The Return of Leo Valdez (After Blood of Olympus)

39- Hazel

Hazel and Reyna left Frank's body in order to find a hardware store, praying that nobody would notice it and call the police.

The girls didn't say much as they walked beside the roaring highway. All Hazel could think concentrate on was the cry of hawks above and the sound of rushing cars beside her.

The walk seemed to take hours, but in reality, was only a couple minutes.

Hazel was ready to crack. All of this unsettling silence built up her emotions, and now, she was about to break down. She couldn't have lost Frank like this. At least, not this soon.

Just as the first tear began to fall from Hazel's deep, golden eyes, Reyna said, "Hazel look, we found a hardware store."

Hazel saw Reyna point up ahead to a small run down shack that read "Aunty Em's hardware emporium."

Hazel looked behind her, slightly wishing Frank was right there, standing up, smiling, ready for the next adventure. But, Frank was not anywhere to be seen. His body was left much father back on the hot Texas ground.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Reyna asked. "Let's go in."

Reyna and Hazel walked right up to the front of the establishment. The door creaked as Reyna opened it.

"Are you sure this place is open?" Hazel whispered.

All of the lights were turned off and the room filled with dust. But, above Hazel, a large "open" sign sparked and rapidly blinked.

A small bell echoed through the store, but no one came up to greet them.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Reyna whispered. "Let's just get the shovel and go."

Hazel nodded and began to tip toe up and down the aisle. She spotted the shovels nearly right away and took two off the shelves. The were both very rusty, but it wasn't like they needed them for long.

"Hey Reyna!" Hazel whispered a little louder.

"What?" Reyna called, from an aisle over.

"I found the shovels."

"Good now let's get out-"

Suddenly the light flickered on, some sparked a bit, but then returned to normal.

"What lovely visitors we have here," a woman's voice said.

A noise like sandpaper rubbing together traveled through the shack.

"Yes your very right," the woman said. "We don't get visitors very often."

A woman turned down the aisle and Hazel was frozen in shock.

"What a delightful surprise," the woman said. "We haven't gotten many costumers as pretty as you."

Hazel didn't smile, Hazel didn't even listen. Something was wrong here, very wrong.

"Now what are you looking for today?" The woman asked.

"T-t-these shovels," Hazel said holding them up.

The woman was wearing a slick black dress with a black hat wrapped around her head that resembled an Indian turban.

"Yes, of course," the woman said as if she knew they were coming. Something was up, and Hazel knew it. Just play along, she told herself.

"I'll ring you up now."

The woman turned around and began to walk to the broken down registers. They were old, bent and covered in dirt and vines. Hazel doubted it worked.

Suddenly, the woman stopped in her tracks.

"You know what, you two look very tired. Why don't you take the night off? I have two extra beds that my sisters once slept in. But sadly, they are gone now."

Suddenly, everything clicked inside Hazel's head. The turban, the sisters, the sound of sandpaper, the run down shop...it all was completely clear.

"Oh I don't think that's a good idea, my friend will be looking for me," Hazel replied slowly backing up.

"There is another one with you?" The woman said as her head cocked to the side, back still facing Hazel. "Well-" the woman put her hands on her turban. A hissing sound filled the room. "Let him look."

The woman pulled down her turban and from her head erupted a storm of hundreds of little snakes.

Before she could turn around, Hazel shrieked so loudly, the windows shook. "Reyna! Run!"

Hazel took off towards the back of the store, away from the registers and away from Medusa.

"Where are you? My little snakes are very hungry, we never get any visitors anymore," the woman said quietly as her snakes hissed wildly.

Hazel knew better than to fall for the pity trick. Hazel spotted Reyna, running towards the exit, she was about to run after her when she spotted a shadow running across the walls.

"Reyna! Close your eyes!" Hazel yelled just as Reyna squeezed them tight.

Hazel did the same. Darkness surrounded her along with the sound of irregular hisses.

Suddenly, she felt a small little pinch. One of the snakes nipped her. Medusa was standing right next to her. A long nail ran across her spine.

"Just open your eyes, little one. My babies are very hungry," Medusa whispered reassuringly.

Hazel squeezed her eyes tighter.

No! Hazel thought. I won't yield!

"Come on, I know your hungry, just imagine how starved my little children are," Medusa said, a little more agitation in her voice.

"Come on, just open one eyelid, that's all it-"

Medusa's small talk was soon cut short by a ferocious battle cry. Hazel heard a loud squish sound and felt something soft hit her stomach.

"It's okay Hazel," Reyna said gently. "You can open your eyes now."

Hazel slowly lifted her eyelids, still wondering if it was all a trick. But nope, Hazel looked down at her feet and saw a large medusa head face down on the floor, drowning in a small pool of black blood.

"We shouldn't leave the head lying around in the middle of a shop like this. One local could come around and still be turned to stone," Reyna said. She walked over to another aisle and found a large bath cloth. She swaddled up the head and threw it in a trash can.

"There," Reyna said, whipping her hands on her cargo pants. She looked up at Hazel. "Now it's time to get to Frank."

Frank! Hazel has nearly forgotten about Frank. Hopefully he's still on the side of the road and no one has stopped to look at him, or call the police.

Reyna and Hazel nearly sprinted to the spot where the fight went down. But, something was wrong. Nothing was there. Frank's body has disappeared.