Habemus New Chapter!
Hahahaha, even though February was short, was it a long wait?
Anyway, here we are my loves: with the long awaited chapter 3 of this story!
*Imaginary applause *Engraved applause* *More imaginary applause*
And following the recent tradition, I'll make a small announcement before moving on to the chapter:
Unfortunately I still can't get a Beta to help me clean up my translation. Which led me to wonder, "Should I pause it until I find one? Or do I keep posting so readers don't hang up on me?" Now that I look at it, it's obvious I made the right choice hahaha.
Anyway I continue to have an open position for Beta Reader in English, French, Portuguese and Italian translation.
PLEASE HELP ME!
Just to avoid confusion I need a person to whom I can pass the translated document before uploading it and can clean up and/or correct any grammatical or spelling errors there may be. The Beta package comes with multiple benefits: you will be able to read the chapters before anyone else. You'll be mentioned in the author's notes with a huge thank you. And if you call within the next fifteen minutes you will receive a nice sleeve on the occasion of your OTP n_n (hahaha sorry, I couldn't resist).
Now, with that ready, let's move on to the next chapter!
Chapter 3:
"Where will I go?
The shadow journey has never been the favorite form of transportation of the demigods, not even of the sons of Hades. But as Miss O'Leary moved through the darkness, Percy kept his eyes closed while the darkness barely touched his skin. He was indifferent to the lack of air or to the cold currents that used to attack his body like thousands of needles pricking his extremities. He felt strange; if he had not held his breath, he would have thought he was dreaming.
The trip was over and the dog's legs sank a couple of centimeters above the dry land. Both panting in different degrees of fatigue and sucking in the warm air around them, Percy shook her between the ears to comfort her and let her rest a little.
-Good girl," he said as he stepped out of her with his backpack on his shoulder. He looked around and saw that they were only a few meters from a road. They both started walking along the edge of the road until they came across a huge sign that read the name of a city twenty kilometers away. It was late at night and the air was hot, the full moon illuminated their path and the lights of the city could be seen ahead.
He had some money, enough for a hamburger and some more for his dog. He wasn't worried about walking alone in the street in the middle of the night, he had enough accumulated anger to defend himself from either simple thieves or some monster and he had a hell-house dog the size of a bus with him.
-Wait for me here-She told her pet before she entered the city. Miss O'Leary gave him a gentle tap with her nose, as if to tell him to take care of himself. He scratched her neck and went into the streets; the lampposts, traffic lights on the corners, light traffic and the occasional drunk or homeless person in the alleys. After walking several blocks he finally found a twenty-four hour store, the typical one with bars on the window and neon signs of some brands.
He went in and started looking for something that would fill his dog's stomach; he particularly settled for a soda. He filled a basket with cheap pancakes and some dried meat; in the cash register was the typical obese guy with a chiva and an unpleasant face.
-those are many...-I comment as soon as Percy left the basket on the sideboard.
-How much is it? But the green eye wasn't interested in chatting. He paid, took his change and left with a paper bag full of his shopping. Outside, across the street, under a lamppost, a car was parked surrounded by several suspicious-looking guys, smoking and listening to rap on the radio. The demigod ignored them and made his way back.
As I walked around I pondered where to spend the night, I didn't have enough money to pay for a room in any cheap hotel so he would most likely sleep on a park bench. He reached the edge of town and saw Miss O'Leary sitting and waiting for him right where he had left her. He greeted her and gave her the food he had bought. As the bitch from hell devoured his pancakes and meat, he leaned against a building and began to think.
They were right in Phoenix, California. Too close to Camp Jupiter, he didn't want to take a chance and run into some Roman by chance. No, he would let his dog rest a bit and then leave.
-Grrrh!
-What's wrong? -But his plans were interrupted by Miss O'Leary's grunt. She was slightly crouching, staring straight ahead; he kept looking and saw the same car as before, parked a couple of blocks away-Mmm-it seemed that the subjects before had seen it as a potential sitting duck. He wasn't in the mood to deal with a bunch of drugged-up idiots, but he wasn't so heartless as to force his dog to take another trip so soon-so he mounted her and she, capturing his intentions, devoured the last of his food before turning around and starting to run straight for the car that was watching them... One jump and they left him behind.
Going down a city road riding on a Hellhound was something that Percy never imagined he would do, something completely irresponsible, a complete and open provocation to the damned fate of a mongrel. He had always been the kind of person who didn't get along with the rules, but this time breaking them made him feel so good that he didn't care about me.
He let Ms. O'Leary run as much as he wanted, left Phoenix behind and went into the next state even though he wasn't quite sure which one it was. He only knew that in the morning the sky was overcast and his hairy friend deserved a rest. They stopped at a deserted bus stop by the side of the road, where she gave him the last pancakes and he devoured an energy bar from his backpack.
-Where do you think we are, I ask the dog when the silence started to become hateful. He just looked at it and shook his ears-Yes, I have no idea either...-He needed to keep moving, at least until he was comfortable somewhere; but he wasn't in the mood either to walk around town and be seen as weird because he had a garbage truck following him, or a bus, or whatever the mortals saw in his oversized dog-What do you say, one more jump, a loud bark, and a moment later there were only a couple of wrappers and some crumbs left.
Once again the darkness did not feel as cold as before. Unlike when they came back out on the ground, Miss O'Leary's legs sank in mud and Percy felt the raindrops hitting them. It was refreshing after the Phoenix air and this time they had appeared in the middle of a forest; completely surrounded by trees and with no sign of any kind of civilization. He patted the dog on the nose and started walking; before he would have felt nervous of being in an unknown place. But now he could not care less.
They continued to walk until a deer, apparently very frightened, crossed their path. The dog was very surprised and started wagging its tail, it didn't take a genius to guess what it was thinking. Percy jumped off his back and patted his neck lovingly:
-A loud bark and the bitch from hell went off into the trees after the poor animal. Percy had never seen her hunt, but he figured it would be good if she could have some fun in the forest chasing innocent animals; besides, with luck, he would not have to feed her afterwards. He shrugged his shoulders and turned around to start walking.
Somehow he was able to keep the rainwater away, as if he had an invisible umbrella over him, but that didn't stop his boots from getting muddy. He kept walking until he hit a dirt road and followed it down what appeared to be a small downhill slope; he felt tired but did not feel like sleeping.
I arrive at a much more even terrain, an open field surrounded by more trees, nothing unusual but for what seemed to be a baseball field. Very used, or at least that's what it looked like since it had the running lines between bases very well marked on the ground and some tire marks on the side. The good thing about his discovery was that he already knew which way to go and an hour later he was back in a small town. He had to stop the raindrops but he didn't let the water get him wet; who cares if a mortal saw him. All I wanted to think about was how much I wanted a drink.
-Hey S, look over there...-A guy was leaning against the bar and pointed his cigarette towards the entrance of the bar, where a teenager was just entering. He and all his group smiled with satisfaction; they were in a small town, they recognized at once when someone was not from there.
The teenager sat at the bar and ordered a beer, seemed to argue a bit with the bartender until he showed him his ID. Perfect, it was probably his first time drinking. It wouldn't cost them anything to take away what he had on him. It probably wasn't much, but at least they would have some fun beating up a kid.
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The weather was starting to get worse. The rain was thicker and the air colder; there, in the middle of the forest, the drops of water were slowed down by the foliage of the trees giving a slight shelter to the creatures that lived there. Among them, a group of wolves, too big than normal, moved in pairs as if patrolling their territory. In particular one with the color of sand and another, female, gray as the clouds moved among the trees in a friendly race.
-Come on, little brother, you're falling behind.
-You think so, I'm just giving you a head start." They kept running until suddenly the female stopped and backed up.
-Seth, we're the only ones in this area, right?" he asked, receiving a nod from the wolf that was his brother.
-Waoh! There was a huge footprint where his sister was pointing. At least four times hers, plus it was deep and already waterlogged-it's bigger than Paul's potatoes!
-I heard you, Seth!
-Friend your legs are huge...
-Stop it, Leah, what's wrong?" Sam's voice came into her mind.
-It's just a footprint, too big to be one of ours.
-Any of us? -Is it a wolf print?
-That looks like it." There was a moment of silence, until Leah spoke again.
-Are you sure it's a print? -
-I'm not stupid, Jared. Anyway, Seth and I will be back, if anyone wants to come and check.
-This time a more pressing, masculine voice joined in - I found a dead deer.
-Jake, you couldn't wait for dinner," Seth joked, and if he could have, his sister would have given him a slap on the wrist.
-Leech? -I ask a cautious alpha.
-No, this one looks like it was eaten by an animal-Jacob wasn't just checking the animal, he was checking its surroundings as well; mud mixed with blood and also more footprints-Leah is right it looks like a wolf. They really are big... I'm sorry Paul.
-Go to the horn-Grunt.
-Let's go back to Emily-Mando Sam's house-If there is a wild animal out there it is better that we do not leave the reserve...
-What about the patrols?
-All right, we can leave them for today...
The order was given and all the members of the herd returned, of course it took a little time for those in the mountains to return. For those who were nearby it was only a few seconds of running and stopping before to dress in shorts and a sweatshirt among the trees. Inside the house the young woman already had several loaves of bread ready for the boys.
-Hello! -The first to arrive were the Clearwater brothers.
-Hey, guys, I see Sam let you go early...-I'm kidding the girl having a cup of tea.
While Seth was devouring his first piece of bread he was telling the brunette about the discovery of the giant footprint. The rest of the kids also arrived, Quil and Jared, Paul and Sam, who jumped in to kiss their girlfriend as soon as she set foot inside the house, and finally Embry. When they saw him arrive, they all asked him about Jacob.
-He said he'd take another ride, I think he got a little nervous with that animal.
-What do you think," Sam asked, sitting at the table.
-I think they were dog tracks," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "The whole place smelled like one, but it also smelled funny... like salt and sulfur.
-Jmm- The alpha took a few minutes to meditate. He held his bread with one hand in the air as he looked at the worn wood in the dining room-If something happens the police can take over; but it won't hurt to look for it ourselves.
-Isn't that dangerous? -Third Emily from the kitchen, obviously worried-you could get hurt.
-Come on, we're fighting vampires," Quil said.
-Says the guy who got bit by a rabbit. And that led to another childish argument in which Emily had to threaten to leave them without dinner if they broke anything. While everyone was laughing at their scolding faces, Seth couldn't stop tapping his fingers on the table and looking up at the ceiling with his chin resting on his other hand, wondering where Jacob was at that moment.
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As he moved through the trees he was mentally grateful to be the only one of the herd in phase. He couldn't bear to have to deal with his companions' questions about why he was looking... whatever he was looking for. Even he didn't quite understand what was next, there was something that moved him to follow that scent. His curiosity was completely piqued inside.
What was that creature with the big footprints? What was that smell? A strange mineral mixture of salt, iron and sulfur. It was an aroma similar to that of vampires, which stung his nose without bothering him. Like the smell of gasoline, you know it's bad but you can't stop inhaling it. At that moment Jacob just wanted to know where it came from and... I had no idea what to do next.
-He could be a vampire. Without realizing it, he came too close to the edge of the forest with the city, but it wasn't that which caught his attention-Shit! -Blood. Undoubtedly that was the smell of human blood; he could not hear anything but the rain against the leaves, but for a moment the whistle of the wind seemed different to him. Maybe it was just his imagination.
He shook his head and rushed off to confirm the origin of the smell of blood. Making sure to stay hidden among the trees he came as close as he could, he could not go into the village but at least he was sure there was no trace of any leeches in the area. The whole smell of blood was disturbing, but he could already hear the police sirens.
He gave the matter up and turned around to go home. He was hungry and could call Bella... Or not... Or send her a note with Billy... Or whatever...
The next morning Charlie Swan was sitting at his usual table in the village cafeteria devouring his chicken sandwich and coffee. He raised his head as soon as he heard the bell at the entrance and saw his daughter walking towards him:
-Hello Dad-Greeting the girl, sitting down and leaving her backpack on the floor.
-Hi, honey, how's school? While you were signaling the waitress, I ordered you a salad...
-Great - While they ate in comfortable silence as they were used to; minutes later Bella could notice how her father seemed a little restless - Are you okay?
-Bella, do you still have that pepper spray I gave you? -
-Oh, come on, Dad, Edward's not gonna-
-I'm not saying this because of your boyfriend - the officer, unable to avoid a twitch in his eyebrow - it's because yesterday we found a group of men seriously beaten up.
-You mean, the... -The girl had to bite her tongue so as not to be too obvious with her question- Did they kill them?
-No no, but nearby- -His father answered- -There were five of them, all with assault records, we found them in an alley, they were... That doesn't matter.
-How do you expect me to take care of myself if you don't tell me what to do?" his daughter asked slylyly as she pretended indifference by taking a bite of his salad. Deep down she wanted to find out if it was what she suspected.
-Well," his father gave in before taking another bite of his food, "it seems that they tried to assault someone and found a karateka or a tenth dan or whatever.
-So you think a kung fu master is out there playing the hero?
-This is serious, Bella," Charlie laughed softly. "The punches are fine, but they had their lungs full of water and cuts all over their bodies.
-How? -This time the girl's voice was more serious.
-Dr. Cullen treated them in the emergency room. He was surprised when I told him I found them in an alleyway and not drowning in a river... Just tell me you'll be more careful from now on, okay?
Bella stayed somewhat pensive after eating with her father. Drowned thieves? Well that certainly sounded strange but it didn't worry her. They weren't thieves found dead with no blood or torn apart by some animal, nothing to worry her about. Although she would ask Carlisle when she saw him, just to make sure. For the moment she had other things to think about, like her boyfriend waiting outside in his silver Volvo.
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-We stop here...-The sunset had already passed several hours ago and the park was deserted. The green grass was fresh and the shadows extended far from the lamp posts. Percy landed on the grass and allowed himself to move his neck a little. He felt tense and tired; he had not slept for four days, and it seemed that his body refused to stay awake another minute.
With his hand on his dog's neck he focused on looking at the great obelisk in front of them both: the Washington Monument. It was the first time he had seen it but he couldn't feel anything when he did, for him it was just a pile of blocks piled up in the shape of a giant needle. Miss O'Leary went to lie down under one of the trees followed by its owner, who gave her one last pancake and sat on the grass, leaning against the dog's coat. She took a sip of water from her canteen in her backpack and contemplated the obelisk.
Illuminated by large reflectors at the base it was reflected on the surface of the large fountain that extended as far as it was at ground level, it was a sight that did nothing but make his throat bitter. He was supposed to take Annabeth to that same place for her anniversary. To bore him with her endless chatter about architecture, to force him to go to the tip and have a selfie together.
Miss O'Leary gently tapped his leg with her nose, as if to distract him; Percy scratched him between the ears and smiled faintly:
-I will sleep a little..." He said, before crossing his arms and resting his head against the ribs of the bitch from hell, "Wake me up at dawn.
He closed his eyes, remembering, briefly, the poor devils who had tried to assault him before jumping to Washington. Perhaps he had overdone it a bit, no doubt unworthy of a demigod in the mongrel camp, but he didn't care about that anymore. He just wanted to be able to spend the night without any kind of sleep...
... no matter where you escape to. He would always be under the eye of the moiras.
To be continued...
*Pre-recorded fanfare*.
And once again we've reached the end of another chapter of this story... Waoh, that sounded like a soap opera host hahaha
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it: I'm looking for a Beta Reader to help me correct the details in the chapters. In the meantime, please bear with me while I find one n/n
On the other hand, don't forget that reviews are part of the healthy nourishment for every author.
See you in a month my loves!