A Rocky Start

"Well, so far, so good."

I regretted those words the second they left my lips as Annabeth elbowed me. Never assume things will go smoothly and never say it out loud.

Argus drove us to the bus station, but as I got out, I saw something that made my heart sink. It was a poster of me, along with a contact number, should anyone see me. Apparently, I was wanted for questioning for the disappearance of my mother.

"This is not good," Grover said, seeing the picture.

"Who did this?" I asked in frustration.

Annabeth looked at it, "I'm not sure, but this is going to make things difficult for us. If mortals are looking for you, it's not going to be difficult for monsters to find you on sight."

It certainly stung that people could possibly believe I could ever hurt my mom. I crumbled the paper and threw it away. I saw Grover and Annabeth looking at me and I just shrugged my shoulders, and said with a casual tone, "Then I guess we better hurry."

When the bus finally arrived, we got into the far back seats. Things were going smoothly. Until Grover started to smell something that made him cringe. If it was a monster, it could be anywhere in any form. But luckily, they were easy to spot. Unluckily, it was a familiar face and she brought two of her sisters with her.

"All three Kindly Ones," Grover said, nervously.

"We have to get out of here," Annabeth said. Sadly, there didn't appear to be any exit other than the front of the bus and the roof hatch. And the Furies were making their way back to us.

"Here," Annabeth said, giving me her Yankees cap, "You can use this to sneak past them and escape."

"What about you guys?"

"They only want you, Percy. You're a child of Poseidon, so your scent is much stronger than ours. They might not even notice us."

"And what if they do?"

"Percy, we need to make sure you complete your quest."

"And leave you to die?"

"Just go, before they see you, Seaweed Brain. We'll be fine," Annabeth ordered.

I saw the Furies getting closer, and I quickly put on the cap. I made my way forward as I got closer to them. I froze as one stopped and looked directly at me. But she looked forward again and continued with her sisters to the back as I arrived at the front of the bus.

However, I heard a loud screech, and turned to see the Furies in their true forms, with their wings spread and their handbags turned into whips, attacking Grover and Annabeth.

"Where is it!" one of them screamed as they attacked my friends with their whips.

"He's not here," Annabeth said, taking out her dagger, preparing to fight. Grover took out his tin can, ready to throw it at his target. I was going to run and help, but too many mortals were standing in the way, checking out what ever scene the Mist produced of the Furies, preventing me from reaching them.

And then I got a terrifically horrible idea. Seeing the bus almost out of the Lincoln Tunnel, I gave the wheel a good jerk to the right, causing the bus to slam into the side, and turned it again, sending monsters and humans tossing around. As the bus was moving uncontrollably, it was thrown into one of the rural roads, and I pulled the emergency brake. Once the bus was finished its spinning, it came to a stop and the mortals ran off the bus, while the Furies regained their balance and began to attack my companions.

"Looking for me," I shouted, removing the cap.

That drew their attention to me and they approached me with an unsettling look in their eye. I uncapped Riptide, and dodged out of the way as one of them tried to strike me with their whip, lifting my sword up and striking one of them through the torso, turning her into dust. Annabeth used her knife and jumped one of them as Grover tried to help her. As the second one tried to strike at me, I took a swing and she exploded into dust as well. As Annabeth and Grover struggled against the last one, I felt the hairs on my head begin to stand as I felt the static begin to raise in the air. I heard thunder in the distance get louder and louder. I noticed the Fury was tied in her own whip and I pulled Annabeth off her as I grabbed Grover's hand.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "what-"

"We need to go, now," I warned. I must have had a look of terror because she didn't argue as I pulled her and Grover off the bus while the Fury tried to unwrap herself and free her wings. We got far from the bus, to see mortals shouting at the driver.

"Percy," Grover said, looking confused "we can't just leave our stuff-"

A loud blast of thunder erupted, and lightning struck the bus, causing it to explode with the Fury still inside.

We heard a loud screech from the Fury.

"She's calling for back up," Annabeth said.

We ran off into the forested area. While the lightning certainly helped our escape, I just hoped that it wasn't meant for me.

We were far enough in the forest to feel a little safe, but we also realized how hungry we really were.

"We need to find food," Grover moaned.

"You shouldn't have done that," Annabeth said, looking at me with her angry grey eyes, "You could've avoided a fight."

"Annabeth, what did you expect me to do?"

"You know I can take care of myself."

"I know that, but you had three Kindly Ones on you. I think a destroyed bus and three dead hags was a best scenario, considering."

We moved through the rainy terrain for a few minutes, when Annabeth said, "Look, I am glad you stayed. It's just, this is your quest Percy. We should be helping you, not the other way around."

I looked at her, "This isn't just my quest. I chose you and Grover to accompany on this quest. You're my team and more importantly, you're my friends. If I had to choose between your lives and some stupid bolt-"

A loud crash a thunder split through the sky, interrupting our conversation. I looked back at Annabeth, sadly smiling at me, knowing what I'd say. I smiled back and we continued our journey.

We traveled a little longer and as Grover finally got his reed pipes working, we saw a light ahead and found a closed gas station along an empty road. Outside were many stone carved statues, big and small. Me and Annabeth tried reading the sign but our dyslexia interfered and Grover read the sign for us:

"Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium"

Grover tried to stop me and Annabeth from checking out the place but we were so hungry and the smell of food inside was strong. We saw lights on so the place must've been opened. Annabeth and I looked at one another.

"Snack bar?"

"Snack bar."

We began looking around the place as Grover stayed behind us.

"Guys, I smell monster," he said.

"It's just left over from the Furies," Annabeth said. I might've agreed with Grover on being cautious but all I could smell was delicious hamburgers.

"Guys, can we please go. I feel like these statues are staring at me," Grover begged.

We got into the building, and heard a door creak open. We were greeted by a woman garbed in a long dress and a veil covering her face, hiding every part of her body but her hands.

"Children," she said in a Middle Eastern accent, "It's late to be out alone. Where are your parents?"

"They…um," Annabeth tried thinking of an excuse.

"We're orphans," I finished for her, thinking quickly.

"Oh, my," the woman said, "Orphans?"

"Yeah, we got separated from our…um…circus caravan," I answered.

"Oh poor dears," the woman said, "I am Aunty Em. Come this way. You must be starving. Come this way."

We thanked her and followed her.

"Circus caravan?" Annabeth whispered to me.

"You're welcome," I whispered back.

She rolled her eyes and I heard her whisper out loud something involving my head and kelp.

Once we were seated, I finally was able to take in some of the surroundings. I admit that the statues were unsettling as Grover said. And there was something off about Aunty Em as well. Like mentioning Annabeth's name before we even told her, or the hissing sounds, or how she never removed her robes even to cook.

And her story she told us of herself sounded very familiar: that she had a boyfriend and some woman was determined to split them apart, causing some accident. That she had two sisters who shared her pain, but left her, and she made statues in her solitude. I tried to remember but I was focus on wanting to please this woman, afraid to disappoint her. As I finished the meal she served, I could feel my eyelids getting heavy.

"Percy," Annabeth said, shaking me, sounding very concerned, "We really need to go. The…um…ringmaster might get worried."

"Yes," Grover said, sounding more concerned and alert, "The ringmaster."

"Wait, I'd like you all to stay for a pose. Just for my statues."

"Percy," Annabeth said. I suddenly felt a little more irritated from Annabeth's bossy voice. After what this lady had done to feed us with no charge, Annabeth just wanted to leave without repaying her kindness.

"Sure, we can stay," I said, ignoring Annabeth's usual frustrated look she gave me, "It's just a photo."

While Annabeth looked frustrated, she didn't resist as Aunty Em lead us to the spot to pose for the photo.

"Wow," Grover said, looking at a statue of a satyr, "Sure looks like my Uncle Ferdinand."

I looked over at it, as Aunty Em was complaining about the lack of light in the area. She said how she needed to remove her veil, though I had yet to see any camera she was going to use.

"Percy," Annabeth said. I noticed now a cautious tone in her voice, and I desperately wanted to listen. But at the same time, there was feeling of comfortable lull Aunty Em provided when she spoke. It was a familiar sensation, one which reminded me of a time at camp, when a child of Aphrodite was able to get me to do her chores last minute, just by asking, even though I was supposed to meet Luke and Annabeth for training. "Something's wrong."

"That is Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped.

Suddenly everything started piecing together. Her story, the statues, the veil that she was now lifting.

"Close your eye!" Annabeth shouted before putting on the Yankees cap, vanishing, as I pulled Grover and myself face down on the ground. I heard Grover run off and I saw Aunty Em, approach me. I saw her veil fall to the ground and I could see her clawed hands now, and immediately looked away from her form. I saw in the reflection of the garden gazing balls that her head was covered in snakes, confirming my fears. Aunty Em…Aunty "M"…Medusa!

Medusa grasped my shirt, lifting me up and I shut my eyes tightly. She tried to speak to me. Tried to get me to sympathize with her plight, so I could look at her eyes. I knew now that she must have some charmspeak, and now knowing the danger made it easier to resist her. Didn't change the fact though that I needed to try to fight her without looking at her. And I was still weak from the food she feed me.

"Percy duck!" Grover shouted, and I heard a bunch of wings flapping. I forced myself out of her grasp and got out of the way as he flew by me with his eyes tightly shut, carrying a huge tree branch, "This one's for Uncle Ferdinand!"

I heard a hit, and hoped it was Grover hitting the mark. I felt a sense of relief as I heard Medusa growl in rage to Grover who was still flying around with his eyes closed trying for another hit. I crawled behind one of the statues and I jumped in surprise when Annabeth suddenly appeared right next, removing her hat.

"A little heads up," I exclaimed to Annabeth, as I grabbed her wrist, "We have to go, while she's confused."

"Percy, we have to kill her," Annabeth stated, not moving from her spot as I tried to pull her.

"Are you nuts? Have you seen what happens to people in her company?"

"Yeah. Look around Percy. All these statues, they're her victims. We have to stop her."

"But one look and any one of us will be like them."

"We can't just leave her for the next innocent victims to fall into her lair. I know you're worried for us, but I wouldn't live with myself, knowing this monster was out killing more people."

I looked around at the statues. Medusa was truthful about one thing, all of her "works of art" varied. Animals, satyrs, men, women, children of various ages, couples, whole families, all gone because of her. Annabeth was right. No more running.

"Alright, Wise Girl, so how should we do this?" I asked.

Annabeth exhaled with relief, "Medusa has a deep hatred to Athena's kids. She'll sniff me out the moment I get too close and cut me to shreds with those claws. You have a better chance at getting to her and the better weapon."

Annabeth looked around and grabbed a green glass ball and handed it to me. I nodded in silent agreement of her plan, and uncapped Riptide.

Look at the ball, I began approaching Medusa, getting closer as I saw in the reflection, her sending Grover flying into one of the bear statues. I made a run at her, continuing to look at the orb, but my charge was slowed as I saw her eyes in the reflection. Medusa saw me and attacked with her talons. With all my strength, quickly swung my sword, and saw it connect with her neck. I saw the head drop at my feet, as her body dissolved away.

I resisted the curiosity to look at her head until Annabeth covered it with the veil. Grover climbed off the stone bear, nursing a huge bump on his head, as the shoes continued to fly around him, having fallen off in the fight.

"That was not fun," Grover said, "Well, hitting her with a stick was fun, but being thrown into the bear, not so much."

"G-man," I said proudly, patting him on the back, "That was awesome. Good job."

He smiled proudly as the shoes fell to the ground and the wings vanished. We gathered our things, including Medusa's head and went back to the warehouse.

We double bagged the head into plastic bags as something dawned on me.

"So, Athena made that thing," I said out loud.

Annabeth glared at me, "Actually, Poseidon was the one who wanted to taunt Athena by meeting his girlfriend in Athena's temple. Apparently she's still sweet on him, since she wanted to have you in her collection as a reminder."

I could feel my anger raise, "Are you blaming me for this?"

"It's just a photo," she imitated my voice.

"Hey," Grover interrupted, "You're both giving me a migraine. Can we go?"

We both nodded. I looked around and saw the victims again. I knew it wasn't my fault for what happened to them. But I could hear Luke's resentment of the uncaring parents again. They're the reason for this. Medusa, our bus crash, the whole quest. I got another very dumb idea in mind as I went back into the building. Perhaps they needed a little reminder of their mistakes.

I found Medusa's accounting book and I felt a sense of disgust as I saw she sent shipments of statues to Hades to decorate Persephone's gardens in the Underworld. I found a shipping address for the entrance of the Underworld at DOA Recording Studios, West

Hollywood, California. I grabbed the page as well as a perfect size box.

At the cash register, I grabbed twenty dollars of cash, a few golden drachmas, and packing slips for Hermes Overnight Express with payment poaches. I came out and placed Medusa's head in the package, filled out the slip and wrote the address to the gods of Olympus, with my signature. After putting some coins in the payment pouch, the package vanished, and I assumed it reached its destination.

"They're not going to like that," Grover warned, "They'll think your impertinent."

"So what," I answered in a more anger than intended, "If they have a problem with me, they could find someone else for their quest."

I looked over at Annabeth, just daring her to argue, but she just looked at me with a reserved sadness.

"We should get going," she said, charging out the door. On our way out I turned off the neon light, shutting the door behind us.