Bella Jackson Daughter of Posideon

Meeting the Fates

Bella was tutoring Percy for a Latin test but forgot a book in her locker so went to fetch it. Percy decided to tag along.

 Bella was on the last steps to the door when she froze and Percy bumped into her. They heard more than one voice inside. It was the nervous voice of Grover saying, "... worried about Percy, sir."

They both went completely stilled.

Bella always took a chance at eavesdropping, it didn't bother Percy much. But this conversation felt like it was on an entirely different level of importance than what they were used to. But hey, can you blame them? Percy's best friend is talking about him to a teacher! Bella needed answers.

Percy inched a tad closer, so that he was right by the crack in the door.

"... alone this summer," was all he caught Grover saying. "I mean a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, they know too-"

He knew Mrs. Dodds was real! But they called her a Kindly One. Percy wondered what that is, but Bella knew. She now understood that she was going to have to go to camp. She was NOT happy.

"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," the wise voice that could only be Mr. Brunner said. "We need the him to mature more, maybe become less... hostile."

"But he may not have time! He's perfectly fine anyways! The summer solstice deadline-"

"Will have to be resolved without them, Grover. Let him enjoy his semi-ignorance while she still can, I have a feeling he knows more than he's letting on."

"Sir, Bella saw her..."

Well, duh, Bella thought they already established this.

"Her imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince her of that."

Yeah, sure, let's go with that. Bella knew Mrs. Dodds was real, some idiot teachers and students weren't going to convince me otherwise.

"Sir, I...I can't fail my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion. "You know what that would mean."

Poor dude... Percy'll make him feel better back at our dorm room.

"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said, the ever-so-kindly one. "I should've seen her for who she was. Now, let's just worry about keeping Percy and Bella alive until next fall, alright?"

Percy almost dropped Bella's Latin book from shock, but Bella is an expert, so she kept a tight hold on it. Percy let out a sigh of relief, then stiffened at his mistake as I heard Mr. Brunner stop talking.

Shit shit shit, Bella silently cursed to herself over and over again for Percy's stupidity, they slowly backed down the hall.

They saw a shadow slid across the lit up glass of Mr. Brunner's room, something much bigger than the wheel-bound teacher they know, only further proving my point that Mr. Brunner was hiding something. He looked to be holding something like an archer's bow, scaring Bella because she was afraid he might shoot them in panic if he saw them running.

So she quickly opened the nearest classroom door and slipped right in, just as Mr. Brunner exited his room.

A few excruciating seconds later, they heard a slow clop-clop-clop, like horse hooves, then a sound like a dog snuffling came from right outside the door. A large, dark shape that looked like a man on a horse paused in front of the glass, then moved on.