The Thief // pjo

Chapter Two // We Visit A Freaky Stone Wonderland

    We walked for what felt like forever when Percy pointed out the neon light of a sign just ahead of us.

    Only moments later did we all start smelling the food.

    It smelled like some greasy food that my mom and I used to have from our local diners when I was younger, and the moment I thought about those juicy burgers, my stomach growled loudly.

    Everyone snickered at that, but I noticed the pace picked up once we found our way to the two-lane road just beyond the trees.

    The sight of the source of the smell was a curious one. It was a closed gas station with an almost unreadable billboard for some movie and an OPEN sign shining with its neon colors.

    The building itself was a long low warehouse, looking kind of like one of those super shady buildings from the horror movies.

    My eyes lifted to the other neon sign above the gate, and I sighed, "Stupid dyslexia..."

    ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROUIM, was what my eyes saw, the letters swirling rebelliously in front of my eyes.

    "What the heck does that say?" I exclaimed in frustration.

    "I don't know..." Annabeth pinched her lips, glancing at me, and her brows raised as she saw my face for the first actual time.

    "Uhhh, Grover? Could you read that?" Percy asked the satyr.

    "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium," Grover translated for all of us.

    I snorted, "That is super weird."

    The gnome part was brought to life when we walked into the entrance; two little beared gnomes were placed on either side and were waving and smiling like they were getting their pictures taken.

    Percy nudged my side, not looking at my face, and said, "Come on..."

    He hurried across the street, and I stood still in my place before my hunger multiplied, and Annabeth and I followed him in unison.

    "Hey..." Grover called, his voice worried.

    "The lights are on inside," Annabeth said matter-of-factly. "Maybe it's open.

    "Snack bar..." Percy drew out, his face slack with hunger.

    "Snack bar..." I repeated, agreeing with him, as I struggled to remember when I actually ate last.

    "Are you three crazy?! This place is weird!" Grover retorted.

    We ignored him.

    I was vaguely aware of the cement statues of animals, children, and even a satyr playing the pipes.

    Grover bleated in shock as he exclaimed, "Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!"

    I glanced at the statue for a few seconds before stopping with my new friends in front of the warehouse door.

    "Don't knock," Grover begged from my left. "I smell monsters!"

    "Your nose is clogged up from the Furies," Annabeth waved him off from the other side of Percy, who was on my right. "All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"

    "Meat?! I'm a vegetarian."

    "You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans," Percy commented.

    "Those are vegetables. Come on. Let's leave! These statues are... looking at me!"

    His words registered in my mind, and something in the back of my head was telling me to listen to him, but it was shut up when the door opened.