Hermes

She took my hand and dragged me to the entrance. I halted her. ''What are you doing?'' I yelled in her face.

''Alex we got to go.'' Her face was serious, but she didn't know who she was dealing with. Hades is never the best person to trust.

''Eleanor, just because a god gave you some attention, you can't run off, and obey him like that. Hades…'' I was cautious with my words, or he would simply drag me down to the Underworld right through the earth. ''He's not the kind of person you should listen to.''

''Hades is a great person. No realizes that yet. He's not bad. You just need time to recognize that.'' Her face was now red. I felt like she was going to faint. Her breathing was hard and her hands were shaking, but I wasn't going to let some girl drag me to hell if she was charmed by Hades.

''Need time? Eleanor you just met him for what… ten minutes? I've known him my whole life, and he's not the guy to trust. I'm not going anywhere.'' I turned my back on her and headed towards the white stolen rug, Eva took from a store.

Jack was now sleeping on floor, Eva and Josh were laughing their hearts out, Noah was sleeping on the grass, Kim was examining the tree trunk, Max was staring at the earth, lost in thoughts, and Eleanor was yelling my name behind my back. I sat in my place in front of the cookie box which was now empty. I felt like I needed a cigarette.

Eleanor sat behind me on the white rug, heavily breathing, body fully shaking. ''Alex… Please… Listen… Apollo,'' she inhaled, and then dropped her face in her palms. She wasn't weeping; she was just lost in thoughts or words, I couldn't decide.

She took her hands off her face, stared at the sky, and said,'' Alex, you need to trust me. You need to trust the gods.''

''You don't now the first thing about gods,'' I yelled in her face. ''You don't know anyone but Ares and Hades. Both of them are messed up Eleanor. You can't trust a god, ever. They're all messed up.''

She wasn't looking at my face; all she did was stare at the earth and speak. ''What about demigods? What can you say about them huh? I trusted you Alex the moment I saw you in that forest, the moment you saved my life. It's time for me to save you.''

''Me? I'm perfectly fine. Thank you.'' I snapped. What in the world was she talking about? Hades what have you done?

''Alex you don't understand. We need to go to Apollo to know the truth,'' she calmly said as f trying to hold her nerves from breaking out.

''Eleanor you're brain washed. Something Hades is really good at doing,'' I rolled my eyes at her.

''Okay, you know what. Who will you trust? Hermes?'' She stared me dead in the eye.

I saw fear and demand. Is she crazy? How could she know Hermes? Why are the gods talking to her? She's just a mortal. ''Eleanor, Hermes could never appear and convince me to go to Greece.''

''Oh really? What if he could?'' A voice echoed from behind me. It sounded like a man. Eleanor stood up and went backwards, towards the man I suppose. I stood up and turned around. My jaw dropped at his sight.

There he was Hermes. The God Of Shepherds, Travel, and The Gods' Messenger. He was wearing a uniform with a blue ''Taxi Driver'' logo on it. He had light latte hair styled and freshly cut with a clean face and intense green eyes.

''Alex, ma boy!'' He gave me a bear hug and rubbed my scalp with his huge fist. He smelled like glue and post stamps. ''Come kid. Let's get you out of here.''

He rushed past Eleanor and stopped. ''You too.'' He pointed at her and beckoned to follow.

I walked next to Eleanor and whispered in her ear, ''How did you do that?''

''Do what?'' She replied with a whisper.

''How did you summon him?'' I whispered back.

Hermes was still jogging in front us, waving to the people. They stared at the crazy taxi driver and ignored his presence.

''He just came out of the cab.''

''How did you know it was Hermes?''

'' He said something like, 'where's Alex? He's late,' and then introduced himself to me. Then we went to get you.''

This didn't make any sense. Eleanor was hiding something. I could see her eyes burning with the heat of anxiety. There is something weird going on and I have to find out what it is.

We got to the yellow cab as Hermes opened the door.'' Come on, Alex. Ladies first.''

I smiled at him and decided to go in. As I was about to jump inside, but a tall golden staff was talking my place. It's Hermes', I thought. It had a round sphere at its center with two snakes spiraling from the bottom of the staff till their faces pointed at the sphere as if staring at it. One had dark blue crystal eyes and the other had dark red.

''Oops,'' Hermes said. ''Shouldn't leave that here.'' He touched the tip of the staff. It folded itself up like paper to form a little golden eighties phone with two gems on its front. He scooped it up and slid it into his pockets. ''Quick get it!'' He said as he ran to the driver's seat.

I jumped in and Eleanor followed. The cab from the inside smelled like dirty socks. It had ripped grey seats. I noticed Eleanor was scrunching up a yellow stuffing to focus her shaking on something else. I wish could help her. I just couldn't bear looking at her. How did she, out of all the girls I met get to meet the gods? How many did she meet? Why didn't she tell me anything of this? I don't think I could trust her anymore.

Thoughts were ruining my feelings as Hermes said, ''Buckle up buttercup,'' and blasted through the road on full speed.

The car's motor was screeching in our ears. Eleanor clasped my hand as hard as she could. I gave her a glance as my free hand was clenched at the driver's seat. '' Could you slow down,'' I yelled in his right ear.

''HA?'' He yelled back. ''THERE'S FUCKING TRAFFIC, WE GOTTA STOP.''

Thank the gods, I thought.

Hermes stopped at the traffic line. I heard his phone vibrate in his pocket. ''Damn it,'' He yelled while punching the air outside the window. ''Kids, how you feelin' back there?''

I looked fine, but Eleanor's face was yellow. Her hand still clenched my wrist. I gently took it off and said to Hermes,'' Can you explain what all this is about?''

''Like her father,'' he bellowed with laughter then focused his attention on my question. ''Kid you need to go to Greece.''

''Why is everybody telling me that?'' I yelled at his face.

''Boy, I could hear you if you talked normally, thought you knew that,'' he sniffled his nose. Eleanor was still silent. Her yellow face was staring outside the widow trying to ease herself from puking.

Hermes noticed Eleanor and said,'' If she gon puke imma puke too. Period.''

''Okay, Hermes please. Why do I need to go to Greece?'' I looked into his green eyes pleadingly.

He stared back casually and said,'' that bloody good for nothing Ares didn't tell you about our kids? May they rest in the Elysian Fields.'' His eyes dropped to the ground.

''Yes yes he did about the quests and prophecies,'' I quickly recalled. ''But he said you don't do that anymore. Not since I was born.''

''You were born a hero,'' he yelled. ''All heroes go on quests to save the world!''

''The world needs saving?'' I asked.

''Of course it does,'' he bellowed. ''Alex, it's your time to shine alongside with that side kick. Trust me. Alex, when you hear Apollo's prophecy everything will be clear.'' He gave me warm smile and yelled at cars,'' Move you bastards there's a wounded person in here!''

''Who?'' I asked looking around.

''Her,'' he pointed at Eleanor who was now almost sleeping on the window.

''She fine,'' I rolled my eyes at him.

''Oh trust me kid, she is wounded.''