Hades and Persephone

Chapter 4

Persephone stayed inside for the rest of the day. The incident at the beach had unnerved her. She didn't say anything to her mother, but Demeter sensed that something had disturbed her daughter. 

The two worked around the cottage, cleaning up, growing plants, and baking. Persephone's room was now covered in various plants. She had to watch her step to make sure she didn't crush any accidentally under foot. The heady scents of the flowers that bloomed around her made her lightheaded. She lay out several of her shells, placing them carefully amongst leaves and stems.

Demeter kept an eye on her daughter. She had almost completely reverted to how she had been back on Olympus after Artemis and Athena came to visit. She decided to leave it alone. If her daughter was happy again, she didn't care. She arranged some flowers in a vase, gently teasing buds open.

That night, Persephone lay awake again. Despite the incident at the beach, she still wanted to go out and dance with the nature sprites again. She strained her ears, listening for any sound from her mother. Silence was all that met her ears.

She slipped on a short dress, something that would let her move freely. She crouched by her window, listening again for any sound outside of her room. When she was certain her mother wouldn't hear her, she vaulted out of the window.

Persephone streaked down the hill to the forest, already laughing and feeling giddy in anticipation. However, when she reached the trees, she was met with an eery silence. 

She carefully stepped beneath the trees. "Hello! Helloooooo!" Her voice seemed to be swallowed up in the darkness. She didn't remember the shadows being so dark the last night. She continued walking through the woods, looking around. 

Two boulders loomed up on her left. She reached out a hand and dragged it against the smooth stone. She recoiled at how cold it was. Much too cold for a warm night. She rounded the front of the boulders. A large stone leaned against the back of the boulders and extended out, creating a natural roof. Persephone noticed a small gap between the two boulders. A cold breeze seemed to be blowing out of it, and all light swallowed up by it. 

She judged the gap to be big enough for her to fit through. She peered in, feeling the cold breeze brush against her skin. Looking back once more, she pushed her way through. 

She felt the stone brush up against her as she squeezed through. Once she was inside, darkness surrounded her. The light of the forest outside stayed beyond the stones. Pitch black was all she could see. She felt panic well up inside of her, her breaths becoming shallow. 

She swallowed her fear, forcing herself to calm down. She took deep, soothing breaths. She forged on ahead, moving further into the darkness. When she looked back, she couldn't see the light from the opening in the rocks anymore. She turned and pushed on, squeezing herself through the small opening. 

Suddenly, the rock walls gave way and she fell out onto the ground. She felt hard stone beneath her hands and feet. She looked up. All around her was darkness. The darkness was lit by a grey light, making it seem like twilight. 

Persephone looked all around her, but there was nothing to be seen. She walked on, not knowing where she was going, but wanting to know what this place was.

A bright flash blinded her. She there an arm over her eyes and squealed. What on Olympus was going on??

She was suddenly standing at the edge of a river. Tall rock precipices towered above her. She looked back. The tunnel she had emerged from had pillars on either side of the entrance, made from grey marble. White poplar trees stood around the pillars.

She turned to look around. A large castle sprawled out directly before her. On the other side of the river, what looked like a large garden stretched out along the banks. A wing of the palace and a bridge reached over the river on her left, connecting it with the rest of the palace.