The weather sucked.
Well…to be fair, I couldn't complain. It had been subtly changing over the years, but it was particularly poor this winter. It was early December now, but there were no signs of snow. The weather was cold, and combined with the constant drizzle, it was freezing. But tonight, it was even worse- the sky seemed angry. Forks of lightning tore across the otherwise calm (and gloomy) night sky, while thunder boomed and rumbled. It kept me awake, in my apartment room, separated from the wind and rain (and thunder) by just one wall. Or window, depending on where you looked.
Me being myself, my head started thinking about things again, thoughts racing through my brain here and there. This term had been odd as a whole, and I could faintly realise something didn't add up. I just didn't know what. Well, I did clearly know two things were off, Grover and Mrs. Dodds.
For some reason, I couldn't get over what Mrs. Dodds had said. I'd gotten over the fact that she'd try to kill me (I might have asked for it by provoking her), but she'd said something about a bolt. And a helm. I didn't know if she was talking about one of those bolts that people used to fasten stuff onto…other stuff, or a lighting bolt, which in that case it was impossible for me to even steal (I'd be killed by the electric charges alone). The helm thing though, was a bit more interesting. I did remember taking Mr. Brunner's Roman centurion helmet and toying with it a bit a while ago, but I remembered giving it back to him after gawking and admiring it for a bit. Wonder what she meant by returning it?
Also, she'd said something about a person before she tried to kill me-and I killed her instead- something about "dear Chiron". I remembered something about a person-no, a centaur called "Chiron" in the Greek myths, who trained many heroes to fight. Wonder if she was referencing him…which might explain the sight I saw days ago, just before I left Yancy.
-flashback
I was walking down the corridor of Yancy, head hanging low, heavy mythology book in hand. It was late, so I figured no one was up and about, until I neared the staff area.
"-unsafe for her." It was Grover. My ears pricked up at his voice, but I thought nothing more of it until-
"But she-Perseas has to. You must surely remember-" that male voice, gentle yet with harder undertones, was that Mr. Brunner?
I normally wouldn't stick around for gossip. I hated it anyway, but hearing my name being mentioned, I decided for once to stick around and listen.
"But sir! She's not ready for it! She doesn't even know how to fight off-" Grover was cut off. "She does. I gave her a sword to fend off-" "You mean fend off the 'Mrs. Dodds'? For fucks sake, it was a kindly one!" Aha! So Mrs. Dodds did exist. But why was he hiding this from me…? "Grover." Mr Brunner's tone suddenly became grave, and his voice lowered. I scooted forwards to hear him better. "-and she's a daughter of the big three. She's in immense danger, and you need to to-"
Danger?
Without realising, the heavy mythology boom slipped from my hands. As I fumbled to catch it, it slipped out of my grasp and landed with a "thud" on the floor, and I froze. Inside the room I heard Grover and Mr. Brunner, I saw a light flick on, and an impossibly large silhouette rise from a chair, holding what seemed like an archer's bow. Quickly, I snatched up the mythology book and ran into a nearby room, shutting the door behind me and then hid under the window.
Moments later, a door opened and I heard what sounded like horse hooves on the ground, muffled by the room's walls. The moonlight cast a shadow of the creature, and it seems like a human torso fused to a horse, welding a nocked bow. The creature briefly halted in front of the door I'd just entered, before walking down the corridor and then back into the room. When I heard the door close, I immediately darted out of my hiding spot and ran for my dorm room.
-flashback end
Thinking about it…could Mr. Brunner be Chiron? But why would he disguised himself? And why would he reference me as "a daughter of the big three"? What did that mean? Did he know who my father was? Did he-
A loud thunder clap jolted me out of my thoughts. I sat up and looked around my tiny room. God, it smelled of Gabe. It wouldn't have surprised me to think he used my room to store all his junk anyway. He treated me like a price of junk, and only behaved nicely if he wanted to solicit favors, and his favors were usually sexual in nature. I hated how he used me as a human trophy to show off to his friends how he owned a "beautiful and obedient stepdaughter".
Fuck him.
Yesterday when I came home, that prick had told me to "suck him off". When I refused, he just shoved my face into his (thankfully clothed) crotch anyway. It reeked of piss and hormones. I had promptly gagged and shoved him back, before running to puke in the toilet. Ever since, he'd been giving me the stink eye, glaring at me whenever he saw me and just in a bad mood.
How did mom put up with him every day?
I sighed, before flopping back face-down onto my bed. The past was the past. I could only hope Smelly Gabe-no, Slimy Gabe could change his ways and-
Loud and rapid knocking on the door made me sit up. Again.
Who could possibly visit at this time?
I got up, slipped into my slippers (I needed it to traverse the trash filled living room) and hurriedly opened the door, seeing my mom rushing past. As I shuffled to the door, mom opened it up and I saw something that I knew would change my life.
Grover was standing outside, soaked to the core. But it wasn't the wetness of him that surprised me- in place of his legs, he had furry legs like a mountain goat.
Complete with hooves too.
And atop his head, where his cap usually covered, were tips of two tiny horned pok8ngnout of his curly hair.
"Grover?" He nodded. "Percy…we gotta, y'know, go. It's after us."
"What's after us? Grover, what are you talking about?" He simply shook his head. "Percy-"
He was cut off by my mother, Sally Jackson, holding up a hand to silence him. "Perseas. Amptritie. Jackson."
Uh oh. I was in deep trouble. Mom never, never used my full name unless I was in deep shit.
She pointed a finger at Grover, before raising an eyebrow at me questioningly. "Would you mind telling me what the fuck happened at school?
Oh, god damn it. Looks like there was no way out of this for me.