Olympus Drive Book 1: Everything is Fine

Prologue

1

Storm

"Can't I go home soon?" I ask, looking past the plastic booths of the diner, out at the rain battering the parking lot. It's been storming all day.

"We're on our way home," the man says, calmly, putting food in front of me. It isn't food from here. It's from his bag. He bought me a shake so we could sit here. I'm not drinking it.

"My mommy will be worried. I'm not supposed to leave the backyard. I was just looking at the clouds." He came and picked me up and carried me to his old van.

"I know. But this is best for you. Your mother will have other little children to take care of. She'll forget about you. You have a great purpose."

I look outside, not really intending to answer him at all.

"You know you're different, don't you?" he asks, looking at me curiously. He's got very very blue eyes. But the rest of him is a mess. He's wearing an old work coat, and his hair and beard don't look cared for. They aren't grey, though, like my dad's are.

"I'm not different," I mumble, playing with my hands.

"Yeah you are. You're special. You're going to save the world."

"I don't want to."

"You see things other people don't sometimes, don't you?" he asks, cocking his head a little.

"No," I lie.

"You've never called your mother to your room—thinking there as a monster at your window, only for her to tell you there's nothing there?" he asks. I don't know how he knows it's true.

"I was dreaming," I say, "Monsters aren't real."

"Yes they are, Barad, and they want you. Because you're special."

"That's not my name. My name's Basil."

"No, it's not. You have a new purpose now. A greater purpose."

"Then why can't I go home?" I ask, tears filling my eyes.

"Because your old family can't protect you from those monsters. Only I can. That's why I had to come and save you. So you can learn. And grow up to save other people someday," he says, "You don't want those monsters to tear up your mother, do you?"

"They're not real," I don't want them to be real. I so don't want them to be real.

"What do they look like, Barad?"

I close my eyes, "They have sharp teeth. And many heads."

"And they stalk outside your window at night?"

"Yes," I whisper, my voice shaking.

"And you wouldn't want them to hurt your old family, would you?"

"No."

"Okay then. Eat your lunch, then we'll go home."

"Can't we go back and get Denver?"

"Who's that?"

Very quietly, "My teddy bear."

"No. We can't. How would you feel if your old family got killed by those monsters, because you weren't strong enough to keep them safe?"

"I scared them away once," I say, tears welling in my eyes. I can't sleep without Denver.

"What if you can't the next time?"

I shiver. All I see is their teeth at my windows, claws scraping the glass.

"That's why I'm taking you far away. To keep you safe from all the monsters. Okay? You're going to do great things one day."