TWO

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Aunt Laura Explains Things…Sort Of

After someone/thing breaks into your house, what you check up on says a lot about who you are.

Aunt Laura and Uncle Benji ran straight to the kids' rooms to check up on them and make sure they were okay, barely pausing to marvel at the lack of door.

Me? I went to the nearest mirror to check up on the condition of my t-shirt and my hair. There was some blood and a few nail holes in the shirt, but it could have been worse. My hair, on the other hand, was an atrocity. It had almost all fallen out of its genie-doo, and there were twigs and leaves woven into it all over.

I looked like some sort of wood nymph or something.

"So…I guess that…thing…did all of this?" Aunt Laura asked tiredly as Uncle Benji went to do something about the inviting opening at the front of the house.

"Yeah," I answered with a brief nod, surveying the damage that had been done. Broken lamps…torn sofa…bits of ceiling and wall missing from where the thing had crashed into them. It could have been worse.

"How are Christopher and Emily?"

"Emily's fast asleep—probably didn't notice any of it. Christopher is a little shaken up, but I think he feels better now that he knows it's gone and we're here." She paused. "He said something about it coming out of his closet?"

"Yup. He's not getting over his fear of monster's anytime soon."

Aunt Laura laughed in a humorless, tired way. She ran a hand over her face. "Effie, I need to talk to you."

"Oh, okay." Was I in trouble? I hadn't done anything wrong. I had saved Christopher—I had done as little damage as possible. The monster was gone now—dead.

"Here, let's talk in the kitchen," she said, passing her hand over her face again. "I need coffee or a beer or something…" She shook her head as she disappeared into the kitchen. I followed after her, taking a seat at the table and watching her as she slowly got herself a drink.

"I know I said that I shouldn't tell you anything your dad didn't want you to know, but…well, under the circumstances…I think it is crucial that you understand."

"Wait—where Dad is has something to do with what happened tonight?"

"Possibly. I think it does, but your father didn't really tell me much about his mission either. What I can tell you is why that thing was here."

"Okay," I said earnestly, leaning forward.

"Honey, you're Greek."

I took a deep breath as if this was any sort of news. Then, realizing what she said, I exhaled and knit my eyebrows together. I stared curiously at her for several moments, opening and closing my mouth like a fish, before anything came out.

"I know that…"

Aunt Laura didn't say anything, just took a swig of beer and rubbed her temples, as if this was the most taxing thing she had ever had to deal with.

"Was that really all you were going to say? Because that doesn't explain anything."

"I know it doesn't. It's just…the beginning. Let me try again…you are more Greek than you realize."

"I'm half Greek," I said plainly. She had lost my attention now. I started to drum my fingers on the table, tapping my foot against the floor as my eyes darted around the room, watching the fly that had found its way through the front "door."

"No, sweetie. You're even more Greek than that. Your dad is half Greek. Your mother was one-hundred-per-cent Greek. So, you are three quarters Greek."

"Aunt Laura, no disrespect, but this isn't getting me any answers. I don't want to talk about genetics—I want to talk about that freaky boogie monster that came out of Christopher's closet and where my dad went."

"I'm getting there!" she snapped; I winced. I had never heard her raise her voice before. Once again, she ran her hand over her face. "You'd never guess it; I'm not getting anywhere. I guess I should just come out and say it then…Honey, your father is only my half-brother. We have the same dad, but different mothers. And his mom is—"

"Let me guess," I sighed, laying my cheek against the table; I flicked a few crumbs across the surface. "Greek?"

"Well, yes, but that wasn't going to say. It's more like…Olympian."

"O…lympian?"

"Yes—you know. The twelve gods of Olympus—that sort of thing."

"That sort of thing?" I repeated, feeling myself going a little numb.

"No, more like that exactly…"

I waited for her to start laughing, or for a bunch of clowns to pop up in the background and point at me, laughing, calling me a fool for believing such a ridiculous idea.

But none of that happened.

Aunt Laura was watching me with a serious expression; she could never hold a straight face when she was lying or joking. Which meant that it was true, or she at least believed it was. And Aunt Laura was a practical, realistic person. She would never believe something so outrageous unless there were some sort of proof to back her up.

Which meant…

"Oh my gosh, you're serious!"

Aunt Laura's hand fell to the table with a loud 'THUNK!' and she wore an expression of mild irritation mixed with great disbelief. "Of course I'm serious! You think this is the sort of thing I'd joke about? It's a completely ridiculous idea—if I didn't know it was true, I could never believe it."

"Well how do you know?"

"How do I—I see them, Effie. I see the monsters, the Cyclops, the everything. I've been told from a very young age that this was the truth, and it's a good thing, too, because I know I am sometimes very narrow-minded. But, on top of that, I've met your dad's mother—and trust me, once you meet her, you'll have no doubts, either."

"Well…who is she?" I asked impatiently. I squirmed a little in my seat. How long had we been sitting here, talking about this? Too long, that was for sure.

"Think about it. If you think about what your dad is like, mixed with what you know of the gods, you can figure it out for yourself."

I stared blankly at her for a moment. She took this as me racking my brain for answers, but it was really my way of telling her that I had already done what she said, and I was coming up with nothing.

I continued to stare at her, but she didn't get it. I had a feeling that the beers were getting to her head, because she wasn't usually so slow.

"Aunt Laura," I began slowly, finally giving up on my silent way of communication, "I know nothing about Greek mythology."

"WHAT?" she spewed, spraying her drink across the table, just narrowly missing me.

"It never came up in any of my lessons," I said with a shrug. Was it really so uncommon to not know anything about Greek mythology? I bet I could find a dozen people who knew maybe even less than me.

"Never came up!" she choked. "More like your dad purposefully avoided it. That sounds just like him! I can't believe—you know nothing?"

"Well…I know Zeus is like, the king of the gods or something and he rules the sky."

Her face fell even farther, is if knowing just that small tidbit was even worse than knowing nothing at all. "That's it?"

"Yeah…wait, no!"

For a moment, Aunt Laura looked hopeful.

That was, until I spoke again.

"I know he likes to have lots of affairs with mortal women."

"Oh, dear…Okay, Effie. You're going to have to read some Greek mythology, starting tonight—and yes, I know it's late, and I'm sure you're tired, but I think this is important. I don't feel it's my right to just tell you stuff, but if you figure it out on your own…"

"So that's it? That is all you're going to tell me?" I was beginning to feel rather cross. So much stuff was suddenly going on—I wasn't even sure I believed it all yet—and she was just going to leave me to fend for myself.

"Well…" she paused, guiltily wringing her hands. "I guess I could tell you a bit more."

"Please do."

"Okay." She took a deep breath, swallowed some more beer, and shook her head. "Your dad left because there is some sort of storm that isn't really a storm. He also mentioned that there is a war, and I am pretty sure the two are connected. He went to see if he could help out."

This was all stuff I had overheard, but I pretended to look surprised. "Oh!"

She bought it.

Maybe acting was something I should pursue…

"The war…it's in New York. He didn't really say much other than that, just that Olympus was in danger, and if it fell, than all of humanity was in danger, too." Now she was beginning to sound nervous. "I have a feeling—from the things I've seen, and the things I know—that the Titans are coming back into power."

I blinked. The Titans…I was assuming she wasn't talking about the high school football team from the south—Ah, Remember the Titans is such a good movie though—but I wasn't really sure what else it was she could be talking about.

She realized this after a moment of me staring silently at her.

She was getting better at this.

"Of course, you don't know…The Titans, to sum it all up, are bad—especially their leader and Zeus's father, Kronos. I'll let you read the rest, but…" She sighed, shaking her head again. "This could be a very bad situation. I just hope your father and…whoever else is fighting…I just hope they succeed. A lot of the gods and goddesses are very powerful—" Thunder rumbled, and Aunt Laura got a very nervous look on her face. "I mean, they all are, but not all of them are very…suited for battle. Your dad's mother is one of those, so I'm not sure what there is for your dad to do."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.

"He'll do what he can, though; he's got a good-heart."

"Yeah, he does," I agreed.

"What else was I going to tell you? Why that monster came, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, well, first let me explain that most mortals can't see monsters—that's something your dad told me, but also something I figured out when I would try to point something out, and my mom and dad and friends looked at me like I was crazy. There's this thing called "The Mist" which covers mortals' visions, making it into something more believable. Like this storm. It seems like a storm to most, but if you and I looked closely, we could see what it really was."

"Christopher saw the monster come out of the closet…does that mean—"

"Yeah, he can see through the Mist, too. I never knew before today, but there's no other explanation."

"What about Uncle Benji?"

"No, he can't."

"What did he…well, what did he see then?"

"He saw you kill a big bird with the sword—that's what he said. I told him what it really was, though. He knows all about everything, though. With a family like ours, you sort of have to know…Now, as for why the monster came after you, that is harder to explain. The short and sweet of it is, they don't like half-bloods, and want them dead."

"The monster said something about half-blood, too…But, if my dad's mother is a goddess, that makes me a quarter-blood."

For a moment, Aunt Laura looked uneasy. Then she took another swig of her drink and said, "Well, Effie, I don't know what to tell you…monsters aren't always the smartest. Besides, I think they sort of generalize. They're really just against anything related to the gods…literally."

"Oh…well, that isn't fair."

She shrugged. "I guess not…You wouldn't happen to know what monster it was, would you?"

I stared pointedly at her.

"I thought not. Well…I'm just going to get you mythology book, and then it's off to bed." She stood slowly, stretched her arms up over her head, and gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead. "It'll all be okay, sweetie. Don't worry."

Easy for her to say. She didn't have monsters trying to kill her over something she couldn't control.

As I was laying in bed, casually flipping through the—very thick—book my aunt had given to me, I couldn't help but think about what if this all was true, and my dad was the offspring of some celestial being. Oddly enough, the part that most disturbed me was that my grandma wasn't really my grandma.

I know, I know what you're thinking—that's ridiculous! You have monsters attacking you, your father is off at a war, and there is a storm raging across the country that isn't a country at all, but something the Titans—who, I read about a little, and they are nothing like the football team; I don't like them at all—are responsible for, and you are worried that your grandmother isn't really your grandma?

Well, to put it simply…yes. It's easy enough to explain, too.

I have lived my whole life thinking that Grandma Elizabeth was my grandmother and she was married to Grandpa Brian and they had my dad. Together.

Now, suddenly, this other lady has stepped into the picture—a lady who has turned my whole world completely around.

It's different knowing that my dad isn't completely mortal—he is still my dad; I'm still related to him. It's the same thing with Aunt Laura and Christopher and Emily. But Grandma…well, we don't share any blood at all anymore. She isn't my relative. She's family—she'll always be family—but I'm not related to her. At all.

The whole thing was just…weird.

I kept thinking that I would fall asleep, and when I woke up, it would all go back to normal. I would be home in New Jersey with my dad, and I wouldn't have to worry about learning about Greek mythology or figuring out who my grandmother was, because Grandma would be my grandmother, and the mythology would continue not to matter.

Unfortunately, I had the sinking feeling as I fell into a fitful sleep that this wasn't the case at all.

That night, I dreamt. I couldn't even remember the last time I dreamt.

It started out peacefully. The landscape was covered in rolling hills covered in lush green grass. The sky was a clear blue with a smattering of fluffy white clouds. A gentle breeze lifted my hair and tickled the grass. I felt at peace…

Then the sky darkened, the grass died, and the wind picked up speed. My hair blew across my face and into my mouth and eyes, so I couldn't see anything. I tried to push it away, and after several tries, I succeeded somewhat, and found I wasn't alone.

Facing me was a giant man—at least ten feet tall and several football fields wide— with a mouth bigger than the Mariana Trench. Between him and me was a line of twelve people; most had black hair—all had blurred faces. My dad stood off to the side, watching.

"Which one is it?" Aunt Laura asked, appearing at my elbow.

I started and looked back at the line of people. "I-I don't know!" I stuttered.

"Go on, pick one!"

"I—" I looked at them all helplessly. There were seven men and five girls. That narrowed it down to five, but I still couldn't see their faces—I didn't know who was who or what they were like. "I pick…"

The wind picked back up and my hair was in my eyes.

"EFFIE, YOU HAVE TO PICK!"

Panicked, I pointed blindly in one direction. There was a deep, evil sounding laugh followed by a scream and a sickening crunching noise.

"Effie, you have to pick right! If you don't, another will be eaten!"

Eaten?

I had to choose correctly. I batted away my hair, but it wouldn't stay out of my eyes. Knowing that this was getting me nowhere, I pointed in a direction I thought a woman had been standing.

There was another laugh, scream, and crunching. I felt like I was going to throw up.

Why was my dad just standing there? Why wasn't he helping me?

Why wasn't Aunt Laura helping, either? Did she like to see them being eaten? I couldn't even stand to hear it.

"Try again, Effie! And don't point to a man this time!"

Again and again I tried, but I kept getting the same results. After a point, everything fell silent. The wind died. I brushed my hair out of my eyes and opened them. Everyone was gone—even my dad and aunt. All that was left was me and the giant man.

When he saw me looking at him, his Mariana-Trench-sized-mouth broke into a sickening grin, his teeth covered in blood. A laugh filled the air again, and now I knew for sure it had been coming from him. He extended his arm, opening up a big meaty hand. As it came closer, I knew what was going to happen, but I couldn't move.

His fingers closed around me and slowly he brought me back to his body; I couldn't even scream as I was dropped into his mouth.

Then everything went dark.

I sat bolt upright, sweat—reminding me so much of his saliva I wanted to hurl—covered my body, and I was breathing heavily. I couldn't see straight as I stumbled out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and headed down the hallway to the bathroom. A nice, hot shower would set me right. I would be able to think…everything would be okay. I would read more mythology, no matter how much it made my head swim, and I would figure out who my grandmother was.

No one was going to become a side to some weird Titan's McDonald's dinner.

Not on my watch.

a/n Wow, I am surprised I finished this chapter so quickly. I started after I finished the last one, and I guess I had more inspiration than I thought. I know chapters don't have to be painfully long, though I do have a habit of doing that...Anyway, this chapter was shorter than the last, as I thought it would be. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm not sure exactly what I am doing next, so I have to sort out my thoughts before I update again.

Please review or something, though. It is really appreciated :)

And thank you to zynaofthenight for her review, favorite, and alert, and to Percy Jackson Rulez for faving this story :)

Much love

xox