Percy and Paul

Empousa

Three weeks later

I sighed as I looked over another I-didn't-really-read-the-book-but-I'm-pretending-that-I-did essay. I decided to take a break and went for a walk. It was beautiful out, The setting sun left the sky pretty pinks and oranges. I strolled along and jumped when I heard a crash in the park. The park looked empty, so I assumed it was a stray or something. But then I heard a scream and made a b-line towards the person.

What I saw freaked me out.

A little girl was hiding behind a bench, and three people were fighting something. The something looked like a girl with flaming hair, literally, fire, it had fangs and red eyes. It had one metal leg and one goat leg, and a strapless crop top. I wasn't sure, because sometimes it just looked like a normal person. It was the most horrifying thing I had ever laid eyes on. To my ultimate horror, two more emerged. There were three people-two actually- one was a goat thing- and they were busy fighting the monster. The goat boy was thrown to the side, and the little girl shrieked, he hurriedly quieted her. One of the people shouted, "Grover! You good?!"

My head whipped around, I knew that voice. I also knew Grover. The fighter's sword gleamed, he turned and I saw his face. I gasped. It was Percy. And I realized the girl next to him was his friend Annabeth. She put a hat on and she vanished. Suddenly, one of the monsters exploded into golden dust. Percy was engaged with one of the monsters, and it started talking to him, "Persssseusss. Ssstay ssstill."

"In your dreams hot head!" He yelled at it. I smiled, of course he would call people names when fighting them. Annabeth was thrown over next to the bench. "Annabeth!" he yelled.

"I'm okay!" she called, then turned and checked on the little girl being cradled by Grover, who was apparently half goat. Annabeth ran back to the fight, where Percy was fending off the last two horrible monsters. They were a force to be reckoned with. One lunged at Annabeth.

"Annabeth! Look out!" Percy yelled. He shoved her out of the way and the monster's claws sank into his skin. He cried out in pain. I froze. I didn't know what to do. I was vaguely aware of Grover shouting- no, bleating- and charging into battle, and Annabeth vanishing. Another girl/monster exploded into monster dust, and I decided to go get the little girl. I reached the girl and the last monster exploded. I picked the little girl up and turned to Percy and his friends.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled and fell on her knees next to the bleeding figure.

Grover saw me and ran up to me, "Who... Paul?" I nodded, "Paul. Give me the kid, I'm gonna take her somewhere safe. Go help Annabeth with Percy."

That jarred me from the shock. "Percy!" I shouted and ran over to Annabeth.

Annabeth jumped, "Paul? Paul! Help me get Percy to the apartment! Now!"

I picked up the limp Percy and tried not to shake him too much as we ran through the relatively quiet streets. Percy yelled in pain. Annabeth ran ahead into the apartment. Percy's breathing became more labored. "Stay with me Perce. Stay with me." I mumbled.

I burst into the apartment and laid Percy on the floor, since there wasn't enough room on the couch. Sally rushed in with Annabeth, who was holding the kit Sally used when Percy came home with the large scratches. Sally looked pale and let Annabeth tend to Percy. She lifted his shirt to reveal several stab wounds in Percy's stomach area. They were bleeding, but it was the green puss that surrounded the wounds that were worse. I knew it was really bad, because Annabeth gasped and paled, and started pouring something on it. "Sally, go get a bucket of water and a rag." she whispered.

Sally rushed off. Annabeth poured some of the liquid into his mouth. Color slowly started to return to Percy, and his breathing became easier. Sally came back with the water, and got the rag dripping wet. I didn't know how this would work, but I said nothing, since they had clearly done this before. The water seemed to heal Percy, and my mind flashed back to when he came out of the tub looking perfectly fine.

Once Percy was bandaged up, I brought him to his bed and waited anxiously for him to get up. I turned to Annabeth, "What were those things?"

She sighed, "Empousa."

Oh boy. I had a feeling I was in for a long night of explanations.