After the Sea of Monsters
Percy was sitting on a bench near the basketball courts when he heard a scream. And it sounded suspiciously like Annabeth's scream.
Percy jumped up and rushed to the Athena cabin. He launched himself through the doorway, preparing himself for a fight. Instead, what he saw was almost as terrifying.
The entire Athena cabin was either standing or sitting frozen. They were all staring at something on the table. Percy glanced at the table. There, with its many eyes set straight on Annabeth, was the biggest, ugliest, hairiest spider Percy had ever seen. And that was saying something, since he had gone to the spider display in a zoo back home.
Slowly, Percy walked as silently as possible up to the table, putting himself in front of Annabeth. He picked up a massive text book and raised it, barely registering that it was an architecture book. He made to squish the spider, but at that very moment, the spider, all flashing eyes and gnashing pincers, lunged straight at Annabeth. Everybody screamed, even the boys. Thinking quickly, Percy changed tactics and smacked the spider with the book like he was hitting a home runner.
The spider flew across the room and hit the opposite wall. Everybody on that side screamed and surged backwards.
The damn spider was still alive.
It crawled menacingly across the floor, eyes now set on Percy. Well that's a step up, Percy thought. At least the spider isn't focused on Annabeth. Percy tried squashing the spider repeatedly, but it Just. Wouldn't. Die. So, Percy dropped the book and drew Riptide. He tried stabbing the mini monster, but it kept darting away from the shiny pointy thing that was trying to kill it.
"Oh, for Zeus' sake, DIE ALREADY!" Percy yelled. It may have been Percy's imagination, but he could have sworn that the spider hissed, never...
"Alright," Percy decided. "Somebody get me that Holy Hand Grenade." Nobody moved. Well, except for the gods damned spider. It jumped onto Percy's jean-clad leg and showed off its pincers.
Well, this is stupid. After all I've done, after all I've accomplished, this is how I die? And young, too, Percy though mildly.
He grabbed his sword and used it to flick the stupid spider off his leg. It landed on its back and struggled to flip over. Percy used the time to bring his sword down on the arachnid's stomach. After a few feebly flailing legs, the spider curled up. Dead.
"Thank the gods. Just a regular spider, not a monster. But the way it acted, I could've sworn it was a monster," Percy muttered. Then somebody attacked him from behind, hugging him ferociously. Annabeth. The rest of the cabin unfroze and started thanking Percy for his heroism.
There was a scuttling sound. Slowly, everyone turned to face the dead spider.
It wasn't dead anymore.
"Oh, for the love of Poseidon!" Percy exclaimed.
I'm baaaaack, the spider's evil eyes seemed to say. It's time for round two.
