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I felt the bark of the tree dig into his back as Annabeth throttled me. She was strong, but not strong enough to hold on when I reached up and burned her hands. She let go with a yelp and I dropped to the pine-needle scattered ground. Annabeth curse and whirled around to meet my eyes, "What is your problem?"

My eyes narrowed at her, "Nothing. Why would I have a problem with anyone?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Let's see... You almost got us killed by being reckless, you burned my hand, and now you're denying having a problem?"

Percy placed his hand on her shoulder, "Annabeth..."

"No! I want to know!"

I scoffed and ran a hand through my hair, "Maybe my problem is that you trust him while I got kicked out into the monster filled world."

Annabeth's eyes softened and she lowered her head, "Let's just go. We need to get further away from the Furies in case they call for reinforcements."

Grover and Percy looked relieved that the argument was over and followed her deeper into the woods.

After about an hour of walking, I could smell food. We had left our bags full of supplies on the bus so I was starving. The scent of freshly made hamburgers drifted through the air and I saw Grover sniffing the air.

"What's that smell?" Percy asked, tilting his head.

"Foooood." Grover moaned, running in the direction of the smell. We followed him until we reached a decrepit gate with some writing on the top in neon. I couldn't read it, and neither could Annabeth or Percy, so Grover translated, "Auntie Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."

Behind the gate was one of those weird roadside curio shops that sell lawn flamingos and cement grizzly bears. The main building wa a long warehouse, surrounded by lots of statuary. Flanking the entrance, as advertised, were two stone gnomes.

Percy went forward, ignoring Grover's warning, following the smell of the hamburgers.

"The lights are on inside," Annabeth said. "Maybe it's open."

"Snack bar." All three of us demigods said together. Grover didn't look so sure.

"This place is kind of weird." He said, peering suspiciously at the gnomes and other statues that littered the front, "This statue looks like my Uncle Ferdinand."

We stopped at the warehouse door.

"I smell monsters," Grover bleated, but the three of us ignored him, entrance by the smell of burgers. I felt strange, like I was being put under a spell of some sort, but I pushed the feeling aside.

Then the door opened and a tall woman stood in front of us. At least, I think she was a woman, because she wore a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled.

Her accent when she spoke sounded vaguely Middle Eastern, "Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"

Percy spun some story about how we were orphans lost from our circus caravan while I looked around. Grover was right, this place was weird. The statues almost seemed to be staring at me. Soon, the lady was motioning us inside and I followed in a trance. She sat us down at some steel picnic tables and brought out paper trays full of burgers, shakes, and large servings of French fries. I scoffed down my burger, but took longer to slurp the shake. Aunty Em ate nothing. She sat down in front of us and laced her fingers together, staring intensly at us. She hadn't taken off her headdress, so it felt a bit odd.

Percy tried to start up a conversation with her, but soon she stood up and said, "Children, I have a favor to ask of you!"

"Anything," Percy said and I nodded, though both Annabeth and Grover looked wary. I reasoned that anyone who gave me free food was good.

"Could you pose for a photograph for me? I will use it to make my statues."

Percy and I said, "Sure." and Annabeth and Grover reluctantly nodded. Aunty Em seemed happy as she placed us in the position she wanted us and Percy remarked, "There's not much light for a photo, is there?"

"Oh, there's plenty." Aunty Em replied, lining up the shot without a camera. This made me pause, "Hey, where's the camera?"

"Look this way, Grover, dear." She said, ignoring me. Grover was still staring at the statue of the satyr, "That sure does look like my Uncle."

Annabeth whispered, "Henry!" forcefully to me and I nodded, drawing Max from my pocket.

Aunty Em tutted, "Now, now. There's no need for that, dearie. Put it away."

I shook my head, "No."

"That is Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped.

"Look away from her!" Annabeth shouted to Percy as I flipped Max into its warhammer form. Annabeth put on her Yankees cap and vanished, her invisible hands pushing Percy to the side as I averted my eyes from Aunty Em.

Then I heard a strange, rasping sound above me. My eyes rose to Aunty Em's hands, which had turned gnarled and warty, with sharp bronze talons for fingernails. I saw Percy start to look up and cried out, "No! Don't!"

"Run!" Grover bleated. I heard him racing across the gravel, yelling, "Maia!" to kickstart his flying shoes.

I saw realization dawn on Percy's face as Medusa said bitterly, "The Grey-Eyed One did this to me. Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me into this!"

"Don't listen to her!" I warned, "Only look at her reflection, Percy. You've got to cut her head off with your sword!"

He didn't seem to hear so I swung blindly at Medusa with my warhammer. I heard a satisfying thwack as Max landed a hit. Medusa howled with pain and advanced on me. Grover flew over her head and hit her with a tree branch. She grabbed the branch and threw him against a bear statue. I saw Percy, now unstuck, coming towards the snake-lady with a glass ball in his hand so he could see her reflection. He swung, slicing through her head perfectly, and her body disintegrated, leaving the head behind. I sighed in relief and flipped Max back into its regular size, "Good job, Percy. Looked like you just bagged Medusa."

Percy grimaced as Annabeth grabbed a bag to put the head in.

"So what are you going to do with it?" I asked. Percy looked thoughtful, then he smirked and grabbed the bag from Annabeth, walking over to the table and writing something on the tag before he dropped some golden drachmas in. The bag made a sound like a cash register and disappeared.

"Where'd you send it?" I asked curiously.

"To the gods." He laughed.