Frostbit Roses

Beaches and brimstone

Where am I?

As I slowly open my eyes, a wave of dizziness hits me and I groan, struggling to sit up. My head feels heavy and my vision is blurry, making it hard to focus on anything around me. I shake the sand out of my hair. Interesting. I scoop up a handful of it from below me, it appears to be black with little specks of red, blue, and green in it. It's pretty, I decide, before brushing it off my hands.

I look up, determined to figure out where I've managed to find myself. The sky is pitch black, with the horizon being red. There are no stars or clouds in sight, yet it still manages to look beautiful. Glowing white bulbs float through the cold, damp air like pollen.

I close my eyes for a few moments, my head still spinning just enough to make me feel nauseous. Ugh. When I open my eyes again they instantly widen as they land on the sight of an enormous flowing river with silver water "Wow." I whisper.

My vision turns uncomfortably bright and shivers pass through my body. A glowing translucent blue mortal is now standing above me quietly, slightly hovering above the sandy ground. I blink. I blink again. What is going on? They reach a hand out and smile, but say nothing. Their hand hovers in the air, and when I don't take it they step back and float away.

My eye follows them towards a small dock nestled against the silvery river. Other translucent mortals were floating near the harbor, most of them holding obolus in their hands. Obolus...each has an obol. Oh, my sweet gods above I think I'm in the underworld!

Sweat beads up on my forehead as I come to this realization, and it sinks in. How did I get here? Why am I here? Am I dead? No, no, no I can't be. I'm immortal. But if I'm not dead then how did I get here? Ugh, this Is horrible. This is definitely one of those times where I really wish my mother would have told me shit.

I lift myself onto my feet as my legs shake. I move one step at a time, slowly approaching the ominous dock. I need to figure out what I'm doing here and how to get back above, there is no turning back now. The sounds of the river flowing gets louder as I approach it.

I feel the cold damp air sinking into my skin, and nipping my hands and feet as I walk barefoot and coatless through the underworld. I wasn't prepared for winter, obviously. I finally reach the dock, or rather, as close to it as I can get without shoving people out of my path.

There is a dark hooded man standing on the docks, with one pale white hand resting on an ore and the other being held out in the air for the mortal souls to plop their obolus into. And when they did, the obol would go up in blue flames and disappear.

I gulp, and then just go for it. I walk past the cluster of ghosts and up to the hooded man. "Hello, sir. Do you happen to know where we are currently?" I ask, attempting to be polite but I think it comes off more as rude, somehow.

The hooded man clears his throat and nods. "You are on the banks of Styx." He answers in a dry, raspy voice. I figured, but at least I know for sure now. I take a deep breath. "Do you know the quickest way to leave? I'm alive, so I'm really not supposed to be here."

He thought for a moment, thinking. I take a moment to look at him, not that there's much to see. He's wearing a black tattered hooded cloak that is covering most of his face and body,  and his skin is incredibly pale. His stance makes him look old and frail, but yet I don't think that's the case.

"I don't know, my lady. But the only thing I do know is...those that are supposed to be here, arrive. And you, my lady, have arrived." He says mysteriously. I can tell that my face has made a stupid expression, but I can't help it. Me? Belonging here? Ridiculous! I mean, it's beautiful and calm and refreshing but...but it's the land of the dead! I'm the goddess of spring for gods sake! Of course I don't belong here!

I shouldn't belong here, but

But, but I do. I think.

A monster like me belongs here.