PJTLT Annabeths POV

I have decided to continue this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own any on PJO or HOO, that's Rick most of the lines in this story are Ricks, so I don't own them either.

11. Medusa's Lair

I still can't believe Percy blew up a bus, and now we had no transport to take us west towards the underworld where Hades supposedly has the lightning bolt.

We were walking through the woods next to New Jersey riverbank, we were occasionally cursing almost being tripped up by the trees roots that were placed across the ground.

On top of us almost falling flat on our faces every few minutes it was raining.

My hair was sticking to my face so I had to tuck it behind my ear.

I'm pretty sure Percy didn't blame himself for blowing up a bus, it could have been Zeus, well I would be blaming Zeus if I was Poseidon's child, and I was being accused of stealing his symbol of power.

The yellow glow that glinted off the river reminded us of New york city behind us and the state we left it in.

Grover was shivering probably from the cold, just like me, but my shivering wasn't as noticeable.

His slit pupil eyes were full of terror, like he was going to get eaten, although monsters, unless it was a cyclops would rather eat me or Percy.

'Three Kindly Ones. All three at once.' He said, it was as if he was scarred for life now.

I saw Percy's eyes glazed over, but I tried to pull them both along before they froze.

'Come on! The further away we get, the better.'

'All our money was back there,' he told me. As if I would forget. 'Our food and clothes. Everything.'

'Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight -'

'What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?' He interjected.

'You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine.' I told him.

'Slice like sandwich bread,' Grover added. 'But fine.'

'Shut up, goat boy,' I told him.

'Tin cans...a perfectly good bag of tin cans.' He brayed mournfully as if he'd lost a family member.

We sloshed around on the mushy ground, my feet got wet from ditches I couldn't see.

After a few minutes of silence I slowed down to talk to Percy.

'Look, I...' I didn't know how to say what I was going to. 'I appreciate you coming back for us okay? That was really brave.' I told him, trying to keep his spirits up.

'We're a team, right?' He asked rhetorically.

I was silent for a few seconds before telling him something that might dishearten him, but I thought the need to tell him.

'Its just that if you died...aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest. Was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world.'

The thunderstorm had stopped, but the ground was still as mushy as before.

I looked at the river beside us, and when the city glow faded completely, I found myself stumbling through the woods more often. I could hear the flow of the river, so I headed in the opposite direction.

I couldn't see Percy or Grover I was completely lost. I followed their breathing to stay on the path they stayed on.

'You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven? Percy asked me, I wondered if he felt sorry for me.

I felt pretty sorry for him, being accused of stealing a symbol of power and being a forbidden half-blood, all by himself.

'No...' I answered. '...only short field trips. My dad -' I stopped my self from telling him the rest.

Did I not trust him, or...

'The history professor.' He remembered.

'Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean Camp Half-Blood is my home.' I said rushing my words, trying to get them out, not having to tell him later, I didn't want to tell him anyway, I was kind of hoping he wouldn't catch all of it. 'At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not.' I said trying to convince myself.

'You're pretty good with that knife,' he praised me.

'You think so?' I asked looking at where I kept my knife.

'Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay by me.' I smiled. And blushed at his comment, glad he liked me, but not as much as I liked him. I mean I still had a crush on him, but I would never ever tell him, not ever.

'You know,' I started, 'maybe I should tell you...Something funny back on the bus...' The way Alecto asked where is it, not who, it, they were looking for an item.

I was interrupted by Grovers gods awful reed pipe music.

'Hey, my reed pipes still work!' He cried out. 'If I could just remember a "find path" song, we could get out of these woods!' That was a good idea.

He puffed a few random notes out and I heard Percy hit a tree, I hid my laugh.

After another mile or so, after we kept tripping and cursing, I saw some neon lights flickering.

I could also smell food, fatty food, what it would be like to taste that food again.

We kept walking until a deserted two way street opened up in front of us.

On the other side was a closed down station which is where the neon light came from.

It was a roadside curio shop, the ones that sell lawn flamingo's, it hadn't wooden indians and cement grizzly bears.

The main building was a low warehouse, which was surrounded by acres of statuary, how much statues could you get, why did this place go out of business.

The neon sign above the gate was impossible to read especially when it was lit up.

It looked like: ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROIUM.

'What the heck does that say?' Percy asked.

'I don't know.' I replied.

We were both dyslexic, I turned to Grover.

'Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium.' Grover translated for us, it was definitely an emporium alright.

Flanking the entrance were two cement garden gnomes, waving at us as if they were about th have their picture taken on a peir.

Percy started to cross the street, Grover butted in before I could follow towards the scent of hamburgers and fries.

'Hey...' Grover warned.

'The lights are on inside,' I told him, annoyed he was keeping us. 'Maybe its open.' I suggested.

'Snack bar.' Percy said.

'Snack bar.' I agreed.

'Are you two crazy?' He exclaimed. 'This place is weird.'

We ignored him crossing the road, he had no option, but to follow us.

The front garden had more statues than I bet anyone would bother to count, it had: cement animals, cement children and a cement Satyr, playing the pipes.

'Bla-ha-ha!' Grover bleated, looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!'

We stopped at the front doors.

'Don't knock,' grover cautioned. 'I smell monsters.

'Your nose is clogged up from the Furies,' I told him, I was really hungry and I was getting impatient with him. 'All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?' I asked.

'Meat!' He said. 'I'm a vegetarian.' He stated.

'You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminium cans.' Percy reminded him.

'Those are vegetable.' He protested. 'Come on. Let's leave. These statues are...looking at me.'

Will he stop moaning?

The door creaked open and out popped a tall middle eastern woman, I knew because she wore a black gown that covered everything, but her hands, also her face was veiled.

Her accent sounded middle eastern too so, that's all I needed to be convinced.

'Children, its too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?' She asked.

'They're...um...' I didn't know what to say, luckily I didn't have to Percy made up an excuse.

'We're orphans.' He explained.

'Orphans?' She asked. 'But my dears! Surely not!' She sounded surprised.

Percy didn't stop the lie there, he just made it bigger, but this woman would never know if we lied or not.

'We got separated from our caravan, our circus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway we're lost.' Percy explained.

She'll never believe it.

'Is that food I smell?' He continued, and now he's selfish, I couldn't blame him, I would be too, the food smelt really good, and I was starving.

'Oh, my dears,' the woman started. 'You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area.'

Percy and I thanked her and followed her instructions.

'Circus caravan?' I asked him quietly.

'Always have a strategy, right?' He asked.

It was a stupid story, I don't know how she believed it.

'Your head is full of kelp.' I told him.

The warehouse was filled with as many statues as there were on the outside. People in all different poses, and different clothes with different expressions strewn across their faces. All these statues were life size, how many of these could you want, but my mind always wandered back to one word : food.

The smell of the food was overpowering my other senses, it made me lose my common sense. It was intoxicating.

I didn't care about much else, which is not like me, except finding the dining area.

And at the back of the warehouse is were it was situated.

A fast food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater and a nacho cheese dispenser. Also it had a few steel picnic tables.

'Please, sit down.' Aunty Em said.

'Awesome.' Percy said and sat down, I sat next to him.

'Um,' grover started. Here we go again, 'we don't have any money, ma'am.'

I eyed him, with a death glare, but he didn't look at me.

'No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans.'

'Thank you, ma'am.' I said.

I saw her stiffen, but I didn't make much of it, she was probably looking at my grey eyes. Maybe she thought they were weird, but I guess most people would.

'Quite all right, Annabeth,' she said. 'You have such beautiful grey eyes, child.' She called me by my name, we didn't tell her our names, did we?

Aunty Em disappeared behind the counter.

Grover sat down slowly always fighting like he was nervous.

She brought back plastic trays, heaped with double cheese burgers, vanilla shakes and an extra extra large serving of fries.

I didn't know where to start.

I stuffed my face with french fries then took a bite of my burger.

I then took a swig of my drink, it felt like Olympus, or I was weightless.

Grover was picking at his fries, couldn't he just accept the food and eat? What was he so nervous about?

'What's that hissing noise?' He asked.

I listened, but shook my head hearing nothing, taking a few more bites into my burger.

'Hissing? Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil.' Aunty Em suggested. 'You have keen ears Grover.'

'I take vitamins for my ears.' He explained.

'That's admireable,' she said. 'But please, relax.'

Aunty Em didn't eat anything, she just looked at us, leaning forward watching us, it was a little disturbing, but I let it pass.

Once I had more fries and most of my burger I felt rather drowsy, is I had more of my drink to try and keep myself awake.

Percy made small talk with our hostess, while I fought the urge to stay awake.

'So you sell gnomes?' Percy asked feigning interest.

'Oh, yes,' Aunty Em replied. 'And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know.'

But you've got no business going, is what I would I have said if I was fully awake.

'A lot of business on this road?' Percy asked.

'Not so much, no. Since the highway was built...most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cheish every customer I get.'

I saw Percy look behind him and I did to, I wasn't as sleepy after I had drained my drink.

I was more alert.

I saw a statue of a little girl holding an Easter basket. The detail in the carving was brilliant, the only thing wrong with the girl was the face, it didn't look like she was smiling, more like she was shocked.

'Ah,' Aunty Em sighed. 'You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face.'

'You make these statues yourself?' Percy asked.

'Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company.' She sounded sad.

Without thinking I took a hanful of french fries, I didn't want to get sleepy again.

I looked at her and I was wondering who these two sisters were.

'Two sisters?' I asked leaning forwards.

'Its a terrible story,' Aunty Em started. 'Not one for children, really.' But she proceeded to tell us anyway. 'You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jelous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had a...a boyfriend, you know, and this bad womman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed bt me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually the passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price.'

The story she told us, it sounded familier, but I can't remember when I heard it and what it was about.

I didn't want to stay any longer, it was getting weird and I was beginning to get wary.

Percy looked sleepy so I decided to try and wake him up.

'Percy?' I shook him to get his attention, a bucket of water would have sufficed, but I didn't have one of those and he could probably keep himself dry.

'Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting.' I told Grover and Percy.

Grover was as nervous as I was chewing the paper off the tray.

Aunty Em looked at me.

'Such beautiful grey eyes,' she said aimed at me. 'My, yes, it has been a long time since I've seen grey eyes like those.'

She reached out towards me, he hand was inches from my face when I stood up, I was keen to leave.

'We should really go.' I repeated.

'Yes!' Grover said swallowing the paper. He also stood up. 'The ringmaster is waiting! Right!'

Percy didn't seem to get the message, he was still sitting down.

'Please, dears, I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won't you at least sit for a pose?' Aunty Em pleaded.

'A pose?' I asked, not really wanting ti stay much longer, I felt a bit uncomfortable.

'A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children.'

I shifted my weight onto my other foot, debating about this before I answered. 'I don't think we can, ma'am. Come on, Percy-'

'Sure we can,' he objected, he was getting angry with me, well Touche for that, he was being so difficult. 'Its just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?' He asked.

'Yes, Annabeth,' Aunty Em said. 'No harm.'

I didn't really like this, not at all, but I allowed myself to be taken to a bench that was next to the cement Satyr.

'Now, I'll just position you correctly. The young girl in the middle, I think, and the two young gentlemen on either side.'

'Not much light for a photo.' Percy remarked.

Please tell me he knew something was wrong, he did take his time.

'Oh, enough. Enough for us to see each other, yes?'

'Where's you camera?' Grover asked.

I had just noticed that she she didn't bring one out.

Aunty Em stepped back, to see if we we're alright. 'Now, the face is the most difficult.' Sh repeated her earlier line. I was thinking, trying, to put all the pieces together. 'Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?'

Grover glanced at the cement Satyr. 'That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand.'

'Grover, look this way, dear.' He obliged, but I knew he was thinking about the statue.

'Percy-' I said, the pieces started to fit together, two sisters, a boyfriend, who she was forced apart from.

'I will just be a moment. You know, I can't see you vey well in this cursed veil...'

She saw grey eyes like mine long ago, very long ago.

'Percy, somethings wrong.' I insisted.

'Wrong?' Aunty Em asked still undoing her veil.

Statues, stone, Aunty Em.

'Not at all dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?'

She couldn't be, but Grover confirmed my suspicions.

'That is Uncle Ferdinand!' Grover gasped.

'Look away from her!' I shouted, whipping my Yankees cap from my pocket and slapping it on, befor pushing Percy and Grover off the bench.

I ran off, hoping Percy and Grover would do the same.

I looked back and saw Percy was still sprawled on the ground with Medusa where his head was.

He looked hesitant to look above him.

'No! Don't!' I screamed, hoping he would listen.

I didn't look at her face. I didn't know if invisibility works on her power and I didn't want to find out either.

'Run!' Grover yelled, also urging Percy to move.

'Maia!' He yelled, rising from the ground.

Percy was still on the floor.

'Such a pity to destroy a handsome young face. Stay with me Percy. All you have to do is look up.'

Percy looked at one of the glass spheres and hopefully. He had figured it out.

'The Grey-Eyed One did this to me, Percy, my mother, it was for her own good, and that's why she didn't like Poseidon. 'Annabeths mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this.'

'Don't listen to her!' I shouted. 'Run Percy.' I said hoping he'd get the message this time.

I would kill Meduse if I could, but I wouldn't be able to get close.

'Silence.' She snarled at me. 'You see why I must destroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear Percy, you need not suffer.'

'No.' I barely heard him.

'Do you really want to help the gods?' Medusa asked. 'Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, Percy? Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain.'

Percy!' Grover yelled holding up a tree branch. 'Duck!'

Purcy turned to look at Grover.

'Duck!' He repeated. 'I'll get her!'

Percy dove to the side and Percy made contacy with Medusa. As he swung the branch it connected with her face.

'You miserable Satyr,' she snapped. 'I'll add you to my collection!'

'That was for uncle Ferdinand.'

I was standing somewhere in the statuary.

Percy moved infront of me.

I heard another "Ker-wack!"

Meduse yelled, he snake hair was hissing and wailing in anger and frustration.

'Percy!' I said.

It made him jump a few feet into the air.

'Jeez! Don't do that!' He moaned.

'You have to cut her head off.' I told him.

'What? Are you crazy? Let's get out of here.'

'Medusa is a menace. She's evil. I'd kill her myself, but...' I stopped thinking about what I was going to say next. 'But you've got the better weapon. Besides, I'd never get close to her. She'd slice me to bits because of my mother. You - you've got a chance.'

'What? I can't -'

'Look,' I interuppted him. Do you want her turning more innocent people into statues?'

I pointed to a statue couple with their arms round eachother.

I found a green gazing ball from a stone pedastal.

'A polished sheil would be better.' I told him. Unfortunately we didn't have one. 'The convexity will cause some distortion. The reflections size should be off by a factor of -' ten and the angle is perpendicular so you should attck the opposite way you see her.

'Would you speak English?' He asked.

'I am!' My brain must be too sophisticated for his. 'Just look at her in the glass. Never look at her directly.'

'Hey, guys!' Grover yelled. I looked at him. 'I think she's unconscious!'

This will make it much easier.

But Medusa's roar, told us different.

'Maybe not.' He corrected himself, and he went in for another swing.

I looked back at Percy.

'Hurry,' I started. 'Grovers got a great nose, but he'll eventually crash.'

Percy took out his bronze pen and uncapped it.

He followed the hissing sounds as I put my cap back on and turned invisible.

I went around her and saw grover go in for another swing, unfortunately he was too low. Medusa caught the stick and sent him flying ino one of the grizzly bears.

I ran over to him, without getting near Medusa or Percy.

'Hey!' Percy yelled, trying to attract Medusa's attention on him. I reached Grover, but I couldn't do anything to help him, he was ontop of the grizzly bear who was standing up. I was too busy focused on how Percy was doing, he was advancing and Medusa let him come closer.

He never lookes away from the sphere.

'You wouldn't harm an old woman, Percy. I know you wouldn't.'

I saw Percy hesitate for a second.

'Percy, don't listen to her!' Grover groaned.

Percy was jolted back to reality, just in time, because that's when she lunged at him with her talons.

'Too late.' She said.

Percy brought up his sword and slashed. I heard a shlock and a thump as the head hit the ground, then came the hiss of the body disintergrating.

'Oh, yuck.' Grover moaned hearing the sound.

I took my cap off while I made my way towards Percy.

'Mega-yuck.' He finally decided.

I looked up at the sky as I held the veil coming next to Percy.

'Don't move.' I told him.

I knelt down not taking my eyes off the sky and wrapped the veil round the head.

Then I picked it up.

'Are you okay?' I asked a little scared, for him and me, I also felt sympathy, he killed his second monster.

'Yeah.' He said, but he looked a little pale. 'Why didn't...why didn't the head evaporate?'

'Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war.' I explained. 'Same as your Minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. It can still petrify you.'

Grover moaned, I turned around and he managed to get down from the grizzly bear.

He looked terriblen he had a welt on his forehead, his rasta cap was hanging off one of his horns. The red sneakers were fling around his head.

'The Red Baron. Good job, man.' Percy said.

Grover managed a grin. 'That really was not fun, though. Well, the hitting-her-with-a-stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? Not fun.'

H took his shoes from above him, while prcy reacpped his pen.

We all made our way back inside the warehouse.

We double wrapped Medusa's head in plastic bags and put it on the table infront of us.

We didn't speak still out of shock and exhaustion.

'So we have Athena to thank for this monster?' Percy finally spoke up.

I looked at him, he didn't know anything, did he?

'Your dad, actually. Don't you remember? Meduse was poseidons girlfriend. They decided to meet in my mothers temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Meduse and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That's why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She's still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him.' I retold the story.

'Oh,so now its my fault we met Medusa.' He said.

' "Its just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?" ' I said imitating him.

'Forget it.' He said. 'You're impossible.'

'You're insufferable.' I countered.

'You're -' he started to say.

'Hey!' Grover intercepted. 'You two are giving me a migrane, and satyrs don't even get migranes. What are we going to do with the head?' He asked.

Percy was thinking, I didn't say anything. It was his choice I wasn't going to tell him what to do, it was his choice, hopefully he didn't do something stupid.

He got up. 'I'lll be back.' He told us.

'Percy,' I called after him. 'What are you -' he dissapeared. 'Doing.' I sighed.

'Annabeth, how do you think we'll get to the underworld?' Grover asked me?

'I don't know, but chiron said it was in. California. Didn't you notice something different about this qurst, something doesn't seem right.

'You mean what the Furies said?' He asked.

'Yeah, they said "where is it", I don't know what it means, but I don't think they were talking about Percy.'

'Something strange is happening.' He agreed.

Percy came back with a box, some drachmas, a leather pouch and some packing slips.

He put the box on the table and, put Medusa's hed in it.

What was he thinking.

He filled out a delivery slip and adressed it to mount Olympus.

'They're not going to like that,' Grover told him. 'They'll think you're impertinent.'

He put some golden drachmas in the pouch and as soon as he closed it the box vanished with a pop, the sound a bubble makes, but a lot louder.

'I am impertinent.' Percy confirmed.

I disnt disagree, he was telling the gods he had killed a monster, they'd be ticked off.

'Come on,' I told them. 'We need a new plan.'

Has anyone seen Percy Jackson and the sea of monsters yet, in my opinion it is the best film ever, please tell me what you think.

Please R&R. If you have any questions about anything you can ask.