~ ☼ ~

It took 5 minutes for us to realize that we weren't in the woods at all.

We'd barely walked anywhere at all before the trees parted to show a road buzzing with cars, and, across from that, a few majestic looking buildings made of stone and brick, rising above more treetops. The architecture was classic, like it'd been built a long time ago. Some college, I presumed.

"Well, look at that. Land ho!" I said jokingly. Riley smiled, surprised but relieved that we had found civilization.

But Alec... all color had drained from his face. He didn't chuckle, didn't smile, didn't even blink. He came to a stop at the edge of the verge, his jaw going slack.

"Alec? Are you all right?" Riley asked, coming up beside him. He looked at her, then at me, and quickly shut his mouth.

"I'm fine." He said, a bit gruffly. "I just... I know where we are."

"Where?"

"Princeton, New Jersey." Alec shook his head, seemingly in disbelief. "My hometown."

———

Turns out Alec knew exactly where we were - in a small park, outside of the Princeton University campus. He said he'd driven by it innumerable times before, when he was younger.

"I thought you'd said you lived in Brooklyn?" I said.

"I do," he replied. "I moved to Brooklyn when I was 8. Before that, I lived here."

Just like when the subject was first brought up at the strawberry patch earlier that day, Alec's voice was flat. He obviously didn't want to talk about it. I shouldn't push, I thought to myself.

I glanced at Riley. She just mouthed, "Don't ask."

"And because of that," Alec continued, his voice's strength slowly coming back to him, "I can safely say that the best way for us to get south is via train."

"Why's that?"

"Because the train station is literally right there."

He pointed, and sure enough, through another layer of trees, I could make out the sight of a station and a train riding the rails directly in front of it.

"Huh." Riley said. "Well, that was easy."

"Too easy," I muttered, narrowing my eyes.

Alec chuckled, but this time there was no happiness in it. "That's true. Quests aren't supposed to be this simple. You don't just reach your destination, fight, then come back. At least, that's what I've heard."

"Yeah, that's right." Riley put her hands on her hips, her blue kimono cardigan sweeping in the wind. A coil of her hair fell in her face, and she fruitlessly tried to blow it away as she said, "And I have this weird feeling in my stomach that something is about to go terribly wrong. And usually, my feelings are right."

The three of us looked at each other. Riley gave up on blowing and lifted a hand to sweep the curl behind her ear. Alec shifted his weight and sighed, his former positivity completely drained out.

"Well..." I took a deep breath. "There's only one way to found out."

———

And so, we continued on - that is, we crossed the street and walked a few blocks up the sidewalk to where the actual station sat. When we got inside, Alec found an ATM and transferred some of his drachmas in order to get US dollars. That didn't make much sense to me, but by now I'd learned to not ask any questions. This world of gods and monsters was evidently a lot larger than I'd bargained for.

After buying us 3 tickets, Alec came over to where Riley and I were sitting.

"OK, so I asked the guy at the desk for the next train south that had tickets open." He ran a hand through his hair, which I just now noticed was like the color of golden-brown cookies right after coming out of the oven.

What a weird observation, AJ, part of me said to myself.

Shut up, the other part said back. 

"The only thing he could find," Alec continued, "Was a train leaving in an hour for Norfolk, Virginia. Do you think that's good enough?"

Riley shrugged. "I guess so. We can find our way from there, right?"

Alec made a face like, I don't know about that, but shrugged back.

"I would hope that's good enough," I supplied, "Because it looks like you already bought the tickets." I nodded my head at the three paper slips in his right hand.

He shrugged again. I wondered if their shoulders hurt from all that shrugging.

We looked up at him for a moment, and he looked down at us, before I said, "So. Are we just going to sit for an hour and twiddle our thumbs?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Alec asked.

I glanced up at an analogue clock hanging on the wall. The hands were pointing at 3:32. I hadn't realized the day had gone by so quickly. It still felt like morning to me. Maybe it was because I never got lunch...

As if on cue, my stomach grumbled loudly enough that a few people turned their heads. I felt my cheeks heat up, and sheepishly, I said, "Can we get something to eat?"

Alec chuckled again, crossed his arms, and said, "I guess so. I'm pretty hungry too."

"Where are we gonna go?" Riley asked. She seemed wary of going any further into Princeton. Almost like she was worried for Alec's sake. That made me wonder... why was Alec so sensitive about his hometown? Was there some bad memory associated with the place? It wasn't my place to ask, of course, but I wondered nonetheless.

"Uh..." Alec rubbed the back of his neck. "There's a Wawa up the street...?"

I scoffed. As if I'd ever go to Wawa! I was much more preferential to 7/11, or perhaps Stewart's Shops, or even Speedway. But never Wawa.

"I don't wanna go to some convenience store. Especially not Wawa."

"Ugh. Ok, Starbucks?"

"That's better."

Alec looked at me for a moment, then at Riley. They seemed to have some type of mental conversation, like they had a telepathic bond. Maybe they just knew each other really well, but I started to feel like a familial third wheel.

"Look," I interrupted. "You guys can stay here. But I need something to eat, so I'm gonna go to Starbucks."

"I'll go with you," Riley piped up. "It's not safe for you to go alone."

Alec made a face, then said, "Fine. I'll go too."

"Are you sure?" Riley said softly.

"Yes." Alec said flatly.

They stared at each other again.

"Ok, well, it's settled then!" I exclaimed. "Let's all go to Starbucks!"

———

Princeton was a beautiful town, all big leafy trees and broad sidewalks and brick buildings. The sun was quickly lowering in the sky, near setting already. People were out for dinner, walking their dogs, sitting on benches and laughing. It reminded me of my hometown, Highland Falls, but better. Charming.

I didn't understand why Alec was so... weird about it. Whatever he had been through before he moved, it had to have some type of connection to Princeton, some terrible connotation. But I couldn't figure it out.

He didn't say a single word as he directed us to the Starbucks. It was in a small white building, across from a large green park. When we entered the coffeehouse, a little bell rung overhead, and I was immediately filled with the feeling of home. We had a Starbucks only a little bit down the road from where I lived, and every time I took my dog for a walk, I'd stop there and get a Valencia orange refresher or maybe an iced latte.

So when we walked in and the perfume of coffee beans and fruit and caramel wafted up my nose, I couldn't help but feel at ease.

My siblings on the other hand... well, Alec was keeping his emotions guarded, and Riley looked like she was going to be sick.

"Are you okay?" I murmured to her as we slowly walked up to the counter.

"Fine," she muttered back. "But be cautious. You never know who could be hiding in plain sight."

I raised my eyebrows. All she did was tighten her grip on her bow and shift the quiver on her back.

It was becoming more and more evident that Riley had some type of precognition. She kept saying she had bad feelings about things and people. I only hoped that this time, that bad feeling would be wrong.

We each ordered - a refresher and chocolate croissant for me, a iced macchiato and a cake pop for Riley, and a lemonade and slice of pound cake for Alec - and once we'd gotten our stuff, we decided to sit at a table in the corner, where the sun's rays shone through the window. The place was warm and cozy and serene, with people reading and typing away on laptops. Some raspy acoustic song was playing over the speakers, and although that wasn't exactly my type of music, it was soothing.

I was starting to catch Riley's drift. This place was calm... too calm.

But it was just a Starbucks. What could possibly go wrong?

"I have to go to the restroom," Riley said abruptly, just as I was starting my chocolate croissant. She had torn through the cake pop, gulping it down like she couldn't finish it quick enough. "Be right back."

I gave a questioning look to Alec. He was too busy eating his lemon cake to notice. Like Riley, he wasn't taking his time, and if he went any faster, I was willing to bet he'd choke.

Glancing around, I looked for anybody suspicious in the restaurant, but everyone seemed normal, if a bit hipster. Then somebody caught my eye. It was a woman sitting in the opposite corner, with fire-red hair and a wide brimmed hat tipped down in front of her eyes. She must've known I was staring at her, because her red lips curled up in a weird kind of smile. I quickly looked away, back to the table, where Alec had already finished his cake.

"So..." I took a sip of my drink. "This is a nice town."

"Yeah."

"You're acting we-" I paused. I needed to be tactful with this. Polite. "Are you okay?"

Alec sighed, then slumped, all the frustration draining out of him. "Not really. It's hard to be here."

"Oh." I looked down at the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that. I thought you were just surprised. Y'know, that we found Princeton."

"Yeah, I was." He frowned. "I haven't been here since I moved. Haven't had the guts. So this is kind of a... culture shock. I only moved because my mom died."

My skin went hot. Here I thought he was just nostalgic about where he used to live... when really it was something much deeper. For a second, I didn't really know how to react. I wasn't used to hearing people's deep angst like that. Then, I said, "Oh my god. Gods, I mean. I'm so sorry, Alec,"

I made a move to comfort him, but I didn't know what I would do. Hug him? Pat him on the back? Tell him to suck it up?

"It's okay. It was a while ago. But being here brings back the memories."

"How... how did she die?" I inquired without thinking, immediately cringing at the fact that I was probably overstepping my boundaries.

Alec didn't meet my eyes. Instead, he looked away, curling and uncurling his fingers, clenching his jaw. "She was attacked. By a monster. It broke into our house, tried to grab me, but she jumped in front of me to give me time to run. I did run, but I heard my mom scream behind me. I turned around at that point, and the last thing I saw was the monster exploding into a ball of light before I ran to get help from the neighbors."

My mouth parted in shock as my heart filled with pity.

"The police ended up saying it was a random murder from a random intruder. But I knew the truth. I don't know what the monster was, never saw it again. But it's stuck in my mind ever since. And it was then that a satyr - half goat, half human, they act as guardians of half-bloods some times - took me to camp. And I moved in with my grandparents in Brooklyn."

"Alec..." I didn't know what to say. Suddenly, I felt terrible. I shouldn't have made him come to Starbucks. We should've just stayed in the train station. This was probably making some PTSD flare up. "That's heartbreaking. I can't even imagine what that must feel like."

Alec just pursed his lips. For once, I longed to hear him chuckle again, to see him smile. I had only known this boy for 3 days, but I wanted him to be happy.

We kinda sat there, not saying anything, the air suddenly turning stale and the vibe suddenly turning awkward. Luckily, Riley came back at that moment, sitting down with zeal, looking scared out of her mind. "That woman over there is not human," she hissed to us, nodding in the direction of the lady I'd seen earlier, the one with the wide-brimmed hat and blood-curdling smile.

Alec momentarily looked in the direction of the woman, then said, "What is she?"

"I don't know. But she looked at me, and her eyes were green. Like, all green - no iris, no sclera. And she gives me this really weird vibe. I don't like it." Riley shook her head, her curls bouncing. "We should go. I don't think we're safe."

"Fine by me," I said. "All I wanted was to get something to eat, and I got it."

We got up, Riley throwing her cake pop stick in the trash and murmuring, "There's a back door. Follow me."

And follow her we did, past the counter where baristas were whipping up lattes for impatient customers, and further past the silver doors to the bathrooms. Riley was right - there was a back door, leading out into the bare, empty alley next door. A stray cat sitting directly outside yowled and ran away as we entered back into the sunshine. But it wasn't running from us. It was running from that woman, who was standing at the front of the alley. Waiting for us.

"Hello, halfbloods!" she said, tipping her head up to reveal that horrifying smile. To my disgust, I noticed that her teeth were sharp and curved and yellowing, like those of a crocodile. Like Riley had said, her eyes were indeed as green as an emerald, glowing like a fire was lit behind them. "It's so wonderful to see you and finally have some godly visitors to my current home."

Riley's mouth widened so far I was scared her jaw was going to break; meanwhile, Alec's skin had gone so ashen, so pale, that you could practically see his green and blue veins thumping away underneath. And me? I just started to back up, ever so slowly, knowing that she'd probably chase us if we ran but wanting to run anyway.

"Who are you?" I said slowly. "What do you want from us?"

"My name is Lamia!" Her voice was perky, sweet, as if she was a receptionist working for a bakery and not an ancient Greek monster. "And I'm here to kill you, just like-"

"You killed my mother," Alec interrupted in a furious tone, his shock slowly turning to anger. A flame I'd never seen before grew up in his brown eyes. "You're the monster that killed my mother!"

Riley and I both gasped, hard enough to make my chest hurt.

"Oh, young Alexander, the Son of Light!" Lamia said, her smile growing more maniacal. She clasped her hands together and I watched as her fingers shriveled up and her long nails grew into piercing claws. "It's been so long. So, unsatisfyingly long since I stopped her heart and sent her straight to the Fields of Asphodel."

"You bitch," Alec hissed, which surprised me more than Lamia herself.

"That's not a very nice word, now, is it?" Lamia replied coldly, tilting her head at Alec. "But all right, you want to skip ice breakers? Let's skip ice breakers."

Her eyes turned into slits and her smile went flat as she flung off her hat to reveal long, greasy, stringy tresses of hair the color of Clifford the Big Red Dog. And that was when the three of us decided to not stick around any longer. We did the logical conclusion, what anybody would do in our situation: we ran.

We couldn't go out the front way, so we followed the alley, which lead us to a large courtyard lined by backs of buildings. I assumed this where delivery trucks came in to supply Starbucks, but no matter what it was, I was happy we found it. It was completely devoid of people, which was good! That meant there'd be less witnesses to watch our gory and terrible demise!

Alec had taken the lead and ducked behind a truck, Riley and I following him. This was his hometown. He had to know where he was going.

"You can't run!" Lamia yelled from somewhere behind us, which didn't make much sense to me, considering we were literally running as she said that. "Incantare: Plumbi Frustra!"

Suddenly, all three of us stopped right there. My legs felt like they were thigh-deep in quicksand. It was like our feet were frozen to the ground, and I heard Lamia slow down to a creep herself. She'd casted some type of spell so she could sneak up on us!

"What the Hades?!" Riley yelped in a hushed tone.

"Who is this woman?!" I whispered at the same time, before murmuring under my breath, "Jinx."

We both looked at Alec, who snarled, "Why are you looking at me? I only know that she was the monster that killed my mom. I don't know what she is!"

For a millisecond, we racked our brains for answers. I didn't have a clue who Lamia was; my knowledge of mythology barely stretched to cover all 12 Olympians. Riley seemed just as confused as I did, but then Alec snapped his fingers.

"She... I think she was a daughter of Hecate. But she had children with Zeus?" Alec explained, his tone tentative. "So Hera killed her children and cursed her to be a monster."

"Hera," Riley muttered, narrowing her eyes.

"Hera?" I asked at the same time. "Double jinx!"

My siblings gave me a look, and I flushed. I needed to learn how to focus.

Riley ran a sepia-colored hand through her curls. "So-"

"Half bloods!" Lamia exclaimed. She was getting closer. "I can smell you!"

I looked at Alec and Riley worriedly. Alec mouthed, "Be quiet!"

All three of us went silent, our only movement our hands going towards our weapons. Liakada felt warm to the touch as I curled my fingers around its hilt. I tried to think of something to do, a plan to escape. I may not have been able to escape Camp Half-Blood that first afternoon, but I was determined to escape now.

The tap-tap-tap of Lamia's footsteps got louder and louder. When she finally came around the corner of truck, it was almost anticlimactic.

She stared at us. We stared at her, still unable to move our lower bodies. Then, in a smooth voice, she said, "Well, this will be easy."

Lamia started to sweep towards us, but, not even thinking, I blurted, "Wait! What if we can help you?"

"Help... me?" Lamia's lips curled up in amusement, but she still stopped in her tracks. "And how would you do that, little Songbird?"

Little Songbird? That's a new one.

"Um," I improvised, "You were cursed by... Hera, right?"

The light behind Lamia's eyes went out. Within an instant, she was stone cold. Her fists clenched at her sides. "Yes. After she massacred my babies right in front of me."

Some part of me felt pity for the woman, but considering she was trying to kill us, it was a fleeting feeling. "Right. I'm sorry about that, really. I understand your pain."

From beside me, I heard Alec scoff loudly, but I ignored him. To make this work, I had to be as convincing as possible. I continued, "Hera's no friend of mine, either. In fact, I've never even met the woman! But you... you seem like someone I could get along with really well."

"Is that so?" Lamia asked slowly.

"Yes! I mean, look at you, you're very pretty," I lied, "And you're obviously very powerful and you care about your family. Good looks, strength, caring? Who wouldn't want to be allies with someone like that?"

Riley must've caught on, because then she said, "I agree. You seem like a chill chick. Why kill us when you could... hire us! As your personal warrior slaves. We'll brutally murder anybody you want us to, free of charge!"

Lamia cocked her head and closed her eyes, as if she was considering this. Luckily, her spell started to wear off at that moment. Feeling returned to my legs, and in my peripheral vision I saw Alec slowly starting to move forward. He, too, must've realized I was lying all along; he started to move around Lamia, who was too deep in thought to notice.

Finally, the monster opened her eyes and started to say, "That actually sounds like-" She stopped, glancing at where Alec used to stand. "Wait a minute, where is-"

Before she could finish, Alec sliced his dirk clean through her chest, the tip coming out coated in golden blood. Lamia twisted and contorted and positively wailed in pain, crumpling to the ground as her body started to dissolve into light. "You cursed half bloods! This was all for my children! You will pay for this, all of you!"

Her voice went weak, her figure went limp, and then all that was left was her dress, Alec's dirk still stuck in the neckline. My brother leaned down and yanked the knife away, saying in a dark voice, "And this was for my mother, you vile, disgusting witch."

It took us a minute to catch our breath and to truly take in what just happened. We might've stood there forever, staring at the remnants of our almost-killer, if it weren't for the sound of a clock chiming somewhere nearby.

"It's quarter after 4," Riley said softly. "We should probably get going if we want to catch that train."

"Right," Alec said. He frowned, kicked the dress for good measure, then looked at us and said, "Let's go."

The sun was still glowing in the sky by the time we made it out of the alley, down Nassau Street, and back to the station. None of us said a single word until we were waiting in line to get on the train.

"Hey," I said, nudging Alec. "I'm sorry I dragged you into that. We should've just stayed here."

Alec studied my face, then replied, "It's all right. Really. It helped me get closure. The minute I saw Lamia, I knew it was her, and it felt so... freeing. To see her die." He winced. "Man, I sound morbid. I'm a healer, I shouldn't be enjoying a person's death."

"Well, she wasn't exactly a person," I reminded him. "And she was trying to kill us."

"And she would have, if it weren't for your quick thinking," Alec added. "Nice job, by the way. You're a good liar."

I waved a dismissive hand. "I've always been pretty good at finding my way out of sticky situations. I'm an expert at escaping, if I do say so myself."

Alec chuckled, then, for real and for good. "All right, escapee. If you say so."

I smiled, and he smiled back, and Riley turned around and smiled too, and everything felt ok. Like this was what I was meant to be doing - travelling the country, fighting monsters with my half siblings. Maybe I was just in a state of extreme relief from not dying, but whatever it was, it made my heart get all warm and fuzzy.

Little did I know the danger I had in front of me.

~ ☼ ~

Yo. I just gotta say that I have no idea what Princeton or its Starbucks is like; I've never been there and all this was from Google Maps so please excuse me if I got it horribly wrong :I

Please vote and comment! While you're at it, please check out some of my other works, like my paranormal fantasy story "Don't Fear The Reaper", which is completed as of August, 2018!

Positive vibes, everyone! Stay awesome.