Soul of the Justice League

Chapter Twenty Three

Thalia's POV

"This place definitely needs an extreme makeover!" I said with a grimace when we had arrived at our first destination.

"Hello!"

"Hello? Anybody home in Auntieville?" Grover called out. "Check this out. They got free sodas. Okay. That's nasty!" He said as he squealed. There container had turned out to be filled with rats. "The Health Department needs to give this place an F."

"Hey, guys, check this out. Look at this!" Annabeth called out.

"Nice," Grover said as Annabeth dipped her hands into a fountain and pulled out a handful of coins.

"Gold drachmas!" She told Percy and I.

"That means we're on the right track," Grover said.

"Here," Annabeth handed the drachmas to Percy.

"How are we gonna find the pearl in this place?" I asked.

"That's a good question."

"Okay, let's split up. Check everything!" Percy instructed.

"Good idea," I said giving him a smile.

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna go this way."

"Hello?" Annabeth and I called out.

"Get out! She's coming!" An elderly lady screamed as she came running at us.

"What? Who?" I asked as she grabbed my arm.

"We stopped...Directions...My poor husband! Help me! Please, help me!"

"Thalia! Percy! Annabeth!" I heard Grover shouting. "We're in trouble!"

"Grover?"

"Please! We have to leave before she finds us!" The lady cried out as she reached out for Annabeth's arm.

"Who?" We asked.

"She's turned my husband to stone!"

"Grover! Where are you?" I shouted.

"Thalia! Percy! Annabeth! Thalia! Annabeth, where are you?" I heard Grover shout.

"Grover!" I then heard Percy shout. My sensitive ears caught the sound of them crashing into each other.

"Come on, man, watch where you're going!"

"Perce! Listen."

"Where are we?"

"We're in Medusa's lair." I heard Grover say that and my face paled. This wasn't going to end well. I stared around me at all the stone figures in a new light as I realized they had all been alive at one point.

"Thalia! Annabeth!" They started calling out again.

"We're lost! We'll never leave!" The woman said as she pulled Annabeth and I forward with her.

"Don't move!" I told her as we turned a corner to find a tall middle-aged female wearing sunglasses and a turban standing before us.

"Well, this is a fabulous surprise. It's so heartening to have such young visitors. We get so lonely here. Don't we? That's why I create my statues. They're my only company, daughters of Athena."

"How do you know us?" I asked

"You have such beautiful hair. I once had hair like that. I was courted, desired by many suitors. But that all changed because of your mother, the woman who cursed me. Who turned me..."