did I get her?"
An angry hiss was the only reply I got. Telling me that I indeed had missed the mark. Realizing I was pretty vulnerable I picked a direction and ran. Weaving through statues as I managed to put a pretty comfortable distance between me and her. Enough so that I felt comfortable to open my eyes. Ducking behind a statue as I peeked around the corner. Catching a glimpse of Aunty Em's backside as she whipped around searching for me.
"Insolent child!" She yelled in pain. Clutching a wounded shoulder. Cursing myself slightly for missing her neck.
"I will deal with you soon enough." She said as she turned back towards Percy. Who was still lying on the ground in front of her.
"Percy run!" Grover bleated. I then saw him come racing across the gravel, yelling "Mala!" to kick-start his flying sneakers.
"Such a pity to destroy a handsome young face," she told him soothingly. Keeping my eyes carefully trained on Percy and away from the monstrous figure standing over him.
"Stay with me, Percy. All you have to do is look up." she purred.
I looked at my friend in fear. Yelling out to him as I tried to think of a plan.
"Don't listen to her Percy!" The response I got was more irritated hissing from Aunty M.
"Quiet!" she yelled.
And suddenly I got an idea. Reaching inwards as I tried to conjure up that same strange power I had used at the road. Feeling the earth below me and the life force within. But as I focused and stretched out my hand trying to shake the earth, create a vine, anything. Nothing seemed to happen. And the longer I focused on trying to control that green fire of raw power within me the more fatigued I got. Just creating those vines had taken a lot out of me. But my dirk had replenished that energy. But now it was wearing off and the more I tried the more energy I would suck up out of my body. Until inevitably I passed out from exhaustion. In frustration I lowered my hand needing a moment to steady my now heavy breathing as I tried to think of something else.
"The Gray-Eyed One did this to me Percy," Medusa continued, she didn't sound anything like a monster. It was strange how such a sweet voice could come out of something like that. "Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this."
"Don't listen to her!" Annabeth's voice shouted, somewhere in the statuary. "Run, Percy!"
"Silence!" Medusa snarled. Then her voice modulated back to a comforting purr. "You see why I shall crush her statue to dust. But you dear Percy, you need not suffer."
"No," I managed to hear Percy mutter.
I blocked them out as I tried to think of something else. So, if all these weird powers were connected to the earth somehow. Then that must mean that I have some like deeper connection or feel to it. Okay I know I must sound pretty stupid right now, but I have no clue how these powers work. So, I tried to let everything else slip away. Connect to the ground beneath me. Let myself feel the motions of the earth and truly connect with the life force within. And suddenly a shiver was sent up my back as a new voice filled my mind. An almost motherly caring voice. Though oddly it sounded wispy and faraway like it was sleepy.
"Good." It uttered.
And an odd sense of warmth and familiarity filled my body. And suddenly it was like I could feel every sensation beneath me. Every sway of the grass tremor of the rock. If I had to describe the sensation. I would compare it to Toph from Avatar (one of my favorite shows) and how she had sort of a sixth sense earth bending. Kind of like echolocation. Every motion and disturbance across the surface of the earth was made clear. I could feel the presence of my feet against the ground. The weight of the statues upon the rock. And more importantly I could tell exactly where Medusa was.
"Do you really want to help the gods?" I heard Medusa ask Percy. "Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, Percy? What will happen if you reach the Underworld?
I crept quietly around the maze of statues. Navigating my surroundings perfectly with my now heightened senses. Slowly approaching Medusa from behind.
"Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain."
"Percy!" I heard Grover shout. A buzzing sound filling the area as our flying goat ripped through the air. It was harder to tell where he was because he was off the ground. But I could still feel the wind he created pushing against the grass below. Allowing me to estimate where exactly he was. "Duck!" he yelled.
I risked a look. And soon saw Grover flying in from the opposite side of where I was. Coming in from behind Percy as he flew straight at the gorgon in front of me. Holding a tree branch the size of a baseball bat as his shoe wings flapped intently. His eyes were closed but his head twitched. He was navigating from smell and sound alone.
"Duck!" he yelled again. "I'll get her!"
That seemed to finally jolt Percy back into action. Knowing Grover, he'd probably miss Medusa and nail him. But Percy soon dove to the side.
Thwack!
At first, I figured it was the sound of Grover hitting a tree. Then Medusa roared with rage.
"You miserable satyr," she snarled. "I'll add you to my collection!"
"That was for Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover yelled back.
The satyr quickly coming back in for another pass.
Ker-whack!
"Arrgh!" Medusa yelled, her snake-hair hissing angrily. And I saw this as the perfect opportunity. Stepping out as I dashed at the gorgon from behind. Slashing her across the ankle as I ran past her. A burst of energy rushing through me as a part of her life force was drawn out by the blade. Medusa yelling in pain and anger as she tried to grab me. But lucky for me Grover came in for another dive. Keeping her preoccupied for the moment. As I moved in front of Percy who had just gotten to his feet. As suddenly Annabeth's voice materialized next to me. Making me jump so high I nearly cleared the garden gnomes.
"Guys!"
"Christ!" I yelped.
"Jeez! Don't do that!" Percy finished for me.
Annabeth took off her Yankees cap and became visible. Looking at me slightly as spoke
"Nice to see you're not dead."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah you too. But I'm about to be if we don't finish her off."
"Well exactly how do we do that. When we can't even look at her?" Percy asked in annoyance.
"I've got that covered already but I don't think I'll be able to get anywhere near her." I responded.
"What do you mean you have it covered?" Annabeth asked skeptically.
"I'll explain later. But a plan would be pretty nice right about now."
She sighed in exasperation as she looked between me and Percy. "You have to cut off her head."
"Are you insane?! She'll tear us apart before we get anywhere near her. You're the one with the invisibility cap you do it!" Percy snapped back.
"It has to be you two. She'll tear me apart because of my mom. Besides Percy you have the better weapon."
"Well, what about me?" I spoke, "I'm over here with a glorified knife."
"It's Stygian Iron that's all you need." refusing to speak farther Annabeth turned to a pedestal nearby. Grabbing a green gazing ball from atop the stone. "A polished shield would be better." She studied the sphere critically. "The convexity will cause some distortion. The reflections size should be off by a factor of-"
"Would you speak English?" Percy snapped back.
"I am!" She tossed him the glass ball. "Just look at her in the glass Never look at her directly." she then turned towards me, "Are you sure you've got it covered?"
"Just watch."
"Hey, guys!" Grover yelled somewhere above us. "I think she's unconscious!"
"ROOOOOAAAARRRRR!"
"Maybe not," Grover corrected. He went in for another pass with the tree branch.
"Hurry," Annabeth told me. "Grover's got a great nose, but he'll eventually crash."
I glanced over at Percy who took out a pen.
"Yeah, dude I don't think that's gonna do much against the snake lady."
He seemed to smirk as he uncapped the pen. A bronze blade elongating from the tip as the pen morphed into the hilt of a sword.
"Riptide." Percy explained as he gripped the weapon. Smiling at my astonishment. When did he have the time to get that?
"The pen is truly mightier than the sword." I said jokingly.
"More like the pen that doubles as a sword is mightier than the sword." He replied.
"You know what I meant."
He smirked again as I shook my head.
"All right how about you go left, and I go right."
"Sounds like a plan." he answered. Whipping out the glass ball as he moved off to one side. Gripping my dirk, I let out a long breath. Closing my eyes once more as I started moving forward.
Behind me I could feel the slight shifting motions of Annabeth. Watching our progress from a safe distance away. To my left I sensed Percy moving forward in pace with me. Gripping his sword tightly as we approached. And ahead I could feel Medusa. The flying motions of Grover suddenly coming in for another strike. But this time he flew a little too low. Medusa grabbed the stick and pulled him off course. He tumbled through the air and crashed into the arms of a stone grizzly bear with a painful "Ummphh!"
Medusa was about to lunge at him when Percy yelled. "Hey!"
We advanced on her. And strangely she let us come closer- twenty feet, ten feet.
"You wouldn't harm an old woman Percy," she crooned. "I know you wouldn't."
Percy seemed to hesitate as I took a step forward.
"Percy, don't listen to her!" Grover moaned.
Medusa cackled. "Too late."
She lunged to the side. Going for Percy as I strained to swipe at her retreating form. Talons swinging down at my friend as her triumphant yell filled the area. But to mine and her surprise Percy reacted fast enough. Moving his sword up as he blocked the razor-sharp talons. Kicking out with his foot knocking her back. And I was there to respond. Slashing her across the back as my dark blade ripped through her clothes and leathery skin like tissue paper.
She screamed in pain retreating forward as she tried to get away from me. But Percy was in front of her to respond slashing her across the chest with his sword as she was knocked back once more. Wailing in pain she tried to crawl away, but I was soon standing over her. Medusa turning on her back to look up at me in writhing pain. My eyes still closed shut even though I could feel her presence clearly.
"H. . . how?" she managed to mutter.
"Earth bending, snake face!" And with the one liner out of the way. I swung down at her neck. My aim not off in the slightest as her shrill scream pierced the air. And I didn't have to look to know that there were tendrils of darkness wrapping around her. Clawing out of the wound that had been erected by my blade across her throat. Encasing her body until nothing could be seen. Her form dissolving as the black inky remains were sucked back into my blade. Then clawing their way down the hilt as it seeped into my skin. Sending a jolt of energy and rejuvenation through me. Quickly followed by that awful taint. That same familiar laughter echoing through my head.
I didn't expect anything after that. But I could feel something fall on the ground next to my foot. And I could hear the low hisses of snakes.
"Oh, yuck," Grover said. "Mega yuck."
Annabeth came up next to me, her eyes fixed on the sky. She was holding. Medusa's black veil. She said, "Don't move."
Very, very carefully, without looking down, she knelt and draped the monster's head in black cloth, then picked it up. It was still dripping green juice.
"Are you okay?" she asked me, her voice trembling.
"Yep." I replied trying to sound calm. Annabeth looking at me curiously.
"Earth bending?"
"As I said I'll explain later." I said as Percy came up to us. Looking at the covered head in disgust.
"Why didn't the head evaporate?"
"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," she said. "Same as your minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. It can still petrify you."
"Great." I spoke. "Percy got a cool bull horn. And I'm stuck with the head of the severed petrifying snake lady."
Annabeth rolled her eyes at me as Grover moaned from behind us. Climbing out of the grizzly statue. He had a big welt on his forehead. His green rasta cap hung from one of his little goat horns, and his fake feet had been knocked off his hooves. The magic sneakers were flying aimlessly around his head.
"The Red Baron," Percy said. "Good job, man."
He managed a bashful grin. "That really was not fun, though. Well, the hitting-her-with-a-stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? Not fun."
He snatched his shoes out of the air. Percy recapped his sword. I sheathed my blade. And together the four of us stumbled back to the warehouse.
We found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double-wrapped Medusa's head. We plopped it on the table where we'd eaten dinner and sat around it, too exhausted to speak.
Until Grover spoke up "So what do we do with it?"
I stared at the thing. One little snake hanging out of a hole in the plastic. The words printed on the side of the bag said: WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS!
"I don't really know. I can't say I've ever possessed a severed snake head in a grocery bag before." I spoke, "Any ideas?"
Percy got up suddenly. A low sense of anger filling him as he muttered: "I'll be back."
"Percy," Annabeth called after him. "What are you-"
But he was already out of earshot. The three of us waiting in silence. Until a few minutes later Percy returned. Placing the head in a box he had found. And then filling out a delivery form as I slowly caught on to his plan. The delivery address was set for Mount Olympus.
"No Percy, you can't be serious."
"Do I look serious?" he responded in irritation.
"They're not going to like that," Grover warned. "They'll think you're impertinent."
He then poured a few drachmas into the pouch with the slip. As soon as he closed it, there was a sound like a cash register. The package floated off the table and disappeared with a pop!
"I am impertinent." he said.
Annabeth sighed letting go of all the criticizing words she had been holding on to. "Come on," she muttered. "We need a plan,"