In the Absence of Memories (Percy Jackson HoO)

Perseus 6

 As I get out of the forest, I notice that I am in San Francisco. Something feels oddly familiar about this place, I've definitely been here before. I decide to take a rest before I finish my journey.

 I sling off my backpack that I managed to get from a Napa Bargain mart a couple days ago. I take out my water bottle and an energy bar and start to eat. But that's when I hear it.

 Lupa had taught be how to sharpen my senses and always stay alert. I listen to the sounds of branches breaking behind me. Lupa had warned me that monsters would come for me once I made it to San Francisco but she had told me that once I killed them, they would turn to dust and take forever to come back to the mortal world.

I shuffle to a stand and uncap riptide beside me. I see ruffling in a bush and slowly step forward to see what it is. I feel the pulse of my heart, and the sweat making my sword slick in my hand.

The bush shifts some more, and-

It's a raccoon. My heart, that I hadn't even realized was pounding starts to slow. But before I can grab my food and head on with my journey, the little rodent jumps on me and snatches the remains of my food.

"Just great!" I yell throwing my hands up in the air. "I've been bested by a rodent!" 

I can't stop thinking about how pathetic I am in this moment. I'm dirty and tired and a freaking raccoon stole my food. Some leader I am. 

It's hard for me to think that I'm supposed to bring balance when I can't even seem to balance the amount of bars I eat everyday. And not to mention the fact that I have to do all this at my ripe age. 

I decide that since that little trash panda stole my food, I should head to the nearest bargain mart.

I start heading there, looking just as homeless as the rest of the homeless people sitting in sleeping bags on the sidewalk. Maybe I should join them. But I clear that out of my head, I'm determined to get my memories back and finish this mission.

 As I'm walking through the streets of San Francisco I see the Golden Gate bridge from here. It looks small considering I'm about a five mile walk from there if I don't meet any kind of trouble along the way. To my left I see a bargain mart. I audibly exhale because I thought that I would be way more than just half a mile walk to one.

I grab some fruit, bars, and I can't help but grab some blue candy as well, I don't know why though. Every time I have stopped at the store I always gravitate to some kind of blue candy, it brings me a sense of warmth somehow. 

While leaving the candy isle, my eyes linger on a small stuffed Panda Pillow sitting on a shelf. It's the last one, so I decided to do it a service and grab it, maybe it will keep me company. Before I check out I fill up my water bottle in the fountain and stuff it in my bag. 

I head over to the check out isle and place my things on the belt. I pay for my things with some money the Lupa gave me and head out. As I head out the door some old lady who seems to be a greeter starts eyeing me weird. I make eye contact with her and finally really look at her. 

She's wearing a green half-button shirt and brown khakis. Her nose is big and greasy - her unibrow untamed making her brows just look like one long bush across her forehead. I take the time to look down to her feet, that's when realize this isn't just someone's old grandma, seeing that she had a pair of ugly un-pedicured rooster feet. 

I pick up the pace and start walking out the store faster, trying to ignore the weird lady. I look back and see that she is following me along with another lady I haven't seen before. The greeter is wearing a big red name tag that says . . . Beano? I don't know I think I'm dyslexic. I run back into the forest, not trying to cause a scene in the middle of the street.

Once I'm deep enough into the woods I uncap riptide and turn around so I can be ready when they meet me in the woods. I can only hope that swordplay is a kind of muscle memory to me, Lupa said that I did a really good job and I'm one of the best sword fighters she's ever seen.

"Hello Perseus Jackson." they hiss.

"What are you? How do you know who I am?" I am actually pretty curious as to how they know my name, and I know they're monsters just not what kind.

"We are gorgons. Stheno and Euryale. And you are quite the popular demigod." Stheno and Euryale look exactly the same except Euryale has a whole head of hair made out of snakes.

"Well Beano and Muriel, I'm sure you guys are nice little gorgons and would be happy to let me on my way!" I know it's a shot in the dark but I would rather not get my face eaten by hair snakes.

"Oh, no can do. We are here to avenge our sister, who you killed!" Euryale hisses.

"I didn't kill anyone!" I throw my hands up, annoyed that I can't remember that.

"Does Medusa ring a bell?" They're circling me now. And no Medusa does not ring a bell, well it does, but I sure as hell don't remember killing her! I have to remind myself to pat myself on the back for that one later because damn! I am a badass!

"Well if she's your sister why don't you just turn me to stone and get it over with!"

"Heroes! They always bring that up just like mother!"

"Well im sorry you have mommy issues, but I don't even know my mom." I felt a pang in my gut when I said that. Hurt, because I can't even remember my own mother. "I don't even remember killing your sister" I answer truthfully.

"Well, when I kill you, I'll make you remember. Our patron will be quite happy with us for defeating the great Perseus Jackson!" Euryale laughs.

I try to asses the situation. I grip my sword tightly if i manage to do this just perfectly and confuse them...

Keep them talking.

"Before you slash me to bits," I say, "who's this patron you mentioned?"

Euryale sneers at me. "The goddess Gaea, of course! The one who brought us back from oblivion! You won't live long enough to meet her, but your friends will. At the Feast of Fortune, she'll awaken and the demigods will be cut down like-like-"

"Like our low prices at Bargain Mart!" Stheno adds happily.

"Gah!" Euryale turns away to face her sister. I take this split second opening to raise my sword and slash both of them to dust, but not before seeing the look of terror on their faces right before I split them in two. It was quite comical. I start to head off to camp, hoping to make it there 2 days tops. 

I only think about the potential dangers ahead.

 I'm just a kid I don't know if I can handle this. 

—————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Because we were just kids, who grew up way too fast. — Unknown

Chapter six!! I'm halfway through chapter seven so I may post it later tonight. — Showie