Heathen

Endymion's Dream

The girl runs to the field, laughing. Her long black hair is messily tied in a braid with a red ribbon. She looks back at the boy chasing her, playfully avoiding his hands. Finally, he catches her and they roll together on the ground between the haystacks. She is lying under him. Her eyes sparkle like a thousand stars. Her freckled cheeks are pink with excitement. Her chest is heaving as she tries to catch her breath. He looks at her lovingly, focusing on her heart shaped mouth. He bends down to kiss her plump cherry lips.

Endymion wakes up startled.

-Io?

The dream was so vivid. His heart is still racing as if he was actually been running until moments ago. He feels anxious, worried. Why did he suddenly dream of her? Is something wrong?

He spends all day arguing with himself, if he must go back and look for her, make sure she is alright. He is in a bad mood. It has been more than two years since he last saw her. He misses her, still. He finally decides to go. He will simply check on her, from a distance.

No harm in that.

He travels all day and night and the next day, nonstop. He reaches his hometown by nightfall. But, nevertheless he must be careful not to be seen.

Thank the Gods, it is almost dark!

He is near Io's home. He sees a young man he does not recognize, pacing anxiously outside. Endymion feels a pang of jealousy.

Did she find another man? Of course she did. It is foolish of me to believe that she would stay alone for ever.

There is some commotion around the house. People come and go. Something feels wrong. The air is heavy. Everyone looks somber. Endymion focuses on listening to their words, trying to understand what is going on.

-This is not good!

-She bleeds a lot! What shall we do?

-May the Gods help her!

-The child! Mistress, the child is not breathing! A young maid says, running towards a woman, Io's mother. She is followed by another woman, shortly after. The latter has blood on the front of her clothes.

She must be the midwife. Io must have had a child but, there is no joy. Something is wrong...

The woman shakes her head, her eyes are teary. Low sobs are audible from inside. The young maids are crying in each other's arms. Io's mother rushes inside. Endymion can hear her cry.

-Io! My daughter... My precious child! Her voice is cracking, drowning in the laments of the other women. The young man looks devastated, shedding silent tears.

Endymion feels the air around him solid, weighing down his chest.

Io is dying... I can save her. If only she drinks my blood. I can save her...

He needs to act but his body does not respond. He is fixed in place, unable to move. A voice in his head scolds him.

How will you get in there? You are supposed to be dead. The Goddess has not given you permission.

Fear gets the better of him. He stays hidden in the shadows, watching the drama unfolding before him, helplessly.

The wail of Io's mother confirms what he is afraid of.

She is gone!

He falls to his knees with tears welling in his eyes. He is a coward. He let her die.

He feels numb, dead for the first time since he died. With great effort he gets up, looking around, trying to breathe regularly again. He turns around and walks away. And then he runs, putting as much distance as he can between him and them. He does not know for how long or how far he is. He reaches a forest and goes deep into it. He is surrounded by silence. He lets out a cry, brutal and feral, full of his sorrow and pain. The forest drowns it, letting him in his loneliness. His eyes are black with stains of red. His fangs glint in the dark. He growls like a wounded beast. He thrashes and tears everything around him. He screams into the night until his throat is sore and his lungs burn.

If he hadn't died before, he would certainly die now. He wishes...

Dawn finds him exhausted.