Power From On High...

Chapter 1: Part 8

After all the day's excitement, it was night and Zeus returned from his meeting with Cronus but instead of going home he decided to visit his pet and friend, Arketus, in his pen that fit into the gardens below his apartment building.

Before getting there he pulled a cigarette out of one of his large, metallic arm bands and lit it up with a spark of electricity from his finger. The first inhalation of the cigarette was refreshing. He exhaled slowly, making smoke rings. He remembered the day his mother caught him smoking. Zeus smiled. He remembered how furious she was. She forbade him from doing it any longer, withdrew his allowance, put all sorts of restrictions on his life, but all for naught. It was too late. The second Zeus smoked he was an addict. A terrible one. He needed to smoke at least thirty cigarettes a day.

He didn't like the electronic cigarettes. He liked them natural, hand rolled. His mother would always tell him he was killing himself. He responded every day that passes puts us one step closer to the day that we die, so he was dying anyway. She responded saying his life would be painful by the time he reached old age. So Zeus was curious. After over a year of smoking he had his lungs checked out... there was no alteration in them at all. His lungs somehow processed the tar and eliminated it as well as the other harmful chemicals. When he presented the results to his mother she finally gave up on lecturing him.

Still, Zeus would always respect his mother's concern for him and only smoked whenever she wasn't around and made sure not to smell of tobacco to stop her from worrying. He loved his mother with all his heart. When she passed away Zeus, instead of mourning like people usually do, held a party in her honor, because in her life, she always criticized the way people would never think of celebrating the life that has moved on. She hated the sadness, the tears, the anguish. She thought it was unnecessary. "Lives should be celebrated when they end Zeus. We should be happy about those who ascend into heaven," she would always say. So even though it hurt Zeus to do as she had willed, he enjoyed praising her after death, for she was a great mother, who only ever wanted the best for him and would work herself to death, to make sure Zeus' life was perfect.

Arketus was busy watching holovision when Zeus walked up to the enclosure.

"Do you even understand what is going on? I know that I have asked you that before, but I am just wondering, what connection do you have with these characters, you are not Martian, how do they relate to you, why are you always so eager to watch this show?" Zeus questioned.

Arketus, the lion, spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

"I don't know Zeus, I get swept up into all the drama, it dazzles me. Animals are simple, our intellect only allows for base emotions and a life based on instinct. To see how Martian lives are so varied, to witness the emotion these characters portray, makes me feel like I am a part of their story, I feel so involved. I guess you could say it is an addiction of mine; I'm a lucky animal, to experience life this way. I have thanked you many times, but I say thank you again because I know you love to be praised," said Arketus.

"Do not mention it, I am lucky to have a friend like you. So, what is happening in the show?"

"Jipati, a wealthy lawyer and she has just been jailed for gambling because in this story, the protagonist's world is much different to ours, gambling is illegal. Even though Jipati made a big win at one of the top underground's casinos she loses it all and as a penalty the government took away all her assets. Now her children are living a life where only their father can provide for them, but they are going through hard times because he does not earn enough to support his three children. Therefore, his children are forced to work in order for them to survive, but by doing this, they are also breaking the law. They get desperate and consult a witch to bring them fortune, but their wish turns sour when they realize that the witch is actually trying to steal their souls, because there is something special about those children.