𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 [pjo]

𝐈𝐕.

The air was thick and acidic, burning Callahan's nose as she breathed. She was frozen in place, staring at Annabeth as the yellow dust that was once Arachne rained down onto her shoulders. Percy's sword was still out, the bronze glowing brilliantly as he stared hard at where the monster just was.

"She...She would've killed me." Annabeth stammered.

Percy shrugged and kicked the dust that was on the rocks. He seemed upset, dissatisfied, "She died too easily, considering how much torture you went through. She deserved worse."

Callahan moved forward toward Annie, reaching up to brush the dust off of her cheeks.

"Percy's right, Annie." She muttered, "Still, how'd you move so fast?"

Percy shrugged, "Gotta watch each other's backs, right? Now, we're heading downstream, right?"

Annie blinked, something that looked like worry or concern flashing in her stormy eyes. Callahan quirked a brow, wondering what Percy had down that was so worrisome.

"Annie–"

"Right, yeah. If the river comes from the upper levels of the Underworld then it should flow deeper into Tartarus–"

"So it leads into more dangerous territory, yeah?" Percy scoffed, "which is probably where the Doors are. Lucky us."

The three were only a few hundred yards away from their first position when they heard the voices.

Callahan was exhausted, her body sore and her stomach demanding food. She felt like a zombie, trudging forward with no clear plan, half-dead to the world. She had been fully ready to just stop and collapse when she heard the voices.

Apparently, Annabeth had heard them too, because she stopped ahead of them and whispered for both her and Percy to get down.

Callahan stumbled a little as she moved to her knees, the three of them ducking behind the boulders that dotted the shoreline of Phlegethon. She tried her hardest to keep her breathing steady and small and pressed her back into the stone. Her eye caught Annie's, the two of them terrified for Percy. Monsters could smell demigods, and the more powerful they are the stronger the scent. Percy was the son of Poseidon.

It didn't sound like the monsters could hear them, though. They grew closer with uneven footsteps–scrap clump, scrap clump, scrap clump–and didn't show any signs of slowing, or speeding up really.

"Soon?" One of the voices asked, and it sounded raspy and old.

"Oh, my gods!" Another exclaimed. This one sounded young, like a Valley Girl stereotype. Something about it tickled the base of Callahan's skull, but she couldn't place it.

"You guys are totally annoying! I told you, it's like three days from here."

The trio exchanged glances, all of them recognizing the voice of the valley girl.

There was a chorus of growling and grumbling, and the monsters came to a stop on the other side of the boulder. They gave no indication they knew Callahan, Percy, and Annie were hiding there, but that didn't comfort Cal at all. They weren't exactly safe.

"I wonder," said a third voice, as gravelly and ancient as the first, "If perhaps you do not know the way, young one."

"Oh, shut your fang hole, Serephone," said the mall girl. "When's the last time you escaped to the

mortal world? I was there a couple of years ago. I know the way! Besides, I understand what we're

facing up there. You don't have a clue!"

"The Earth Mother did not make you boss!" shrieked a fourth voice.

More hissing, scuffling, and feral moans – like giant alley cats fighting. At last, the one called

Serephone yelled,

"Enough!"

The scuffling died down.

"We will follow for now,' Serephone said. 'But if you do not lead us well, if we find you have lied about the summons of Gaia –"

"I don't lie!" snapped the mall girl. "Believe me, I've got good reason to get into this battle. I have some enemies to devour, and you'll feast on the blood of heroes. Just leave one special morsel for me– the one named Percy Jackson."

Callahan felt it click into place. Kelli. The empousa from Percy's freshmen orientation, and Daedalus workshop. She had been the one to whisper in Luke's ear and the one that almost killed Percy, more than once. She was back, and apparently, she was rolling with a gang now.

The creatures began to shuffle off, moving further into the gloom. Kelli's voice faded as they went, and it left the three of them shivering in their hiding place. Annabeth crept up to sneak a glance at the group as they left, and she returned with an ashen face. She nodded minutely, and Callahan's stomach twisted.

Percy rose, offering a hand for Callahan to join him,

"They're heading to the Doors of Death," He murmured, "You know what that means?"

Callahan knew what it meant. It meant that the gaggle of horror-show women was their only chance of survival in a sick and twisted way.

"Yeah," Annabeth said, "We need to follow them."