𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬'𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 • 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘫𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯

WAT R A D

The sun was sinking behind the mountains by the time we found the water park. Judging from the sign, it once had been called WATERLAND, but now some letters were smashed out, so it read WAT R A D. 

The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry water slides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered around the asphalt. With night coming on, the place looked sad and creepy. 

"If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date," Percy said, staring up at the barbed wire, "I'd hate to see what she looks like." 

"Percy," I warned. "Be more respectful." 

"Why? I thought you hated Ares." 

"He's still a god. And his girlfriend is very temperamental." 

"You don't want to insult her looks," Grover added. 

"Who is she?Echidna?" 

"No, Aphrodite," Grover said, a little dreamily. 

"Goddess of love," said Annabeth

"My mother's rival," I said.

"I thought she was married to somebody," Percy said."Hephaestus." 

"What's your point?" Grover asked. 

"Oh." 

"So how do we get in?" I changed the subject.

"Maia!" 

Grover's shoes sprouted wings. He flew over the fence, did an unintended somersault in midair, then stumbled to a landing on the opposite side. He dusted off his jeans as if he'd planned the whole thing. 

"You guys coming?" 

Annabeth, Percy and I had to climb the old-fashioned way, holding down the barbed wire for each other as we crawled over the top. The shadows grew long as we walked through the park, checking out the attractions. 

No monsters came to get us. Nothing made the slightest noise. 

We found a souvenir shop that had been left open. 

"Clothes," I said. "Fresh clothes." 

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "But you can't just—" 

"Watch me." 

I snatched an entire row of stuff off the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later I came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, a big red Waterland T-shirt, commemorative Waterland surf shoes, and a Waterland backpack was slung over my shoulder

"What the heck," said Percy

Grover shrugged. 

Soon, all four of us were decked out like walking advertisements for the defunct theme park. We continued searching for the Tunnel of Love. I got the feeling that the whole park was holding its breath. 

"So Ares and Aphrodite," Percy said, "they have a thing going?" 

"That's old gossip, Percy," I told him. "Three-thousand-year-old gossip." 

"What about Aphrodite's husband?" 

"Well, you know," I said. "Hephaestus. The blacksmith. He was crippled when he was a baby, thrown off Mount Olympus by Zeus. So he isn't exactly handsome. Clever with his hands, and all, but Aphrodite isn't into brains and talent, you know?" 

"She likes bikers." 

"She's into looks."

"Hephaestus knows?"