"Howdy, folks! Welcome to 'Howdy, Herpetologists!', the show here at my pet store where we showcase some of my friends!" Aunty Em said to the crowd of people in the small theatre.

She coaxed a python with flaring eyebrows to slither around her, although it looked kind of scared, like Aunty Em would kill it in a snap.

     I stood near a tank of baby rattlers, hissing together in harmony. They were huddled at the very corner of the terrarium, like touching the front would give them the plague. Abigail was very happy to be near any animals at this point, given the fact she hadn't seen her dogs in a week. She was reading a small brochure Aunty Em handed out earlier, about Fun facts on Pythons and Diamondbacks.

"Did you know that Pythons can move up to 1 mile per hour -" Abigail started before I finished, "On the flat ground. I know, Abigail. I have been taught over 100 snake facts by my mom, mainly because she thinks I should know a lot about Medusa's weapon."

Payton was in a tight pretzel. He hates snakes, despite his reputation for bravery.

"You there! Ariana, Come on up and enjoy the beauty of snakes!" Aunty Em yelled.

     I was so bewildered on how she knew my name already but made my way to the front. Aunty Em and two other ladies were on stage, smiling at me. They looked like triplets, in fact. They had the same tanned skin, the same cold raspy voice, and the same cold smile.

"Don't be scared, Daughter of Athena. We'll only rip you to shreds momentarily. It'll only hurt for just a minute!" Aunty Em said.

Wait, what?

"A second, really!" Aunty S added.

I started to back away from them. "I just remembered!" I stuttered. "I'm, uh, allergic to, um, snakes! Highly allergic!"

"If the daughter of Aphrodite was here with you, you would've been spared! But your mother's sins have cost us everything!" Aunty E said.

Aunty Em.

Aunty M.

M for Medusa!

Mortals ran screaming away once they saw Aunty Em, Aunty E, and Aunty S tear away their head wraps and sunglasses and such. Some weren't that lucky. They looked into their eyes and turned to marble statues. A little five year old screamed but only perished into a small quartz statue.

"Kid statues aren't as valuable as DemiGod statues in Underworld Market! DemiGods, oh! Very valuable!" Medusa yelled.

"But we're immortal!" Payton protested.

"We're only immune to their offsprings because they're not as powerful!" I explained as we dove behind a table of brochures. "When Michelle uses her powers, it lasts for weeks. When Eva and Saffron do it, it only lasts a day. When Stethno and Eurayle do it, it lasts for a century. When Medusa does it, it lasts for Eternity!"

"Medusa's stare is more powerful because the curse was mainly on her." Abigail chimed in.

"So we'll end up like the mortals?" Payton said, ready to faint.

I nodded my head and fit on my invisibility cap.

I stood up and touched my hand on my hairpin.

"Can't get me now, Medusa!" I said.

"Don't use that silly gift! I can sense your presence! Like my babies can!" Medusa said, petting her snakes on her head. She ripped off her head wrap, along with her sisters. Medusa's hair was replaced with writhing yellow snakes. I would have looked at here eyes, but I didn't want to turn to stone. Sthenno had red coral snakes, and Eurayle's green cobras hissed in harmony.

I took out my shield and rubbed it a little. I angled it so my back faced Medusa. I could see her so clearly in the reflection of the shield. She was so pretty, maybe as pretty as Aphrodite, but her snakes ruined the image. They were like regular hair, some big, some small. Here eyes were a brilliant shade of blue, and I would have killed for them. But it didn't matter. She was a monster.

Abigail ran over to the tank closest to her and loaded her arrows. "Back off, Medusa!"

Stethnno ran after Payton. He scrambled over to the water snake tanks and emptied it. The gorgons hissed, as if we already defeated them. He rose his arms as waves circled around him.

"One more step, and this place becomes a water park!" He warned.

"Don't do that, Son of the sea! We won't harm you. We'll keep you as a nice statue." Eurayle said.

"I heard your eyes are bluer than the Pacific Ocean!" Stethnno added.

"As handsome as Poseidon!" Medusa crowed.

I ducked down and sneaked up behind Medusa. Abigail closed her eyes and missed. To be fair, it's kind of hard to shoot volley after volley with no vision. But Payton had it easy. He was using the water as a film to view everything. It was like a screen between him and the gorgons so he could see without being turned to stone, like the gorgons suggested.

He divided the water in three separate ways. He commanded each of them to come to me and Abigail, so we could see.

Abigail opened her eyes before her bubble could reach her and was encased in granite. Medusa was looking at her.

        Which meant that Abigail wouldn't even be frozen in time. She would sit in this pet store for eternity and rot, watching her life fade.

"Abigail!" I shrieked.

The gorgons twisted their heads and saw me. Before I could even comprehend what to do, I did the only thing I do without thinking: I attacked. I swiped my sword left and chopped off Eurayle's head.

The other two looked pretty ticked off. They dove for me but I rolled away. Medusa tried to swipe me down with her claws but only managed to ruin my Mom's shield.

    Payton swiped his hand left and knocked down Medusa, who cursed in Ancient Greek. Stethnno ran to me.

    I ran into the janitor's closet and locked the door, panting. Stethnno stuck her claw hand through the door, leaving a hole. I swear to the gods, if I hadn't side stepped, I would have been dead. Stethnno poked her head in the hole.

"It's stuck!" She complained. I chopped off her head before she could look at me and it fell to the ground. I kicked it out of the way and unlocked the door.

"Stay with me, Payton! My sisters will reform and you can keep us company as a statue, like your friend here!" Medusa mused.

"Not a chance!" He said and sent gallons of water at her face.

Medusa rubbed her eyes and spit out some water. "Stay with us!" She repeated.

    I walked behind her and ducked. Payton's eyes met mine as he distracted her more.

"You will go to Elysium! The gods are playing you as pawns! You heroes are nothing but puppets and toys to them!" Medusa yelled, searching for me.

"Eat it, snake head!" I yelled and slashed at Medusa's head. Her body wiggled and exploded in green and yellow spores.

Her head hit the floor with a thunk as green blood, the blood of Greek monsters, flowed from her head.

"Gross." Payton said. He stepped from his small corner to Abigail's statue.

"And lose a friend to a horrible death," I recited, " That was Abigail. 'Saving a love shall cause one their final breath' was Hallie. Abigail, Hallie, they're all gone. Two of our friends, gone."

"What's Darrien gonna do? He'll have our heads!" Payton squealed.

"May Hallie and Abigail go to the Elysian Fields, for there bravery," I said, choking back tears.

"No," Payton said, resting his hand on Abigail's cold shoulder, " The isles of the blest. They'll try for rebirth and get the isles of the blest. They always pushed themselves."

I looked at the solid face of Abigail.

"We're leaving." I said. "I am not gonna let them die and not finish this quest."