𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏.
percy and grover were staring at the snacks that were set out.
it all looked so beautiful.
"you must be hungry. i left snacks on the table while i get something proper going." medusa called out from a different room.
"you think it's safe to eat?" percy questioned, in a whisper.
"percy, i'm not gonna lie to you, i'm really hungry, and i'm ready to take that chance." grover whispered back.
annabeth was hesitant to enter.
but, she took her place beside cherry.
"thanks for coming." percy nodded.
"this isn't the same for me as it is for you." annabeth shook her head.
"why?" percy questioned.
medusa entered.
everybody ducked their heads down, but cherry just closed her eyes.
she didn't want to be mean.
"you're concerned i would hold a grudge against you simply because you are a daughter of athena? you shouldn't be. we're not our parents after all." medusa poured our tea. "you and i might have more in common than you think. please, sit and eat."
all the children took a seat.
"so you're not a monster, what are you then?" percy questioned.
"a survivor." medusa shrugged.
"you must be a little more than that. there's a fury out there that seems terrified of you."
"because she knows what i think of her. i don't like bullies. when one shows up on my doorstep, they end up spending a lot more time there than they planned for. the gift the gods gave me is that i cannot be bullied anymore."
annabeth seemed to snap.
cherry grew awkward at the tension.
"what my mother did to you wasn't a gift, it was a curse." annabeth interrupted her.
"you are loyal to your mother." medusa guessed.
"yes."
"you stand by her?"
"always."
"you love her?"
"of course, i do."
"and so did i. so did i. do you know the story of how i came to be this way? athena was everything to me. i worshipped her, i prayed to her. i made offerings.. she never answered. not even an omen to suggest she appreciated my love. i wasn't like you, sweetheart. i was you. i would have worshipped her that way for a lifetime.. in silence."
cherry didn't open her mouth to make any stupid comments.
percy noticed that about her.
she was only ever disrespectful and cruel to him.
"but then one day, another god came, and he broke that silence. the sea god told me that he loved me. i felt as though he saw me in a way i had never felt seen before. but then athena declared that i had embarrassed her and i needed to be punished. not him. me." medusa explained her own story.
"she decided that i would never be seen again by anyone who would live to tell the tale. that isn't what happened. my mother is just, always. the gods want you to believe that, that they are infallible. but they only want what all bullies want. they want us to blame ourselves for their own shortcomings." she finished.
"that is not what happened. and you are a liar." annabeth snapped.
"something's burning." medusa spoke, after a long bit of silence. "would you give me a hand in the kitchen? i think lunch is ready."
both cherry and percy stood up, making their way after the woman.
the kitchen was even worse.
too awkward.
"i'm sorry." cherry apologized.
she felt terrible, she really did.
"she's not usually like that. i mean, a little bit, she is, but that was a lot." percy apologized, as well.
"she's going to betray you. sooner or later, people like her, they always do." medusa warned.
"i don't think she's like that."
"then you will be an easy mark for her when the time comes."
"what do you care?"
"your mother and i, we're like sisters in a way. targeted by the same monster. so i find myself feeling protective of you."
"a monster? my mom never talked about my dad that way."
"where is she now, your mother? is she safe?"
"no. she's not."
"and do you trust your friends to help you to make her safe? will they let you make her safe if it conflicts with their quest?"
cherry was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second.
maybe medusa's story was terrible and twisted.
but there was an awful feeling in her stomach that his moment would ruin her life.
she would be more correct than she could ever know.
the girl slid her hand into percy's.
before percy could yank his hand away, he looked over at her.
the red-haired girl led percy out the door, as quietly as she could.
when they ran past annabeth and grover, they followed after them, too.
grover was leading the group now.
they ended up in what seemed like a museum. it was covered in petrified people.
the door shut behind them.
"come on." annabeth led them further through the room.
they all ran through towards the end.
when they came to a stop, cherry and percy both looked down.
they were still holding hands.
"never touch me again." cherry ripped her hand out of percy's.
"you grabbed me." percy reminded, with a glare.
cherry rolled her eyes.
"there's three of us and only one of her. if we split up, she can't be watching us all at once. i don't think it'd be that simple. it could be. here's the plan. i'll get in the air, i'll draw her attention. as soon as you hear me say, maia, you guys start.." grover began to fly up in the air, the red shoes lifting them up.
"so, we're gonna need a new plan." annabeth commented.
heels clicked in the distance.
her mask was off, and the snakes that covered her head wiggled around.
the trio ran away.
"we are not our parents, until we choose to be. you three have chosen. a daughter of a self-righteous mother, who chose self-righteousness for herself." medusa spoke about annabeth.
the snakes on her head hissed.
"and percy, you could have shown your father what it means to stand up for someone you love." medusa continued her rants.
the trio had ducked down between boxes
percy and cherry were too close for her comfort.
"finally, the daughter of a man who would destroy everything for her. you're a lot like him, you know? percy, do you know what cherry did to your mother?" medusa trailed off.
cherry looked up.
percy's face was covered in sheer horror.
he turned to look at the girl beside him.
"the night your mother was taken away from you was planned. cherry did that so you would lead yourself to camp, and help her on her quest." medusa revealed.
the blood running through cherry's body seemed to turn cold.
she turned to look at the blonde boy beside her.
"you're the reason my mom is gone?" percy whispered, his voice on the verge of breaking.
"percy, no! no, that's not true! i swear!" cherry defended herself.
it was no use.
percy despised the girl next to him.
cherry was a cruel girl. she'd treated percy horribly, even after everything she'd done to him. to his mother.
cherry did not deserve to be the goddess of love.
she was the exact opposite.
she was indescribable.
she was evil. she was horrible. she deserved to be in percy's mothers place.
percy wanted to kill her.
he was going to kill her.