Eros

Chapter 27: Greece

Angie crumpled to the ground. The dark clouds swept eastward like a demonic messenger taking with it, Eros. She watched the sky's angered throat clear into a soft hum, the lightning fading into nothing more than air.

She sat, stunned at the turn of events. It was fantastically impossible, to have something like Eros exist. Minutes grueled into minutes. A blur of time and myths and magic. Her rational side screamed it was all a hoax, a dream, really. There were no such things as unicorns, or a pot of gold, or Greek gods.

Oh, but the large empty void that he left behind was more than she could endure. How could she go on now that Eros was gone? He was the only beautiful thing in her life. He loved her. He truly loved her and now it was much too late to take back those ugly words.

"Angie—Angie!" Shay screamed, rushing forward.

"Shay, oh Shay! What have I done? Eros—he's gone!" Angie lifted an imploring face, begging Shay to bring him back. "Shay, please, please bring him back. I love him. Eros, I love you! I'm sorry I said those things to you! Eros, please."

Shay sat carefully beside her, her hands gliding across Angie's back. "Ang, what happened? What did you say to him?"

"I told him to g-go away. That-that he doesn't belong here." She clasped her hands together, barely able to hold herself up. "I was cruel! I was mean." Angie's voice grated against her throat, leaving it raw and painful to speak. "How can he still like me? I've been so ugly to him before, too."

"Where is he?" Shay's head spun every which way, searching the small clearing with the statue of Aphrodite beside them.

"Gone. He went awaaaay!" She crumpled into a blubbering mass of sobs, her shoulders shaking. She felt her best friend lay over her, her arms wide about her back, her face nuzzling her shoulder. "I don't deserve your empathy or love, Shayla. I'm no good."

"Hey, what's this?"

It took Angie a minute to comprehend what Shay said. "Hu?" she stammered.

"This? Hey! Isn't this Eros' necklace with the broken pendant—where's the other piece?"

"He-he left it?"

"Looks like it."

"Can you put it on?" Angie whispered as she pushed her hair aside.

Shay gave her a big smile and nodded. "Just slip it over your head."

Angie closed her eyes and sighed as its weight nestled at her chest. So, this was how it felt to wear his necklace. A fresh wave of agony drove through her and she covered her face.

"Let's go get him before he gets to far, Ang. C'mon, I have you."

"No!" Angie yelled, pulling away. "He's gone, can't you understand?"

"That's just the thing, I can't. That's all you're saying is that he's gone. Gone where?"

"We were right, Shay, oh, we were right. I wish we were so very wrong."

"Tell me!" Shay lost patience, her voice a near scream.

Angie shifted into a sitting position, wiping her eyes and nose with her hands. "He faded into the air just like that. Shayla, Eros is the god of love."

* * *

"I can't stay here anymore, Daddy. I'll take you up on your offer." Angie moved about from place to place like a frantic bee from blossom to blossom as she packed her belongings. Thank you for letting me do this."