Missing dog: Guard-dog of the Underworld

“Uh, Persephone?”

Persephone jerked up, bumping the table some. “What? What’d you say, dear?”

Hades smiled, “You’re falling asleep at the table again.”

Persephone sighed, “Again? I really need to get Mr. Washington to watch over my garden during the night.”

“Mr. Washington?” Hades asked, taking a bite out of his fruit salad, “You mean the former American President?”

“That one,” Persephone nodded and yawned, standing up. “I’m going to go see how Charon is doing. Make sure to feed Cerebus”

“Alright,” Hades watched her walk away and then finished his fruit salad. He loved his wife. He did wish she wouldn’t spend all her nights taking care of it, though. He gave her that garden as a gift, centuries ago, to remind her of the upper world.

As soon as he got down to feed Cerebus, he panicked. Which was something he did not usually do.

“WHERE’S CEREBUS?!”

His voice echoed through the Underworld as he frantically looked around the gates of hell. Where was his three-headed dog? Where was Cerebus??

“Gods, I have to find him before Pers finds out,” Hades muttered frantically making his way back to the palace.

“Sir?”

Hades whipped around to see one of his zombie-servants following him.

“Oh, good,” Hades nodded, still walking, “Have you seen Cerebus?”

“The three-headed dog who guards the Underworld? Did he get loose?” The zombie-guy shivered, “I’ll order an immediate search of the-”

“Don’t bother,” Hades interrupted, “There would be absolute chaos around here if he got loose down here.”

“Do me a favor and keep Persephone busy while I go up to surface world, would you?” Hades grabbed a thick chain off a hook on the outside of the palace walls. It had three chains at the end of it in order to lock on all three collars of Cerebus.

“Where are you going?” Yelped the zombie, scampering out of the way of the god as he made his way back down the hill that his palace sat on.

“The Upperworld,” Hades rolled his eyes, “Keep Pers busy, or I’ll curse you to solve a million piece puzzle.”

“Queen Persephone will be busy, then, sir!”

“Good,” Hades sighed. Time to go to the upper world.


He had Shadow-traveled into an alleyway in Los Angelos, and it was dirtier than he remembered. Hey, he had to start somewhere, right?

He didn’t know how to blend in with the current mortals. What was their style? Where did the togas, and gladiator helmets go? The capes? Hades always liked the red capes. He would never wear one himself, but he liked the way it looked on some people. He had wondered once what Persephone would look like in one. He always chuckled at that idea.

A trashcan behind him fell and made a loud echoing crash being him.

“Hello?” Hades surveyed the area, but only found an abandoned alley.

Creepy.

Hades grumbled a greek curse under his breath, hating the fact that the upper world could startle him so easily.

He jumped as he heard another crash from outside the alley.

“Gods!” Hades growled, “Show yourself or face the wrath of the god of the Underworld!”

There was laughter. Did someone just laugh at him?!

A little girl, who seemed to be dressed as a stoplight, wearing a bright green little dress, yellow tights, and red shoes.

“Did you just say god of the underworld?” The girl questioned.

“Yes,” Hades tried to cover up his shock, “I am Hades, and I demand you to stop.”

“Stop what?” The girl tilted her head to the side, looking annoyed.

“The noises!”

“The noises?”

“Yes!”

“Uh, that wasn’t me, you freak,” She stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry.

Hades frowned, “What is your name?”

“It’s Meg,” She said, stepping closer, “Now gimme your money before I pelt you with trash.”

“How dare-”

Before Hades could finish his sentence a rotten apple that seemed to come out of nowhere hit him on the head. “OW!”

“Hah!” Meg grinned evilly, “Ooh! Now I can call Spot!”

“Spot?” Hades questioned, pausing a moment from planning this little girl’s after-life miseries in his head.

“SPOT! COME HERE, BOY!” Meg shouted gleefully.

And to Hades’ surprise Cerebus, his own three-headed dog came onto the scene, panting happily.

“Cerebus!” Hades grinned, “Thank the shadows, I’ve found you.”

“What are you talking about?” Meg retorted, “This is Spot, which I guess Cerebus means Spot, but he’s mine!”

“No, he’s not!” Hades exclaimed, “That dog is mine, and he is the guard dog of the Underworld!”

“He’s still mine!”

“But I own him!”

“Well, I found him! Finder’s keepers!” Meg blew another raspberry at Hades. But before Hades could argue further over the custody of his dog with a little street girl another trashcan fell behind him and Cerebus erupted in a fit of barking and growling.

Hades whipped around, in fury, and blasted the thing hurling towards him, reducing it to ash before I could even see what it was.

“What was that?” Meg asked a hint of fear now in her eyes.

“Stop with your games, child,” Hissed Hades.

“I swear I didn’t do that though!” Meg exclaimed annoyingly, “Something’s behind you again by the way.”

Hades, glaring, snapped, “I am not going to fall for that one, mortal. Now give me Cerebus!”

At the mention of his name Cerebus barked, and ran forward, jumping over Hades and attacked the thing behind him.

“Spot!”

“Cerebus!”

A Hellhound, the size of a car, bright red in rage against its fighter, growled and bit into Cerebus’ neck and shoulders.

“A Hellhound!” Meg exclaimed.

“You know what that is?” Hades asked as the little girl nodded frantically, not taking her eyes off of Cerebus.

Cerebus then got leaped upon by another Hellhound from the roofs of the alleyway they were in.

“Another one!” Meg exclaimed, taking a small knife out of her shoe. Why would a child have to do that?

Hades snapped out of whatever shock he was in when he heard Cerebus whine.

His eyes lit with anger as he raised his arms, the shadows covering at light the sun could have provided. The dogs did not stop their attacking, however, until Hades shouted, “ENOUGH!”

Cerberus, Hades, and Meg all disappeared into the shadows.

They all appeared at Cerebus’ dog house, where Cerebus was when he wasn’t guarding the doors of hell. Hades put the chain on the three collars of Cerebus’ and hooked him back to his house.

Meg looked around, “Huh, so this is what the Underworld looks like.”

Before Hades could say anything to Meg Persephone came from behind the dog house, gawking at the girl.

“Oh!” Hades yelped, “Hey, hon! Whatchu doing?” He tried to act like he had been here the whole time.

“She’s adorable!” Persephone squealed, making her way to the stop-light dressed girl.

Meg smiled smugly, “Thanks! You Persephone?”

“Why yes I am! What’s your name?”

“Meg.”

“You don’t seem dead, Ms. Meg,” Persephone noted.

“It’s just Meg.”

Hades laughed nervously as he watched Cerebus settle down in his house, “Oh, she’s definitely dead, Pers. She, uh, just-”

“Pff-” Meg scoffed, “I ain’t dead! The only thing dead around here is the lighting! It’s too dark.”

Hades frowned and snapped his fingers, teleporting the girl back into the alleyway.


“Aww, but she was cute!” Persephone objected, playfully hitting Hades’ shoulder.

Hades smiled some at his wife, “What time is it?”

“Dinner, Hades, dear.” Persephone grabbed Hades’ hand, and they started to walk back up to their palace.

“Glad to know I didn’t miss that.”

“Me too,” Persephone agreed, “The servants kept me busy helping them all day! I missed lunch because I forgot all about it!”

“I guess we both had a busy day,” Hades mused.

“What did you do today?”

“I babysat.”