2 The Fearsome God

"Luna!" A familiar shout suddenly rang across the walls of the house, coming from a distance.

I panic, I threw the basket that contains clothes and ran as fast as I can towards where the voice is coming from.

"I'm coming!" I shouted as my fragile legs ran into the staircase.

I immediately stopped when I arrive where the voice is coming from. There I saw my stepmother in front of me with her old grumpy look as always. The look that is almost trying to kill me.

"I've been calling you for like a hundred times!"

"Are you deaf huh?!" She said with a hint of irritation. She raised her hands and tried to hit so my maternal instinct immediately told me that I should back away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear it. I was busy doing the laundry." I said in an apologetic tone while gazing at my dirty feet on the floor.

"I didn't raise an incompetent person! Stop being lazy and do the work that I've given you!"

"I will," I cowered.

"Yes, you will! Or there will be no dinner for you tonight!"

"Ugh! I wish my step-daughter is not a fool! I wish the walls of my house were full of gold! I have so much money that our neighbors will envy me and flock to me! I wish you a lot of things! And now! I cannot do it now since your dear old father had died! Look at us now! Making fool of ourselves!" She ranted in front of me.

"At least before that fool died he could have left me money! But no he didn't!"

I stayed quiet, not bothering to say something or interrupt her while she is ranting in front of me. I don't understand why she is blaming my father because of our status today. My father got nothing to do with this.

My parents have already died, my mother died while giving birth to me, and when I turned 12 Father introduced Alexandra, my step-mother, right now. The woman who is ranting in front of me and when Father died, I was all alone even though I lived in my step-mother's house with her two daughters who keep on tyrannizing me.

What my stepmother keeps on blabbering is not true, Father left us money. All that he ever has, he left it with us but what did she do? She squandered all the money for gambling, she shows it off to her friends and uses it to spoil her daughters that's why we have none left!

My father shouldn't be the one to blame here!

I didn't even see or hold the money that my father left for us. I didn't have my share, not a single penny. I am the original child of my father, the blood of the Maude runs in me yet I'm the one who is always being shut out!

But Father always says be good with people who don't treat you right since kindness is the best revenge. But what's the good of being good if everyone is blind and always leaving you behind? Always throwing stones at you when you just want to be nice.

I sighed, I continued my unfinished work or there will be no dinner for me tonight. I don't want that. The only thing that I haven't cleaned is the bathroom, I'm so tired, my back and foot are aching so much. I was already awake at 4 in the morning to serve them because I am greatly in arrears with them.

I couldn't say no every time they would order me around since I'm grateful for them, for keeping me, giving me a roof over my head.

I opened the bathroom door and turned on the lights, step my foot inside. I drop the bucket on the floor and it made a sound as it bounces to the floor. I started mopping the floors, wiped the mirror that is attached to the wall and when I'm finished I ducked into all fours to scrub the floor and the toilet bowl.

I was doing a great job but I stopped when I heard a footstep coming towards the bathroom, I slowly turned around to see my two stepsisters standing on the door watching me like I was the biggest filth they saw in their entire life.

"Well, well look who's here." Aviona mockingly said.

It's me, isn't it obvious?

Aviona kicked the bucket near me that now contains dirty water since I used that for my dirty mop. The water splashed into my face, my dress, and the bathroom is now dirty again. They all laugh like a mad hog, I'm thinking that they feel pleasure when they see someone that is struggling.

There is still water left in the bucket, Avery took it and poured the remaining water to me, and they high five as if what they did was impressive.

"You deserve it," they laughed.

"This sight of you is unsightly," it wouldn't be unsightly if you haven't poured it on me.

"Clean the mess you've made," Avery snorted and kick the bucket.

"Girls," my stepmom's voice. The two sisters turned around because of that.

"What are you all doing here?"

"She's making a mess again," Aviona said innocently, trying to paint me as the villain.

My step mom's expression immediately changed, now I know for sure that she is angry. She raised her hands to me and looked like I was going to be slapped while muttering the words, "You fool!"

"You're nothing but a disgrace! I don't know why you are even born into this world! A simple task and you can't do it properly! What kind of a useless person you're!"

"Look at you! You look a mess!"

"Mother! you should let her sleep into the pigs' den because that's where she belongs!" Aviona laughed and Avery joined her laughter.

"I don't know what to do to you anymore! You're a useless brat! Just like your mother, I'm glad that woman died!" I clenched my fist because of what she said.

"And your Father! You're useless, you're a family of useless people!" She added.

No, my father is not useless. He was a hardworking man, he was helpful to people. I Idolized him so much because of what he has done and accomplished in his life and she is now calling him useless in front of me.

I couldn't believe it, father loved him! I could see it in my Father's eye when he is alive, the look on his face everything. He gave everything to her, to prove his love to her but did she do?

Look at her now! It's making me angry.

I stood up because of what she said, "You can talk shit about me but don't ever talk about my mother and father like that again! You know nothing!"

"How dare you talk to me like that!"

"No manners," Avery whispered. "Is that what your mother teaches you? Oh, wait!-- You never had a chance to meet your mother!" She said and burst into laughter.

"How dare yo-" I didn't finish what I was about to say when a slap landed on my face.

"You ungrateful brat! How dare you! You're nothing but a useless brat and yet you talk to us like that?" My step-mom said and slapped me again and tears are welling up in my eyes.

"You b- belong to the Tartarus! You are a scum-devil! You should have been the one who has been sacrificed and burned in the Gehenna!" I was stunned by what she said.

"Mom," the two nervous sisters called their mother.

I understand them being nervous, I even got nervous too.

It's prohibited to talk about the lower world. We can't talk about it since we don't have the right to utter the names of them.

There is always a God, a God who is listening and always on the lookout.

My stepmother looks at me again with her angry eyes, "No! It's true! She belongs in there!" She said and walked out of my sight and her daughters followed her.

I let out a heavy sigh when they were no near my sight, I slowly pick up the bucket and the mop and started cleaning again. I just want this to finish so I can go into my room and rest.

We believe that by mentioning the god or the properties of the god's we will be cursed since they are sacred, powerful, and since we are worshipping them. We can offend them and be in great danger just because of that. We couldn't use them to talk shit about anyone, that was the number one rule. We owe them a lot of things, but what my stepmother said was on a whole other level.

She mentioned the lower world, it's taboo for us to mention it, the gods have rejected the ruler of it. Told everyone that we just have to forget that God, we believe that he has possessed enough power to bring them to the underworld so we try not to ever speak his name or mention things that will mean him.

It's because of that great war!

It happened long ago when the great war came, it's just because of a misunderstanding between the gods they started a war, a war that killed millions of people, they almost made the earth crumble into pieces.

The people called it, "The great storm" they didn't call it a war since they believe that what happened is a storm that will never be passed. The storm will never pass because until now, the gods are still fighting. The people believe that it makes this world unbalanced because of the fighting that happened between the gods.

There were two opposing teams and they believe that the god of the underworld cheated, that he called upon the great titans that made the war even worse and because of that they banished him, they told him that he will never set foot into mount Olympus again.

And then after the great storm, the Gods came down from their lair. The Goddess Demeter gifted the people seeds and gave them a blessing that every harvest that they will be successful. The Goddess Fortuna gave them a blessing for them to have luck in everything that they do. Poseidon the God of the sea gave the people a blessing for them that when they will try to catch a fish much more than they anticipated and will be safe when they're venturing his place.

And after all the blessings that gods gave the people, the people eventually came ungrateful which made the gods angry again. Zeus got angry and struck his lightning into the earth in anger which wiped the whole of humanity gone.

Zeus came down to Tartarus and asked for Prometheus who is imprisoned in Tartarus because they did not fight with the Titans during the war. Zeus gave them a task that he will need to create man, Prometheus shaped man out of mud, and Athena breathed life into his clay figure.

Zeus stored memory from the people that were shaped out of mud, the memory of the great storm. He ordered them that they should spread it and tell everyone about it.

But when Zeus said that man must present a portion of each animal they sacrificed to the gods Prometheus decided to trick Zeus. In his anger over the trick, he took fire away from the man. However, Prometheus lit a torch from the sun and brought it back again to man. Zeus was enraged that man again had the fire. He decided to inflict a terrible punishment on both man and Prometheus.

And then came Pandora, the first woman, and so on. I think it's absurd. I don't believe it. That's what happened, but I guess it's absurd. The gods wouldn't go down the earth just to do that and I don't know if it's even true! I wasn't there, so I don't believe it. I'll only believe it when I saw it with my own two eyes.

"An assembly between the gods happened when the planets aligned and so is a misunderstanding which angers the gods and resulted into war. The earth split, the bridge rose, the stone and rocks pact upheave but one man decided to stray the path, he freed the titans and sided with them which made the Gods banished him and ruled that he will forever stay in his den and will never set foot into Olympus again." That's what my father always told me, he would always read me a book about the Gods when he is alive.

I shook my head as I took the bucket and put the mop in there and went out to the bathroom because I was done cleaning.

And eventually, night came, it was a silent night. I snuck out into a bed to get away from that nightmarish house and got into my favorite spot. It's a field, it's near us. There is a place where I could sleep and rest there. I arrived and rolled over the grass which somehow tickles me.

The moon came to the sky just like a mother who comes and cradles its crying baby with a lovely lullaby that will calm the infant in the mother's arms. The stars were shining bright in the dark, cold, and quiet night. I couldn't hear a single thing except for the hum of the cold breeze passing through me.

The night always makes me feel comfortable, it relaxes my mind. I love watching the stars fill the night magic. I find peace as I lay on the grass while gazing at the beautiful night sky.

My mind is lost in the thought of plots on how to escape reality no matter what will it cost me. I cannot face this cruel world that only knows how to make people miserable.

I suffer from life, from this cruel world, and from other people. I can't look at the reality face to face because I couldn't accept the truth, the state of my life. Only at night and all alone, lost in the midst of my thoughts and falling asleep - only then I do find myself and be comforted in my dreams with no connection to anything real.

I yawned and rolled over at the grass, the atmosphere and the cold breeze is making me feel sleepy. I used my arms as a pillow and slowly close my eyes and drowsed into sleep.

I found myself in an alley, I could hear screams. I quickly sat down and covered my head when I suddenly felt the floor that I stand to move and because of the sound of a loud explosion.

When I was able to recover I got up immediately and quickly walked away from the alley and when I was able to leave I saw people running and looking frightened. I look around I saw houses that were on fire, I covered my mouth when I saw many people injured and the others were just lying on the floor while the blood flowed on the floor.

Where the hell I am?

I fell when something suddenly exploded again, I tried to stand up but there was another explosion again.

Where the hell I am?

What kind of dream is this!

I staggered when two people wearing a cloak suddenly came up to me,

"Oh?" A voice of the man, the man slowly looked up and he was now grinning at me. "It's dangerous here Miss.," He said with a sickening grin.

"You got a pretty face," the other man said and tried to touch me but I back away. "I'm sure you are going to get even prettier."

"Let's take her," they looked at each other and plastered a grin into their mouths.

I stood up and tried to run but they immediately caught my hand, "come here, just be good. We are going to have fun." He said and licked his lips.

"No, no... leave me alone," I said tearfully while avoiding their hands to hold me.

I slowly step back and I hit my back against a wall, fear ran into my senses because the thought of me getting caught by these two strangers, and who knows what will they do to me made me feel scared.

I started to scream when I'm already cornered but to my surprised when something suddenly fell on the two men.

A man!

Another man steps on the man's head beneath him and pressed his foot on the man's head. I can see and I could feel that the man is writhing in pain. The other man couldn't move, I could see him trying to get away but he couldn't.

The mysterious man, look at me and I suddenly felt the urge to look back. Once our eyes met, I felt my heart skip a beat, everything around me turned slow-motion again.

But it immediately vanished when I suddenly felt pain in my head. I'm surprised and confused by the sudden pain but I couldn't think straight since the pain is getting much worse.

I tried to talk, tried ignoring the pain that I'm feeling in my head but there are no words coming out of my mouth and suddenly I saw my hand reaching into him for unknown reasons I'm trying to reach him.

And then, everything slowly vanished, I stood there unable to react. Everything that is around me was now all pitch black, I couldn't see anything.

And then a loud boom rang into my ears. I quickly covered my ears since the sound made me feel discomfort and pain.

I panic when everything turns red and slowly a silhouette is starting to come out of the floor. There was black smoke behind him, I slowly back down when he was completely off the floor. His laugh echoed a laugh that made all the hairs on my body stand. It sent shivers into my spine.

"You look scared my dear," he whispered into my ears.

The smoke was quick to move it keeps flying everywhere and sometimes I don't even realize that he is now already at my side. I don't understand a thing, what the hell is happening here!

"W-who are you!" I shouted at the smoke but he didn't answer he just laugh, a laugh that made me scared but at the same time it made me feel weird.

"Ha! The world is really toying with me! When I'm awake everyone is toying with me and now in my dreams, someone is also toying with me?" I unbelievably said to myself.

"I know what you feel and I can help you if you do what I say," he chuckled.

"Not because my life is miserable I will listen to you! Who are you?" I tried to make a brave face in front of him but I can't feel but to cower into his presence.

This is a dream, right? But why does it feel so real?

"I'm the unseen one," the smoke whispered, "The host of many," he whispered again and the smoke caught my hair, I swallowed hard since I'm scared and I cannot even move.

"The attractor of man," he laughed. "Also known as Plouton," the smoke formed into a hand and it touched my cheeks.

The things he tells me I don't get it and my brain can't process it. What does he mean?

"What?" I said cluelessly while I'm shaking like a scared cat.

He's doing nothing to me and he's just a cloud of smoke but I'm still scared, I can't understand the fear that I'm feeling.

"I'm Hades," he said and the smoke started to form into the shape of a man that made me froze. Beads of sweat started to form into my forehead, I could hear my own heartbeat.

I slowly stepped back when an enormous spoked appeared, it was very silent I couldn't even breathe because of the sight that I saw and then suddenly a man came out into the smoke.

A man with long jet black hair, a length that is almost on his lower back. Fangs, hanging out on his mouth just like a vampire. His eyes are red as the rose that has just bloom in the early spring. The mysterious creature is now grinning at me, a grin that sends shivers down my spine as he slowly starts to come out into the smoke, I could almost feel that my strength on both legs is now slowly starting to waver and I knelt in his presence.

"I'm Hades the ruler of the underworld," I slowly back down when he bent down which caused our faces to come close together. I shrieked in fear as I watch the sight of a god in front of me, a god that I never thought that I would ever see.

The god Hades is represented as evil and fearsome and is feared by the mortals, all for one simple reason: he is the god of the Underworld and now he is standing in front of me.