?as the world caves in?

The sun was setting behind the mountains by the time we reached the old water park. Based on the sign, it was called WATERLAND, but some of the letters were missing, so it read WAT R A D.

The main gate was padlocked and had barbed wire on top. Inside, we could see huge water slides, tubes and pipes everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered around. With night coming, this place felt creepy.

"If Ares brings his girlfriend here for a date," Percy said as he looked around. "I'd hate to see what she looks like."

Annabeth looked at me. "Percy, be more respectful."

"Why? I thought you hated Ares."

"He's still a god, and his girlfriend is very temperamental."

"You don't want to insult her looks," Grover added.

"Who is she? Echidna?"

"No," I snapped. "Aphrodite."

"Goddess of love." Annabeth said.

"My mom."

"Oh, sorry, Cor."

Did he just say my nickname? I was fine when people said it, but when Percy just said it, it felt... different.

"I thought she was married to somebody," Percy said. "Hephaestus."

"What's your point?" Grover asked.

"Oh. So how do we get in?"

"Maia!" Grover said as he flew into the air, went over the fence, did an unintended somersault, then stumbled to a landing. He brushed off his jeans, like he'd planned the whole thing. "You guys coming."

Annabeth, Percy and I climbed up the fence, holding the barbed wire down for each other.

There was no monsters around, and nothing made a noise.

I tried to push down the strange feeling I had of this place, telling myself it was myself being paranoid.

We found a souvenir shop that was left open. Stuff was still on the shelves.

"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Fresh clothes."

"Yeah," Percy said. "But you can't just—"

"Watch us." I said.

Me and Annabeth grabbed the first clothes we could reach and went into the dressing rooms. I had grabbed some regular black athletic shorts and an oversized Waterland T-shirt. I shoved extra stuff in the bag Annabeth grabbed once she got out.

"Can you redo my braid real quick?" I asked Annabeth.

"Sure," she said and pulled out the hair tie and started to untangle it slightly with her fingers. "Won't be as good as Silena can, but I'll do my best."

"It's fine, just wanted to get it redone."

Grover and Percy just stood there watching before shrugging and grabbing clothes of their own until we all looked like we were about to take a photo shoot for the water park.

We kept on searching for the Tunnel of Love once my braid was done and everyone else got done grabbing random goodies.

Percy fell in step with me. "So Ares and Aphrodite, they have a thing going?"

"That's old gossip, Percy," I told him. "Three-thousand-year-old gossip."

"What about Aphrodite's husband?"

"Well, you know, Hephaestus. The blacksmith. He was crippled when he was a baby, thrown off Mount Olympus by Zeus. So he isn't exactly handsome. Clever with his hands, and all, but my mom isn't into brains and talent, you know?"