Dear Reader [1]

05 - This Time We Blow Up A Train

'You should pray to Mnemosyne, can't have you forgetting about Elise now can we?'

Emily had found enough money for train tickets for all four of them. "We can take the Amtrak, it shouldn't be far from here" Annabeth suggested as her stomach growled. Corey turned to Emily, "Those burgers are still edible right?" She asked her. Emily nodded, "Yes, mother doesn't poison half-bloods...she's complicated" Emily answered, leading them back into the room with treats. "You lot need to eat, I'll see if there's any supplies we need '' Corey told them, ruffling Percy and Grover's hair.

"What about you? You haven't eaten at all" Grover pointed out, Corey was touched. "I'm okay Grover, you three eat up I'll only be a few moments" Corey promised them as Emily bought out the hamburgers and fries.

Emily showed Corey to her mother's room. It wasn't much of a room, more of a giant closet for when she left to deal with mortals outside their home. "Sorry it's not tidy, Mother spent most of her time shipping statues and arguing with monsters" Emily walked in after Corey, holding up a piece of jewelry belonging to her. Corey grabbed whatever she could, blankets, jackets, shirts.

"Why does Medusa have clothes for children?" Corey asked, grabbing a duffle bag and folding everything in it. "When Athena's children wound her pride, she finds ways to punish them. I'm not the first person she cursed who was a sibling to one of her kids. There's been many. Killed by demigods who have never seen Medusa, assuming that we are her" Emily explained to her, handing her some boys clothes.

Corey sighed as she sat down on the bed, "The gods can't handle their own embarrassment. I offended Aphrodite once, and boy did she make me pay" Corey mused, taking out the pearl Medusa handed her. "Elise?" Emily asked, though she already knew the answer. Corey nodded, trying to stop the tears that were falling. "It's hard in this world, one day you're alive, the next you're either dead or mourning them" Corey closed her eyes, titling back her head.

Emily sat next to her, "My mother died in childbirth. My sister was barely home due to monsters. My Dad spent his whole life in his work. I never had any friends, someone who cared enough to see how I was doing. Medusa found me after my Dad died, she took me in, cared for me like I was her own" Emily took down her scarf, allowing her snakes to roam freely.

"All my friends die, the cautionary tale of half-bloods" Corey smacked her lips. She looked at Emily. Making sure she didn't make direct eye contact, "You think we could be friends?" She asked her. Emily scoffed, "We can't be friends, trust me" She told her bluntly.

~Ψ~

"Alright kids, this is your stop. Thank you for choosing Stoner's Taxi Service, we bring you on time or freeze you in time" Emily smiled as she barked outside the train station. Annabeth was the first to get out, still uncomfortable with Emily. "Thank you!" Grover smiled, following Annabeth out of the car. Percy looked at Emily from the rearview, "Sorry about your mom" He told her, feeling a little guilty he decapitated her mother.

"You're the first to apologise kid" Emily smiled at him before he left the car. Corey handed Emily a piece of paper as she left the car. "Hey, what's this?" Emily called out from the car as Corey walked towards the kids. Corey smiled at her, "People still write letters!" Corey smiled walking inside with the trio in front of her. Emily drove away with a silly smile.

By the time they got on the Amtrak the sun was setting, Corey brought them to their small cabin. "Remember 17B, keep it clean, treat it like you would your prized possession" Corey told them, rounding them up in the small cabin. "My broom closet is bigger than this" Percy commented. Corey smacked his head lightly, "Don't comment on the standards of a living space when talking to someone who was raised in the Great Depression '' She scolded him before her stomach growled.