Imprisoned Gods - G. Bailey Page 0,14

and Peyton can't stop laughing with me. Dad only pats Michael’s head before reaching over him to grab his bottle of beer like the room isn't in chaos. Typical dad.

"Your goat talks! Oh my god, it talks!" Daisy exclaims. Way to point out the obvious. If she can’t handle a talking goat, then there is no way she could handle the actual truth about her boyfriend and his family. As if reading my thoughts, she gives a panicked look around the room, shoving her chair out suddenly and standing bolt upright. “What the fuck?” she cries, cringing away from Michael, who seems more keen on his food than on paying attention to Damien’s new girlfriend.

“Daisy,” protests Damien, “wait a minute-”

But she’s already moving, scurrying across the dining room in the opposite direction that Michael came from and making for the front entryway. A moment later, there’s the sound of the front door opening and closing. I can’t help but feel a little sorry for her; that can’t have been easy to take in.

"I am so disappointed in you, Michael!" mum huffs, following a disappointed Damien out of the door after Daisy.

"Which one of you is responsible?" dad asks as I carry on eating my food before pouring myself a drink of water. I lean over, whispering to Hugo.

“I dare you to take the blame.” His eyes widen, but he can’t disagree. I can’t wait to see what mum does.

“It was me,” Hugo bites out, and I just about stop myself from laughing.

"I don’t believe you were entirely alone in this, Hugo, and neither will your mum. I would suggest you all go and hide in your rooms before your mum gets back and curses you all. Literally," dad says, and he has a valid point. Mum has this curse charm that makes itchy, painful green spots appear all over your body, and boy are they annoying. The curse usually lasts a good five days as well, and mum has never taken it off once she uses it. I don't know who gets up first, but the next moment, we are fighting each other to climb past Michael and run out of the door and up the stairs. Just another typical Kismet family meal.

6

I close the door to my room, taking a deep breath of relief that I’m safe for now, especially as I can still hear Daisy shouting downstairs about how magic and gods aren't real. Damien must have gone after her, and I’m frankly surprised that he by some miracle managed to get her to come back into the house. If I were a human faced with a talking goat, I would be well on my way to Zimbabwe right about now. I guess I didn’t give her enough credit, although it remains to be seen whether my family will actually be able to calm her down after this. I feel a slight pang of guilt at turning this dinner into such a disaster, but at least this is a hell of a way to vet the girl. She is in for a big awakening, and if she can't accept it, then we’ll no she’s not a keeper. If she does, however… Well, I suppose I’ve seen stranger things happen. Worst case, mum has a charm like Peyton's that takes memories away. We can put this whole fiasco behind us and Damien can go back to looking for a girlfriend.

I briefly look around my room, at the small window that overlooks the next door neighbour’s garden, and my single bed with deep green sheets. Mum must have made it up for me while I’ve been out, and I sigh as I hear her continue to desperately try to reassure Daisy that she has nothing to be afraid of, Michael is actually quite friendly, and we aren’t a very dangerous group of gods, in the grand scheme of things. On the other side of the room is a big wardrobe that has a long mirror on it, and a dressing table next to it. I go to it now, pulling off my heels and putting them back into the wardrobe, before sliding the little tissue with chicken inside of it out of the pocket of my jeans.

"I have food for you, so don't bite my fingers off, you little shite," I announce into my room before squatting on the carpet by my bed. Lifting my bedsheet, I peer into the darkness under my bed. He’s under there somewhere, but between