Child of Fear (A Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus Fanfiction)

In Which "World Of Goo" Takes On A New Meaning

Hello, fellow Cat-awans!

I still don't know why I prolong these beginning A/Ns so much...

Anyway!  CHAPTER!!!

I immediately turned around, trying to shield my face from the broken glass flying in all directions.  I didn't dare look up until the sound of falling glass had completely stopped.  I thought that I couldn't be surprised any more.  I was wrong.

Barista Dude was dangling upside down, hanging from the ceiling, completely tied by some sort of green rope.  For good measure, it had also lashed around his mouth.  I warily crept closer, stepping over the broken glass.  As I got closer, I saw that the green rope was not actually "rope".  It was a bunch of green vines, each one at least as thick as my thigh.

Barista Dude glared at me through his one eye, trying to say something through his new vine-gag.  I had a feeling he wasn't complementing me.  He started wiggling around, and I had another feeling I only had minutes before I would have an even angrier Barista Dude to deal with.  And this time, he'd use the whole freakin' building.

So I ran.

I know, I know, "Wow, Amelia, you ran?  How brave."  Dude, I was freaking out.  Hard.  I thought that I had seriously lost it!  Or the apocalypse had come!  Or something of that nature!  So yes, I ran.  So just shush.

I ran like The Devil was after me.  I honestly thought it was possible.  I sprinted past confused tourists, side stores and restaurants.  I passed up every alleyway I came across, even though I knew that they could cut my journey time in half.  I stuck to crowds, or heavily populated streets.  And I never stopped running.  That is, until I reached my street.

I walked to our apartment building with as much casual-y-ness as I could muster.  I was not planning on bursting in on Jessica, my Mom, and having a full-fledged panic attack in front of her.  She had enough problems with work already.  She didn't need my new-found insanity to boot. (Although, I think she suspected I was crazy a long time ago.)

...

I was now in the hall, fumbling with the keys that had somehow stayed in my pocket.  Another random tenant walked down the hall.  I looked up, put on the best fake smile I could, and nodded.  In response, the tenant's eyes widened, and he started walking noticeably faster down the hall.  I couldn't blame the guy.  I certainly felt like a mess...

I walked into the house calling, "Mom, I'm home!"

My Mom's voice called back, "Where were you, Honey?  You're a lot later than you usually are.  Did you-"

At that moment, Mom appeared in the hallway wearing business clothes, and stopped short.  "Amelia, what happened to you?"  It was gentle, not scolding.

"Nothing, Mom," I said, trying to smile.  Then I realized I was crying.  'Dang it,' said my brain.

"Honey, you look like a mess," Mom continued gently, gesturing to the bathroom.  I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.  My hair was so tangled it looked like I would have to take the day off tomorrow just to get it combed through.  I had several bleeding cuts from the glass on my face and arms, and I was covered head to toe in plaster dust and powdered sugar.  Tears were streaming down my face, making some of my cuts sting, and my brown eyes looked sunken and dimmed.

I looked like a zombie.

But I was too scared to really care that much.

Instead I flung myself, now weeping, into my Mom's arms, and poured out the whole story while she comforted me.  Once I got to the part about Monster Doughnut, my Mom noticeably stiffened.  And she only got more tense as I continued.  She seemed... scared.  Terrified, even.  I didn't blame her, but this seemed like more fear than was appropriate for the situation.  I had lost the guy, didn't I?