Chapter 11: We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium

Dear Journal,

If you think about it, it's nice to know there are Greek Gods out there because you have somebody to blame when something goes wrong. For example, when you are walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by three old monster hags, getting struck by lightning, and its raining on top of everything else. Most people think that this is bad luck, when you are a half blood. So there we were, Annabeth and Grover and I, walking through the woods along the New Jersey river bank. Grover was shivering so much, that his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled and full of terror. I was pretty much in shock of what happened. Everything came back to me, the explosion of the bus windows still rang in my ears. I wanted to go back and get all our money, clothes and everything else, but Annabeth kept pulling us, saying, "Come on! The farther away we get, the better. What was I going to do now? I didn't have any clothes, any money, and the Ambrosia squares to eat when we were seriously hurt, really bad. We kept on walking and walking, We even sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry.After tripping and cursing and literally feeling miserable for another mile or so, I started to see light up ahead, almost like the colours of a neon sign. I could even smell food. Fried, greasy excellent food. I realized I hadn't eaten anything unhealthy since I'd arrived at Half-Blood Hill. There we lived on grapes, bread, cheese, and extra lean cut barbeque. I knew what I needed to eat, a yummy double cheeseburger.

We kept walking until we saw a deserted two-lane road through the trees. On the other side was a closed down gas station, an old billboard for a 1990s movie, and one open business, which was the place where I smelt the yummy food. Well, it wasn't a fast food restaurant liked I expected it to be. The neon sign was kind of hard for me to read or impossible to read. It said ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROUIM. I asked Grover what the sign meant and he said "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium." At the front entrance there were two cement garden gnomes, and they were smiling and waving looking like they were about to have their picture taken. When we were about to go in, a tall Middle Eastern woman, well, at least I thought she was. The lady said, "Children it is too late to be out alone. Where are your parents?" We couldn't think of anything to say, so I told her we were orphans and that we got separated from our circus caravan. She let us inside, and there, the smell was relaxing me, I was so hungry, I walked inside looking like an idiot. Anyways, I noticed Grover's nervous whimpers, and he looked like he was scared of the other garden gnomes. Aunty Em led us to a table, so that we could eat. I couldn't wait for the food! Then a hostess brought us plastic trays full of double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of french fries. They looked so mouthwatering! Then Aunty Em sat with us, just staring at us, while eating. It was kind of weird eating with someone that was staring at you. I tried to do something, so I asked her everything about her and her store. Her stories were interesting to me. Then she asked if we could have a photo with her, so we said yes. But, when she backed up she had a cement centaur beside her. Grover said "That looks like Uncle Ferdinand." He took a closer look and he said "That is Uncle Ferdinand!" Annabeth screamed "Look away from her!" She took her invisible cap on and she pushed us off the bench. Then I heard a rasping sound above me. I looked above and Aunty Em's hands turned gnarled and warty, with sharp bronze talons for fingernails. I was about to look up even more but then Annabeth screamed at me "No! Don't!" More rasping. It sounded like tiny snakes, at about Aunty Em's head would be. "RUN!" Grover screamed and he ran to the gravel field trying to kick start his flying sneakers.

Then I looked up, but I looked at the mirror on the left side of her. I saw her dark reflection on the mirror and her hair was moving like they were serpents or snakes. She turned into Medusa, and she said "Annabeth's mother did this to me! the cursed Athena!" She told that I should be turned into a statue, and not go with the Gods. I wanted to run away but my legs didn't let me. I didn't know what to do, until Annabeth told me that I had to slice Medusa's head off. So, I took out my pen and uncapped it. The bronze blade grew right in front of me. I swung my sword randomly and I sliced her head off. The head landed right in front of me, I felt like throwing up. After that, We ran away from the store, but I remembered something. I went back to Medusa's office and In the cash register I found twenty dollars and everything else that we lost at the bus. I was relieved! We had everything back except clothing.