New York - a haiku

New York is my home

Tall buildings scraping the sky

I wish to be there

In a little world

My life's insignificant

I want to be more

Life in a small town

Means nothing if I want more

New York is my home.

Kora, the Goddess of Loyalty

"It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be," said Kora Duncan as she stood outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on a cold, late December day. She had always wanted to go to the Museum, especially now that there is a New Greek and Roman Mythology section. Kora had always been into art and Greek Mythology, ever since she was a little girl. It always amazed her how the Ancient Greeks could think of so many gods. It also helped Kora that she went to Cobblestone High School. Cobblestone had rich art and Ancient History programs. They let students go on so many field trips, like going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Trust me, it seems even bigger on the inside," said a voice next to Kora. It was her Ancient History teacher, Mr. Matthews. He was wearing his usual trench coat with a button-up shirt and tie. He was wearing a fedora over his short, going-gray hair.

 "Do you know where the rest of the students from Ancient History went?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"I think that they went inside already," Kora replied.

As Kora and Mr. Matthews walked inside the Museum, Kora's heart skipped a beat. Mr. Matthews was right. It did seem bigger on the inside. And it was marvelous! Beautiful! Stunning! There are so many things, not just Greek Mythology things like those that Kora had thought of, but also Chinese, Biblical, and Norse things... It was overwhelming!

Out of the corner of her eye, Kora saw Mr. Matthews motioning for her to come towards him. He had found all the other students, and now they were in a group. Once Kora got to the group, Mr. Matthews, along with all the students started strolling towards the Greek Mythology section.

"There are so many things in here. I wish that I could show you guys everything, but alas, we do not have the time," He led the students towards an Ancient Greek vase. He started explaining how the Ancient Greeks used vases, and how they liked to tell stories with pictures on them, and things like that. As Mr. Matthews was talking, a man in a light gray suit, who looked no older than thirty, with black, slicked back hair and piercing blue eyes, strolled up to Kora.

"Hello. You must be Kora Duncan. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, "My name is Hermes. Where is your teacher? I would like for both of you to participate in a game." Kora was taken off-guard. Although she felt as if she had never met the man, Kora thought that she recognized him somehow.

"Who are you? You look familiar," Kora asked Hermes.

Hermes shrugged. "Let's just say that I'm pretty important on higher matters."

When Mr. Matthews noticed that Hermes and Kora were talking, he stopped his lecture about the Greek vase and walked up to Hermes. "What type of higher matters?" He asked, with a suspicious look on his face.

"You must be Benjamin Matthews. I am ecstatic to meet you. And when I said higher matters, I meant... Godly matters. And I want your help with one, considering both of your interests in Ancient Greek Civilizations," Hermes replied, "I want you guys to play a little game. I want both of you to find a Goddess. I already know where he or she is hiding. I am going to give you a clue. In the clue, it has a vague idea of which god or goddess that I want you to find. The first clue will lead you to a second clue. Both the clues will have vague ideas of who the god or goddess is, but with both clues, you guys should be able to figure out which god or goddess I want you to find. The second clue will tell you where to find the god or goddess. However, you guys have to work together to figure out who it is. Both of you have something to offer to figure out who the god or goddess is." When Hermes ended, he gazed at both of us with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Do we win anything if we find the god or goddess?" Kora asked.

A sly grin laced Hermes face. "Immortality. Control over a specific thing. In essence, you become one," He replied.

Kora gasped. "Mr. Matthews, can we play? Please?" She pleaded.

Mr. Matthews glanced at Hermes. "Kora, may I please talk to you alone for a minute?" He responded.

Kora agreed and followed Mr. Matthews into another room with Chinese art. Turning to Kora, Mr. Matthews said, "I don't think that this is a good idea. The guy seems suspicious. We don't know whether he wants to hurt us or not, or if he is mentally stable. Seriously? Do you really think that the guy is telling the truth about us becoming gods?"

"Come on, Mr. Matthews," Kora replied, "How else would he know us? Or that your first name is Benjamin? I didn't even know that it was your name before he said that it was. In addition, I did not see Hermes when we walked in, and he didn't stroll in after us. He just appeared, in a sense. Also, when I said that Hermes seemed familiar, he only seemed familiar because he looked like how I visualized him in stories about Hermes. Also, why not give him a shot? Just because he's a stranger, that doesn't mean that we can't trust him. Also, even if we don't become gods, it'll be a fun game to play."

Mr. Matthews sighed. "Fine. But if we find ourselves in trouble, then you are to blame and not me," he responded.

The joyous student and the stern teacher came back into the room with Greek Mythology art and told Hermes their decision. Hermes handed Kora a small piece of paper. They both read it.

The paper read,

The Greek God or Goddess that you seek has a name that starts with the letter, "N." The next clue is hidden in a shop that starts with the same letter. The shop also ends with the letter "R."

 

 "Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. Everything that is happening around you will stop once you guys begin, so no one will move until you're done" Hermes stated.

"What?" Kora said. She looked around for Hermes, but he was nowhere to be found. "Where did he go?"

Mr. Matthews also saw that Hermes was not there.  "Oh, well. So what does the clue mean?" He asked. They both thought for a moment.

"Well, there quite a few Gods and Goddesses that have names that start with the letter N. There is Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, Nyx, the god of the night, Nike, the goddess of victory, Notus, the god of the south wind, and Nereus, the titan god of the sea before Poseidon. We've already narrowed it down to five. That makes it much easier for us. But what about the shop? What shop in New York starts with 'N' and ends with 'R?'" Mr. Matthews voiced.

"That's easy," Kora spoke up, "Naturalizer. It's a shoe store in Times Square."

Hermes was right. Once Kora said where the next clue should be, everyone froze. No one moved an inch. It seemed unnatural.

Mr. Matthews glanced around "Well, I guess that we should start there. To Times Square," he said as he headed for the exit. Kora followed him.

Although it would take a lot longer to get to Times Square via foot rather than car or the bus, both Kora and Mr. Matthews figured that since time stopped, traffic wouldn't move an inch. Therefore, for a little less than an hour, Kora and Mr. Matthews walked to Times Square.

***

Since they were going to be walking for about an hour to get to Times Square, Mr. Matthews decided that it would be a good time to start a conversation with Kora. Mr. Matthews had only started teaching a couple months beforehand, so he wanted to get to know some of the students better.

"So, Kora, what do you like to do in your free time?" He asked.

"Art, mostly. It's one of the only ways that I am able to express myself. It's my outlet for my feelings," Kora replied. Although he was her Ancient History teacher, Kora didn't know Mr. Matthews very well. This was his first year teaching. But Kora thought that he was interesting in class, so she wanted to get to know him a little better. But having a conversation with Mr. Matthews felt a little awkward to Kora, since he was so much older than she was. "So... Uh... What do you do in your free time?" She inquired

Mr. Matthews was about to answer when they heard a loud roar from their right. It sounded far away, but not far enough away.

"What was that?" Kora asked, "I thought that everything stopped!" It roared again. And it as closer that time.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, I don't think that we'll want to face it," Mr. Matthews replied as he protectively put his arm around Kora's shoulder. Both of them started to walk faster.

All of a sudden, they heard thumping, almost like heavy footsteps, from the direction that the roaring came from. As the thumping came closer, Kora and Mr. Matthews saw what was causing it. It was a hideous creature. It was so dirty. It had the body of a lion, but the head and wings of an eagle. It seemed to be over seven feet tall. In addition, it smelled horrific. Like someone left sweaty gym shorts and rotten eggs in their locker overnight.

"My gosh," Mr. Matthews breathed, "It's the Gryphon." He took Kora's hand and bolted. They needed a place to hide before the Gryphon saw them. The Gryphon heavily relied on scent and sound rather than sight, which made it a little easier for Mr. Matthews and Kora. Mr. Matthews found a street filled with empty cars and hid behind one with Kora. They needed to find a weapon of some sort. The thumping footsteps of the Gryphon were fast approaching. Suddenly, Kora saw it. It was a pink, abandoned umbrella. It was closed and small, but it was a weapon. Kora hastily grabbed it and was ready to attack. Just when Mr. Matthews and Kora thought that the Gryphon would pummel them, the footsteps halted. They could hear the Gryphon sniffing with his giant nose. Mr. Matthews saw an opportunity moment, and he seized it. He grabbed the pink umbrella that Kora was holding, and threw it across the street. The Gryphon heard it and ran after it. Mr. Matthews found another weapon. It was an old, bent pipe. He took it, just in case the Gryphon came back. He checked to see if the Gryphon was gone for good.

"It's clear," Mr. Matthews said as he stood up and gazed at the store in front of him. "We made it," he continued, "I can't believe we found it."

Kora followed Mr. Matthews' gaze. It was a store. The store sign said, "Naturalizer." She gasped and rushed inside to look for the next clue. Mr. Matthews was close behind.

Since Naturalizer was a shoe store, there were many places to look in. So many shoe boxes.... Kora and Mr. Matthews immediately went to work. Mr. Matthews started checking near the cash register while Kora went to the back to start checking shoeboxes. While he scanned all open areas, he heard a ching. He glanced at the cash register. It was open, although he was sure that it was shut before. Mr. Matthews peered inside. Obviously, there was money, but there was a random piece of white, folded up paper. He picked it up, and strode to the back of the building to find Kora.

"Kora!" He said, "I think I found it!"

'"What's it say?" Kora asked as she put the shoebox that she was checking back and stepped towards Mr. Matthews.

Mr. Matthews opened the piece of paper and read aloud.

You are looking for a Goddess, not a God. She is a Goddess who can rise against others in order to win. Go to a place where people act differently than normal life in order to find your Goddess.

"It's Nike, the Goddess of Victory!" Kora said after Mr. Matthews had finished.

Mr. Matthews gave her a quizzical look. "I thought that it sounded like Nemesis, the Goddess of Revenge. See? She rises against others in order to win. Sounds like revenge, right?" He replied.

It was Kora's turn to be confused. "I thought that rising against others in order to win sounded like victory," She responded.

They went back and forth about whether the Goddess that they were looking for was Nike or Nemesis, until Mr. Matthews had an idea as to how to solve the argument.

"You know what? Maybe we should pursue the Goddess that we think that it is separately. You try to find Nike and I try to find Nemesis," Mr. Matthews voiced.

That statement surprised Kora. She never would have thought that he would want to separate. "But... What if another beast, like the Gryphon, attacks the one that is right? Then whoever is right has less of a chance of survival, without the other protecting them. There is safety in numbers," Kora replied, "Anyway, where do you think the place is? Maybe that'll help us."

Mr. Matthews sighed. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to follow his instinct or Kora's He read the paper again. "Well, it's supposed to be a place where people act differently. Maybe a movie or musical theatre? There are both on this street," He said.

Kora thought for a moment. "Well, since New York City is known for their Broadway shows, it's probably that. Also, people are acting differently there, and it's live," she responded.

Mr. Matthews shook his head. "That would be the typical answer. It's probably the movie theatre."

Kora decided that she was exhausted of fighting. "Fine," She said, "You go to the movies, and I'll go to Broadway." With that, she headed out the door and towards the closest Broadway Theatre.

***

As she strolled inside the Broadway Theatre, Kora started to feel remorse for leaving Mr. Matthews like that. She wanted to go back and apologize, but she felt as if it was too late for that. So she continued into the auditorium part of the building.

As she walked into the auditorium, Kora was astonished when she saw a lady on the stage, moving around. Most of New York City had been either frozen in time or deserted, so viewing someone maneuver around the stage was bewildering. The lady portrayed an aura of power and confidence. She had short, black hair and olive skin. She was wearing a blue business dress and black heels.

It must be Nike, Kora thought as she gathered up the courage to go and speak to the lady. As she strolled towards the stage, Kora realized that the lady, whoever it was, was muttering something. A monolog, maybe? Kora was too far away to be able to tell. Once in earshot, Kora could tell that lady was not reciting a monolog, instead, she was reciting a motivational speech, and, by the sound of how the lady had written it, Kora knew that it was for a group of soldiers to rally them for battle.

As she finished, the lady finally noticed Kora. "May I help you?" She asked. She seemed slightly annoyed by Kora's presence.

"Are you Nike?" Kora asked, "My name is Kora Duncan. I've been looking or you."

The lady glanced around. "You are right. I am Nike. However, I thought that you had a friend with you. Benjamin Matthews, correct?"

The guilty feeling of leaving Mr. Matthews rushed back to Kora when Nike said that. She lowered her eyes. "We... Um...We had a disagreement. He ended up going one way and I went the other," Kora replied.

Nike nodded. "Well, congratulations, Kora Duncan. In finding me, you have earned yourself immortality and control over something. Since I am feeling a little extra generous today, I will let you pick what you have control over. It could be anything. Shopping, trees, deep-sea creatures, anything. Choose wisely, you will be in control of that thing for the rest of eternity. Take your time, if you need to."

Kora already had in mind what she wanted to be the Goddess of. Without hesitation, she replied, "Loyalty. I want to be the Goddess of loyalty."

Nike thought for a moment. Then she clapped her hands twice. "There. Now, you are officially the Goddess of Loyalty," She remarked with a smirk, "Now, as protocol, before we go to Mount Olympus, I will grant you one wish. Again, it can be anything, even something impossible, like a ride on a unicorn."

Kora didn't even have to think about what she wanted her wish to be. It almost seemed like an instinctive reaction. "Make Mr. Matthews a God!" She replied.

Nike cocked her head to the side. "The God of what?" She asked.

Kora had to think about that question. She didn't really know what Mr. Matthews liked. Then Kora realized that the answer was easy. "Trust. Make him the God of Trust," She responded.

Nike nodded her head in agreement. She clapped her hands and gave two thumbs up.

"Is that it? Should we go and look for him?" Kora asked.

Nike held up five fingers. Then four, three, two, one....

Someone burst through the door. "Kora!" It was Mr. Matthews!

He ran up to Kora and said, "Kora, I'm sorry I doubted you. I should have trusted that you were right."

Kora smiled. "It's alright. But I was right," She replied as she turned to Nike.

"Nike... Does this mean..." Mr. Matthews stuttered.

Nike gave a half-smile. "Congrats, Benjamin, you are now the God of Trust. Shall we go to Mount Olympus now?" She turned and walked upstage. Before going backstage, she turned back to Kora and Mr. Matthews and asked, "You guys coming or not? There's a party up here."

Both Mr. Matthews and Kora laughed. "Be right there," Mr. Matthews replied. He gazed down at Kora.

"Trust? Really? You guys couldn't have thought of anything better?" He asked.

"Hey! It was the first thing that came to mind," Kora continued with a humorous smile, "It's also something that you need to work on."

Mr. Matthews jokingly hit Kora on the head as they walked upstage to where Nike was standing.

"You guys ready?" She asked.

They nodded. Nike pushed the curtain back so they could go backstage. To Olympus they went.