"Kr-Kronos, no it can't be." Dad muttered looking at the gargantuan figure.

"The Irvins, how lovely to see you." Kronos said with an imperceptible crooked grin.

Dad backed up to Justin and I.  "Go, now." Dad urged with bated breath.

"Dad-" I whispered but Justin cut me off.

"Tay, c'mon, we need to go." Justin whispered as he grasped my hand.

"Justin, we can't just leave Mom and Dad." I argued as he pulled me towards the door.

"Tay, we need to listen to Dad." he pleaded with a hint of sorrow in his voice,

My own little rain drop trailed down my cheek.  I always wanted to give Mom and Dad a break from protecting us, I wanted to protect them and the time I finally get the opportunity I have to leave.  "Fine." I climbed down the ladder with Justin and shut the hatch.

Justin looked up as something hit the floor with an echoing thud like the cacophonous sound of a telephone ringing.  Tears streamed down his face.  "We have to go." he whispered turning around.

"Justin, Mom and Dad had to show us something regarding the quest, we can't just leave and think we can succeed on this quest." I expostulated tears flowing down my face like words from the mouth of a fluent reader. 

"I overheard Mom and Dad talking last night, in their room is a journal or something with everything they wanted to tell us about the quest. " he responded, "You know that supposed jewelry box in Mom and Dad's room?"

"Of course." I nodded and wiped my eyes.

"That's where it is." he smiled.

"Let's get it." I perked up and pushed open my parents' bedroom door.

I walked over to Mom's old mahogany nightstand.  I bent down and opened the diminutive middle drawer.  I gently but quickly pulled out the smooth, polished, wooden box and set it on the bed.  I got on one knee and tried to pry it open, it was locked.

"Justin can you go grab a knife?" I asked looking up at hm.

"Sure." he nodded and left the room.

I stared at the ceiling and thought about where the noise had gone.  It hadn't gone, I had simply drowned it out, I heard a bellow of pain and scuffling.

Justin came back and handed me the knife.

"Thanks." I said and turned the handle in my hand.

"No problem." he said and smiled  as I plunged the knife into the top of the box.

I twisted and yanked the knife for a few minutes until I pulled about three quarters of the lid off.  I reached inside and felt the binding of a notebook.  I pulled at it until a dog-eared corner of the leather journal emerged from the box, I kept pulling until I had the notebook completely out of the box.

"Nice job." Justin smiled at me.

Although my hand ached a great many, I smiled at Justin and stood.

Justin grabbed the notebook and looked at my hand.  "You okay?  Your hand's bleeding." he nodded towards my twinging hand.

"I'm fine." I answered looking at my hand.

From above an unrecognizable voice bellowed, "Begone Kronos, join your brethren in the depths of Tartarus!"

The house shook and pieces of the walls and ceilings crumbled.

"We need to go." Justin shouted over the rumbling.

"Okay." I shouted back following him out of the room.

Together, we ran to the living room.  Justin yanked the front door open aggressively and bolted.  I followed pursuit and slammed the door shut.  Justin tucked the notebook in his jacket and kept running.

Mountains zoomed by and the fields were empty.  The advantages of living where barely anyone is: neighbors are far away so no noise complaints, no dogs barking, and most places are usually pretty much empty or just flat-out empty.  No obstacles except each other.