Eurydice

4

Too afraid to move, I stared at the water. A round face with a sharp nose and beady eyes hovered beside mine. My reflection was pasty and wide-eyed, my tan skin drained of color.

"Who are you?" I breathed.

"Aristaeus." He sounded offended. Should I know him? My heart leapt to my throat as one of his hands slithered down my arm, taking hold of my waist. "I've loved you since the day I saw you. I called your name at the concert, remember? I was going to ask you then to marry me."

"I don't know you." His grip on my shoulder tightened, and I sucked in air through my teeth. How can a man have such sharp nails?

"That doesn't matter. Marry me, Eurydice, or I'll just take you by force."

Orpheus would be able to hear me scream from here, but I was too afraid of what Aristaeus would do. His other hand went to my waist, and he pressed me against his chest.

"Of course I'll marry you," I choked out, heart hammering. Who could I pray to for help? If I was an unwed maid, Artemis would have come to my need instantly. Aphrodite only helped if love was involved, and I didn't need that. I bit my lip as I finally accepted what I had to do.

Apollo, I pleaded. Help me. Help me escape from this wicked man, so that I won't share Persephone's fate.

My eyes brimmed with miserable tears as Aristaeus asked softly, "You will? You will become my wife, and love me as long as you'll live?"

"Of course," I said. Could he feel how hard I was trembling? "But, I'm still married to Orpheus. The gods frown upon a woman who betrays her husband."

He chuckled, a rough sound that seemed to scrape my eardrums. "Eurydice, I am a god. I can do whatever I want, and I can get you excused for this in the Underworld. It's fool-proof."

I opened my mouth, unsure what to say, when Apollo's voice cut into my mind.

He is going to kiss you. When he turns you around, daughter, you must push away from him and run faster than you ever had in your life. Understand?

Since my father was god of prophecies, I didn't have any doubt that he was wrong. I silently thanked him with my whole being, and prepared myself.

Sure enough, Aristaeus tightened his hold on my waist and whirled me around. His face was twice as eerie than his reflection in the water, and his gray, hungry eyes settled on my lips. Before he could try anything, I slammed my hands into his chest and sent him falling down, landing hard on his godly behind. He growled and swiped at my chiton, but I was already five feet away, barely touching the grass as I ran.

"Orpheus!" I shrieked. My heart felt like a galloping horse in my chest, and my numb legs struggled to move. But I kept going, not daring to look back as my stomach lurched with each step.

"Eurydice, wait!" Aristaeus pleaded, charging after. He was much faster than me. How could I outrun a god? I prayed for help again, hoping that Apollo would hear me.

Something touched the ends of my hair.

"Orpheus! Orpheus, help me!" I screamed, my throat burning with pain. Tears blurred my vision as I sped up, legs and lungs shaking as hard as my hands. He was so close. I could hear every breath he gave as he closed the few feet between us. Again, his fingers clawed desperately at my hair, struggling to get a firm hold.

"Orphe-"

Something soft appeared under my sandal, and it writhed when my other one stepped onto it. I gasped as I pitched forward, landing on my arms so hard, my jaw clicked. I struggled to breathe, and when my vision cleared, I found myself staring face-to-face with a green snake.

Its forked tongue flicked out, watching me curiously with two glassy yellow eyes. I recoiled from it and sat up, flinching when Aristaeus spoke.

"Come to me, Eurydice." His eyes gleamed, and a shiver raced down my spine. "I will save you from the snake, but you have to be mine."

I shook my head, tears pooling in my eyes. This is what Apollo wanted. He knew that Aristaeus was obsessed with me, and would never leave me alone for as long as I lived until I was his wife. He gave me the best course of action; run away, and find the snake.

I looked at the emerald serpent, and we locked eyes. It didn't move, but I could feel it tense up, readying itself.

I held out my shaking hand, and a sob escaped from my lips. The snake slithered to me, fangs bared, and Aristaeus' eyes widened.

"What are you doing, my love?" he shouted. The god swiped down to grab the deadly snake, but it sprang away, landing less than a foot from me.

I'm sorry, Orpheus. How much pain would he be in when he found my cold corpse? I screamed when the snake pounced, sinking long fangs into my wrist. The poison burned as it coursed through me, traveling impossibly fast to my heart.

It was odd, not being able to hear or feel anything. I could only see the clouds as I tipped over, and through slitted eyes, I watched a tall, pale man come to me. Dark wings jutted from his lean back, and I numbly marveled at how scared Aristaeus looked. He turned his gaze to the sky, and I knew he was ashamed of what he'd done. I blinked, and found that he had disappeared.

The winged man brought a icy hand to my forehead, and he smiled sadly. I couldn't feel my body as I struggled to speak. Could you tell Orpheus to have a good life without me? It was on the edge of my tongue, but my mouth seemed to have inflated and couldn't move.

His smile was my last sight of the mortal world.