The Awesome/Crazy Adventure from Olympus to The Underworld

The Awesome Crazy Adventure from Olympus to The Underworld
“Have you ever wondered what it would be like to visit Olympus?” Huckleberry asked. Griffon looked up at the enormous marble statue in front of them. The statue showed Zeus sitting on a throne, clutching a lightning bolt in one hand. His stone eyes stared down at the museum visitors as if he were silently judging every single one of them. “Are you going nuts?” Griffon murmured. “No!” Huckleberry replied. After thinking about it, he added, “Well…maybe a little.” Everyone called Huckleberry “Huck,” partly because his full name took too long to say and partly because he refused to answer whenever anybody called him “Huckle.” Huck had messy brown hair, a backpack filled with snacks, and the strange habit of asking questions that nobody else thought to ask. Griffon folded his arms. “Olympus isn’t a real place you can visit. It’s part of Greek mythology.” “Maybe,” Huck said. “But imagine standing above the clouds, eating magical food and watching the gods argue with each other.” “I already watch people argue every day.” “That’s different.” “How?” “The gods have lightning bolts.” Before Griffon could answer, a noisy group of tourists surged into the gallery. They carried cameras, souvenir bags, maps, and enormous foam crowns decorated with golden leaves. One tourist stepped on Huck’s shoe. Another bumped into Griffon without apologizing. A small boy wearing a plastic helmet pointed at the statue of Zeus. “Look, Mom!” he shouted. “It’s Thor!” Griffon covered his face with both hands. Huck groaned. “I hate crowds. They’re too loud, they don’t pay attention, and they don’t care about the rules.” “You were running through the Egyptian gallery ten minutes ago,” Griffon reminded him. “That was different. I was being chased.” “By a security guard.” “Exactly!” Huck and Griffon were on a class field trip at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. At least, they were supposed to be with their class. Their teacher, Mr. Chuck had led everyone into another gallery without noticing that Huck and Griffon had been left behind. Neither boy was surprised. Mr. Chuck rarely noticed anything unless it involved unfinished homework. He could spot a missing worksheet from the other side of the classroom, but he could somehow lose two students inside one of the largest museums in the world. Huck sat on a wooden bench and opened his backpack. “Want some crackers?” “No.” “A granola bar?” “No.” “A slightly crushed banana?” “Definitely not.” Huck held up the banana. It was almost completely brown. “Really?,” Griffon asked (and yes, Huck also had a habit of giving food to his friends). A few minutes later, their class returned. Mr. Chuck marched at the front of the group, holding his clipboard like a shield. Behind him came Huck and Griffon’s classmates, who were laughing, whispering, and pushing one another. As soon as they noticed Griffon, three boys moved toward him. “Hey, Griffin!” one of them called. Griffon’s shoulders stiffened. Another boy grinned. “I thought his name was Gryphon.” “No,” said the third. “It’s Griffindor!” The three boys burst out laughing. Griffon stood. “My name is Griffon,” he said. The boys continued laughing. Huck quietly put the banana back inside his bag. “Leave him alone,” he warned. One of the boys ignored Huck. “What kind of name is Griffon, anyway? Are you supposed to be some kind of eagle-lion monster?” Griffon clenched his fists. “My parents gave me that name,” he said. “And you have no right to make fun of it.” “Calm down, Griffin.” “My name is not Griffin!” His shout echoed through the gallery. Conversations stopped. Visitors turned to stare. Even the marble statues seemed to be watching him. Mr. Chuck hurried forward. “Griffon!” he snapped. “You must control your temper.” “They were making fun of me again!” “And shouting in a museum will not solve the problem.” “But they started it!” Mr. Chuck sighed. “One more outburst and you’ll spend the rest of the trip walking beside me.” The three boys smirked behind the teacher’s back. Griffon dropped onto the bench. “That isn’t fair.” “Life often isn’t,” Mr. Chuck said. Then he turned to the rest of the class. “Everyone follows me. We’re going to the next gallery.” The students marched away. Somehow, Mr. Chuck failed to notice that Huck and Griffon had been left behind for the second time. Huck watched them disappear around the corner. “Well,” he said, “I really don’t like those guys.” Griffon wasn’t listening. He was glaring at the doorway through which his classmates had disappeared. “I’m going after them.” “That sounds like a terrible idea.” “They can’t keep treating me like that.” “I agree. But charging after them while you’re angry will probably make Mr. Chuck blames you again.” Griffon stood and started walking. “I knew it,” Huck muttered. He stretched his arms, adjusted his backpack, and jogged after his friend. “Wait! At least let me throw away the banana first!” Griffon ignored him. He moved quickly through the gallery, dodging tourists and display cases. Huck struggled to keep up. They passed statues of ancient heroes, warriors, monsters, and gods. Huck glanced over his shoulder as they hurried past the statue of Zeus. For one brief moment, he thought the statue’s head moved. Huck stopped. The marble face was now turned slightly toward him. At least, he thought it was. “Griffon,” Huck whispered. Griffon kept walking. “Griffon!” “What?” “Did that statue move?” Griffon turned around. “Of course it didn’t.” A deep cracking sound came from behind them. Both boys froze. Slowly, they looked back at the statue. A thin golden line had appeared across the marble lightning bolt in Zeus’s hand. The line grew brighter, filling the gallery with flickering light. Tiny sparks leaped from the statue and danced across the floor. The tourists didn’t seem to notice. They continued taking pictures, studying maps, and arguing about where to eat lunch. “Tell me you can see that,” Huck said. Griffon stared at the glowing lightning bolt. “I can see it.” The statue’s stone fingers moved. Huck grabbed Griffon’s arm. “It moved!” “I know!” Zeus turned his head. His marble eyes glowed bright blue. “Huckleberry and Griffon,” the statue said. Its voice sounded like distant thunder. Huck’s mouth fell open. “You know our names?” he whispered. The statue leaned forward. “Olympus is in grave danger.” Griffon stepped back. “This isn’t possible.” “And yet,” Zeus replied, “here I am, speaking to you.” Huck raised one hand. “Before we continue, I have a question.” “You always have a question,” Griffon muttered. Huck ignored him. “Why do you need us? You’re Zeus. Don’t you have lightning bolts, armies, magical creatures, and a bunch of other gods to help you?” The statue’s glowing eyes dimmed. “The gods of Olympus have disappeared.” The golden crack in the lightning bolt widened. Light poured through it and spread across the wall behind the statue, forming the outline of a tall doorway. “And if they are not found before sunset,” Zeus continued, “the gates of the Underworld will open, and chaos will pour into the world.” The gallery floor shook. Several statues rattled on their stands. A vase tipped sideways, although an invisible force caught it before it could fall. Still, none of the tourists reacted. The doorway behind Zeus opened. Beyond it, Huck saw an endless blue sky. White clouds floated around a mountain covered with golden palaces. Winged horses soared between shining towers. Far above them stood an enormous temple that sparkled in the sunlight. Huck stared through the doorway. “Griffon,” he breathed, “that’s Olympus.” “No,” Griffon said. “It looks like Olympus. There’s a difference.” A freezing wind suddenly rushed through the gallery. The golden light flickered. From somewhere beyond the magical doorway came a terrible roar. The blue sky darkened. Black clouds gathered around the mountain, and several winged horses fled into the distance. Then a shadowy hand reached through the doorway. It was enormous, with long gray fingers and sharp black claws. Griffon grabbed Huck and pulled him backward just as the hand struck the floor. The impact cracked the stone tiles. Now the tourists noticed. People screamed and ran in every direction. Cameras flashed. Souvenir bags flew through the air. The child in the plastic helmet shouted, “I knew it was Thor!” The shadowy hand swept toward Huck and Griffon again. “Run!” Griffon yelled. They raced toward the nearest exit, but the crowd blocked their path. Huck looked back and saw the creature pulling itself through the doorway. First came another clawed hand, followed by a horned head covered in smoke. “We can’t get out!” Huck cried. “Then hide!” “Where?” “I don’t know!” The creature roared. A blast of cold air knocked both boys off their feet. Huck landed beside the magical doorway. His backpack flew open, scattering crackers, pencils, worksheets, and the crushed banana across the floor. Griffon slid toward the creature. Huck grabbed his wrist. For a moment, the two boys clung to each other while the wind dragged them toward the doorway. “Don’t let go!” Griffon shouted. “I wasn’t planning to!” The creature raised one enormous claw. Huck’s fingers slipped. Both boys tumbled backward through the golden doorway. There was a flash of light, a crash of thunder, and the strange feeling of falling upward. Then the doorway slammed shut. The museum disappeared. Huck and Griffon fell through a bright blue sky toward the shining palaces of Olympus. Huck looked at Griffon. Griffon looked at Huck. “This is your fault!” Griffon shouted. Huck grinned as they plunged through the clouds. “I know!”