I do not own Percy Jackson or Paranorman. I think I forgot the disclaimer last chapter, oops.
Nico stepped out from the shadows of a tall oak tree. He had shadow travelled into Blithe Hollow's forest.
He needed to clear his head. Blithe Hollow was an enigma. The ghosts were common here and the mist was thicker. If he wasn't concentrating the ghosts seemed to fade out of his sight. They also seemed… greener. The ghosts Nico had come across in the mortal land were generally tinted blue. They also seemed more solid than the shadow-like ghosts he normally came across. The ghosts here were solid if you were concentrating hard enough.
The mortals couldn't see them, rather than in other places, where they could see them, but the mist made them think they were something else. But that boy had seen them… and him. Nico was definitely going to have to ask him some questions. Maybe he knew something. He could be asked later, though. Nico preferred not to have to explain everything.
Nico had not been expecting this when Hades had asked him to check up on a town whose deaths had slipped under his radar. He had been expecting something simple, he had got something complex. Just talking to that demigod that had died on one of the recent quests issued after the battle of Manhatten, had not clarified anything.
Nico was going to have to stay in Blithe Hollow for longer than he thought. But first, he had to contact Hades with his findings.
The sun rose over the tops of the trees. Nico woke, squinting in the glare from his treetop resting place. He swung down and jumped the last few metres. He landed easily. Nico stood up and headed into town, determined to find answers.
Nico followed the pathway down from the old house in the forest. He had sensed death in that house, someone had died in there. No wonder it was abandoned.
The forest thinned out into the grey residential blocks of the few houses on the edge of Blithe Hollow. Nico saw some teens hanging out on the empty street. The spiky black haired boy from yesterday was talking to another teen, this one wearing a black shirt and big, black earrings.
Nico turned to leave, not wanting to get caught up in conversation, but it was too late. The boy's eyes had widened in recognition and he was now running down the street towards Nico. Nico sighed as he accepted his fate.
The boy stopped right in front of Nico, panting heavily. His spiky hair bobbed up and down distractedly as he wheezed.
"Stop! Need… to… talk… to you… " He let out.
"Yes. I guess we do." Nico said grudgingly.
A/N: I got the blue ghost thing from tBotL in case you were confused by that. This was surprisingly hard to write. So they meet! Sorry it's so short but it has been a week and I do not like leaving more than a week between updates. The next chapter should be longer, though! Please review, rate or follow.