“Gorgons?” I squeaked feeling like a mouse in a wheel. Sure I sounded like one too, but I felt something else too that made me like the mouse. I was trapped, running hard on a way that wouldn't get me anywhere. My heart began to beat like the hooves of a racing horse. Adrenaline spiked my blood and everything sharpened. The darkening sky, the blur of headlights, the scent of powdered donuts and sweat, the sound of my heart beat thudding in my ears was a hundred times more clear and I glanced over at Chance who was messing with her ponytail again, mouth set in a hard line.

“Yes, all three I think Medusa, Setheno and Euryale.  All can turn people to stone; Medusa’s only famous because of Perseus slaying her." she said, eyes darting everywhere, her mouth barely moving making me think she wasn't fully talking to me.

“Three girls ugly enough to turn people to stone?" I joked hoping some light-hearted words would help with the anvil of pressure that was on my chest and I wasn't sure if it was fear or heartburn. "Damn we have bad luck.”

“Tell me about it,” Chance said taking her hair out again and again. “I’ve got a plan.”

“Listening,” I said putting more pressure on the accelerator and I felt that hot, stingy burn spread up my chest. Okay it was heartburn (and there was probably fear in there too.) "What have you got? I am open to anything."

“Are you okay with being bait? Can you run fast enough?” she asked.

“Yeah if I get the gun,” I said my heart turning to lead and I didn't totally believeg myself, but there was no way I was letting Chance try and outrun three butt ugly monster-ladies. I’d almost gotten her killed because of our run in with Ares and Hestia. I wasn’t going to let that happen twice. If anyone was taking this risk I was.

She nodded and swallowed hard once and her expression reminded me of when I drank glasses of milk too fast.  “Fine roll down my window.”

“Gotcha why?” I said even as I pressed the button and wished she'd just take the wheel and I could jump out before I lost whatever courage I did have.

“So you don’t have to outrun a car,” she answered sticking her torso out the window and firing three shots off the pistol. Sounds like firecrackers went off with short rapid popping nosies followed by a  loud screech and bang noise.

“There,” she said sticking herself back in the cab. “I think you’ll have a better chance outrunning them if they are on foot.” She pressed a button on the GPS and it popped out of its place in the dash. She punched a few buttons and handed it to me. “Follow this to this road, I’ll be waiting there to ambush our little friends. Can you do it?”

“Hell to the yeah I can,” I said unbuckling as I hoped my voice sounded more brave and confident than I really felt. Letting Chance take the wheel with her free hand  I climbed in the back holding my breath and tried not to think about what I was doing.  She handed me the little cell-sized GPS and the gun. The car slowed and I understood her meaning. I was going to jump out while the car was going. Surprisingly that scared me more than the gorgons, maybe it was because this was something more real than monsters so ugly you'd turn into a statue.

“Ready?” Chance called back to me.

“Yeah,” I said back putting the safety on the gun. I didn’t want to accidentally shoot myself while I fell out of the car.

“Three,” she said her voice sounding almost strained.

“One!” I shouted before I lost whatever courage or stupidity (whichever you call it) I had left in me. I forced open the door of the slow moving vehicle and pushed off the cab and just for a second I felt like I could fly.

Then I landed.

Asphalt tore through my clothes and burned my skin like hot metal. Grass brushed my face and I scrambled up, the pain vanishing with the help of my adrenaline rush. I took off down the road not sprinting just yet, but going faster than a jog. If I started running like a wild horse now when I wasn’t in danger then I’d be too tired to run that fast when I was. I wasn't that stupid, no matter what Chance said. I heard angry hissing and scuffling noises behind me, all clearly saying “human we are not”. Damnit.  I started picking up some speed as I heard crunching noises behind me.

“Son of Zeus!” hissed an angry voice. Yep, I’m in trouble. And a whole lot of it. I pointed the barrel back and undid the safety and I pulled the trigger glad to see my hand no longer shook. I was getting stronger nerves and that sent a sick thrill through me as the gun kicked back at my hand. a I heard the sound of bullet’s sinking through bodies with a fleshy, soft noise accompanied outraged howls of pain. I kept running,allowing myself a moment to be happy they were hurt. Those cracking noises came closer and closer and that meant I wasn't out of the woods yet. The temptation to turn around and fight was there and it was almost overwhelming. I hated knowing they where behind me, hearing the hiss of snakes and the scraping of claws against the road, knowing that one well aimed bullet to their heads would scatter them all over Hell. Knowing those things wouldn't be faceless terrors behind my back anymore, knowing their hands would no longer be at my back...  But I could already hear Chance in my head whenever the thought crossed my mind as I moved. “XANDER YOU IDIOT! Did you listen to what I said?! They will turn you to stone!”

So that idea did lose its luster pretty fast, I didn’t want to turn into a life sized Xander statue that was worse than the fear. I preferred being a life sized; flesh and blood Xander. I just kept running, my heart thudded against my ribs, my breath uneven and ragged .I could still hear the hissing noises behind me as well as the GPS beeping as I neared my destination. Guess gorgons can’t run fast. I made myself a mental note to ask Chance if I managed to stay ahead of these things.

The GPS started beeping more rapidly like a pager when I neared the road sign.  I figured this is where Chance told me to meet her at. Made sense that it was a dirt road so whatever she had planned wouldn’t be seen by any unlucky eyes.  I was pretty sure normal humans could see monsters, they had seen the three headed lizard after all, but I was sure that from a distance whatever Chance had planned would look bad. I skidded onto the dirt road the gravel crunching under my feet and sending clouds of dust up into the air.

I picked up speed waiting for a sign of the truck and the crazy driver in it. I crossed into the ditch. Nothing. I heard the hissing noises again and they were closing in. What the…Then it hit me like a pile of bricks. They knew about Chance same as every other god and monster. Those things know she’s with me. They want both of us it was a trap! They hadn't caught me because they wanted both of us!  “CHANCE GET OUT OF HERE!” I shouted hoping she was close enough to hear. But I didn’t have time to hear  her and  let alone answer. The hissing was already too loud, I had nowhere to run. I  thought this was where I was supposed to be and I didn't have time to try and find a better place to make my last stand.

 I started to turn and the hissing got even louder; I raised the gun, eyes shut tight, maybe I'd get a few lucky shots so Chance could get away...I heard the screech of tires  skidding on gravel just as I was squeezing the trigger. A horn honked and I turned towards it, cracking open my eyes, hopeful and unwilling to hope at the same time. Bloody piles of dust coated the windshield and front of the silver truck. “Get in," Chance said honking the horn at me again with a friendly beep-beep sound.

I grinned and climbed into the cab breathing heavily and shaking as my adrenaline left my body leaving me weak and amazed at how scared I really had been. How I was still able to move during that chase now seemed like a miracle.  “How did you know where they were? You can’t look at them without turning to stone.” I asked confused.

“No, that’s just Medusa, these are her sisters," Chance said easily shrugging. "I watched you being chased-from a ways away of course, and I only counted two pursuers. I guessed it was just Medusa's sisters and I was right."

“But you said they all did that,” I said even more confused and unable to form full thoughts. I was still too drained. "That they were all ugly."

 “ You aren't wrong, they are all ugly, but I lied,” she said shrugging again. “Only Medusa can turn you to stone, if you knew that they couldn’t kill you with one glance you’d have tried to fight them off and gotten your ass killed.  You’re a tough on Xander, I’ll give you that, but if I wasn’t there to handcuff Thantos you’d be dead.”

“Thanks for the trust,” I grumbled which turned into a yawn quickly and I leaned back in my seat. “Can we stop somewhere for the night? I’m beat." I felt the truck move and I closed my eyes feeling sick as I recalled how it felt to think I was going to die. It had been a weird feeling, not cold like I'd thought it would be, but soft, easy. Weird, very weird, and to think a year ago if you'd ask me if I was prepared to die I'd have said no, but now...now it was something I could accept and it scared me.

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Hehe Chance is a sneaky one! =P So how'd we like this chapter? Did Xander's thoughts while running make sense? Or where they just really weird? I'd love to hear what you think! =D So please COMMENT and VOTE if you liked this chapter!