Dear Diary: today was exhilarating and scary as well. I hadn’t thought very much of Prometheus’ suggestion that we take a plane ride. All I could think about was how did Prometheus escape and how angry Daddy’s going to be. You see, Diary, I had often wanted to free him myself. I wanted his suffering to end. I would fly by the rock where he was chained, and I could hear his cries. I hated that eagle for feasting on my friend. Well, if you want to call him my friend. He used to let me watch him create things. Well, Athena brought me along. I think he must blame me for my siblings’ part in his bondage. It was Kratos’ strength and Bias’ force that connected the chains together, as Hephaestus hammered the spikes into the rock. Maybe he just didn’t trust me anymore. Well, that night when he called and then just showed up on the mountain, I was stunned. Here he was, standing right there in the main hall. He looked yellowy, like he had jaundice, and exhausted. Pale on one side and deep red sunburnt on the other side. Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Atë were all in the hall with me.
“Hey all. What’s a God got to do to get a drink around here?”
“Prometheus? Is that you?” I asked.
“Hi. Yeah, it’s me, Nike.”
I leaped out of my seat and ran to hug him.
“Ow, ow. Careful, careful,” he said as he tried to get out of my embrace.
“Oops, sorry. Did I hurt you?” I pulled away and looked him over to be sure I caused him no further harm.
“Here you go.” Aphrodite handed him a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue label on ice.
He took and swilled it.
“Slow down there, Prometheus. It’s been a while,” Atë said as she stood up to help him.
Coughing and choking a bit, he croaked out, “Smooth. And they figured out how to serve it cold,” he said, looking at the glass.
“How? How?” This just can’t be…wait…” my eyes got really big…“wait, does Daddy know you are free?”
“Uhm,” Hephaestus cleared his throat, nudging his head towards the God in a tattered toga.
“Yes, you’re right there, Hephaestus. Where does a God get some new clothes around here?”
“Here you are. How about a shower first?” Atë pointed the way to the God shower and some new clothes. Once he was done and dressed, he came back into the great hall. He looked better. Hair slicked back, but in need of a cut. The suit, however, didn’t fit him. It was too big…shaking my head at how big it was in the shoulders and how long the pants were. It must have been one of Ares’ old ones, I thought. I looked over at Atë and she just smiled.
“You knew? You knew he was free? What’s Daddy going to say?”
“Nike, Hera left me in charge, remember? So just don’t tattle on us. Dear old Dad will find out soon enough.”
Everyone was looking at me. Damn it. I thought, there it is again; they keep saying I’m a goody goody. And that I always do as my parents tell me…well, okay, I’ll keep this secret. “I won’t say anything.”
“Good, little one. Now, I want to go see them.”
“See who?”
“Humanity.”
“The Mortals?”
“Yes, them.”
“Aphrodite, surely you know a place we can go?”
Aphrodite looked at Hephaestus. They had just had another fight, and she had said during the fight that she wanted to get drunk.
“Why, yes, I do. come with me”
“Wait, I’ll drive you. Nox is having a pre-opening, I think, and Big E is playing.” I stood up and lead them to Dad’s Escalade, And I drove them to the club. I just wanted to help them.
Nikki Crump-Hansted is a professionally trained actress from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She’s been writing short stories and telling tall tales since she was very young. Nikki is currently one of the original Gods of the Pantheon. She not only writes for the Goddess Nike, but also does her voice, as well as the voices for many of the characters she has written in the blog. Follow her on Twitter @CrumpHansted
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