craving |PERCY JACKSON| [book 1] UNDER EDITING

XIX

THE SUN WAS SINKING BEHIND the mountains by the time the four found the water park. Judging from the sign, it once had been called WATERLAND, but now some of the letters were smashed out, so it read WAT R A D.

The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry waterslides 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 stated, staring up at the barbed wire, "I'd hate to see what she looks like."

Selena elbowed him as Annabeth snapped at the boy, "Percy," Annabeth 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," Selena added, knowing the goddess of love would hate to be insulted, especially about her looks.

Percy was just begging for a curse to be placed on him.

"Who is she? Echidna?" Percy joked and Selena rolled her eyes,

"No, Aphrodite," Grover corrected, a little dreamily. "Goddess of love."

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

"What's your point?" Grover asked.

Percy let out a small huff, "So how do we get in?"

"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?"

The other three had to climb the old-fashioned way, holding down the barbed wire for each other as they crawled over the top.

The shadows grew long as they walked through the park, checking out the attractions. There was Ankle Biter Island, Head Over Wedgie, and Dude, Where's My Swimsuit?

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

The group found a souvenir shop that had been left open. Merchandise still lined the shelves: snow globes, pencils, postcards, and racks of-

"Clothes," Selena smiled, "Fresh clothes. "

"Yeah," Percy agreed, "But you can't just-"

"Watch me." She snatched an entire row of stuff off the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later she came out in Waterland flower-print shorts, a big red Waterland T-shirt, and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack was slung over her shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies.