THIS IS ME TRYING

4: A Living Nightmare

LUNA AWOKE in the back of the car, Percy and Sally in the front seats as the boy asked a bunch of questions which Luna couldn't process. She rested her head on the glass, looking at the raindrops running down the window, placing a mental bet on which raindrop would win the race to the bottom of the window.

Sally looked through the rear-view mirror at Luna, "Are you okay, honey?"

She nodded, "Are we nearly there yet?"

Sally glanced at Percy as the boy frowned, "Nearly where, Lu?"

"The beach house." The girl replied, "I had the strangest dream that Grover was here and..." She turned her head to notice the boy sitting right next to her. She scanned her eyes down to his legs... goat legs. Luna panicked, clutching her head, "I'm going insane. I knew it!"

"Relax, honey." Sally reassured, handing her another bar of chocolate which she slipped into her pocket.

"My job is to guide you both to this moment." Grover explained, "It's always an emotional rollercoaster for a young demigod, so providing a support system is really-"

"Guide us both?" Luna questioned, "What are you?"

"I'm a satyr." Grover revealed the little horns on his head, "I'm also your protector."

"You're my protector?" Percy scoffed sarcastically.

"If I hadn't gotten you kicked out of school, you'd have never survived the night." Grover explained, "And what's chasing us now would have found you there easily. I'm sorry." He paused, "Usually, I can sense danger coming a mile away, but this time... I mean, the mist kept Dodds hidden until it was too late."

Percy questioned, "You saw her attack me? And you didn't try to stop her?"

"Mist?" Luna asked, "It was pretty sunny to me."

"No, the mist." Grover explained, "It's the veil that hides the magical world from the human world. My legs. Dodds' wings. But it's never suppose to hide things from me. That never happens, meaning something powerful is at work here." He paused, "The sooner we get you to this camp, the better off-"

"Camp?" Percy repeated.

Grover asked, "You told them about camp, right?"

"Not yet, no." Sally replied.

"Camp is a sanctuary for half-bloods." He continued, "A safe space where you can learn who you are and what the world is like on the other side of the Mist-"

"Wait, did you say Mrs Dodds' wings?" Luna interrupted, her eyebrows raised in pure shock, "Wait, Dodds is the monster you saw?"

Percy frowned, "You can see Dodds, too?"

"No, Percy." Luna scoffed sarcastically, before blurting out, "She's my teacher! Of course I can see her."

Percy turned to Grover in confusion, "But didn't you say-"

Sally and Grover shared a concerned glance.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning appeared from the sky, illuminating the road below. The four looked behind them, as a beast emerged from the lightning and started running towards them. Luna panicked, "What is that thing?"

"Is that the Minotaur?" Percy questioned.

"Once the attacks start, they never let up." Grover explained quickly, "Dodds was just the beginning. He is next! He is brutal. He is relentless."

"He's wearing underpants!" Percy added.

The Minotaur growled as it caught up to the car, running along side the vehicle as it repeatedly crashed into the side of it. It was unlike anything Luna had ever seen, and a part of her still convinced herself that she was dreaming. However, this was a living nightmare. The Minotaur crashed into the car once more, it's horn smashing through the glass and causing the vehicle to flip over.