When Darkness Met Her

Escape

Persephone had ran for what seemed like eternity. She could feel her clothes sticking to her skin, the rain drenching her completely as the sun set against the horizon and night grew now in fury. This seemed way too close to the first time she had ran away in desperation.

It had been night, and it had been dark...

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She had ran village to village, hiding away from her mother's scorn. She had been very young then, in between a child and a woman, not knowing that sneaking off in the middle of the night would add up in punishment if she ever got caught. But she refused to be catered off forever to some narcissistic, pompous brat like Pan. The creature had given Persephone the chills, and she refused to marry him. Naturally this angered her mother and Persephone had been confined to her room until she would agree to marry the satyr.

Persephone though, had climbed out through her window and had scaled down Mount Olympus, leaving only a single white flower as an apology to her mother before she disappeared into the night.

That's when she had ran into him, the night Persephone met Hades, God of the Dead.

He had come so suddenly she didn't have time to react other than to throw herself on the ground for fear of being trampled by his massive black horses. Her dark cloak hid her face as her arms shielded her head, her ears hearing the stomps of the horses right beside her. She was sure she would be found out, was so sure that whoever was there would find her and drag her right back to the temple of Demeter.

But the horses had calmed, and big footsteps sounded out as they descended down from the chariot.

Persephone had felt her whole body start to shiver uncontrollably. She had heard stories about a dark lord with black horses that ran through the night stealing souls of mortals and gods alike. The mortals never dare whisper his name, and the gods hardly mentioned him because of his reputation. But Persephone knew who this large dark figure was, and it frightened her right down to her bones.

The sound of footsteps stopped right before her head. Persephone could not stop her body from shaking, and a small whimper escaped her lips, so sure she was doomed if the Lord of the Underworld wished her gone.

But suddenly a hand came into her view, it's long fingers outstretched to her in a gentle gesture.

"You should really be more careful" a cool voice said from above "The woods at nightfall are no place for a young maiden."

Persephone couldn't move, her big blue eyes staring in shock at the hand that beckoned her to take it.

"Don't worry" she heard him say "I will not harm you. I promise on the river Styx."

Persephone felt her body calm at the promise, knowing even gods could not break a vow on the sacred river. Her own hand shook as it latched on to his, surprised at how strong his grip was as he pulled her gently up without a problem.

Persephone wanted to look at him, wanted to see the face of the Lord of the Dead. But she kept her head cast down for fear he might recognize her as one of his own and take her right back to her mother.

Instead she felt her mouth tremble as it shook out "Thank you my Lord."

Then suddenly the strong hand gently pushed the hood of her cape back and Persephone felt her eyes tilt upwards before she could stop them.

She knew right then and there, her life would never be the same.

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