Psyche and Eros

Cliff's Edge

The cliff looms below me, like a dizzy dream. Spinning and spinning and spinning...

I circled every part of the edge, assessing every likelihood of how I could begin to climb down. Everything was too steep, or too weak. I could imagine it breaking under my foot and letting me fall to my death below at nearly ever corner.

No nymphs for advice this time, I see. Nor any ants.

I can only hope that Eros finally recognizes that I am in danger. That I would attempt this...for him...and come stop me.

Please, please, please.

I can't act too quickly, I decide. If I throw myself down there...I may only doom myself right before rescue. Or, I may sit here until the night falls and Aphrodite will feel enough pity to drag me back home with her to crawl to Eros' feet. 

I doubt it. She will likely never see my face again. 

I select the route of procrastination, preserving what energy I have left as I gaze down at the impossibly far drop below me. 

And I slumber. In my most tragic moment, I choose to visit the place of dreams, hoping that it will bring me more solace. 

It does. I listen to the flapping of something moving through the air. A forceful sound that knocks me out of my sleep in an instant - however, it is not the wings of my husband, but the shoes of the man that may or may not be my friend. He may just be visiting for his own amusement. Whatever works for the situation, depending on what he is about to say. 

"Well, if it isn't my favourite underdog."

I narrow my eyes, only managing a scowl up at my visitor. "Here to gloat? Or do you actually have some words of useless advice?"

"Better, I have gossip. And...I may or may not owe you a use of my shoes." Hermes explains, his voice dropping modestly at the end, almost as if he is sorry to have kept me waiting.  

I'll accept it. He is possibly my only friend anyway. "I would thank you, if I was certain I was going to live past today. Or earn my husband's forgiveness by taking a joyride down a cliff with so many jagged edges. I don't see a way that I could not injury myself trying to do such a thing. Could you not carrying me down there?" 

Hermes sighs, crouching beside me. "To the underworld I can. If you survive this first."

I give him a look. 

"If I assist you too much, the vengeful Goddess we all know and love will only be more furious. You can conquer this, trust me. It appears more daunting that what it is." He tries to assure me, but he only comes across as dismissive. 

"I can survive, to only go to the Underworld. Reassuring, indeed." I mumble to myself, taking another look downwards. "Can I at least stall for another hour? Eros might come-"

"He will come, but if he does without you have even attempted this challenge, Aphrodite won't let it go," Hermes said. 

I'm unsure of whether or not he may have a valid point. Either way, I do not want to rush this process. "At least teach me how to use those things before strapping them to my feet."

He does, holding me up like a toddler finally discovering the use of its own legs. My knees wobbled, as I hovered an inch in the air, still brushing the blades on my feet as I jolted forward. 

"Just will it, and you will move in the direction you intend." This well-intentioned instruction leads to me nosediving and landing on my elbows. 

I stubbornly try again, trying to push away the image of me doing the same thing directly into a sharpened rock. I'll exit with more than a grass stain, but...I could live with that. 

"Will you wait up here for me? Just in case I need you?" I ask, tentatively. 

"Well..." he says, appearing nearly kind, "...I will need my shoes back before I leave." 

He gestured towards the edge and I follow, feeling somewhat comforted to have someone watching over me. "Going down will be easy," he assures. "Keep still and let yourself slowly descend in a straight line. Panic, and you will fail. Open your eyes for that matter, and you very easily could fail. Looking where you want to go on the way up is the best approach. Look at the sky and float up towards it and you will eventually reach it. Keep your breath calm and you will not descend or ascend too quickly to handle." 

Worthy enough advice. I nod, assessing the best way to convince myself to let my feet leave the ground for the first time. Floating above the safety of the meadow beneath me is one very different thing...

"And keep that damn flask secure. You break it, your gift will be rejected, I'm sure." Hermes looks away with this declaration, as if he can't bear to watch me plummet. 

"Thanks for the confidence," I mutter, choosing to close my eyes as I hover upwards.

I look through a small slit through my eyelashes as I push forward, setting myself up in the center of my below target before I will myself to drop down. It happens rapidly at first, instantly making me more queasy than usual. I yelp in surprise, glancing up at Hermes in a panic. Above, his watchful eye somehow feels comforting. Looking up helps, and my panic subsides long enough for me to drop at a moderate pace.

More and more, steadily, I descend as if I were on a cloud. Better than I expected, thankfully.

The cold water hits my feet and I kneel down without landing. My shaking hand holds onto the crystal as tightly as I can, gently dipping it into the dark, endless water. It tinges the edge of my dress with black but I pay it no attention until I have the lid fastened back on.

My palms have perspired an alarming amount in that few seconds. I wrap the crystal in my dress, wiping it clean before attempting to return from where I came.

"Come on! No more time to waste, little mortal," Hermes calls from above.

He's right, but it makes it no less irritating.

With the end so near, my anxiety began to push through, taking hold of my composure and throwing it into the oblivion. Every breath shook my body, and I struggled to hold onto the flask as I wavered my way up.

Hermes paces above, clearly worried for me. "Get out of my sight! You're only making it worse!" I call up. Despite the tenacity in my words, my voice displays my lack of confidence.

I decide to keep quiet from that instant forward.

But even that does not keep me steady.

My body leads me towards the jagged walls, back and forth, barely pulling back at the last moment before any collisions happen. 

Almost there, almost there...

Yet my composure still manages to worsen as the journey takes longer than it should be possible.

When I have made it halfway, I jerked back at the sight of a swooping eagle joining me. The creature was giant, large enough to fit me on its back. It swept under my feet, carrying me up the rest of the way at a terrifying speed, whether or not I wanted to or not.

It dropped me on the ground, barely settling me on the edge. I gripped onto the grass with tightened fists, as I came to terms with the task finally being over.

"I was growing tired of watching. Figured an old friend of mine should step in," Hermes greets me.

I shake my head, still not recovered.

"Flask?" Hermes stands above me, his hand held out.

I pat around for it, finding it hard to breathe until I find it, safe and sound.

"I'll hold onto it. Your next journey may not be so quick."