Again, REALLY REALLY sorry it took so long. But come on people, give me a brake, I'm seriously only eleven..... Jeeze.....Any way hope আপনি enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! হাঃ হাঃ হাঃ :) দ্বারা the way thanks for reading. :)
Nine
Evil Serves Us Cheese Burgers

We were probably over a mile away from the bus দ্বারা now. But I couldn’t get over it. The explosion still rang in my ears. The screeching sound of the Fury calling for her reinforcements to help in our deaths.
“ Three Kindly Ones. All three at once.” Grover bleated, obviously terrified. I didn’t blame him, I’m pretty sure we were all shaken up after what had just happened.
Come on! The farther we get, the better” I urged them. We had to get as far away as possible from that bus. But even if we ran all the way across the world we would still end up back there.
“ All our money was back there,” Percy reminded me. “ Our খাবার and clothes. Everything.”
How could he think about possessions at this time? “ Well, maybe if আপনি hadn’t decided to jump into the fight-” I ব্যক্ত getting irritated now.
“ What did আপনি want me to do? Let আপনি get killed?”
You’re just like everyone else, Percy. I can handle myself.
“ আপনি didn’t need to protect me, Percy. I would’ve been fine.”
“ Sliced like স্যান্ডউইচ bread,” Grover put in stupidly. “ but fine.”
“ Shut up, Goat Boy,” I said, letting my temper go.
My sneakers kicked up mud while Grover dragged his hoofs mournfully. “ Tin cans… a perfectly good bag of tin cans…”
I sighed.
The rain pounded on my shoulders. My clothes felt damp and mucky. After a few মিনিট of sloshing around in mildew and oddly shaped trees that smelled worse than the stink bomb Connor and Travis Stoll planted in the Aphrodite cabin, I started to feel a little bad about snapping at Percy. But if আপনি ever tell him I ব্যক্ত that, just remember, I have the gods on my side. Well… for the most part.
I slowed down, waiting for Percy to catch up.“ Look I…” I was trying to find the right words. “ I - I appreciate your coming back for us okay? That was really brave.”
“ We’re a team right?” I smiled at the word team. It was like being with Luke and থালিয়া again.
We slowed down a little. “ It’s just that if আপনি died… aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world.”

The storm finally stopped. The glimmer of the city disappeared behind us. The forest looked even darker now.

“ আপনি haven’t left Camp Half- Blood since আপনি were seven?” He asked like he still couldn’t believe it.
“ No.. only short field trips. My dad-”
“ The history professor.”
“ Yeah, It didn’t work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood is my home.” I was trying to get in as much as possible.
“ At camp আপনি train and train. And that’s all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That’s where আপনি learn whether you’re any good অথবা not.”

“ You’re pretty good with that knife,” He said.
“ আপনি think so?”
“ Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Fury is okay দ্বারা me.”
I smiled. It was hard to talk about my father, but with Percy, who seemed to understand, it was almost… comforting.
“ আপনি know,” I ব্যক্ত carefully, “ maybe I should tell you… Something funny back on the bus…”
I was interrupted দ্বারা a horrible toot-toot-toot sound echoing through the forest.
“ Hey, my reed pipes still work!” Grover cried happily. “ If I could just remember a ‘find path’ song, we could get out of these woods!”
He blew out a few notes. Percy and I laughed a little when he ended up playing Hillary Duff’s “ So Yesterday”. It was nice to hear a pleasant sound after lagging around in mud. And just in case you’re wondering, I’m not talking about Grover’s reed pipes.
Eventually, Percy got into a fight with an oak বৃক্ষ and ended up with a knot in his head about the size of drachma.

After, helping him up and listening to a few আরো than PG words, I smelled something that just about made my day. The wonderful greasy, fat filled smell of fried food.

We walked as fast as we could with Percy who was still a little dazed from his battle with the tree. The area was dotted with ugly looking buildings. As we got closer, we realized it wasn’t a McDonalds of Carles JR. like we hoped. Instead, we found a it was a small shop. Percy squinted, trying to read the red cursive sign.
“ What the heck does that say?” He asked after five মিনিট of staring at the board.

“ I don’t know.” I ব্যক্ত feeling kind of stupid. But whatever, so what if I can’t read English? This girl can read Ancient Greek! Can আপনি read Ancient Greek? I didn’t think so. So take that আপনি mortals!

Luckily, Grover could read English so he translated for us. Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium.”
The entrance of the small ভান্দার was covered with cement statues. Some were small gnomes, others were lifelike humans. Some were smiling and waving, while others were crying and pouting.

We crossed the street, Percy and I practically racing towards the smell.
“ Hey. . .” Grover ব্যক্ত cautiously. But I ignored him. All I could think about was the greasy fast খাবার that was close by.
“ The lights are on inside,” I said. “ Maybe it’s open.”
“ Snack bar,” Percy ব্যক্ত dreamily.
“ Snack bar.” I repeated getting worked up now. I could almost taste the sweet দুধ shake and fries. Sweet, salty fries.
“ Are আপনি two crazy?” Grover exclaimed. “ This place is weird.”
We ignored him.
We past আরো statues, they were waving but not smiling. It was almost like they were saying “ Hi there! Welcome to your doom!” But even that wouldn’t stop the hypnotic smell of the খাবার from reaching my nose.
Finally, we saw a statue that almost looked like Grover.
“ Bla-ha-ha!” He bleated. “ Looks like my Uncle Ferinand!” After that, he started sniffing the air like he was having a spaz attack.
Finally we reached the door. Percy and I were about to knock on the door when Grover pulled our arms away.
“ Don’t knock,” he pleaded looking around frantically. “ I smell monsters.”
“ Your nose is clogged up with the Furies,” I told him. “ All I smell is burgers. Aren’t আপনি hungry?”
“ Meat!” he ব্যক্ত scornfully. “ I’m a vegetarian.”
“ আপনি eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans,” Percy reminded him with a sarcastic look.
“ Those are vegetables! Come on. Let’s leave. These statues are… looking at me.”
Just then, we heard the door creak open. Grover looked like he was about ready to jump out of his fake feet.
Standing at the door was a tall woman who wore a long elegant black gown, it covered everything every thing except her charcoal colored hands, her entire head was veiled.
She spoke in an accent that I identified as Middle Eastern. “ Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?”

Augh! How could I have not thought of this? Of course mortal adults would be wondering about three children… erm…. Two children and one goat-man walking around.
“ They’re…. um…” I ব্যক্ত trying to come up with something, until Percy jumped in.
“ We’re orphans,” He ব্যক্ত in a voice so convincing, I almost believed him myself.
“ Orphans?” the woman ব্যক্ত with sympathy. “ But, my dears! Surely not!”
“ We got separated from our caravan,” He continued. “ Our circus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, অথবা maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we’re lost. If that খাবার I smell?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. I mean, শ্রদ্ধার্ঘ্য on the অভিনয় and everything, but circus caravan, seriously?
“ Oh, my dears,” The woman ব্যক্ত putting her hands over her veiled face. “ আপনি must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area.”

Now, under normal circumstances, I would have objected on going into a strange lady’s ভান্দার for burgers. But my stomach was growling so loud, I was afraid Percy and Grover could hear it.
So, we thanked her and went inside.
Once we were out of hearing distance, I muttered to Percy,” Circus caravan?”
“ Always have a strategy, right?”
“ Your head is full of kelp.”
Her ware house had আরো statues than outside. Everyone of them was different in every way. But most of them had terrified looks on their faces, which I found kind of creepy.
As we got closer to the back the aroma of the খাবার got stronger, but so did Grover’s terrified whimpers. I was so hungry, I didn’t even care when would out of the corner of my eye I saw Aunty Em lock the door behind us. All I cared about was getting to the dinning area. When we finally reached it, I saw there was a giant soda fountain, a প্রেটসলের heater, nacho cheese dispenser, and of course a grill. It was like a fast খাবার utopia!
“ Please, sit down,” Aunty Em said.
“ Awesome.” Percy said.
“ Um,” Grover ব্যক্ত reluctantly. “ we don’t have any money, ma’am.”
Percy looked like he was going to jab Grover in the ribs, and I’ll admit I was thinking of doing the same thing to, until Aunty Em said, “ No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans.”
“ Thank you, ma’am.” I ব্যক্ত giving her my best, good-girl grin.
Aunty Em suddenly stiffened like I had just threw down her most prized possession. But then she relaxed so I figured it was my imagination.
“ Quite alright, Annabeth,” she said. “ আপনি have such beautiful gray eyes, child.” I looked at her a little suspiciously. A little voice in the back of my head was arguing with me. Annabeth, how does she know your name? আপনি never told her! Something weird is going on…..
No, Annabeth! আপনি and I are both hungry, nothings wrong she’s just a sweet old lady. Argued my stomach.
Shut up. I told them both. I’ll admit after that I kept my guard on a little, but that didn’t stop me from digging into the double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and the wonderful XXL servings of French Fries Aunty Em served us on plastic trays.
I tried to shove a whole burger in my mouth, but it didn’t work out so well so I slurped my shake.
Percy chomped down his burger ravenously.
Grover was picking at the fries while eyeing the wax paper like he might go for that instead. Although he still had that nervous look on his face.
“ What’s that hissing noise?” he asked suddenly.
Percy and I , both with mouths full, listened. We looked at each other and shook our heads.
“ Hissing?” Aunty Em asked. “ Perhaps আপনি hear the deep- fryer oil. আপনি have keen ears, Grover.”
“ I take vitamins. For my ears.”
“ That’s admirable,” she ব্যক্ত skeptically. “ But please relax.”
I barely looked up from my burger after that. After I had gulped down the last of my shake, I realized Aunty Em hadn’t eaten a thing. She had been watching us eat interlacing her fingers. It made me feel uncomfortable, now that I wasn’t ravenously hungry my senses had come back.
“ So, আপনি sell gnomes,” ব্যক্ত Percy, who seemed to be feeling the awkwardness.
“ Oh, yes,” She responded. “ And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, আপনি know.”
“ A lot of business on this road?”
“ Not so much, no. Since the highway was built… most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get.”
Suddenly, Percy turned around. I followed his gaze to a statue of a little girl. It had amazing detail. But it was her face that kind of set me off. She looked like she had just been struck with a knife- startled and terrified.
The same voice in the back of my head nagged at me. Statues and terrified people. Come on, Annabeth who does that remind আপনি of?
I figured it was nothing and returned to my burger.
“ Ah. আপনি notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face.”
“ আপনি make these statues yourself?” Percy asked.
“ Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, আপনি see. They are my company.”

That’s when it hit me. I put my খাবার down and sat up. “ Two sisters?”

“ It’s a terrible story,” She continued. “ Not one for children, really. আপনি see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had a. . . a boyfriend, আপনি know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed দ্বারা me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such price.”
How could I have been so naive? How could I have taken caution to the covered hair and face? Come on, Annabeth you’re better then that!
“ Percy?” I whispered hoarsely as I shook his arm. “ Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting.”
I searched the room tensely trying to find a way to get out of this place. Percy didn’t seem to notice how much trouble we were in and Grover seemed to be relaxed দ্বারা now because he was eating the wax paper to his hearts content.
“ Such beautiful gray eyes,” ‘Aunty Em’ said. “ My, yes, it has been a long time since I’ve seen gray eyes like those.”
She reached he hand out like she was going to stroke my cheek, my হৃদয় beat wildly. That’s it. We were getting out of here now. There was no way I was going to let this monster touch me.
“ We really should go.” I ব্যক্ত shooting up from my seat.
“ Yes!” Grover agreed swallowing up the last bits of wax paper. “ The ringmaster is waiting! Right!”
I waited for Percy to get up so we could get out of this dungeon, but that idiot just sat there looking like he was about ready to take a nap.
“ Please, dears.” the ‘woman’ begged. “I so rarely get to be with children. Before আপনি go, won’t আপনি at least sit for a pose.”
“ A pose?” I ব্যক্ত weakly.
“ A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, আপনি see. Everyone loves children.”
Yeah, everybody loves children. I ব্যক্ত inside my head. Except you. আপনি horrible monster.
I tried to stay calm, but I kept fidgeting as I said,” I don’t think we can ma’am. Come on, Percy-”
“ Sure we can,” Percy cut in. “ It’s just a photo, Annabeth. What’s the harm?”
He seriously didn’t know the half of it.
“ Yes, Annabeth,” ‘Aunty Em’ insisted. “ No harm.”
My হৃদয় was beating like a drum, and my breathing harsh. I shut my eyes and gave a small nod.
I allowed myself to be lead to the front door, cautiously looking around.
Suddenly, I heard a voice পরবর্তি to me that made me want to jump out of my skin.
It was Grover.
“ Annabeth, I don’t like this.” he whispered.
“ Well, duh! Don’t আপনি know who this ‘woman‘ is?”
He nodded gravely. Now before I tell আপনি Grover’s answer, I’m going to give আপনি a chance to guess what horrible, beastly, creature we were confronting. Ready?
“ Medusa.”