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The Nightmarish Revelation

Walnut Creek, California
Theo's POV

The first thing that Theo noticed was the smell of eucalyptus trees, which was the first red flag.

Theo opened his eyes and saw that he was sitting at a table at a sidewalk café.

It was a sunny morning. The air was brisk but not unpleasant for sitting outside. At the other tables, a mix of bicyclists, businesspeople, and college kids sat chatting and drinking coffee.

Theo saw lots of foot traffic passing in front of quaint little shops. The street was lined with bottle-brush trees and blooming azaleas as if winter was a foreign concept.

Well, shit...They're in California.

Theo looked around and saw Hedge, Maryam, Leo, Piper, and Jason asleep as the same table that he was sitting at. But they were dressed peculiarly.

Piper was wearing a turquoise dress with black leggings and black leather boots. She had on a silver charm bracelet, and a snowboarding jacket. She'd even had gotten her hair done, too.

Leo was wearing pinstriped pants, black leather shoes, a white collarless shirt with suspenders, and his tool belt, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and a porkpie hat.

The satyr was a pastel nightmare. He was wearing a baggy canary yellow zoot suit with two-tone shoes that fit over his hooves. He had a matching yellow broad-brimmed hat, a rose-colored shirt, a baby blue tie, and a blue carnation in his lapel.

Jason was dressed simply in jeans and a clean purple T-shirt, like he'd worn at the Grand Canyon. He had new track shoes on, and his hair was newly trimmed.

Maryam was wearing a black dress with thin shoulder straps and a cutout exposing her left leg. She wore a pair of black Converse shoes and a sword necklace around her neck.

Theo looked down at himself and saw what he was wearing. He was wearing a sliver suit and pants and a black shirt (which had the first two buttons unbuttoned). He wore a pair of black leather shoes, and he smelled like aftershave.

Theo watched Piper slowly open her eyes and look around until her eyes landed on Theo.

Piper: Theo, what the hell are you wearing?

Theo: I could ask you the same question, Piper.

Piper looked down at her own outfit and gasped.

Piper: Mother!

She yelled louder than she meant. Jason flinched, bumping the table with his knees, and then all of them were awake.

Hedge: What? Fight who? Where?

Leo: (grabs the table) FALLING! No—not falling. Where are we?

Jason blinked, trying to get his bearings. He focused on Piper and made a little choking sound.

Jason: What are you wearing?

Theo noticed Piper blush.

Piper: It's nothing. It's my— It's nothing.

Leo: (grins) Aphrodite strikes again, huh? You're gonna be the best-dressed warrior in town, beauty queen.

Theo: You look at yourself in the mirror recently, Ratchet?

Leo: What...Oh.

Piper was trying her hardest not to laugh.

Piper: God, Leo. I think my dad wore that to his last premiere, minus the tool belt.

Leo: Hey, shut up!