Dear Reader [1]

08 - Note to Self; Take Away Percy's Sword

'Careful...those thoughts got you in trouble in the first place'

The sun had set by the time Corey, Annabeth and Percy got to the amusement Park. "What is this place called?" Corey asked, squinting her eyes as she tried to read the sign. 'Wleocme ot Wtaerlnad' was all she saw. "It's...Wel...Welcome...to? Waiterland?" Annabeth guessed, also squinting her eyes at the sign. "I think it's Waterland" Percy told them before they all walked in.

The whole place gave them a bad vibe, shivers running in their bodies. "I haven't seen a lot of horror movies, but this seems like exactly the kind of place they'd suggest to avoid" Percy commented as they walked towards the turnstile gates. "I've never seen any kind of movie. I'll have to take your word for it" Annabeth shrugged. Percy looked at her with slight fear, "Never? What do you mean never like, never-never?" He asked her, not believing Annabeth had never seen a movie. "Is there another kind?" Annabeth questioned with a bit of sarcasm,

Well, if neither of us is dead in a few days, we really ought to fix that. You're missing out" Percy told her softly, making Annabeth smile. Corey had stayed back a bit watching them converse. She smiles at them sweetly, at least they weren't being awkward again.

"In the meantime, we should probably get this over with, though" Percy walked ahead to the turnstile gates. As he pushes the gate as metal clanks, "Wait, Percy, stop" Annabeth calls out to him, looking up above him as metal clanks. "Corey, you see that?" Annabeth asked the older demi-god. Corey looked up, her face turned to one of impressed, "Wait, what just happened?" Percy asked, his voice shaking slightly as he heard Annabeth and Corey talk low. "Just hold still. Gimme a second" Annabeth told him before turning to Corey.

"Is that what I think it is?" Annabeth asked Corey who nodded with her, even though she couldn't see it well. "In the mechanism there, that's Celestial bronze" Annabeth told him, looking at the mechanics. "Oh, fascinating. Annabeth, what is happening right now?" Percy wasn't really in the mood for Annabeth's silent thinking. "Celestial bronze is what your sword is made of. If you're a human, it'll pass right through you" Annabeth explained, the gears in her head turning as she tried to come up with a solution. "If you're a monster or a demigod... not so much" Corey clenched her teeth as she walked closer to Percy. "Well, what's it doing there?" Percy asked the girls with more fear. "Hey it's okay, just breathe" Corey told him with a soothing voice.

"That's a great question. Safe to say, this is not just some amusement park. A god built this" Annabeth told them, the inner working of the gate looking vaguely familiar to her. "What kind of god builds amusement parks?" Percy asked them. "Hephaestus" Corey and Annabeth answered, seeing how complex it looked. Just like Hephaestus' kids' technique. "Why would Hephaestus build an amusement park?" Percy questioned, he had a point though. Gods were immortal beings, why would they build something as mundane as an amusement park. "Maybe he finds them amusing?" Annabeth jokes, hoping to calm Percy's nerves. "That's really not funny, Annabeth" Percy scoffed light heartedly while Corey snickered at Annabeth. "Sea Pup" She smiled with amusement. "It's a little funny" Annabeth shrugged at him.

"Oh... Oh, look at that. That's cool" Annabeth was staring at the gate. "Annabeth!" Percy scolded. "Just relax. I'm on it" Annabeth told him bluntly. Corey crossed her arms at him, "You are so lucky this gate is stopping me from slapping your head" She told him. Percy shook his head, "If I get out alive, you'll have so many more opportunities" He let out a forced chuckle. Corey bit back her lip at his comment. More opportunities. "Okay. I get this. Just... push through it" Annabeth told Percy, eleven though that's what she stopped him from doing. "Push?" Percy questioned, a little nervous at the idea. "Yep" Annabeth nodded. "'Cause weren't you the one this morning who was all, 'The Fates say one of us is gonna die and we should take it really seriously?'" Percy stalled, sharing a look with his sister. "Percy?" Annabeth crossed her arms. "Yeah?" Percy answered, praying to whatever god was listening that she had a different plan. "Just push" Annabeth told him, if it weren't for the metal Corey was sure Annabeth would push him herself.