Hades and Persephone

Chapter 9

Persephone sat bolt upright. The grey light that came filtering through her large windows told her that day had come to the Underworld. She looked around, her eyes slightly out of focus as she tried to remember where she was.

She spotted the red dress draped over the devon and remembered: Hades' dinner. She smiled at the memory of the night before. Her scarf hung off of one of the posts of the bed. Persephone pulled it to herself, clutching it against her chest. 

A thought struck her and she threw back her covers, scrambling to get dressed. She threw open the door, only to be greeted by Hades. 

He had one hand raised as if he had been about to knock. His eyebrows were raised as he took in her dishevelled appearance. 

"I have to get home!" she said, flattening her hair with her hands. 

Hades seemed to have the same thought at the same moment. He nodded and rushed her outside. He snapped his fingers once they had crossed the bridge that led to his palace. A chariot driven by four stallions appeared as if from nowhere. The chariot was painted black with various gems decorating it in tasteful designs. The stallions were so black that they seemed to be sucking up all of the light.

He helped Persephone up into the chariot, then took the reins. He slapped the rumps of the stallions and they jolted forward. Persephone gripped Hades' arm, frightened for a moment as the chariot surged forward. 

They raced through the Gates of Hades at a speed so fast Persephone lost track of where they were. She blinked and they emerged from between the boulders, despite the entrance to the Underworld being merely a crack in the rocks. They hurried faster as the small cottage came into view, coming to a sudden standstill in front of Persephone's bedroom window. 

She stood still for a moment, still feeling her whole body buzzing and not really sure what had happened. Hades gently unclasped her hand from his arm and lifted her out of the chariot.

Persephone blinked and reached for his hand before he could turn away. "Thank you so much, Hades," she whispered. "What you did for me was . . . amazing. I can't thank you enough." She stood on her tip toes and leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on his smooth cheek. 

As she pulled away she swore he was blushing, and that made her grin. He coughed. "Well, of course. I'm glad to have helped," he grunted. 

Persephone turned, lifting the hem of her dress so she could climb through her window. She looked back one more time, giving Hades a wide smile before ducking into her room.

She heard the horses snort and then a rumbling of the earth indicating that Hades had left.

Persephone slipped beneath her covers, hoping her mother hadn't missed her. It was still quite early and the house was quiet. She fell into an uneasy sleep, wondering if her mother had noticed her absence.

A green light fell on Persephone's face. She blinked, wondering what was going on. Turning her head, she noticed with horror that vines and leaves were covering her window. Not a single gap could be seen. The vines and leaves twisted over each other, weaving together to make a solid covering. 

Persephone flung herself out of bed and leaned against the window sill, pushing against the wall of plant matter. She threw all of her magic against the wall, trying to force the plants to fall away.

She heard someone step into her room and whirled around, tears streaming down her face, hair wild. 

Demeter stood straight, arms crossed. She was as solid as the wall outside of Persephone's window. 

"What. Have. You. Done?" Persephone ground out. She curled her hands into fists so tight her nails dug into her palms, her body tense and rigid.

"I came to check on you and you were gone, Persephone. I did what I had to do. You left me. I'm just trying to protect you."

"I am an adult! I am a grown goddess! There is no reason for you to be checking on me in the night!"

Demeter's face transformed into a snarl. "You've been acting distant and I was worried about you. Can you blame me? My fears were well-founded after I found your empty bed last night!"

"Can you blame me?!" Persephone felt a warmth boiling up inside of her, reaching up to the top of her head.

"I am trying to protect you!"

"You are smothering me! Are you really still so angry about the fact that Zeus discarded you that you would ruin my life? Zeus is a pig, he always has and always will be. Were you really so surprised?"

Demeter pursed her lips into a thin line. "That is no way to talk to your mother."

"As if you even give me a choice. You just ignore me, wanting me to be submissive and a good daughter. What did you expect me to do?"

"You will stay here. Forever. You may not understand why I am doing this now, but you will thank me in the future."

Persephone's face fell. "What?" she whispered.

"I am just trying to protect you from those who would do you harm." Demeter stepped out, closing the door behind her.

Persephone flew at the door, banging on it with her fists. "Don't lock me in here! You can't keep me here forever!"

Demeter's voice was muffled by the door. "Be calm, Persephone. You will learn to enjoy this life." Her footsteps faded away.

Persephone leaned her back against the door and slid down to the floor. She couldn't believe this was happening. She couldn't believe her mother was capable of doing this. Tears streamed down her face. 

She would never see Hades again. It was that thought that sent sobs wracking through her body, barely catching a breath between each one.

She lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her mother had brought by all of her meals, but she didn't touch them. She wasn't hungry. Each time her mother tsked as she took away the full trays, saying she should keep her strength up. Persephone didn't care. What did she need her strength for anyway? She was locked away, like some creature in a cage.

Darkness fell outside her window, but there was hardly any difference inside the room. She continued to stare at the ceiling. What if she could dig under the house? She pushed aside that notion. The plants had probably cocooned the entire cottage, from the very foundations to the peak of the roof.

She held her hands before her face. They glowed softly in the dark. Her own magic was useless against her mother's. She had never felt so powerless. Was this what it was like to be a mortal? If so, she hated it. She clenched her hands into fists. She hated feeling useless, as though she couldn't do anything at all. What kind of life would she lead, locked away? A mortal could die off within a couple of years, maybe decades. But she would live on, forever in the darkness, never dying, never fading away. In that moment, she envied the mortals their short lives.

Persephone closed her eyes as she thought of another type of darkness. The dark of the Underworld was almost beautiful. There was a strange light about the land so it was never truly dark. 

Her eyes snapped open. That was it. Even in the darkness there was a light. She would escape. She would find Hades again. He had become her closest friend, her only friend. He was probably waiting for her tonight. Perhaps he thought she didn't care for him anymore and had abandoned him. She clenched her fists tightly. She could not let down her friend. She would be free, and then . . . who knows?

But she had to stay strong, as her mother had said. She laughed under her breath at the irony. Demeter had meant for her daughter to simply remain healthy and happy, but what she didn't know was that she would be fuelling her daughter's own escape.

Persephone swung her feet off the bed and found the tray of food that had been left for dinner. She gobbled down the ambrosia and nectar, smiling wickedly in the dark as she felt its warmth spread through her limbs.

Soon. Soon she would be free of this place.