~Who are you?~
"HOLY SHI-" I'm screaming my lungs out at this point. I still have my drum sticks from my class, so I have a bright idea to stab the lion, but how? My music is still going, playing "Misery" by Green Day.
It started when she ran away
Thumbs out on the interstate
She hitched a ride to misery
The lion apparently grabbed my shirt collar with its mouth instead of its claw, but why didn't it just eat me right there and then? Something is wrong.
It starts heading deeper into the woods. I need to act fast. As the lion runs faster, my body starts swinging side to side, like a doll. My head starts spinning and I can't get a hold on what's happening.
I try grabbing its neck, but I can't get a good grip on it. Finally, on my third try, I firmly hold onto its neck and pull out one of my drumsticks from my pocket. I adjust my grip on the drumstick so I can stab its face with enough force. Weirdly, its fur didn't change a bit. It's the exact same. I even stab it with the choppy end of the stick. The lion's skin is like its netherite armor (Minecraft kids know).
I try once again, right in the eye. Guilt floods my mind, how could I do that to an animal? They're still a living thing. But thankfully that's enough for the lion to drop me, on the cold, rough ground. I inhale sharply as I land, arms first, on the ground. It hurts so bad and I don't even have supplies. But I can't think about that right now, a whole lion is after me.
The fire burns from better days
I roll behind a tree, so I'm not right in front of the lion. I try to stand up, but it takes me a few tries. There's dirt all over my forearms and a couple of deep cuts. How am I going to survive if just a bunch of minor scratches and cuts are basically killing me? Why is the world doing this to me?
And she screams, "Why, oh why?"
I hear the lion roar, so my first instinct says to run, once again. Except this time, the lion doesn't exactly catch me. The lion scratches me right near my neck, but still on my back. The gnarly pain on my back stings so bad. I wanna scream but I feel like I've already lost my voice.
Well, hellhounds on your trail now once again, boy
I need to get rid of this lion, and I also need to figure out how. So I obviously can't stab the lion to death, it's skin is crazy strong and my drumsticks are crazy dull. I need to find a weak spot. Its eyes are kind of weak, but not enough. Maybe if...oh my gods if this works, I will literally jump for joy even if I'm in extreme pain.
I creep down a bit and start walking behind the lion, making sure I'm not crunching any leaves or snapping twigs. I swiftly make my way around the lion, near its head, but a safe distance away so it won't attack me. The lion roars again, and that's when I strike. While it's mouth is still open, I threw both of my drumsticks at an angle. I know my sticks are pretty skinny, but if this lion is actually gonna choke on it...
It's groping on your leg until it sleeps
A few moments later, the lion disintegrates like Peter Parker in Avenger's Endgame. How does that work? Am I in a freaking Percy Jackson book right now? This is definitely going to haunt me until I die.
I hobble away, trying not to trigger any pain on my body. What the hell was that though? Also where did the lion come from? It must've been in a zoo somewhere else because I do not know any places that lions can live in New Jersey.
***
Hours later, I find myself walking up a hill. "Brain Stew" is playing on my phone, I'm genuinely surprised it hasn't lost its battery yet. It's probably almost 2 am or something. I am absolutely starving. "Famished," I say in a fancy British accent. I start chuckling at myself. I am totally going insane as well. I haven't got any sleep because I'm scared of a lion or a wild animal coming at me again. This is not what I wanted when I was thinking of running away.
I'm having trouble trying to sleep
I'm counting sheep but running out
As time ticks by, still I try
No rest for crosstops in my mind
On my own, here we go
I hear rumbling amongst the pine trees around me. Or I've actually seen one pine tree, I don't know my trees. "Not again," I groan out loud, probably attracting what's coming at me. But this time I'm completely unarmed, I don't have any other things that could be a weapon. I'm just stuck with my earbuds and my phone that I've completely given up on using.
My eyes feel like they're gonna bleed
Dried up and bulging out my skull
My mouth is dry, my face is numb
I make a terrible choice by turning my back against the trees and I get snatched away back into more trees. I'm hanging off of the ground wayyy higher this time. I think I've absolutely stopped caring. But I don't want to die like this and seem weak. I want a meaningful life.
I kick back behind me, hoping I hit the creature's chest. The creature manages to drop me, like before. But this time I'm prepared. As soon as I'm about to hit the ground, I roll to not have as much impact in one place, a little something I learned from Ms. Hazel Levesque from The Son of Neptune.
I glance back behind me to see what exactly is attacking me. It's a huge. Freaking. MINOTAUR! Ok now I'm convinced I'm dreaming of being in a Percy Jackson book right now. I want to scream so loud like a little kid. I'm practically shaking in my boots.
This is not real. This is not real. It's all just a dream. I run away, but it's not enough. I don't have enough sleep or food or water or energy. I just need to survive somehow.
Suddenly, I trip over something. But there's literally nothing there. I feel like I can sense something there, but it's not. Maybe it's underground? I start swiping off the dirt from that area. Please be something helpful. Please, please, please!
Oh my gods I might be the luckiest human alive. Under the dirt, is a glowing, silver dagger. It's a bit dull, but it works. How did I catch this? But more importantly, how did this even get here? No one even uses daggers anymore. It's all gunfights now, which is still pretty sad. I grab the grip of the dagger and coincidentally, it fits perfectly.
By the time I get a good feel of the dagger, I can hear the Minotaur charging at me like I'm wearing red. I start thinking about how Percy Jackson defeated the Minotaur. Obviously I wasn't thinking for long, I'm a Percy Jackson fan.
Ok, so how do I get up at its head? I immediately think of multiple options. One, I could try to push down the Minotaur to the ground and slice off the horn. Probably impossible. Two, I could climb up a tree and jump on its back. However, I'm too hurt for that.
And then it comes to me. The perfect idea. It's really simple, but it might just work. I start looking around for something useful. A huge branch. It has a bit of an arch, which is exactly what I need. I try to push the branch between two trees. It takes me about a thousand winces and grunting in pain, but I got it. Now I just need to start rubbing around.
Fortunately, the Minotaur was about five seconds behind me. Immediately, I start sprinting. I weave through multiple trees so I have more space between us. Now here comes the trap.
I jump over the long branch I set up. I back up and stick my tongue at the Minotaur. "Try catching me now, you Walmart version of a bull!" Not the best insult, but it works.
Now I can sense the Minotaur being ten times more angry, and it'll definitely bring its anger out on its speed. Just where I want it to be.
THUMP! The Minotaur is face flat on the ground. That must hurt. But I have to act fast. I scurry over and climb up the Minotaur's back. I use the dagger to start sawing the horn off. I use all my might and energy to make this fast. Before the Minotaur can get up again, I bang the dagger on its head and continue sawing.
It seems like it's been hours. But I got the horn off. I officially defeat the Minotaur by grabbing the horn by the stem and stabbing the tip at the very top of its head.
Now the only thing that remains of the Minotaur is its horn. I keep the dagger in my pocket and wrap my arm around the horn like a basketball.
After a few moments, I realize that I'm incredibly thirsty. So thirsty that I've started to have that weird taste in my mouth. I start walking more and I'm not walking for long.
I find a lake near the top of the hill. I should probably clean off the dirt on my arms. I set down the horn on the grass and dip my hands in the cold water.
A chill went down my spine. But not because of the water. I can feel another presence in my area. Oh my gods please don't let it be another monster. I'm so done for the day.
Before I can grab the dagger out of my pocket, a guy with curly brown hair and tan skin walks up. He has a bunch of oil and grease stains on his shirt. He looks like he's in his late twenties, but he's also the same height as me. He looks insanely tired but shocked at the same time. I can only imagine what he sees. A homeless looking girl who is clumsy and dirty possibly.
I slowly move one of my hands to the pocket where my dagger is. "Who are you?" I say in an exasperated tone. I would usually be more polite but this guy is a stranger and I'm TIRED.
"I'm Leo Valdez." He looks at me up and down like I'm wearing a teletubby costume at a funeral. "And you're a demigod."