VIDEO GAMES! (p. jackson) (#1)

- one

chapter i, act i
december 14, 2018
bar harbor, maine

IT WAS AN EIGHT HOUR DRIVE FROM PERCY'S APARTMENT TO WESTOVER HALL.

It was an additional four hours on the metro for Rose, since she lived in DC. She was ready to be out of the car.

Sleet and snow pounded on the highway. Rose could feel the cold radiating off the windows.

It was Thalia (freshly returned from being a pine tree), Annabeth, Rose, and Percy, who Rose was friends with, but not close with like she was with Annabeth.

Rose hadn't seen her friends in months, but they were all too nervous to talk. Percy's mom Sally, on the other hand, was talking a lot. By the time they arrived at Westover Hall, she'd told every possible story about Percy as a child.

Thalia wiped fog off the window and peered outside. "Oh yeah. This'll be fun."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "That looks like the murder house from American Horror Story."

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait?" Sally asked.

"No thanks, Mom," Percy said from the passenger seat, "we don't know how long it'll take."

"But how will you get back? I'm worried, Percy."

"It's okay, Miss Jackson," Annabeth promised. "We'll keep him out of trouble."

"Alright, my dears," Sally said. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, Miss Jackson," Thalia said. "Thank you for the ride."

"Extra sweaters? You all have my cell phone number?"

Percy sighed. "Mom—"

"Your ambrosia and nectar? Drachmas in case you need to contact camp?"

"Mom, seriously! We'll be fine. Come on, guys."

They all shuffled out of the car, the cold wind biting through their clothes as they stepped into the parking lot.

Once Sally's car was out of sight, Rose said, "Your mom is so cool."

"Yeah," Percy agreed. "What about you? Do you ever talk to your mom?"

"My mom's a goddess."

"Right."

"We'd better get inside," Annabeth said quickly. "Grover will be waiting."

Thalia looked up at the castle and shivered. "You're right. I wonder what he found that made him send the distress call."

Rose stared up at the dark towers of westover hall. "Nothing good."

The oak doors opened, and the four of them stepped into the entry hall in a flurry of snow.

"Holy shit," Percy said.

The building was huge. The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays— antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff.

Rose fiddled with one of her rings, which had all been gifts from her mother. Some of them were normal rings, but some of them turned into weapons, including her sword. She could already sense something wrong with this place, and she could tell her friends felt it too.

Annabeth started to say, "I wonder where—"

The doors slammed shut behind them.

"Okay," Percy mumbled. "Guess we'll stay a while."

They stashed their overnight bags behind a pillar and started down the hall. They hadn't gone very far when Rose could hear footsteps on the stone floor, and a man and woman marched out of the shadows to stop them.