TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of sexual assault, if you are not comfortable please click off! You matter!! So does your mental health!! I'm re-writing medusa!!

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗
𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒂

❛ a man will never overpower
a woman who had seen so much
tragedy ❜

                         𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐀, 𝕬urora had to admit that she'd never really envisioned herself to be walking in the middle of the forest with mosquito bites covering her arm. Her life was practically a blur up until that very moment, like it happened in a blink of an eye and in a way it did. Everything was moving so fast, and her grip to keep everything steady and stable was long thrown out the window. She could only wish to be in her fathers arms, with him reassuring her that no matter what, everything would be okay . . .

But when you're living in a world growing dangerous by the minute with monsters lurking in the shadows and bad guys waiting to snatch you away — nothing would ever be okay.

She walked alongside Grover who was shivering and braying in fright, "Three Kindly ones," he shivered. "All three at once."

                         Aurora could only cringe and soothingly pat his back, reminding the goat that his friend was there and would not hesitate to protect him.

                         Annabeth only kept pulling them along, saying, "Come on! The farther away we get, the better."

                         "All our money was back there," Percy reminded her. "Our food and clothes. Everything."

                         "Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight-"

                         "What did you want me to do? Let you guys get killed?" He momentarily glanced at Aurora who was too busy surveying the area around them, hoping their verbal exchange didn't attract any unwanted attention. This glance, however, was caught by Annabeth who rose her eyebrows.

                         "You didn't need to protect us, Percy. We would've been fine." Annabeth stated, while looking away from the sea green eyed boy.

                         Aurora shrugged but nonetheless agreed, "Sure, it was a close call but we made it"

                         "Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but we made it"

                          Aurora continued to pat his back.

                         "Shut up, goat boy," said Annabeth.

                         Aurora furrowed her eyebrows and shot her best friend a glare, "Hey! Can't you tell he's upset? They ate his tin cans!"

                         Grover's face balled up at the mention of his favorite snacks, "Tin cans . . . a perfectly good bag of tin cans."

                         They sloshed across the mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry. After a few minutes, Aurora glanced up and watched as Annabeth fell into line next to Percy from her spot a couple of feet behind them. She couldn't hear their conversation but truthfully she didn't want to.

                         Her mind wandered off to her father and Pepper, wondering what the two could possibly be up to. Seeing as she was here, practically covered in mosquito bites with mud staining her brand new blue jeans, she could only hope they were doing something far better.

                         "Uh! Guys!"

                         Aurora turned her head towards Annabeth who pointed up at the sky behind them, "What is that?"

                         Aurora crinkled her eyebrows together as she turned her body around to look back towards the direction of New York City. The sky was undeniably dark, with only the moon shining it's subtle light down towards them, yet the minute you looked down towards the blinding lights of New York . . . A light far brighter than anything they have ever seen shot up into the dark abyss above the city.

                         The blast was incredibly powerful, so powerful that their was a distinct smell of smoke in the air . . . despite how far her group was from where it originated.

                         Something about that blinding light was mesmerizing, so much so, that it took her a couple of minutes to turn her attention away from it and towards the journey at hand.

                         Aurora sighed and shook her head, "That's not our problem," she said as she began walking. "Come on, we have to go."

                          Her friends nodded and followed along, heading towards the direction they were previously headed. However, the sudden gut feeling to turn around and look was increasingly overwhelming . . . so she did.

                         The light and all of its glory was gone, in fact almost all the lights surrounding the blast sight were no longer lit up. The blast was so powerful, the power within a radius of forty miles of where the blast originated was cut out.

                         Aurora paused for a moment staring at her now darkened home, before turning around and walking away.

"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried. "If I could just remember a 'find path' song, we could get out of these woods!" He puffed out a few notes, but the tune still sounded suspiciously like Ariana Grande.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at the attempt but nonetheless kept walking, Percy and Aurora on the other hand nodded a long to the beat . . . seemingly brighter than they previously were . . .

Until, Percy slammed into a tree.

Now, Aurora would have laughed if it weren't for the large knot now formed on the poor boy's forehead that seemed to have formed in less than a couple of minutes.

                         After what seemed like forever Aurora's face lit up, "Guys, is that—"

"It is!" Percy nodded after catching himself from slamming into another tree. "Let's go!"

They walked towards the object of their desires and soon the smell hit them all at once, sending a rumbling sensation through their bodies.
Fried, greasy, excellent food, they could practically taste it. Aurora's mouth salivated by the mere thought.

After a couple of steps, they saw a deserted two-lane road through the trees. On the other side was a closed-down gas station, a tattered billboard for a 2000's movie, and one open business, which was the source of the neon light and the good smell.

The main building was a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of statuary. The neon sign above the gate was impossible to read, because if there's anything worse for dyslexia than regular English, it's red cursive neon English. From what Aurora could read it looked something along the lines of: ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROUIM. Undoubtedly causing her to huff in frustration.

"What the heck does that say?" Percy asked.

"I don't know," Annabeth said.

Aurora squinted but then shook her head, "No idea," she turned to Grover the only individual with no Dyslexia in their current group. "Any idea, grooves?"

Their friend nodded, "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium."

Aurora smiled while patting the satyr on the back, "See," she grinned a smile that reached her eyes, "You are as useful as we say you are."

Aurora then turned her attention to the Emporium before her, not noticing the content smile on her friends face. The building in front of her looked . . . odd to say the least. Flanking the entrance, as advertised, were two cement garden gnomes, ugly bearded little runts, smiling and waving as if they were about to get their picture taken. It was astounding to her how realistic the sculpture was, causing a chill to crawl around her body.

Percy was the first to gather the courage — or stupidity — to cross the street, nonetheless forcing the others to follow behind him, continuously investigating where the mouthwatering smell of food was coming from.

"Hey . . ." Grover warned his voice firm. "The lights are on inside."

This snapped Aurora from her reconnoiter of the area, a belittling nagging sensation forming at the back of her neck — something that never happened but sent a clear sign; A warning.

Annabeth said, "Maybe it's open."

"Snack bar," Percy said wistfully.

"Snack bar," she agreed.

"Are you two crazy?" Grover said. "This place is weird."

The nagging sensation spread, covering almost her entire head the closer her group scuttled towards the entrance. Her hairs raised at the tenacious feeling completely forcing her body on alert.

Out of fear, she shuttered. "Guys," she swallowed as she walked passed a particular-looking gnome. "I know we all must be hungry but this place gives me the heebie-jeebies"

                         Annabeth and Percy only ignored them.

                         Aurora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Something wasn't right, the smell of food was too alluring. Almost aphrodisiac. A sensation every child of Aphrodite was familiar with as they were all immune.

                         Sensing his friend's discomfort, Grover anxiously shifted towards her side — as he too felt something incredibly odd. The front lot was a forest of statues: cement animals, cement children, even a cement satyr playing the pipes, which made Grover shudder some more.

"Bla-ha-ha!" he bleated. His eyebrows pulled together in distress. "Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!"

They stopped at the warehouse door, a murky green door with rusted hinges. Much like the exterior, the door looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages, yet that didn't stop the other two demigods from wandering towards it.

"Don't knock," Grover pleaded still next to Aurora. "I smell monsters."

"Your nose is clogged up from the Furies," Annabeth told him, her gray eyes hazy. "All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"

Aurora furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, utterly flabbergasted at the words, "Aren't you a daughter of Athena?"

Annabeth placed a hand on her hip and nodded, not understanding where the daughter of Aphrodite was going with this, "Of course, Aurora."

"Then where exactly did that logic come from? We've put miles worth of distance between us and the furies," she shook her head. "so, that theory is a no go. I say we should consider Grover's claim," the smell grew stronger as the wind picked up around them causing Aurora to almost stumble over her words. "However, cheeseburgers do sound delightful right about now"

"Meat!" he said scornfully as his face twisted up as if he ate something sour, "I'm a vegetarian."

"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans," Percy reminded him from his place near a gnome a couple of feet away from them.

"Those are vegetables. Come on. Let's leave. These statues are . . . looking at me."

Aurora nodded and went to open her mouth to agree but before she could say anything the green murky door she had been eyeing earlier creaked open, and standing in front of them was a tall woman. She wore a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled. Her eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze but that was about all anyone could make out. Her coffee-colored hands looked old but well-manicured and elegant, so Aurora imagined she was a grandmother who had once been a beautiful lady.

She said, "Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"

"They're . . . um . . . " Annabeth glanced at Aurora and proceeded to nudge her, the latter only shrugged.

"We're orphans," Percy interrupted from behind them, causing Aurora's eyebrows to shoot up in surprise.

"Orphans?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dears! Surely not!"

"We got separated from our caravan," Percy said. "Our circus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?"

Aurora would've slapped him upside the head if it weren't for the little act they were playing.

"Oh, my dears," the woman said, Aurora could practically see the frown on her face. She just had no idea if it was real sympathy or not, but she did notice the drop of octave her voice took when her ears took in Percy's voice. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."

Aurora gave her a small smile, the uneasy feeling still crawling through her body. Yet, nonetheless followed her friends inside, missing the way the woman's body tensed when Percy passed in front of her to head in the direction of the savory food.

Annabeth muttered to Percy, "Circus caravan?"

He shrugged, "Always have a strategy, right?"

"Your head is full of kelp."

Aurora rolled her eyes, "That's an understatement."

Percy shook his head, but a twitch of his lips indicated his true feelings.

The warehouse was filled with more statues, people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits and with different expressions on their faces. The sensation in her head grew — the deeper her group ventured into the unknown, almost begging her to run, grab her friends, and sprint out of the warehouse. Yet, her stomach rumbled.

It was a battle between the mind and heart, and at this very moment when her own stomach grumbled. Her heart won, being too neglected for so long.

A small click behind her caught her attention, and she turned. Her eyes locked onto Aunty Em's from underneath the older woman's veil. Her posture immediately straightened after seeing the calculating look in the young girl's eyes, nonetheless, she smiled.

"Now, go on, darling!" she encouraged. "The food is almost ready!"

They soon reached the dining area which was at the back of the warehouse, a fast-food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater, and a nacho cheese dispenser. Everything you could want, plus a few steel picnic tables out front.

"Please, sit down," Aunty Em said.

"Awesome," Percy said and without another moment of hesitation made himself comfortable.

"Um," Grover said reluctantly glancing at Aurora from the corner of his eye, "we don't have any money, ma'am."

Aurora nodded still standing feeling too uncomfortable to have a seat, "And we apologize for the inconvenience ma'am, but I'm sure our caravan is right outside—"

"Nonsense, my beautiful girl. " Aunty Em continued. "It's dark out, no place for children. Who knows what you'll encounter in the dead of night," she smiled, her white teeth visible behind her veil but her smile wasn't wicked almost . . . reassuring?

Before Aurora could question her she turned to Grover, "No money needed, child. It is my treat, for such nice orphans."

"Thank you, ma'am," Percy said as Annabeth wrapped her hand around Aurora's to forcefully sit her down in between herself and the ocean-eyed boy. Aunty Em stiffened a bit once again, but before anyone could notice — even Aurora's calculating eyes — it was gone.

"Quite all right, Percy," she said. "You have such beautiful ocean eyes, child."

Aurora tensed, the only individual in their right mind seemed to be Grover, and out of instinct, she side-eyed him wondering if what the older woman said only seemed to catch the Stark girl's attention. However, looking at Grover he seemed just as stricken as her, but he merely shook her head — begging for the girl to make no move impulsively . . . like she's done on many occasions.

Yet, the persistent feeling came back — unimaginably more forceful than before. The hair on her skin rose, as she shuttered in thought. A quick glance at her friends and their foggy-looking eyes sent her mind reeling, and a decision swimming to the surface.

She ignored the excited chatter between Annabeth and Percy who were jumping at the thought of food, and slyly brought up her right wrist to her mouth, "Dagger" within seconds her desired weapon appeared in her hand.

Before Aunty Em could see the deadly weapon in the younger girl's possession, Aurora briskly moved it out of sight — gripping it under the table . . . waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The moment Aunty Em walked into the room holding plastic trays heaped with double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of French fries — Aurora felt her fingers tighten around the hilt, turning her knuckles white.

She eyed the cheeseburgers, reminding her vaguely of her father. Her love for cheeseburgers stemming from him, and at the mere remembrance of him . . . she frowned and looked away.

Percy was halfway through his burger with ketchup on his upper lip making Aurora cringe. Annabeth was slurping her shake. Grover picked at the fries, and eyed the tray's waxed paper liner as if he might go for that, but he still looked too nervous to eat.

Aunty Em seemed to notice Aurora's lack of eating, "Are you alright, child?" she questioned Aurora, who rose her eyes from the table to the older woman. "Telling by your friends, you must be starving!" she nudged a cheeseburger towards the girl. "I assure you you've never tasted anything like it."

Aurora glanced from her friends to the older woman, a stern glint in her eyes, "Thank you for your concern, ma'am. But I'm not hungry."

Annabeth straightened, "But the cheesebu—"

Aurora's head whipped towards her, her jaw now clenched, "Not. Hungry."

The amount of hostility in her voice almost made everyone flinch, but they understood not to question the young girl anymore.

"What's that hissing noise?" Grover abruptly asked, stifling the awkward silence.

Aurora crinkled her eyes and strained her ears to hear something, anything, but unfortunately came up empty-handed.

Annabeth shook her head, "Hissing?"

Aunty Em asked, "Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover."

Again, not once did they ever tell her their names. Aurora narrowed her eyes, spinning the dagger in her hand eyeing the woman across from Percy.

"I take vitamins. For my ears."

"That's admirable," she said. "But please, relax."

Aunty Em ate nothing. She hadn't taken off her headdress, even to cook, and now she sat forward and interlaced her fingers and watched them eat. It was rather unsettling, having someone stare at you when you couldn't see their face, but half of the group was feeling satisfied after the meal, and a little sleepy.

"So, you sell gnomes," Percy said, trying to sound interested.

"Oh, no," Aunty Em shook her head. "My siblings did, I was never fond of the idea. But they passed on, and left me with this," she gestured to the area around them. "With memories to cherish of what once was."

Percy frowned, "I'm sorry."

She briskly waved him off, "No worries, child. It happened long ago, long enough for me to mourn."

Aurora quirked a brow, "Siblings?"

Aunty Em sighed, "Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters" The sadness in her voice sounded so deep and so real that almost everyone frowned.

Annabeth had stopped eating. She sat forward and said, "Two sisters?"

Aurora glanced at Annabeth, and they both understood the situation. One earlier than the other, but nonetheless both understood.

"It's a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really," her head turned to look at Percy. "You see, Percy, when I was young I fell in love. I believed I was happy, but no" she shook her head an underlying sense of rage in her tone. "He was manipulating, embodying the opposite of what love should be. One day, he took it one too many times too far," she pursed her lips. "He had a habit of coercing me to participate in activities I had no interest in, my pleads of no's were carried by the wind and this time in particular I knew he ruined me," she sounded as thought that moment from morning to dusk to dawn, the awful memory carried on. Playing like a broken CD, "At the sight of me weeping, a woman took pity on me, and assured that no being would ever treat me with such inhumanity again, but with this blessing came consequences. My sisters longed for revenge, vengeance clouded their mind, so much so, it ultimately led to their downfall."

                         𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒂

The grip on the dagger loosened, and a frown replaced Aurora's face. She knew of the story behind medusa, all demi-gods knew alike. It was a story proving how dangerous and far too powerful the gods were, and yet a story all too familiar. Where gods used their power for their gain, where they ridiculed everyone around them for it as well, and yet it was familiar.

Aurora glanced up in thought, just in time to see Aunty Em — Medusa, watching Percy's face.

She wasn't the only one who had because Annabeth said, "Percy?" she shook him to get his attention. "Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting."

"Such beautiful ocean eyes," Aunty Em told Percy again. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I've seen ocean eyes like those."

Despite her attempts to speak softly, her rigid stature gave her away and both girls in the room understood why, seeing as Percy was the son of the man who took advantage of her.

Annabeth snapped to her senses and pulled Percy away, whom still had no idea what was really going on, "We really should go."

"Yes!" Aurora agreed while slyly slipping the knife into the waistband of her jeans while placing her shirt over it, hiding it completely. "The ringmaster is waiting!"

She also yanked a rather spooked satyr to his feet — or rather hooves, as he almost bleated in response.

"Please, dears," Aunty Em pleaded. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won't you at least sit for a pose?"

Aurora almost faltered, truly wanting nothing more than to have an actual conversation with a being that had been so strong for so long, but Percy was not safe especially with the way she was eyeing him.

"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily.

"A photograph," she said with a tilt of her head. "Since the highway was built, I have no customers, no one. It'll allow me to remember you sweet little orphans," she turned to Aurora. "You look as though you've had you're fair share of practice with pictures, my beautiful girl, please allow me to take your picture."

Aurora shifted, "I'm sorry, ma'am. But we really have to go—"

"Sure we can," Percy said.

Annabeth replied, "No, Percy. We really can't! Last time we were late he was very angry"

"It's just a photo, guys," he said looking in between Aurora and Annabeth. "What's the harm?"

"Yes, my beautiful girls," the woman purred. "No harm."

                         It took one glance from Aurora to notice the imminent haze lingering over Annabeth's eyes. Her once gray pupils constantly lingering in the depths of storms were now hard to decipher, as if the storms were removed and replaced by a deafening mist.

Aurora tugged the three behind her and firmly planted her feet, "No," she stated, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I know who you are."

Aunty Em didn't seem fazed, she only chuckled and waved off the younger girl, "Of course you do, child. I am Aunty Em," her head looked over Aurora's shoulder towards Percy who stood directly behind her with his eyebrows pulled firmly together. "Now if you follow me."

"Medusa," Aurora spoke.

From behind her she heard Percy utter, "What?" but not once let her eyes wander from the cloaked figure in front of her despite the now rigid posture the woman took at the mention of her true identity.

The woman smiled, that much Aurora could tell from behind the veil, "Smart girl," she purred. "I knew from the moment your eyes shifted you knew who I was."

While Medusa talked Aurora gestured Annabeth to Percy using her hands that were behind her back, in hopes of being discreet.

Aurora held her head high, but nonetheless spoke softly, "I also know your story."

"Then you must know what I want," her gaze once again found Percy.

Aurora took a step forward practically shielding her three friends, "I can't let you do that," she turned to the others, Annabeth had a firm hand wrapped around Percy's forearm while Grover fearfully stood behind them. "Get out of here."

Annabeth opened her mouth to protest but Aurora was quicker, "Go" her voice came out smooth, so smooth their bodies involuntarily followed her request.

"NO!" a roar came from behind her followed by objects sailing over her head in the direction of her friends. Just as Grover snapped to his senses and pulled the other two behind a gnome to shield themselves from the oncoming projectiles, Aurora pulled out her dagger.

"You dare protect the child of a man who has shown nothing but his own monstrosity?!" she yelled.

"I know what you might think of Percy because of what his father did to you," her smooth voice immediately soothed the atmosphere. "but Percy is not his father."

"I wish I could believe you, my sweet girl, but no amount of charmspeak will sway me," she reached for her veil.

"Look away from her!" Annabeth yelled somewhere behind her.

Aurora dropped to the floor but as she firmly closed her eyes a piercing din floated through the air. The atmosphere dulled tremendously as if death itself paid them a visit. Following the collapse, a rasping sound sent a shiver down Aurora's spine - raising the hairs littered throughout her body.

"No harm will come to you or the Daughter of Athena, I'll even allow the satyr to walk unharmed alongside you, only if you agree to give me the Son of Poseidon."

Aurora shook her head, "No."

"I see," the rasping sound appeared louder. "You have chosen your side, child."

"Percy! Get out of here!"

From behind the gnome Annabeth cursed and turned to Percy, "She's after you Percy because of what your father did to her. She won't hurt Aurora, least of all me. We just have to find a way to restrain her."

Something passed Percy's eyes at the mention of his father, "Why? Why would he do something like that?"

Annabeth frowned, "The Gods have power, Percy. Sometimes, they'll use it to their advantage."

"So thats how he-"

"Yes."

Maybe that was the beginning of Percy's anger, maybe it was before, yet he couldn't fathom the thought of any woman close to him suffer what Medusa had. He couldn't ever fathom the pain a woman carried, he'd heard it and seen it with his own mother — someone so special to him. So, maybe it was the beginning of his rage, but people could only wonder . . . when would it consume him?

"Look for exits!" Annabeth rushed out not noticing Grover now flying overhead trying to distract the woman. "We'll follow soon after."

"We don't want to hurt you!" Aurora yelled.

"Aurora!" Grover yelled from above her. "I'll get you!" yet, he held no luck as his eyes were closed.

"Silence!" Medusa snarled. "Annabeth, Aurora," she purred searching for Annabeth and Percy. "You see why I must destroy the boy. His father did such unspeakable things."

As Medusa's voice drifted farther away, Aurora shakingly stood with her eyes still tightly closed. Her body began to tremble, her heart filled with worry for her friends.

A powerful wail echoed throughout the emporium, "Where is he?! Where did he go?!"

"Guys!" Annabeth yelled. "Time to go!"

A hand wrapped around her forearm and tugged her to a run, probably to take Meudusa's distraction to their advantage. Yet, that didn't stop Aurora from rushing up and following after her friends.

                         As they neared the exit, a single glance behind her almost made her stop. Made her frown and desperately blink back the oncoming moisture now plaguing her eyes. The powerful wail of a woman with undeniable pain in her chest echoed throughout the emporium, a wail no individual would ever forget as it would plague their nightmares — and one glance at her friends . . . she knew they understood the sickening feeling that loomed over them as they tried to walk away despite every fiber of their being begging them to slay her demons.

                         And both Annabeth and Aurora were definitely tempted to.

                         However, despite their anger sizzling to the point of beyond return and their journey growing meaningless for all four of them they knew they'd cross that bridge when they'd get to it.

                         Aurora just hoped it'll be sooner rather than later.

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