FOR HIRE:BABYSITTER FOR THE GODS

Chapter 2:I Am Chosen

As a kid, I was famous for disastrous birthday parties.  Most parties that I attended became failures, which include mine.  My 21st birthday was probably the worst.

I woke up with a start.  It was the 20th of September, my birthday.  I baked myself a cake, and before I got to eat it, there was a knock on the door.  I was expecting my parents or my friends, but there was no one.  Before I even got back to the table, there was the knock again.  I opened the door and saw a teenage guy, probably as old as me, wearing a tracksuit, and a bag full of bronze, silver, and gold envelopes.  He got a gold on for me and said, “Hermes Deliveries, please sign right here!” He handed me a piece of paper.  The name Hermes was vaguely familiar.  When I got the pen, something slithered on it.  Snakes.  I almost dropped the pen.  Immediately after signing, the guy disappeared in a puff of gray smoke. 

I opened the envelope and on it was: “CONGRATULATIONS!  YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!”

Chosen for what?  I asked myself.

As if an answer, a baseball flew over my head.  It almost hit me, so I went outside to see who did it.

“Who the he—”

I saw three kids, one sitting by the porch, another one holding a baseball bat, and the other one was ready to throw another ball. 

“What are you kids doing on my lawn?!” I shouted.  “Get out before I call your parents!”

“Well good luck with that,” said the kid holding the ball.

“Yeah, our dad’s in Tartarus,” the kid with the bat replied.

“Tartarus?” I asked, sounding puzzled.

“The darkest part of the Underworld.  We sent our father Kronos there because he’s too abusive with power.  He wanted to reign forever.  He should’ve known that nothing lasts forever, even if it is immortal,” the kid on the porch said.

“Say, you got any food in there?  I’m starving!” the kid with the ball demanded.

“Yeah, me too,” said the kid with the bat.

“Come on in, I’ve got cake and ice cream.  And we have a few things to talk about.”