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It was only till later did I realize what I was doing, how I wasn’t pushing her away. How she was enjoying herself, and I hated myself for that. How could I have forgotten something like the curse? I stood instantly, surprising Piper who was in the middle of saying something.
“Will, is everything alright?” She said and I turned around gritting my teeth. How could I have been so stupid?
“Get out.”
“W-what?”
“I said get out, it’s a simple request. So do it” I snapped turning around a hard look in my eye, she looked betrayed but didn’t say anything as she walked out of the room and I kicked the wall and grimaced a my foot throbbed. What I just did…it was unacceptable.
***
We were back in Fred’s library, back to studying, neither Piper, nor everyone else was talking to me, Piper probably told them after she left the room. Right now, some of the others were talking to Imogene whilst they were researching.
“So where’s your mum?” Leo asked her and she looked up smiling shrugging at the same time. She was drawing on a piece of paper, what she was drawing, I don’t know. I was only half listening to the conversation, but I was bored.
“Daddy said that she left to visit her family”
“When was that?”
“About four years ago” She said shrugging and I tilted my head up to her frowning. Four years…that was when Fred did his experiment of his. The one that the buffoons were talking about back at Darkwood’s house, the experiment which they were talking about was making a talking dog. Obviously with this power. But the talking dog died a few hours later only saying ‘Kill me’ but no one would so it starved itself to death.
“Oh, and has she called?” Annabeth asked her, also thinking of the experiment that happened four years ago, Imogene shook her head and showed the picture that she was drawing. It showed her holding hands with Fred and who I guessed was her mother, she wrote above it in her messy writing ‘Come home, I miss you’
“I’m sure she will come back after she see’s that” Piper reassured the girl who beamed at her happily. I sighed turning back to my research. This was strange, and I don’t like it.
***
It was later that night, when everyone else had left and I had decided to do some last minute studying that I had passed the empty kitchen. I paused as I saw a burnt piece of paper in an ash tray. I was curious and walked over to it, peeling it open, trying to decipher what it was. Though most of it was burnt black there was a small bit that was visible.
I widened my eyes. It was the picture, the picture she drew. Imogene’s letter to her mother. But why would someone burn this, no, why would Fred burn this? It made no sense, unless he didn’t want the mother back, or she’s dead and he hasn’t told Imogene about it.
I sighed as I realised that this was none of my concern and with that thought I exited the house, shaking away the seeds of doubt forming in my mind. It was no business of mine to meddle with family business, for if I did, I would be a hypocrite if I did.
I drove back to the apartment but as I was walking up the path, I patted my pockets and frowned. I didn’t have my keys, I considered knocking the door but sighed, better to go back and get them, and anyway, I had an uneasy feeling something was about to happen.
As I drove, thunder boomed, rattling the windows and my hands clenched the wheel, the knuckles turning white. Something was about to happen, and I didn’t like it. Not one bit. I sped to the house and ran up the stairs; the clouds were purple above the house which made me cautious. Was Fred doing that experiment, the goons were talking about?
I raced into the house calling out “Hello?”
I stood there waiting for Imogene to come running out to greet me, like she usually does. But the house was silent, not even a sound of a dog. I gulped and went down to the library then stopped as I saw a door with a light on and frowned.
I headed to the room and inside I saw Fred with something beside which made me widen my eyes and gave a small gasp. Beside him was a dog but with long blonde hair and large green eyes.
“Will!” Fred exclaimed in surprise, I couldn’t tear my eyes off the strange dog to look at Fred “I didn’t expect you to be here until tomorrow”
“I forgot my keys” I said as I walked to the dog “What is this?”
"My successful experiment, half human, half monkey!" Fred exclaimed, obviously excited by this and I widened my eyes "It can even talk"
As if on cue the hybrid animal looked up and stared at me right in the eyes "He…llo…"
I bent down to be eye level to the animal and stared at it in curiosity and wonder, a hybrid of animals, created by a mortal, with no trace of Olympian blood. This was a breakthrough. If the cult were to gain this animal….who knows what would happen.
Fred went to his desk and rifled through the papers and then started to get all scientific, and explained what he had done.
"Big…bro…ther…Will?" The hybrid breathed out and I stiffened widening my eyes, of course. Four years ago, he had managed to create an exact replica of what is in front of me right now, but on the same day his wife disappeared. And now his daughter and dog disappeared…I turned my head and glared at Fred.
"Fred, where is Imogene and Maxie?" I snarled interrupting him and he stopped and turned with a slight smile on his wrinkled face, confirming my theory. What was in front of me was no half dog and monkey. What was in front of me was half Dog half Human.