Clotho - Percy Jackson

Charlotte Foster and the Three Old Ladies that Knit the Socks of Death

Charlotte Pov

Charlotte had once seen a girl step out of a tree, so to say she was used to strange things happening around her would be spot on. However, never had someone just simply ceased to exist, which is what had seemed to happen to Mrs. Dodds. In the last few weeks of school, the entire campus acted as if Mrs. Kerr, someone who Charlotte had never seen before she got onto the bus at the end of the field trip, had been their pre-algebra teacher since Christmas. Everyone but Percy.

Occasionally they would drop a Mrs. Dodds reference on somebody, just to see if they could see if they would slip and react but it never worked. If it wasn't for him, Charlotte would be convinced she was losing her mind.

Well, Percy and Grover.

Grover was never a good liar, so when the two would mention the former teacher, he would hesitate, before claiming she didn't exist. But the two best friends knew he was lying.

The following night Charlotte's dreams changed, twisting into something far darker than she was used to. Gone were the horrible nightmares of the car crash instead she saw images.  A series of them, like frames of a scene, that didn't make sense to her. The first was of her and Percy and they were falling from somewhere high a blue sky behind them, then the image would flicker and the sky behind them would turn black and Percy was older. The next was of a wheat field and a mile marker sign numbered 37. The next was of a long dark, cramped corridor, followed by a ship flying high above the ground. Lastly, it was the Empire State Building lit up blue. Most mornings she would wake up gasping for air and with a sheen of sweat on her brow.

The only good thing that seemed to come from Mrs. Dodds's disappearance was Percy had seemed to escape punishment for pushing Nancy into the fountain. Something that brought the Foster girl great joy. Though the feeling was short-lived because with each passing day Percy's mood seemed to get worse. Before Charlotte was able to help curve some of the boy's more destructive nature but now nothing seemed to help.

When he called their English teacher, Mr. Nicoll an old sot, Charlotte knew that was the end of it. Percy wouldn't be coming back to Yancy next year. Percy didn't seem to be bothered by it at all, and the girl felt her heart sink and crack a little.

She had been planning on asking him if they could hang out over the summer when he wasn't busy with his mom. Now though she felt doubt fill her stomach, he didn't seem to want to stick around not even for his friends. She tried to shake the feeling, he made it clear how much he missed his mom, and that didn't mean he didn't want her around. The nagging feeling never seemed to leave her thoughts completely though.

As exam week got closer, Percy begged her to help him study for their upcoming Latin test. Charlotte had a hard time focusing on the flashcards she had made as Percy kept shifting around in his seat.

"Why don't you walk around the room, and I'll ask you the questions?" the girl offered, wanting to help the boy calm down and his fidgeting was getting on her nerves. He didn't hesitate, throwing his book across the room and launching himself out of the chair.

"Why don't you get like this?" he complained, "You have ADHD too."

"I chugged 3 bottles of soda before I got here." she smiled at him, then winced, "Sorry, I should have brought you one."

"That works?" he asked his tone a little amused.

She shrugged. "It helps that I find this interesting."

Percy sighed, picking the book up from the floor. He moved to her, grabbing her hand, pulling her from her place on the floor, and tugging her out of the room.

"Come on Lottie, let's go ask Mr. Brunner for help." The girl didn't protest, just smiled at his back as he pulled her along.

They walked quietly down the hallways, hands intertwined. Most of the offices were dark and empty, but Mr. Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor.