Aphrodite's Flame

55.

I open the door to the temple and walk inside. Normally, the high priestess would be here - but I guess even she would choose the goddess she worships over the house where she collects her offerings.

It's getting dark already. Good. I can concentrate better in the dark and silence. I walk up to the middle of the spacious room and sit down on the floor. Sure, I could have demanded a pillow, or a golden throne - but I haven't. I take a deep breath and clear my mind in order to concentrate.

Make him pay.

Aphrodite, goddess of love and lust...

He took one look at me and left me behind.

Make him love me.

He broke my heart.

Make him love me.

Break his heart, like he broke mine.

Punish him.

Then I see him. The boy I saw in the woods. Listening to the prayers, I get a clear picture of who he is. Opening my eyes, I see him before me as though he is standing in front of me.

Narcissus. The boy who loved only hunting. The boy who had zero interest in man or woman. The boy who broke the hearts of numerous girls and trampled on the remains. I sigh, feeling their hearts shatter one by one.

***

The following day I venture into the woods where I found him a couple of days before. Stalking my prey I follow him zigzagging through the woods. He has no room in his heart for anyone else, that much is clear.

Suddenly he interrupts the chase and looks around. I'm fairly certain he can't see me. But something grabbed his attention.

'Who's there?' he asks. I stretch my neck.

'Who's there?' I hear. It cannot be - can it?

'Show yourself,' the boy, now intrigued, demands.

'Show yourself,' comes the teasing answer. I sit upright. Is that Echo? I thought she had disappeared after Hera cursed her.

'Come out,' he says, to which Echo copies his words.

'Let's meet,' he offers with a lopsided grin. She doesn't respond at first. I am scanning my surroundings, looking for the beautiful nymph who talked too much for Hera's liking and got cursed with everlasting silence - only able to repeat what others said.

'Come on, don't be a tease,' Narcissus sing-songs. Oh, he does love the chase. I stay out of the way, keeping an eye on him when I see something move to my far right.

It is Echo.

Hiding behind an ancient tree, she sneaks a look at him. I would recognize her anywhere, with her beautiful long silver hair and equally silver eyes. She has a smile that once made kings bend the knee.

'Are you the same girl I heard the other day?' Narcissus asks. He can't see her yet.

'The same girl.'

He smirks. 'Don't be shy. Come out. I want to see you.' He is moving all predator like, looking for tracks. How long has this game been going on? Days? Weeks?

'See you?' Echo asks hopefully. She slowly comes into view. Narcissus takes one look at her. Normally this would be the moment I feel the light flutter in my chest. The first meeting of lovers. I don't feel any of that. I feel Echo's nerves. But his - contempt?

What the Hades?

Echo drops to her knees. Say something, I can practically hear her thinking. Please, say something. But he doesn't. He walks away. The prize wasn't worth the chase after all.

I get up and walk over to her, kneeling by her side. She is crumbling already. She is the mess I was a couple of months ago. I put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she seems not to notice. She will never recover from this.

Furious, I get up and look back to Narcissus.

'You!' I roar. 'You will pay for what you did!' He sticks his hand in the air, waving at me.

That is it.

I make my way over to him and appear before him. He staggers back. Oh, he never met a goddess.

'What do you want?' he asks me, barely looking at me.

'I want to give you something,' I say, smiling. His eyes find mine.

'You're a goddess.'

'The scariest you will ever meet.'

He smiles a boyish smile, the one that has mortal girls on their knees begging for love. But I'm not mortal.

'You will find the love of your life down this path.' There, you will find a pond with water clear as crystals. Neither animal dare to drink from the water, nor do leaves dare scatter into the pond. Nowhere in the world does the grass grow greener than around the water of this pond.

The hunter walks toward the pond with languid strides. Already having forgotten my words, he kneels down to quench his thirst. As soon as his eyes meet the water, he freezes. Seeing his own reflection, he fell in love like he never had.

Pure admiration and adoration for his own image was all he felt. The boy fell in love with himself, hard. I relished in the feeling, although I knew I did him wrong.

I watch him for a while, desperately grabbing at the water as he tries to hold his image, kiss his image. But everytime Narcissus ripples the water, his reflection disappears and desperately he pulls back his arms, waiting for the surface to calm again. He yells at the water, he cries, he begs, he negotiates. He can never win.

Slowly I back away.

Narcissus would never be able to pull his gaze from his reflection. He would no longer think of food or drink. All he could ever think about would be his own reflection, the love of his life. He would try and talk to his love, but he would never receive answer.

Eventually he would waste away and die.