Triplets of Leto

Chaptet 31

Percy POV

We all climbed in the back of the zoo truck. In there, there was a zebra, a gazelle, and a lion. The zebra and gazelle each had a pork-chop in their cage, while the lion had a bag of turnips.

On one of the gazelles antler there were happy birthday balloons, the zebra's one hoof was stuck in a S.P.A.M can, and I couldn't see much of the lion, as he was lurking in the shadows.

We settle down and I frown.

"What is it, Perce?" Annabeth asks.

"Nothing. It's just," I pause, and sigh. "It's just that the zoo keepers don't seem to care about the animals."

I got and up and walked over to the lions cage. "What are you doing Percy?" Luke asks.

"Fixing the food." I say.

"Percy," Luke glances at Annabeth. "Percy, be careful. Lions are dangerous."

He was pleading me to not do it with his worried stare. He didnt want me to get hurt, if I got hurt, on his watch, he'd face a fate worse than death.

But I couldn't let these animals live like this. I had to help them.

"Lions are my grandmothers animal, they wouldn't hurt me." I don't know why I felt so confident, but I did, it felt nice.

I reached in the cage, to pull the bag of turnips out. Luke rushed forward, as if it stop me, but it was to late.

I'd already grabbed the bag and cut it open with Sun. "Wow. It didn't kill you." Luke stands behind me, awkwardly holding his sword. "Guess I don't need this right now."

"Yeah. You don't need it."

I evenly split the turnips up to give it the gazelle and the zebra. I lay down the food in each of their cages, replacing the pork chops. The drop the pork chops in the lions cage. When the lion comes forward to eat, I noticed he was very underweight, I could see his bones, and chewed up gum was scattered in his matted mane.

I walked over to the gazelle, and carefully cut off the balloons. I looked down at my watch, it was midnight.

"Happy birthday, Annabeth!" I smiled, handing her the balloons.

"Wait, how'd your know when my birthday was?" Annabeth asks, clearly confused.

"Umm, you must have told me, or maybe someone else did. You probably just told me and don't remember." I said.

"But I don't tell anyone my birthday. Not even Luke knew before you just told him. I never expected anything and didn't want it to be a big deal." Annabeth says, raising her voice slightly.

"Then I'm not sure how I knew, but I did, so let's just have a small celebration. It's not everyday you turn 13. Here," I took out a lighter. "Blow it out."

"No. It just another day. I don't want to have anything special." Annabeth says, and I can say a tear starting to form.

I sigh. "Birthdays are so important. They celebrate the day you were born, when you came alive. And if you die, people will spend your birthday looking back at the happy memories with you."

"Just shut up." Annabeth snaps.

As I see the tear rolling down her face, I realize what I've done.

"No, no. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's just, I don't know. It's the little things that have to be important, otherwise you fall apart and your step monster kills you, physically and mentally. And you need those moments of happiness or the sadness and pain consumes you and then you've committed suicide." The salt water flows into my mouth with each word I speak. "You wouldn't know. You're dad is probably awesome and your step mom or dad, if you have one, are probably super cool and rich."