Felix lagged behind Cleo, weighted down by several shopping bags and the knowledge that he would soon be carrying more.
"Can we go home?" Felix groaned. "How about we get the rest another day?"
"Let's get it all done now," Cleo encouraged. "We'll get it done and we won't have to go shopping for another couple of weeks."
"But my arms are about to fall off." Felix protested.
"You'll cope." Cleo said, unworried. "You're a trooper."
"Right," Felix muttered under his breath, scowling. "Like I haven't heard that one before."
Cleo sighed and looked around. "Well, I think I can minimize our trip to three more stops if we really—" She stopped short as her eyes fell on a set of two very loud, very noteworthy brothers.
Felix couldn't hear what they were saying from a distance, but passersby just rolled their eyes and continued on, so it couldn't have been so important.
That thought was revoked when he spotted how Cleo's face had changed. Shock had morphed into dread.
"You know what? I think we should go home." Cleo said.
Felix raised an eyebrow. "Who are they?"
"I'm not entirely sure." Cleo grabbed a bag and Felix's shoulder shot up—finally free of the weight. "Those boys are a number of things."
Cleo started pulling him away, but Felix stopped and said, "There's a bus stop right over there. Please don't make me walk."
Cleo sighed and looked back and forth between the twins and the bus station—which were only a few small storefronts apart.
"They can't be that bad." Felix said.
"Oh, they are that bad." Cleo said. "They're messy and loud and I'm pretty sure they're criminals."
Felix shucked a bag off and onto the ground. "Criminals? That seems a little harsh." He rubbed the pins and needles out of his arm.
Cleo made as if to say something, then scowled as she realized the brothers had caught sight of them and were heading their way. She eyed the grocery bags. "If we leave the packages, we might be able to outrun them."
Felix rolled his eyes. "There is no way I am shopping for all these items a second time."
"Carrie! Caitlyn!" Travis called.
"Cleo!" Connor came up with her name. "Hey, Cleo, right?"
They came to a stop in front of Cleo. "Yes, that's my name."
"Hey, would you mind doing us a favor?" Connor asked.
"I'm sort of—"
"Our friend lost his dog." Travis explained, cutting Cleo off midsentence.
"Well," Connor chuckled, "we lost it for him, actually."
"What makes you think I have time to scour the city for a lost dog?" Cleo asked.
"Oh," Connor said, taking the rejection in stride. "Well, keep your eyes peeled for her, would you?"
"She's hard to miss." Travis said.
"She's huge." Connor added.
"Or smallish."
"Depending on how you look at it."
Cleo rolled her eyes. "Could you be any vaguer?"
"Now that you mention it, she could look like anything from a poodle to a pickup truck." Connor frowned. "We'd better get looking, Trav."
"That we should." Travis agreed. "See you around, Cleo."
Connor tipped an imaginary hat. "Later."
Felix raised an eyebrow as they walked away. "They're weird."
"Yeah, buddy, I know."
"So… about the bus…" As he was speaking, it pulled away from the curb. "I guess we're walking."
-0-
Wax… got it. Clay… got it. Cheerios… another day.
Cleo was checking items off her list when Felix came to a halt beside her.
"Come on, we'll miss dinner if we don't get home soon." Cleo reached out behind her to grab his hand. "I think Carter is making the last of the—"
"Cleo, look up from your list." Felix ordered.
"What?" She shot him a look.
He pointed.
"Oh my gods!" She stumbled backwards as if punched.
There, not ten feet away from them on the empty street, was a gigantic, black, furry monster.
"What is that!?"
"You see it?" Felix actually looked surprised.
"Of course I see it. It's huge and right in front of us!" Cleo cried.
"She can see it!" The wonderment in Felix's tone was that of a child whose dreams just came true. "For once, she sees it!"
"Felix," Cleo grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him slowly backwards. "It's noticed us. No sudden movements."
Felix got over his awe and excitement, realizing just how much trouble they could be in.
"Just back away…. Slowly…" Cleo whispered the words, hardly daring to breathe. "It's got a collar," Felix pointed out with a shaky voice. "Maybe it's tame?"
"Let's not assume it is… Stay calm… and just AAAHHHHHH!" The beast lunged forward and Cleo screamed.
Felix dropped every single shopping bag he had on his person and stumbled back, just as Cleo had.
The thing barked; a giant, earthshaking, hair raising bark.
"Can we run now?" Felix hoped the answer was yes.
But, before Cleo could say anything, two figures bounded down the street.
"Ms. O'Leary!" One of them shouted.
"Hey girl!" Said the other.
"Connor?" Cleo said. She looked like she was going to faint. "Travis?"
Connor looked over, his eyes wide. "You found our dog."
"Dog." Cleo said. "Dog."
"I don't think that thing is a dog." Felix put in.
The beast flopped over, and Travis began to scratch her belly.
"Well, I suppose the more accurate term would be hound." Connor said.
"I don't think so." Felix disagreed again.
"Hell hound." Connor clarified.
"Hell hound?" Felix asked incredulously.
"You're looking right at it," Connor shrugged. "And actually seeing it, if the look on Cleo's face is any indication."
Cleo snapped out of it. "Hell hounds don't exist. They're just…greek …mythology..." She trailed off, suddenly lost in an impossible, unthinkable thought.
"Whatever floats your boat." Connor didn't argue.
"Just like telkhines don't exist, and that goat man." Felix muttered.
Connor overheard him and gave him an appraising look. "Exactly. You've got sharp eyes, don't you, kid?"
"Hey, Connor," Travis called. "Let's get going before Percy kills us!"
"Just a sec, Trav." Connor turned to Felix and Cleo.
There was an awkward pause. Then Connor said, "No one will believe you, so it's not worth saying anything."
"Yeah, I kinda have that one worked out." Felix said.
Connor began to back away.
"Hey, Connor?" Cleo stopped him. "We… we should talk sometime. I think there's a lot we could learn from each other."
"Anytime," Connor grinned and winked.
"I didn't mean… I mean, not like that…" Cleo spluttered.
"See you around," Connor called.
"Bye, Cleo." Travis waved.
The two brothers disappeared, along with the hell hound.
Cleo snatched up the bags. "Come on, Felix, let's get home. And let me tell Carter." She added as an afterthought.
There it is, guys! Before you say anything—sorry if it isn't as big as you were expecting, but I didn't want to make it that cliché "I'm Egyptian, you're Greek, let's be friends" thing.
I may post more chapters, if anything really awesome occurs to me, but for now, this is all I have planned.