[ WP ] Your new romantic interest is , unbeknownst to you , the recent ex of a jealous deity .

Vermont was in the middle of a storm the likes of which I had n't seen in the state since Hurricane Irene. Although described by every news station as a heavy rainfall, the storm -- which had seemingly come out of nowhere -- had already lasted a solid week, with no prospect of sunshine on the horizon. Weathermen around the state appeared on television with tight smiles, reporting that they storm would cease soon, and that they predicted the weather would return to the blistering, too humid temperatures one could expect for mid-July. They projected forecasts showed high humidity and low expected rainfall, and they were wrong, day after day. The rain just never seemed to stop falling. 
 
 This was around the time I started hanging out with Katy Hewes. We'd met at a bar only a couple of weeks earlier -- I was working at my uncle's antique shop, just outside of Burlington, and she was working at Merchant's, a farm stand near the city and across the road from a gas station. One night, my cousin and I went out and overdid it; he ended up daring me to perform karaoke at a open-mic. I thoroughly embarrassed myself, but it worked as a great conversation opener. I did n't get her number that night, but we ran into each other at the same place nights later and exchanged digits. She warned me that she'd just gone through a bit of a rough patch and ended a relationship, so she was keen to just chill and enjoy herself. I told her I would n't mind being a rebound. 
 
 She contacted me first and invited me to spend a day at a local fair with her. She had a friend showing a cow there and promised me it'd be a good time. The animal center smelled like shit, I ate way too much fried dough, and I *miserably* lost a water gun contest to a thirteen-year-old, but I got to go on some fun rides and Katy was n't bad company in the slightest. I kissed her behind the Fun House before we left. Half-an-hour after that, it started raining, and it has n't stopped since. 
 
 -- 
 
 `` Hey. What's good? You got a lunch break today?'' It was just after noon and I was in my car, on my way to the Merchant's stand. It was my day off and Katy had asked me to stop by and see her; she had far fewer days off than I did, and seldom got to hang out with people she did n't work with. I almost did n't want to, what with the rain, but things seemed to be picking up between us and I was not going pass over a summer fling. 
 
 Still, the rain sounded like hail against the roof of my car, and it was near impossible to see the road well. Everything was blurry and foggy and I had to wonder how Merchant's was still even open on a day like this. On a good day, they set a lot of their produce outside, and their only `` inside'' infrastructure were a bunch of flimsy wide, white tents. I'd already left for Merchant's when Katy called me. I had one of those car phone mounts, but even with both hands on the wheel, talking to Katy seemed too distracting to be safe. 
 
 `` No, not really. I mean, there has n't been much traffic today, so it's kinda like all day's been a lunch break, you know?'' Her laugh crackled through the speakers. `` Are you still coming? I mean, it's raining a *bunch*, so I totally would n't blame you if you did n't, but just wondering.'' 
 
 `` No, no, I'm on my way now, actually. Should be there in another ten,'' I answered, my eyes dodging all around the road in case oncoming traffic came out of nowhere. 
 
 `` Oh! Awesome, cool. Alright, well. I'll be here when you get here, so -- so just get here.'' Katy giggled again and we stayed on the line for another couple of seconds saying goodbye after. I barely had a chance to breathe once the call was over before a person appeared on the road only a few feet ahead of me. I immediately pressed down on the brakes, but panicked and lost control of the wheel, turning myself out on the slippery road. I managed to pull onto the side of the road, and luckily, no one was close behind or in front of me. I did n't remember hitting the person, but they had been so close to the car, it would have been impossible for me to miss them... 
 
 I stepped out of my car, my shins quaking. Every muscle felt tense, like I was ready to snap. I looked down the road, but did n't see anything -- no body, no blood, nothing. Using the side of my car as support, I made my way down the road, craning my neck to see if anything landed in nearby bushes. I was just about to go out further when someone pushed me back against my car, crushing my lower spine against a door handle. I hissed in pain and received a shrill, `` Shut up!'' in response. 
 
 I slowly opened my eyes and was met with the most naturally beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life. Her eyes were the first thing I was drawn to; they were a golden yellow somewhere between autumn leaves and sunlight. She had the soft, cherubic features of a Bertucci painting, and her skin was a full, deep brown like turned soil. Her hair was big, made of tightly coiled light brown mermaid curls. Everything about her seemed *alive*, and I probably would have been more impressed if her grip was n't cutting off my circulation. 
 
 `` Who the hell are you?!'' I demanded, finding that fighting back against her was futile. She did n't look particularly muscular, but I could tell she was not the type of person I wanted to be up against in an arm wrestling match. 
 
 `` I said, shut up! Now listen to me, *you*,'' she told me, spitting out each syllable like poison. `` You want this to keep going on?'' She motioned towards the sky -- it was still raining hard, although all I could feel was her grip on my arms. `` I could stop it, if I wanted to. Or I could just let this whole town flood. Hell, even the state if this carries on.'' I silently wondered what the hell any of this had to do with me, but I was afraid to ask aloud. `` Just stay away from her and it'll all be over. Like nothing ever happened. Got it?'' 
 
 I nodded and before I could blink, she was gone. `` I did n't even get your name,'' I weakly joked to myself, not quite able to process whatever had just occurred. 
 
 -- 
 
 After a short, cautious drive, I finally made it to Merchant's. I found Katy in the tent by the pie of the day samples and snagged some blackcurrant before giving Katy a short kiss on the lips. At that very moment, a great roll of thunder went through the sky, accompanied by a flash of lightning. Katy frowned as she pulled away from me, looking at the sky. `` Huh. That was weird.'' 
 
 Weirder still, I looked up and saw the woman from the road approaching us. I gave out a small yelp against my will and Katy turned to look at what I'd screamed at. She rolled her eyes once she spotted the woman. `` Oh my god, Percy. You ca n't just sneak up on people like that. Wow. What the fuck is wrong with you?'' I was completely taken aback by Katy's tone, never having heard her be so nasty to someone. 
 
 This Percy girl seemed not to even hear her though. `` So this is my replacement, hmm?'' She stood near Katy and gave me a once-over, not a shred of kindness in her yellow eyes. `` Best you could do on such short notice?'' 
 
 Katy looked really upset at this point, but I did n't know what to do. `` Replacement?'' was the only word I could manage to utter as I looked between the two girls, confused. 
 
 `` Scott, this is Percy. Percy, this is Scott.'' 
 
 `` I'm her ex,'' Percy told me, a smirk on her lips and her eyes flashing dangerously. There was another boom of thunder overhead. 
 
 `` Oh my god, Percy! We went out for like a month. It was n't even that serious,'' Katy exclaimed, not looking at either of us. She crossed her arms and started mumbling to herself, and I began to put the pieces together. 
 
 `` So she was the one you were --'' I started, cut off by Katy widening her eyes at me. `` Yeah, never mind.'' I did n't know whether or not to mention the incident on the road, but I got the feeling Percy was something a little different from human. So much for my casual summer fling. 
 
 `` Anyway, it's such a pleasure working side-by-side with Katy everyday here,'' Percy told me, smiling. `` Someone's got to look after her when you're not around, right? It was a pleasure meeting you, Scott. Perhaps we'll run into each other again.'' 
 
 I sincerely hoped not.
