As a Halloween special I decided to upload this story.
SUMMARY: Percy Jackson is struggling to come up with money for college. Lost with almost nothing else to do, he decides to enter a film contest. But when terror strikes and people are separated, is a trip to NY's own haunted insane asylum really worth it?
Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO.
Lights, Camera, Action!
LOCATION: HALF-BLOOD HIGH
TIME:11:17 A.M.
PERIOD: LUNCH
Percy Jackson sat at the lunch table near the far left side of Half-Blood High's cafeteria. He sat, watching the cliques shuffle about; there were the "Amazons," a group of self-confident, independent teenage girls with Hylla Valerius as 'Queen', the Hunters of Artemis, a group of girls who basically despise any human being with a Y-chromosome led by their 'lieutenant,' Thalia Grace, the five cohorts, a group of Roman geeks with Reyna Valerius and Jason Grace as praetors, the twelve tables based all off of the Greek gods, each of which had a 'counselor', and, finally, the outcasts, a group of teenagers who had no place to fit in or were socially unskilled, a place for people like Percy.
Percy sighed as he crossed out yet another idea for the upcoming film contest. Vampires versus Werewolves? Really? How cliché is that!
"Yo, Perce!" Percy looked up as he saw his best friend, Grover Underwood, a teenage guy who had a start of a goatee forming on his chin, along with curly, brown hair and a sort of limp in his left leg he got when he was younger, but don't let that fool you, he is still quite capable of beating you in a race towards the cafeteria on enchilada day.
"What's up, G-man?" Percy asked, acknowledging his friend as he made a move to sit next to him.
"Same old, same old. What's up with all that scratching out?" he asked as he started eating his lunch consisting of an apple and a cheese enchilada.
"Deciding what topic to use for the film contest," Percy replied, his brow creasing in frustration as he continued crossing out more useless ideas.
"Here, let me see," Percy passed Grover his journal as he took another bite of his mom's homemade cookies. "Night of the Living Dead?"
"Based off of a dream I had recently filled with zombies, gore, and epic motorcycle stunts," Percy answered dully, resting his head on his hand.
"What's a gryphon?"
"A monster hybrid that has a body of a panther with wings and a head of an eagle."
"Okay. What do you mean by 'Manhattan'?"
"You know, that abandoned mental institution up the hill," Percy mumbled into his arms as he laid his head down.
"It's been abandoned for nearly thirty years," Grover responded, his eyes flitting back and forth nervously.
"I've heard rumors about being haunted and have wanted investigate it for awhile now," Percy said, nodding his head in agreement to Grover's statement.
"B-but, can't we go to someplace like Maine? Maine is nice this time of year," Grover pleaded, even though he knew Percy's mind would be dead-set if he agreed to go there.
"I think it's the easiest to do though…no script needed really. No sets to create, no props to acquire. All's we need would be a few people up to spending a night in a supposed haunted mental institution."
Only one word seemed to register in Grover's mind: "We?"
"Yeah," Percy responded as he leaned back in his seat, his eyebrow quirking up with a taunting smirk forming on his face, "unless you're too chicken to stay at a mental institution that's abandoned, as in no one's there."
"Me? Scared? Ha! No way," Grover lied, his chest puffing out a bit as if to make him seem tougher.
"Thought so," Percy replied, searching his backpack for the math worksheet he forgot to finish. "Now all's we need is a couple more people to sign up for a night in an abandoned institution for the criminally insane."
LOCATION: HALF-BLOOD HIGH
TIME: 11:36 A.M.
PERIOD: ART
Percy and Grover took a seat at the table in the far back of the art classroom as they awaited the rest of the class to show up. Pulling out his sketch book, he began to doodle mindlessly.
"I envy your artistic talent," he heard Grover say as he stopped to admire his work. "I mean, seriously! If I had an eighth of your creative skill I'd be beyond happy."
"Thanks G-man," he replied. He looked over at Grover's sketch. "Uh…yours is good, too."
"Oh, shut up," Grover retorted. "You, me, and the art teacher all know I can't draw to save my life."
"Still," Percy shrugged before glancing at the sketch once more. "Actually, I think you're getting better."
The duo continued to draw in silence before the third member of their group made their presence known. The two looked up as Nico di Angelo, a guy a little on the short side with raven colored hair, similar to Percy's, and light brown colored eyes, sauntered over to their table, only pausing to wink at a couple of Aphrodite girls. Percy and Grover shared a look before simultaneously rolling their eyes.
"So," Nico drawled, his grin widening on his face, "what did I miss?"
"Just Percy figuring out what topic to do for his film contest," Grover answered, a shiver rippling down his back at the thought of even going near that place.
"Oh, and what, pray tell, is this idea," Nico asked, his hands holding on to the chair in front of him as he leaned over in faux curiosity.
"How would you feel like staying the night at a haunted mental ward?" Percy countered, a smirk dancing on his lips.
"Ah, the three D's: danger, death, and diligence. I'm in!" Nico replied, glee lacing his voice at the chance of going somewhere supposedly haunted.
"Okay, I can see danger and death, but what does diligence have to do with staying somewhere haunted," Grover asked, a look on his face that was most likely questioning Nico's sanity.
"It requires diligence to run away from ghosts and keep hidden," Nico retorted, his face clearly saying 'Duh! Didn't you know that?'.
They were interrupted by a questioning, and obviously female, voice, "Can we go?" All chattering stopped as they turned to face the speaker. It was Annabeth Chase the 'counselor' of the Athena table along with her friend, Thalia Grace. Both shared a look before smirking at the expressions on the boys' faces. "You're going to the supposedly haunted mental ward; we want in."
"Sure," Percy spoke slowly, still comprehending the fact that Annabeth and Thalia of all people wanted to go with them, a bunch of social outcasts. "Not to be rude or anything, but why do you want to go?"
"Don't know, maybe to check and see if the rumors are true; if it really is haunted," Annabeth admitted, shrugging indifferently.
Percy nodded at the reason. "Okay…how about we head on up this Saturday night and stay 'til late Sunday morning?"
Everyone present nodded their heads in agreement. "Okay, it's settled. We'll meet at the old hickory tree at the crossroads near the mental institution. And remember: dress dark. I would say black but that would make it obvious that we are up to no good."
"Hey, Percy?" Annabeth asked as they started to pack up for their next class. Seeing that Percy's attention was on her, Annabeth plowed on. "Do you mind if I bring a couple more people, maybe two or three?"
"Sure," Percy agreed before grinning cheekily. "The more the merrier."
"Thanks!" she said, turning to head off to her next class. Percy sighed happily before following Annabeth's example and heading off towards his next class.
LOCATION: HALF-BLOOD HIGH
TIME: 12:16 P.M.
PERIOD: BIOLOGY
Percy slid into the seat next to his lab partner, Tyson Gray. Tyson was a burly kid with curly brown hair and big, blue eyes. Tyson was the kind of person that would always stand by your side and help you when you needed it. So it wasn't a surprise when Percy asked Tyson if he wanted to join the expedition and he agreed whole-heartily.
"Great!" Percy replied, overjoyed at the fact so many people were willing to join him and his stay at the abandoned mental institution. "So far it will be you, me, Nico, Grover, Annabeth, Thalia, and whoever else Annabeth is going to bring!"
"Goat Boy is going?" Tyson asked, his eyes widening. "You didn't tell me Goat Boy was going!"
Tyson and Grover had never really gotten along, so it didn't come to be a surprise when Tyson freaked out over Grover going. No one really knows why they disliked each other, but Percy had a slight suspicion that it had involved Tyson almost sitting on top of Grover.
"It's okay, big guy," Percy reassured. "You'll hardly even notice him with all the other people there."
"Brother is right," Tyson agreed. Tyson had a habit of calling Percy his brother because of the fact that Percy was like the brother he never had; you know, that older sibling that's always there to serve as a role model. "Hardly ever see Goat Boy!"
Percy grinned at Tyson's childish antics, but was cut off by a cold voice, "Glad to know you're enjoying yourselves, boys."
Percy froze, the grin sliding off his face instantaneously, only to be replaced by an apologetic one, "Sorry Mrs. Dodds, I'll try not to have it happen again."
"Detention Jackson, Gray," she spoke before turning towards the whiteboard in the front of the class. "Now class can you please describe the difference between…"
Percy zoned out, doodling in his Biology notebook. He spared a glance at the clock; 12:20.
Percy sighed, something he's been doing a lot recently, and continued to doodle in his notebook. Only forty minutes of class left.
LOCATION: HALF-BLOOD HIGH
TIME: 1:02 P.M.
PERIOD: LITERATURE
Percy panted as he tried to catch his breath. That was a long run from the science lab to the literature classroom. He heard giggling off to his right and turned to look at the person. Annabeth. She smiled, "A little late aren't we, Percy?"
Percy scowled. "I wouldn't have been that if it wasn't for the long run from the science lab."
Annabeth continued to grin. "Relax, I was just kidding. And besides, Connor, Travis, and Katie agreed to join us for the trip to the abandoned mental ward."
Percy had met all three of those people. Connor and Travis Stoll were the pranksters or troublemakers of the school. Seen vandalized school property via spray paint? Most likely them. Car egged? The Stolls were near. Locker glued shut? The Stolls. Katie Gardner, on the other hand, was a complete teacher's pet and always tried to spoil the Stolls' plans. In her free time, she enjoyed hanging out at the school's green house and had a part time job as a florist.
Percy nodded his head at the choice of people. "Sure, great! So it'll be the Stolls, Katie, Thalia, Nico, Grover, Tyson, you, and me."
"Sweet," Annabeth replied smiling before turning to take notes. "Can't wait."
Me neither, Percy thought as he followed Annabeth's example yet again and begin to take notes. Me neither.
Sooooo….Whaddaya think? Oh and it was so funny at my cousin's wedding reception this weekend. According to my other cousin who was scolding my other cousins, all of which were drunk, mind you, there are three rules that should be followed; 1) Never touch another man's belt, 2) Never touch a guy's beer, and 3) Never touch a guy's pizza. Lol it was hilarious!
