Annabeth

The next week progressed fairly quickly and life carried on as normal, you could almost slip away into the mortal world and forget about the gods. No monsters to worry about, no supernatural beings involving themselves with your life. It was funny to see teens worrying about homework and assignments, struggling to impress their crush or wondering if they'll pass their recent test. If only they knew.

Benton had stayed true to what he said, I mean I barely noticed him during school. He managed to convince the staff in the school (most likely using his reed pipes) that he was an assistant teacher and had showed up in Jesse and Shane's lessons (Jesse told me his name). Percy told me he also went to the elementary school to see Rebecca as well, looks like I might have a new sister after all.

I woke up on a cloudy Monday morning, feeling the chill of the wind seeping through my open window and gnawing at my bed covers. I jumped out my bed and hurriedly closed my windows which slid down without a sound. I sighed heavily, last night I had stayed up a bit too long, finishing homework for maths and art. I started my usual before-school routine and after a nice warm shower, I felt much more ready for the day ahead.

After drying myself I went to my bedroom to get dressed, putting on an owl t-shirt and grey hoodie with slim khaki brown chinos. Just as I was pulling up my socks there came knock at the door. That's odd, who would be knocking my door at half past seven in the morning? My only assumption would be that it was Percy.

I quickly made my to the door and looked out through the peephole to see a scruffy teen who looked so skinny it made me a little sick just looking at him. Even though he was skinny, none of his features were at all bony and to be honest, he didn't look like he had any bones at all! It was an odd sight to say the least. The way he stood seemed to annoy him, like he wasn't quite comfortable in his own skin.

"Who is it?" I called from behind the door.

"Hi, miss Chasssse," His voice was high and sounded as though he were using the back of his throat. He spoke slowly and an obvious lisp made his s' much more distinct. "I'm here about your order from forever twenty one."

Ok that's not right. I didn't order anything. I looked to my left and found my drakon bone sword propped against the small table by the door. I moved it to a reachable position next to the door and looked back out the peephole. The scruffy teen turned and looked right back at me. Stifling a gasp I jumped back from the door, something was definitely not right.

"S-sorry, but I didn't order anything." I could feel my heart pumping faster. My head beginning to tingle with adrenaline.

"Well you were on the lissst, could you just come out and take the package?" I looked out again. There was no package near him.

"How come you haven't got anything?" I asked to no reply.

I backed up and grabbed the drakon bone sword, staring intensely at the door. I waited…

Nothing.

I made the mistake of lowering my guard, thinking I would be able to check the peephole again. I lowered my sword and took half a step forward when the door flew forward off its hinges and onto the floor with a deafening bang. In the now empty frame stood the skinny teen, his eyes boring into mine. Although they weren't just normal eyes, looking at him properly I could make out his orange and pupils; they were slits, like a cat's.

"You should've opened the door when you had the chance Annabeth Chassse," I backed up as he spoke, keeping my sword level with his head. "Would've made thisss ssso much sssimpler."

The teen fell into a crouch his neck twitching, a hungry look engulfing his eyes. I had hit the wall behind me. There was no running from this. He had me trapped in my own home. The teen sprang forward into the air and toward my head, as he did so he began to change. His skin going from pale white to forest green, his body morphing into one long scaly reptile.

I jumped to my left and swung my sword back across my body as the snake flew past me, a hairs length away from my arm and ploughed a hole in my wall. The sword only just reached the serpent, just giving him a small cut. I cursed as he recoiled from the blade and darted back from the wall into a large coil of green scales.

Now that I could see him in full, one name came to mind. Python, the snake who guarded the oracle of Delphi before Apollo defeated him. If only I could use the myth to defeat him now, unfortunately Apollo had used and arrows and had the obvious advantage of being a god. Looks like I was on my own on this one.

The snakes head rose slowly above its huge coiled body, eyes never leaving my own. I felt a drop of sweat run down the back of my neck.

"Miss Chassse," Python's forked tongue escaping his seemingly thin mouth, fangs just visible and shinning viciously in the light. "Give yourssself up. You've got nowhere to go."

All I could was stall for time, putting on a false smirk I laughed at the huge snake. "Well where would be the fun in that?"

How would you deal with a snake? Come on Annabeth… think! He was too quick to keep evading so straight up fighting was pointless, even with ADHD. I had to blind it, cover its head. With what though? My jumper would take too long to take off and had a good chance of missing. I needed something bigger…

"That'sss true, but I don't have the patience to wait. Do you know what it'sss like being one of usss? Being killed by a puny demigod and get sent back to Tartarus for ssso many long yearsss."

I couldn't let him distract me, I kept searching for a way of trapping him.

"You've been to Tartarusss yesss?" Python continued. "Then you've experienccced what we go through, imagine going back to that placcce every time you die. Essscaping, only to go ssstraight back again."

I tried to shut out his words, looking for my salvation, then I realised. My bed covers. I could only hope that they were heavy enough to stop him for long enough to use my sword. Now I just needed a way back into my room.

"You demigodsss think you have a hard life when you know nothing. Allow me to show the meaning of sssufering…"

With that the snake lunged out from its poise quicker than I could blink and I instinctively jumped back with time for thought. I raised my sword to attack but my legs hit something solid and I toppled over head first onto the floor. Although it was stupid looking back on it, the couch that I tripped over probably saved my life.

I hit the ground with a thump and a streak of pain ran through my head, my vision a blur. I saw the vague image of Python fly over the sofa onto the coffee table, glass scattering the carpet and knocking a few chairs to the floor. I forced myself up, wincing with every movement as my head continued to pound. Python was sprawled across the hallway to my bedroom, covering my only means of fighting.

I took my only option, the kitchen. Staggering behind the counters I ducked out of sight. I needed think of a plan B now or I doubt I would be getting out of this apartment alive! Catching my breath, my eyes scoured the counters trying to find something to use. Kitchen knives wouldn't do anything to a monster… I could try and collapse the fridge on him but I doubted I could pull that off.

"Where are you hiding?" Python spat. I heard gentle hissing from the other side of the counter. I held my breath, searching for something, anything I could use.

Suddenly an ear splitting slam came from the other side of my apartment, from one of the doors. Python made a quick hiss and I heard him begin to slither across the hallway toward my bedroom, believing he had found me.

I slid slowly to the left to check round the side of the counters. I saw the wreckage of what was left of the living room, the upturned sofa I had tripped on and the smashed coffee table. I saw the tail of python slide into my room and out of sight, looks as though I wouldn't be getting to my bedroom any time soon. I could make a break for the door but that would mean going past the bedroom and I wasn't about to leave the Python in a flat full of mortals. I needed to think of something else…

Then I saw it, standing by its lonesome on the kitchen counter. The microwave. I darted toward the fridge and opened it slowly praying to Demeter that I had eggs. I searched the shelves and found the box I was looking for on the middle shelf behind the milk. I snatched the box and pulled out six eggs. I unplugged the microwave and scampered round the corner and into the hall, keeping an eye on my bedroom for the green scales and orange eyes.

I unplugged the lamp and switched it with the microwave which I laid in the middle of the hallway, facing the bedroom. I laid the eggs inside in a circle and turned the microwave on. BEEP!

Styx! I had to hurry, the snake definitely heard that. I turned the heat to full and set the timer to one minute. Hearing a sharp hissing sound from behind me, I leapt up and dashed behind the kitchen counter, looking behind me only to see an empty hallway. I heard the creak of the door as the snake came out of the bedroom and into the hallway. I held my breath and counted down the seconds, hoping my plan would work.

One. Two. Three…

The sound of the snake slithering toward the counter gave me Goosebumps and sent a chill down my back. I held in a shiver as the noise stopped, only to be followed by the rasp of the snake's voice.

Nine. Ten. Eleven…

"You think me a fool Annabeth Chassse, I'm no average garden sssnake. I wasss here long before man could make fire." He hissed violently, as an angry unfed cat would.

Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen…

"You try and trick me into a meal ssso you would strike whilssst my back isss turned. Well for a daughter of Athena I thought you prove to be much more… capable." I heard the crackle of glass as the snake checked the living room. It was only a matter of time.

Thirty. Thirty one. Thirty Two…

I could hear him getting closer now, he knew where I was. I was so close now I had to improvise something. The gentle hissing sounded as though it was getting higher and I knew I had to confront him now. I stepped out from behind the counter and into the living room with my sword raised. Python, who had risen from the ground to look over the counter, shrank back defensively into a coil right in front of the microwave.

Forty five. Fort six. Forty seven…

"Given up on your tricksss? Good, no more waiting- my first demigod meal in five hundred years." He began to rise, barring his fangs and hissing in anticipation. I almost dropped my sword out of fear but I knew I had to stand my ground.

I smirked and looked the serpent towering above me dead in the eyes. "Fifty nine." I said simply.

DING

The microwave door opened and Python only had time for one confused look before the eggs exploded, yolk and shell segments flying everywhere. One piece of eggs got the snake right in the eye and his hissed in anger; twisting, hissing and spitting in blind rage. I took my opportunity to jump forward and bring my sword down ferociously upon its neck. The blade jammed halfway and I yanked it out, Python now writhing upon the floor.

I took one last swing and his head was severed from his body which soon turned to the yellow powder I had been longing to see. I knew I couldn't stick around and congratulate myself however, he may only be the first. I had to tell-

"Umm Annabeth?" Came a voice I knew all too well behind me.

I turned to see Percy standing in the hallway with riptide gripped tightly in his hand, a worried expression etched into his face. I ran into his arms and wrapped myself around him, finding the one place I truly felt safe.

"It's okay, I'm here. What happened?" He asked returning the hug. "I got worried when you didn't show up at school today."

I breathed deeply. "Python showed up, he broke down the door and tried to kill me."

"And you handed his ass to him?" He finished. He sure knew how to make me smile I'll give him that. "Wait, what's this?"

He held up my arm and I winced. What happened to my arm? I turned it over and both our eyes widened. Going from elbow to shoulder was a large cut through my jumper, leaving a bloody trail across my arm. I began to panic. Realising Python must have got me just after he came through the door, his saliva acting as a pain relief. I'm an idiot for not noticing this before.

"We need to get back to camp to get this treated properly." Percy said, the worry from his expression seeping into his voice.

"I've got some ambrosia in my kitchen to help." I started then a thought occurred. "Wait if we're going back to camp, what about Jesse, Rebecca and Shane? Are we certain they're demigods?"

Percy paused for a moment. "I guess we'll have to find out."

This'll be my last update for a while because I'm going on holiday :P I'll see you lot when I get back on the 21st and hopefully I'll have much more regular updates.

'Hermes child awesomness' don't worry, I'm way ahead of you ;) I've got quite a bit planned for the rest of the story as well. ^^ And no haha we don't have Christmas tree up at the moment.

Thanks for reading,

Have yourself a beautiful day.

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