Blog

Victor’s “Journey to Mount Olympus” from “Viva Mar Vista” Vol. 3, Issue 7

IMG_0575My name is Zodiac, and I dare to look for Zeus, the supreme god of the Olympians. I’m excited for this adventure, but this could be dangerous. I’m here on Mount Olympus climbing to the top to search for Zeus. I am afraid of heights and this is really hard.

Zeus lives on Mount Olympus. He is the brother of Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. How did he become the ruler of the gods? Well, he battled his father, Cronus, and his brothers, and he won. He is a carefree god who loves to laugh out loud. I can hear his laugh right now. I think I’m getting close. Don’t ever mess with Zeus because he gets easily angered. You don’t want him to get angry. If you mess with him, he might make an earthquake, heavy storm, or maybe an apocalypse.

Alright, I made to the top. Now I need to find Zeus. I can see every god and goddess on Mount Olympus talking and sword fighting. I see Zeus sitting down on his golden throne. He is a strong, imposing man with a regal body and long curly hair. He has a short beard and carries his most famous weapon, thunderbolts. Zeus uses thunderbolts as weapons, throwing them at his enemies. Imagine getting struck by his lightning; you’ll be finished. He isn’t a faithful husband because he has many affairs with mortal women. Wait–where did Zeus go?

Zeus: Halt, you puny human. What are you doing here at Mount Olympus?
Me: I was just visiting, Mr.Zeus. Look at the time–I gotta go.
Zeus: Don’t call me Zeus, you puny human. Only the gods and goddesses can call me Zeus! You’re not going anywhere. You have two options, getting struck by lightning bolt or disappearing.
Me: I’ll just leave.
Zeus: Alright, I’ll take you to the underworld.
Me: No, not the underworld! You can’t take me the UNDERWORLD!
Zeus: SHAZAM! We’re here. I’ll leave you here, you cowardly puny human.
Me: You’re crazy! You can’t leave me here.
Zeus: Watch me. Game over. SHAZAM!

Now I’m in the underworld. It is really dark and I’m scared. I need to find a way before I run into Hades. Hades is the ruler of the underworld, the home of the dead if you want to call it that. Hades has a pitchfork as a weapon, and he uses it to fight and make earthquakes. Hades is a greedy god whose sole purpose is to increase the number of souls in his kingdom. The underworld is a really bad place to live if you’re stuck forever. I’m getting really hot and I need some water. I hope Zeus will come back and take me to Mount Olympus.

Hades: Stop, my prisoner. I am your ruler. You have to obey me or else.
Me: Hey, I ain’t your prisoner.
Hades: You dare to say something back to HADES!
Me: Wow, dude, you need some spearmints.
Hades: What?! I’ll get your SOUL!
Me: Can I finish up my notes?
Hades: Okay, you have three minutes. YOU BETTER HURRY UP!

I’m getting scared now. This way more scary than the Minotaur challenge I did. Hades’ three-headed dog, Cerberus, is the guardian of the underworld. Cerberus is really big, and some think that he is the scariest monster of all time. If Hades takes my soul, Cerberus will make sure it stays here forever with a lot of other sad souls in this dark and dismal realm. Once your soul gets in, it cannot escape that sneaky guard dog.

Hades: Time is up.
Me: Um, can I have another minute?
Hades: I’ve had enough of your annoying talk. I’ll take your soul.
Me: No, no! Don’t take my soul, I beg of you!
Hades: READY!
Me: NO, NO, I WASN’T READY. NOOOO!
Hades: You know what, kid, you’re not that bad. You’re free to go.
Me: Really? Thanks, Hades. You’re not that bad either.
Hades: You can come and visit me anytime. Peace.
Me: I will. Peace.

Interested in helping young journalists tell their stories? Click here to learn how you can volunteer!

This entry was posted in General, Student Writing Gallery and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.