Zeals

Orpheus and Eurydice A Retelling

Orpheus and Eurydice A Retelling

Long ago there lived a young man named Orpheus who loved a woman named Eurydice, this is their story.

Orpheus was a lyre player; he was so skilled he attracted the attention of kings, dryads and even the gods. One afternoon when the hot sun sizzled against the orange sky Orpheus picked up his lyre and began to play, creatures from all around began to rush towards Orpheus following the intoxicating sound. Finally, as Orpheus began the last verse Hermes, the god of paths, roads and thieves, slowly floated down and began to listen.

Orpheus should have been humbled by Hermes presence but when he looked up all he could see was a dryad with forest green eyes and sap red hair. He stared into her eyes and she stared back. Orpheus turned to Hermes who sat patiently on a boulder over-looking Orpheus and the dryad girl.

"Thank you, my lord, for this unexpected visit," said Orpheus, "What is the reason for your visit?"

"It is to tell you that your skills are some of the best I have heard apart from Apollo himself," Hermes praised.

"Please play on," whispered the dryad, stepping into the conversation. "Yes please do," said Hermes. "Only if you would sit with me," replied Orpheus. "Oh course I would," giggled the dryad. "But what is your name?" asked Orpheus. "Eurydice," replied the dryad a smile clinging to her mossy green face. That afternoon Orpheus and Eurydice sat under the stars and sang songs of love and adventure.

Nearly a year had passed and Orpheus and Eurydice were happily married.

One afternoon Eurydice was walking down the garden path of the small cottage home her and Orpheus lived in. She knelt down to inspect a drooping bluebell she had planted earlier that month and immediately felt a sharp pain in her ankle. She looked down to see a snake slithering away into the bushes. Nausea immediately overcame her vision, she picked herself up from the ground and stumbled into her cottage where Orpheus sat writing down a new ballad. "What is it my love?" Orpheus asked Eurydice helping her onto to bed.

"A snake bit me Orpheus, I will not last the night," choked out Eurydice coughing blood over her front in the process. Tears and pain clung to lover couple's faces like a sailor to his boat in a storm. Orpheus kissed Eurydice and then laid her back onto the soft sheets that were now stained with blood and tears.

Orpheus picked up his lyre and began to strum. He played a soft ballad through the night, a last farewell to his lover.

Orpheus has become hollow since Eurydice had died, constantly filling the air with songs of heartbreak and never-ending sadness. Orpheus had tried to die many times since Eurydice had left him but nature would not allow it. Orpheus walked the earth alone leaving crying eyes in his wake.

Months had passed and the god Hermes had arrived. "Listen Orpheus I have a plan to get back Eurydice!" exclaimed Hermes. Hermes told Orpheus of his plan and they began their journey to the one and only, Underworld!

Orpheus and Hermes walked for many leagues until they finally found the entrance to the underworld. The walked for miles inside a maze of stalagmite and stalactites until they finally found a river. Standing in the boat moored at the side of it stood Charon in all his glory. His misty black and white eyes gleaming against his tan skin, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"YOU'RE NOT DEAD NOW ARE YOU HERMES," Charon said, the black flame in his eyes blazing as his voice rumbled through the cavern.

"Quick Orpheus play your lyre," whispered Hermes.

Orpheus was puzzled by the request but did as the god told him, as he played Charon's fire died down and the ferryman grabbed his oars ready to sail. As Orpheus stepped onto the boat he continued to play and ferryman sailed him to the other side of the lake.

It felt like an hour until they finally reached Hades castle. The black as night castle loomed in front of them, it appeared as if it was cloaked in a thick red mist. Orpheus stepped through the large ivory doors. Persephone Stood in front of him in all her withered glory. Flowers covered her hair and dress, all of them had a soft wilted brown forming at the tips.

"Come this way Orpheus, Hades wishes to speak with you," whispered Persephone as she leaned close to him, the smell of autumn leaves clinging to her.

Orpheus followed Persephone, as she walked she seemed to leave a trail of petals that disappeared almost as soon as they had appeared. When they finally walked to the throne room they found Hades sitting upon his throne staff in hand and a manacle grin sewn to his face.

"Well, well isn't the lyre player who nature refuses to let go of," Hades said his grin growing.

Orpheus went to speak but before he could the God of the underworld cut him off, "I know what you seek and I am willing to make a deal." Hades continued, "You may have your beloved if you can play the lyre well enough to lead her out, but if you turn around and look at her she is the underworlds and you shall live a long, bitter life without her."

Orpheus began to play his lyre, a song of love and warmth filled the air. The river Styx parted as he walked across it. Not a drop hit him. He continued to play for what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes. He played and played until his fingers were raw and throat hurt. He played until he saw the faint light of sunshine coming through the end of the tunnel he wandered through.

He heard no sound as he moved towards the end of the tunnel. For one moment he lost faith, in Eurydice, in Hades, in Persephone, in Hermes, in Himself... One fleeting glance, just one look was all it took. In that fleeting glance he saw Eurydice, he saw her figure but as a silvery ghost, her form quivering in the sunlight. Happiness flooded Orpheus then grief, indescribable grief. As soon as he was her he realized what would happen, he saw her panicked figure being pulled back through the long dark tunnel, back to the pit where she would spend eternity.

Orpheus had walked the earth for many centuries, he was never the same, how could he be, she was his world. She was dead, buried under tear stained dirt, her lifeless corpse would eventually crumble. What saddened him the most is he would outlast her, every proof of her existence would fade only in his memory would she remain. Eventually, Orpheus died, at the hands of one of Dionysius's crazed nymphs, a smile across his lips as that angry girl drunk on wine plunged a knife into his stomach again and again and again until the faint beating of his heart stopped.

The worst thing is, it had been so long and the dead don't tend to wait, I doubt Eurydice even remembered who he was. 

A/N

Yay! This is the longest story I've published on Wattpad. 1189 words not including the Authors Note.

 (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

Thank you for Waiting. This story took me three weeks of procrastianated writing.

Please vote because I'm really proud of this 

~Lizzie~