𝐃𝐄𝐉𝐀 𝐕𝐔 • Percy Jackson.

II-13

            BEING IN A GUINEA PIG CAGE WAS A STRANGE EXPERIENCE. Having turned into such a small creature, Amani's mind began to calm down as he assessed what the hell was happening to him.  Percy squealed and clawed at the cages as Annabeth walked in, calling out her voice. "Miss C.C.?" The woman in question cursed in Greek and kicked both sets of their clothes underneath the loom.

Amani was sure Annabeth would have  modeled for his mother's designs if his mother saw her right now. When she walked in, she wore a sleeveless off-white silk dress that draped, hugging her curves. The color complimented her tanned-brown skin from the summer sun. Her blonde hair, newly washed, was combed into a braid gilded with gold, and she even wore makeup. Yet even Amani, who didn't really care much about others nor looked too deeply into them, believed this version of Annabeth Chase was strange.

She looked around the room and frowned. "Where’s Percy and Amani?" At least she remembered. Amani thought as Percy squealed up a storm. He watched as C.C. smiled. "They're having one of our treatments, my dear. Not to worry. You look wonderful! What did you think of your tour?" Annabeth’s eyes brightened. "Your library is amazing!" She gushed, "Yes, indeed," C.C. said. "The best knowledge of the past three millennia. Anything you want to study, anything you want to be, my dear."

"An architect?" She asked, a hope glimmering in her eyes. C.C. sneered at the idea before her lips curled into a wide smile. "You, my dear, have the makings of a sorceress. Like me."

Annabeth, rash hope long gone, she took a step back from the women with hints of suspicion.

"A sorceress?" She repeats.

"Yes, my dear." C.C. held up her hand. A flame appeared in her palm and danced across her fingertips. "My mother is Hecate, the goddess of magic. I know a daughter of Athena when I see one. We are not so different, you and I. We both seek knowledge. We both admire greatness. Neither of us needs to stand in the shadow of men." She says with a fire in her eyes.

"‘I-I don’t understand." Annabeth stammered out, glancing around nervously. Again, Percy squealed his best, trying to get Annabeth’s attention, but she  couldn’t hear.

Amani noticed the other guinea pigs were arriving from their hutch, to check them out?  There were half a dozen, with dirty fur and cracked teeth and beady red eyes. They were covered with shavings and smelled like they really had been in here for three hundred years, without getting their cage cleaned. In other words, they smelled like shit.

"Stay with me," C.C. was telling Annabeth. "Study with me. You can join our staff, become a sorceress, learn to bend others to your will. You will become immortal!" She said with a craze.

"But –"

"You are too intelligent, my dear," C.C. said. "You know better than to trust that silly camp for heroes. How many great female half-blood heroes can you name?" She reasoned, her voice going into one of discontent.

"Um, Atalanta, Amelia Earhart –"

"Bah! Men get all the glory." She said with anger before closing her fist to extinguish the magic flame. "The only way to power for women is sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now there were powerful women! And me, of course. The greatest of all." She said with a smirk.

"You … C.C. … Circe!" Annabeth exclaimed, backing away. Circe laughed, "Yes, my dear, you need not worry. I mean you no harm." She said softly. "What have you done to Percy and Amani?" She demanded, Circle smiled. "Only helped them realize their true forms." Annabeth scanned the room. Finally she saw the cage, and two guinea pigs; one scratching at the bars, the other staring at the pigs crowding around them. Her eyes went wide.