?as the world caves in?

?we visit an interesting statue garden?

We came up on the entrance, where two gnomes were.

"Hey..." Grover warned us.

"The lights are on inside, maybe it's open." Annabeth said, ignoring him.

"Snack bar," Percy said.

"Snack bar," I agreed.

"Are you three crazy? This place is weird." Grover sighed.

The front held many statues, including a satyr playing the pipes.

"Bla-ha-ha!" Grover bleated. "Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!" We came up to the door. "Don't knock, I smell monsters."

"Your nose is clogged up from the Furies. All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"

"Meat!" Grover said scornfully. "I'm a vegetarian."

"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans." Percy deadpanned.

"Those are vegetables. Come on, let's leave. Those statues are looking at me."

The door opened and in front of us was a tall woman covered from head to toe in a black gown, where I could see nothing but her hands.

"Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?" She asked us, a slight Middle Eastern accent.

"They're... um..." Annabeth struggled to find something.

"We're orphans." Percy blurted.

"Orphans?" She said. "But, my dears! Surely not!"

"We got separated from our caravan, our circus caravan." I added, going along with Percy. "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?"

"Oh, my dears, you must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."

We went inside.

"Circus caravan?" Annabeth muttered to me.

"Always have a strategy, right?"

"You're an idiot."

I smiled and kept on walking, ignoring how the statues eyes seemed to follow me.

"Please, sit down," Aunty Em said once we reached the dining area.

"Awesome," Percy said.

"Um, we don't have any money, ma'am." Grover said reluctantly.

"No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans."

"Thank you ma'am." Annabeth said.

Aunty Em stiffened for a moment, but she relaxed. I was just imagining things.

"Quiet all right, Annabeth. You have such beautiful gray eyes, child." Aunty Em said.

She disappeared and started cooking. I sat there smelling the food, not a care in the world.

She brought us double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and servings of French fries.

I quickly ate my fries, not even taking a second to catch my breath.

"What's that hissing noise?" Grover asked.

I shrugged, not hearing anything.

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