✓ | The Crown of the Dead

The Roadtrip From Hell

I heard the front door swing open, and the Darth Vader man stomped out onto the front step.

I weighed my options. Go with this man Aunt Piper told me to trust even though I'd never met him before in my life, or possibly be kidnapped by Mr. Vader over here.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if I didn't really have an option.

"Get in the car!" Percy yelled.

I stumbled and straightened my duffel bag. I ran towards the car.

"What is going on?! Who are you? How do you know Piper?" I stopped in front of the back door.

"Alright, I know you're confused, but we're kind of on an extreme time crunch right now so if you could just--"

The back door swung open, and there was Charlie Jackson, her brown hair a mess, her face painted red. "GET IN!"

I practically fell into the back seat. Percy slammed the door behind me. Everything was happening so fast I hardly registered Darth Vader banging his hands on the car window, only moments after Percy jumped into the passenger's seat. The engine started, and the car sped off, leaving Vader in the dust.

"What the heck is going on!" Behind me in the third row, Luke was standing up, latched onto his sister's headrest, and looking a bit queasy.

"I think I'm going to be sick..." Someone was standing next to him.

Essie?

What on earth was happening? And who was driving the car?!

"Buckle up kids, unless you wanna break your neck!" In the driver's seat was a man, Percy's age maybe, with curly brown hair and muscles that looked funny on him.

I grabbed the seat belt next to me and clicked it into place. The man sped up, and my head slammed onto the headrest.

Essie (why was Essie here?!) shrieked and fell over, causing Luke to tumble down too.

"Sit down!" Percy shouted from the passenger seat. He grabbed his seatbelt and fastened it too.

"I can't believe this is happening..." Charlie had a crazed look on her face. She was lifting off her seat with every bump the car went over. "I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!"

"You're not gonna die," Percy countered. "Deep breaths."

Charlie wrapped her arms around herself and started breathing in and out.

"Who are you people?! Slow down!" I grabbed at the sides of my seat to keep from flying out.

"I'm afraid we can't do that!" The driver said. "Unless you fancy being murdered!"

"What?!"

Percy let out a disheveled laugh, and I felt like the car sped up even more. "He's joking!"

"I'm not!" He pulled a hard left, and everyone screamed. I was slammed against the side of the door.

"Where's my aunt?! Turn around! We left her behind with that crazy person!" I screamed.

"He doesn't want your aunt!" Percy yelled back.

The driver pulled to the right and everyone screamed again.

"Dad! Slow down!" Essie's hair was a complete mess; tossed around from all the road bumps. She blew a strand out of her line of sight.

Wait... Dad?

I debated on screaming at the top of my lungs. I assumed that wouldn't really help my case, considering I might stun the driver, and I'd be more likely to meet an untimely end.