Chapter 8 (Percy) The Parcel

Seriously? I guess it's cool to blame it on your dad when something bad happens. We trooped through the woods and arrived at a place that I couldn't decipher because of my ADHD and deslexia.

"What does it say?" I asked.

"Anty Mes Dargen Menog Emoprum." Replied Annabeth.

"What?"

Grover translated: "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."

"Garden?" I asked.

"Yeah."

We walked in and was instantly greeted by a Middle Eastern woman. "Children. Where are your parents? It is very late you know."

I decided to be diplomatic. "We're orphans. We got separated from our ringmaster at our circus caravan. We got lost."

She cried out. "Orphans? Oh, you poor things. Come in, come in." She ushered us inside.

"Circus caravan? Orphans?" muttered Annabeth.

"I'm smart, right?"

"Your head is full of kelp."

We sat down as Aunty Em brought us some food. For the next couple of minutes, no one spoke. When I could no longer take the silence, I asked Aunty Em. "You make all these statues yourself?" There were a lot of statues around the place.

"Yes child. I had two sisters help me before. They sadly passed on a few years ago."

Annabeth froze next to me. "Two sisters?"

"Yes darling."

Annabeth stood up. "We need to go now. The ringmaster will be waiting."

Aunty Em stood up as well. "Wait. Before you go, I would like to take a picture of the three of you."

I nodded. "Alright."

Annabeth glared at me but I could see that she couldn't do anything. Aunty Em made us stand in line with Annabeth in the middle. She muttered to herself and adjusted our arms to be into a better position. "Alright. I think we are ready." She walked back towards the counter.

"Percy.." warned Annabeth.

Aunty Em lifted her veil off.

"Don't look!" screamed Grover. We closed our eyes and Aunty Em walked towards us.

"Open your eyes girl. And you too, Perseus Jackson."

Perseus Jackson. My blood ran cold. No one knew my full name except for Chiron and my mother. Monster, I thought.

"It's Medusa, Percy. Don't open your eyes!" said Annabeth. I stood there, frozen in shock.

"Maia!" Grover took flight and knocked Medusa down which gave me enough time to uncap Riptide. I opened my eyes and looked at the mirrors on the wall.

"Submit to me." Medusa hissed. She lunged at me but I slashed upwards with my sword. Something thumped onto the floor next to my feet. It was Medusa's head. I slowly grabbed a big plastic bag from the counter and slowly, without looking, covered the head up.

"It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?" imitated Annabeth in a very bad imitation of me.

"You're impossible." I retorted.

"You're insufferable." She replied.

Grover broke us apart. "What will we do with head?"

I got an idea. I searched the back counter and found a big box with the Underworld's address. DOA Recording Studios, West Hollywood, California. I put the head and some golden drachmas into the box. I went back to the others and filled out a deliver slip:

The Gods

Mount Olympus

600th Floor, Empire State Building

New York, NY

With best wishes,

PERSEUS JACKSON

"You're going to be killed by the gods." Grover warned. "They won't like it."

"I don't care." I looked at Annabeth. She looked the same as ever.

I walked outside. "Come on. We're going to Hollywood."