AN: Hey, people of the planet! I wrote this chapter on the TLVU Exercise. I finished reading the text and I got bored, so I decided to write this (because I didn't update since February 18th, I think). Anyway, enjoy!

I don't own anything but the idea of the plot.

"Mom?" Connor asked after he and Travis entered the small apartment. "Are you in here?"

No answer.

"I think she's still at work." Travis said. "Let's bring it inside."

Connor lifted the cage they "borrowed" from the school's biology lab. Lamia's snake was inside the cage, hissing at the boys.

"I think we should call him George," Travis said, looking at the animal.

"How do you know it's a guy?" Connor asked, setting the cage on the little desk in their room. "I think we should call her Martha."

"Who calls a snake 'Martha'?"

"Who calls a snake 'George'?"

"Touché." Both brothers looked at the snake.

"Mom's gonna kill us." Connor said.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," Travis said. "Or us."

"I always wanted a snake," Connor admitted after an awkward silence. "They're cool animals."

"I agree," Travis replied. "But we don't even know if it's poisonous or not, what it's fed with, and all that 'taking care of a snake' stuff."

"Maybe we should donate it to the Biology lab?"

"But then we'd have to tell them how we got it!" Travis said. "'Mr. Harris, we got this snake after we fought Mrs. Rotner, who turned out to be a monstrous lady that likes eating kids, with our playing cards and blackjack tokens which shifted to swords and shields. Do you want it for your lab?' Yes, I'm sure we won't be sent to a psychiatric hospital after that."

"Why can't we just tell him we found it in the forest or something?" Connor asked.

"Tell who about what?"

Connor and Travis jumped. Their mother, Mary Stoll, was standing at the door. She was still wearing her uniforms – a white T-shirt with the restaurant's name ("Shalvatta") and a pair of black jeans. Her dark blond hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and her blue eyes were fixed on the boys. She clearly hasn't noticed the snake.

"Uh, this guy from school about this weird box game we found buried in the ground next to the old shoe factory," Travis made up something from an old movie he watched a long time ago.

"And let me guess, the game's name is 'Jumanji'?" Mary didn't buy it. "I watched this movie with you guys, remember?" she eyed the boys. "What are you two up to?"

Connor stood up and hurried to push her to the living room. "Why do you think we're up to something? I think you're just tired, Mom. I'll make you some hot chocolate with marshmallows while you go lie down on the couch, okay?" he motioned Travis to hide the snake's cage while Mary had her back turned to the boy's room. Travis pushed George/Martha's cage to their closet.

"Well, that's really considering of you, Connor," Mary said. "Are you feeling okay?" she put her hand on Connor's forehead. "You don't feel particularly hot…"

"Of course I'm okay, Mom!" Connor pushed off her hand. "Can't I just be nice to the woman who gave birth to me for once?"

"Of course you can, sweetie." Mary still looked at him suspiciously, but let it go. "I would love a cup!"

Connor went into the kitchen and started whisking the milk. Travis got out of their bedroom and motioned him the snake was hidden. Mary eyed them again. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Mom," Travis said. "I assure you, we're just fine."

CRACK!

"Connor!" Mary cried as she and Travis ran into the kitchen. "What happened?"

"N-n-nothing…" Connor stammered. "I just d-dropped the m-mug."

"I think it's time to put an end to this culinary adventure, do you?" Mary asked, pushing the boys away from the shattered glass. "Travis, honey, will you please fetch me a wiper and a mop, please? And Connor, sweetie, go put a plaster on that." She pointed at his bleeding hand. "And don't walk barefoot around here!"

The boys obeyed. After Mary finished cleaning, she took a quick shower and changed back to her pajamas.

"Goodnight, boys," she said, watching them going into bed and get under the blankets.

"Goodnight, Mom," they both said at the same time.

She blew a kiss for each one of them and turned off the lights. They both stayed awake until they were sure she fell asleep.

"Dude!" Travis pulled Connor out of bed. "What happened there? Did… she come back again?"

"No, it wasn't her," Connor assured him. "We killed her, remember? But it was… something. It was a blurry figure outside the window. For a moment it watched me, and… the eyes. They were so… scary."

Travis looked at his brother. He knew Connor since the day the ladder was born, and he knew it wasn't easy scaring him. That thing outside was something. "Forget about that. It was probably your imagination." They both knew Travis was lying.

"You're probably right," Connor said. "Goodnight, bro."

"Back at ya."

They both fell asleep, but it didn't last long. About four hours later, they were awaken to the most shocking and tragic surprise they ever had.

AN: I decided to leave it as a sort of cliffhanger. What did you think? I think it was kinda slow, but wait till the next chapter. I have some surprises to you… Some of our old friends from Half-Blood hill are coming to visit! Remember, the Stolls brothers were at camp before Percy (Well, I think…) so they won't meet him until chapter 6-7, I think.

So anyway, this Wednesday we have the Passover vacation. It's one of the Jewish 'Someone tried to kill us. We won and killed him/them. Let's eat.' holidays. I like this holiday, but the annoying thing is that all the Passover Kosher stuff are disgusting.

Well, see ya next chapter!

TGM, future famous writer (yeah, I'm continuing on the Selene's Moon story…)