Ordinary (A Percy Jackson Story)

Chapter 7

Luke didn't remember falling asleep. He barely remember the night before. But there was something about his dream that stuck in his head, even though he didn't want to remember it. It was just vague blurs and scraps of conversations like watching a movie with a scratched in the DVD.

Then all at once there was darkness. Luke stood there, wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. His shoes tapped the ground, nervously. It was deadly silent. Luke felt like he was back to being a demigod with stupid demigods dreams depicting the end of the world.

Frozen mist spurred around like he was standing in a cave. Luke could feel it on his skin, through his jacket. There was a humming vibrating through...where ever he was. It was low, but rising until Luke could feel that, too.

"This is only the beginning."

And then Luke woke up by falling off the couch.

"Son of a Hydra!" Luke exclaimed. He tried to get up, slamming his head into the coffee table. A string of curses flung off his tongue, in rapid fire Greek he forgot he even knew.

His body ached. His head hurt. And the world was kinda upside down.

Luke managed to get himself up, avoiding the coffee table this time. His brain was mush, the sunlight from a nearby window shone in like a golden rain, or glittering fairy dust.

He looked around trying to remember exactly where he was. Yesterday was a literal mess. Ethan missing, Bianca in tears, Octavian dying... There was noise from the other rooms. Kids arguing.

Luke groaned and stood up. He was still wearing his outfit from yesterday, a red shirt and his brown jacket, with his same jeans and sneakers on. Oh man, he even still smelled like syrup.

His neck hurt from yesterday, Luke could feel the imprints still. New doubted they were as visible now.

He cautiously walked towards the noise, the kitchen just a room over. The faint smell of burned bacon wafted in the air, along with toast and ironically more syrup. Wonderful, he was back at IHOP.

No actually, when he walked in he was surprised. There was a square wooden table, set with a platter of French toast, and plates and cups had been placed for four people.

"BIANCA SAID I GOT FIRST DIPS!"

"I ALREADY TOOK A BITE!"

"GIVE IT BACK!"

Two kids were standing up on the chairs fighting over one single piece of French toast. Much to Luke's amazement they managed to knock over all of the cups making a mess off milk and orange juice and flipped two chairs, there was a broken plate on the ground. Bacon was scattered across the floor.

"There's an entire table of more French toast!"

"I wanted that piece!"

Bianca was standing at the counter, staring at a small tv in the corner of the room. Her hands were clasped tightly around a mug of cold coffee. She seemed oblivious to the chaos behind her, which was so unlike her, Luke thought he was still dreaming.

He pinched his arm just to be sure.

Okay maybe he'd just tripped into an alternative dimension where Bianca was deaf and Ethan was just out partying or buying....whatever teenagers bought these days. And nothing strange or crazy or deadly was going on at all.

It was bad when Luke's lies made more sense then what was going on now.

"....local IHOP. Witnesses confirm that two local thugs-for-hire were responsible for the chaotic mess that left many injuried. Reports are still coming in...."