BY fates design

Aunty Em

Glaring neon lights lead the children out of the woods and to a deserted road, on the other side was a low building with a bright red cursive sign. Cassiopeia looked to Grover to read it out, the lettering making her dyslexia worse than usual, "it says Aunt Em's garden gnome emporium." He read off. "Do you smell that?" Percy asked sniffing at the air. "It smells like burgers." Annabeth agreed and the two began to walk over to the building.

"Guys, maybe we shouldn't go in, I can smell a monster." Grover said warily as they passed by life like statues of people and animals, even a satyr playing the wooden pipe. "That looks like my uncle Ferdinand." He bleated nervously.

Cassiopeia placed a reassuring hand on his arm, her nose scrunching up from the strong smell of grease. The door creaked open and now stood before them was a tall Middle East woman covered head to toe in black, only her coffee hands were revealed, her face masked by a black covering, "Oh young children, is it not late for you to be out all alone, where are your parents?" She asked, her voice heavy.

"We're orphans." Percy replied mindlessly. "Orphans?" The word sounded foreign from her mouth. "We got separated from our circus, the ring master said to meet him at a gas station, perhaps we got the wrong one." Percy elaborated and Cassiopeia cringed, something about the woman felt familiar and off putting.

Many of the past generation scoffed or laughed at his excuse while he huffed, pouring slightly. "Awe, it was quick thinking though." Cassiopeia cooed pecking his lips.

"Oh you poor dears, why don't you come inside for some food. I'm aunty Em." Aunty Em ushered them into a dining area before disappearing into what they could only assume was the kitchen.

"Circus?" Annabeth stared at the blonde confused. "Always have a plan." Percy replied. "I don't think we should stay long, Mrs Dodds is behind us and we should keep moving." Cassiopeia said her eyes scanning the room constantly, the unnerving feeling of being watched crept over her, though the was no one else in the room. "Relax, we'll be fine." Percy ignored her warning.

"Will we?" Cassiopeia rose her brow at the boy, "tell me what do you know of being on a quest? What do you know of the Greek world at all? We aren't staying long, that's final. You eat and we leave. We stay for nothing." Her tone left no room for argument as anxiety gnawed at her, something wasn't right.

"Don't you think you were a little hard on him?" Peter squeaked. "It's fine. I deserved it." Percy admitted with a sigh. "She was trying to keep us all safe." Annabeth added while Grover nodded along.

"You can feel it too?" Grover whispered to her. Aunt Em returned before she could reply, setting down a tray of burgers, fries and milkshakes. Percy dug into one of the burgers while Annabeth sipped on a shake, when Grover went to eat a fry Cassiopeia slapped his thigh under the table and shook her head subtly.

"So do you get much business around here?" Cassiopeia cringed at Percy, wishing nothing more than to throw something at him. Tuning out the conversation her eyes drifted around the room, locking into each of the statues.

Suddenly recognition snapped in her mind, confirmed by the tales of Aunt Em, Cassiopeia shut her eyes and took a deep breath before catching Grover's attention. "We need to leave." She said it silently with her eyes, praying he understood the desperate stare.

Thankfully Annabeth seemed to have come to her senses as well, "I think it's time to go," she said, standing up from her chair, "thank you very much for your hospitality." When Percy went to argue Cassiopeia glared at him. "Oh, already, would you mind sitting for a picture for me, children make such marvellous statues. Everyone loves them." Em asked, as she looked over the children.