Chapter 1: I Order Snakes off the Menu

My final moments of peace were when I was sitting in alone in my car. I was waiting just outside central park, where I was supposed to meet Annabeth. I was taking her on a date to some fancy French restaurant that I couldn t remember the name of. Du Place or something like that. So, Anyways, I was in my car, and Annabeth came around the corner, wearing the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It was grey, with sequins around the waistline that perfectly matched her bright grey eyes. She opened the door to the car, and got in. "So, where to?" She asked.

"Um... Uh... Wow!" I replied. I felt like an idiot, but I was amazed at how beautiful Annabeth looked. I continued to be an idiot by saying, "you look... wow... you look... fantastic!"

"Thanks," she responded with a blush, "Silena helped me pick it out."

Silena Beauregard was a daughter of Aphrodite. It made sense to me that she would help. I shifted to drive, and we were on our way. "We are going to this French restaurant on the lower east side. I don't remember the name," I said.

"Well I'm sure it's a great place," Annabeth responded.

We got to the restaurant, and were seated at a table in the corner. The waiter was tall, with yellow eyes. wait... I thought. yellow eyes? No one usually has yellow eyes... "Would you like to order? the Sssalmon is our ssspecial tonight." he asked.

I said "We'll look at the menu first."

"Sssuit yourssself, Percy Jackssson"

Once the waiter left, I leaned in to Annabeth. "I never told him my name. Something is wrong"

"Do you think he's a monster?" she asked, "He seemed odd. he was holding his S's, and there was something odd about his eyes."

"I caught that too," I said.

About six minutes later, the waiter came back. "Here you go, Percy Jackssson and Annabeth Chassse." He placed a plate on our table. When I looked down, I flew out of my chair screaming. I instantly uncapped riptide.

"SNAKE!" I screamed. Then panic ensued. People turned to our table, saw the snake, and ran toward the doors screaming. The waiter was gone. Or was he? I looked at the snake again, and he was wearing the waiter's uniform, and started to grow. He went from the size of a garter snake to a python, about twelve feet tall. "How are we, Percy Jackssson and Annabeth Chasse? Are we ready to die?" then he turned to me, "I'll ssstart with the boy."

I turned to Annabeth, but she was already on the other side of the restaurant, with her dagger out. The snake lunged, and I dove out of the way. There wasn't enough room, because when I came back up, I bumped my head on a table. "Ow!" I shouted.

"Percy!" Annabeth remarked, "This is a python!"

"What myth has a python?" I racked my brain to remember. as I was trying to think, It lunged at me again. I sidestepped, and this time was able to slash at it's side. as soon as I removed my sword, the wound started to heal. Meanwhile, Annabeth jumped on it's back with her dagger in her hand. Before she could strike, the python swung sideways, throwing Annabeth against the wall.

"Annabeth!" I shouted.

"Ssstupid boy!" the python exclaimed, "you cannot kill me by ssswinging a sssilly sssword. You will only get yourssself killed."

As Annabeth got up, the chandelier fell, and a piece of crystal lodged in the python's wound. He cringed, "Argh! pain!"

Annabeth said, "I got it! Percy, in the myth, Apollo killed the python! But he used arrows! Percy, that's why he is in pain! we need to stick things in his wounds!"

"Great! how will a sword help?"

"It will. Just keep slashing at him."

So I did. I slashed at its rear, and almost as quickly as I followed through, Annabeth shoved a crystal in the wound.

"Argh!" it screamed. "Ssstop!"

It swung around to face me, and with its tail, it knocked Annabeth into a wall. "Annabeth!" before she could get up, a picture fell off the wall and hit her in the head. She was unconscious.

"Time do die, Percy Jackssson," It said, turning to face me. I knew that without Annabeth, I was going to die. But I had to try. I picked up a crystal shard, and turned to face it.

"We'll see about that!" I was about to lunge forward, when I heard a SMASH! A huge chunk of wall landed on the snake's head, and it disintegrated into yellow dust. Standing on the other side of the dust pile was my brother: Tyson.

"Percy!" Tyson said, "Ella needs help!"