Hero Rising by H.T. Night Read Free Book Online Page B

Sion will do a good job. I just want to make myself available for help in the world. And who knows what will come up? I might have my pick of what I want to do, who I want to help and when. The sky’s the limit.”
    Lena just sighed. “I know, Josiah. We’ve already been through this before. You gave me your promise and I trust you to keep it.”
    “Thank you, Lena,” I said quietly.
    “So, Sion’s going to set up all this…Facebook stuff for you?”
    “Yeah. He’s coming over tomorrow to show me what he’s set up for me.”
    True to his word, Sion came the next evening with his laptop and showed me the Facebook account he set up for me. It had a different name, “Superhero name, to be revealed later,” and he wrote a nice announcement about what I wanted to do.
    “Check it out, bro,” he said as he loaded it up. “You’ve already got about a hundred requests for help.”
    As I looked over all the comments of praise and the requests for help, I was overwhelmed. People from all over the world had heard of me by now and it seemed that everyone needed help in some way. There were the occasional scams, as I’d anticipated. Some asked just for money. Some asked for funds for business. But this wasn’t about money or business for me. I wanted to be someone that helped real people in real situations.
    “Look at all this,” I said, amazed. “There are so many requests.”
    “I knew this would happen,” Sion replied. “You’re going to have to pick and choose, my friend.”
    Lena was leaning over my shoulder, looking at all the comments, too. “Josiah, you remember you said you weren’t going to take on the world.”
    “I know, Lena. I promised you and I will keep my word. Just let me think on it a little while, okay?”
    Lena kissed my cheek and went to take care of the boys.
    Still, it was a little much. I knew I was internationally known as Sion had said, but the amount of these requests were staggering.
    Sion saw the frustration on my face. “Take your time, bro,” he said gently. “There’s always going to be a need for help. Ease yourself into this. Take a look, and take your time. You need to decide what you can do and who you can best help.”
    Sion was right. I didn’t have to decide right now. I would look over all the requests and figure out what would be best for me to do next.
    “Thank you, Sion,” I said. “You’re sure this is untraceable?”
    “I set up your login to Facebook using an anonymous proxy site that doesn’t allow the IP address to be traced,” Sion answered confidently. “It’s like you’re invisible to Facebook’s admin. Have I ever let you down before?”
    “No, never. Good man.” I thanked Sion again, and he left.
    I left Lena in her nook of privacy that night. I had to think hard about all the pleas for help and how I wanted to start this whole superhero business. I went to sleep. I tossed and turned the whole night about what my next move would be.

 
    Chapter Ten
     
     
    It turned out I didn’t have to think too long. Sion was, of course, monitoring my Facebook page and he came to my house about an hour before dawn, even though we had just seen each other hours before.
    I answered the front door, my hair in disarray and with a five-o’clock shadow. Sion was all flustered and at first, he couldn’t get his words out.
    “Sion, come in, sit down,” I urged. “What’s going on?” I asked. I could tell something was seriously wrong.
    “Haven’t you been checking your Facebook through the special log-in I set up for you?” he asked me.
    “I’ve been sleeping on it, if you haven’t noticed.” I was slightly irritated but I knew Sion wouldn’t come knocking at my door at this hour if he didn’t have a good reason.
    “There’s a serious request,” Sion said as I poured us both a glass of my best wine. Lena had been awakened as well and came into the living room in her nightgown. I poured her a glass of her “mommy drink.”
    “What is it?”