My Dad Is Poseidon

Chapter 1

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Alleeeey, happy birthday to you!"

I sat up on my pillows in my creaky old bed, I loved the sweet old happy birthday song. Mom was leaning on the doorway with a tray full of presents wrapped in faded Dora the Explorer wrapping paper.

"Good morning, Mom," I said sleepily. She put the tray on my lap, it was surprisingly heavy. I tapped my fingers against the cold metal and watched Mom squirm with impatience.

"Just open them, Alley!" She exclaimed. I rolled my eyes and grabbed for the smallest package. The tray grew instantly lighter when I lifted it, and I wondered what could possibly be inside.
I stared at the neatly wrapped gift before giving up to my Mother's bouncing up and down, tearing off the wrapping paper. I frowned as I discovered a small black box. What could it be? 

I took a deep breath and opened it. To my great surprise and dismay, I found a coin. A simple bronze coin.

"Mom, why did you get me a coin?" I asked, studying the strange designs that seemed like they were trying to tell me something important.

"Flip it." Mom crossed her arms.

"Okaaaaayy..." I replied. I was so confused, so I did as she said. I flipped it reluctantly and in a couple of seconds, it transformed into a sword. I yelled at the top of my lungs, flinging it to the other side of the room. It landed on my desk and skidded to the floor. Mom was just smiling like a psychopath as if everything was normal.

"Mom. What. The. Heck. Was. That. Why did you get me a weapon for my Birthday? How did you even find a sword in the 21st century?? And how does it transform from a coin to a sword?" I had so many questions. And not all of them were very nice regarding my Mom.

"Sweetie...I think we should go for a little walk." She said finally, picking up the sword and giving it back to me. She turned to walk out my bedroom door but stopped last minute,

"It'll turn back into a coin if you flip it."

I looked down and studied the beautiful symbols and drawings that had been carved into the heavy bronze. I couldn't help admiring how beautiful it was. Deadly, but beautiful.

I quickly flipped it back into coin mode and got changed. On my way out I grabbed my phone, some spare change and stuffed them in a small backpack. I was about to leave, but paused and looked at the coin that I had left carelessly on the bed. Something, deep inside of me, was nagging that I should take it too. I hesitated for a long time, but in the end, I grabbed it, putting it with all my other things.

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"Mom quit the walking and explain all this weirdness," I said suddenly. We had walked so far that we were almost at the Golden Gate bridge and not a peep had come out of Mom since my bedroom. 

"Well?" I asked impatiently. A cold gust of wind blew in my face, whipping my curly hazelnut locks everywhere.

"Remember how I told you that your Dad is Poseidon?" She replied slowly, turning to face the sea. I looked at her strangely.

"All too clearly," I sighed. Mom definitely wasn't gonna cut the Poseidon crap anytime soon.

"You probably think I'm crazy-"

"You think?" 

"-But I'm telling the truth". I looked at my dear Mother pityingly,

"Mom, my Dad isn't Poseidon. When are you going to understand that my Dad was just an idiot who didn't use protection and considered you to be a one-night fling? I just can't keep living like this, It's getting out of hand-" Suddenly I stopped. A strange man was headed our way and I had the feeling he was staring right at me even though I couldn't see through the thick sunglasses he was wearing. Something about him made me want to just run home and lock all the doors.