Persephone and Hades

Taste of Freedom - Chapter 3

I have been waiting years for this night, but even with those years of patience, this day still feels like an eternity and I feel the ticking of every second. Mother gave me permission to wear a pastel colour instead of my usual white, saying she would sew a dress in time for me to wear to the party. I am overjoyed by the idea of a little change and chose a gentle pink hue, the colour of the clouds when the sun hits them in the early morning. 

Today is the first day I try it on and it looks absolutely beautiful. The neckline is a v-shape, in the Greek fashion. At my waist the style slims, hugging my body until it blooms into a petaled design, like an upside down rose, sweeping all the way down to my feet in layers and extending in the back to form a trail. There is also a thin leather rope wrapped multiple times around my waist, something I added myself but it complements the dress wonderfully. Its rich dark colour contrasting the soft pigment of the fabric. My hair cascades down my back, a waterfall of brown curls. I twirl in front of my glass mirror, admiring how perfect it all looks. 

I stop and smooth down the front of my dress, sighing in bliss before turning around to meet mother downstairs.

I walked down alabaster stairs as my dress trails behind me. Mother was waiting for me wearing her usual brown coloured robe. Oh but wait, she was trying to be a little more formal since she had on a laurel wreath around her head. That was my mother for you. Goddess of the Harvest. So down to earth, so stable in every aspect of her life but I've grown to love her stability, if only she didn't also force it on me.

 She looks at me for a moment, looking me up and down before saying "Darling, you look beautiful, the colour suits you." 

"Oh thank you mother, if it weren't for you I wouldn't have such a wonderful dress to wear tonight" and with that I kiss her on the cheek before twirling once more to show off the beauty of my dress. 

"Well, come on before we're late" mother waves her hand to open a portal. I have to shield my eyes from the bright white light, the inside swirls like milky water down a drain. Mother steps through without hesitation, beckoning me to follow. Suddenly, I feel myself freeze in thought. This is all so exciting but there's a bit of fear creeping its way down my back. What if I embarrass myself? Or something bad happens? What if all those things mother has said about the world are't exaggerations like I suspected but the reality of things, or what if I don't enjoy this night as much as I hoped I would and then come to regret the whole adventurous foray later, that would be terrible. I once read something about how its bad to meet your heroes because you might realize their imperfection, what about coming face to face with your dreams and them not turning out - well, not the way you dreamed?

I compare the alternative, staying trapped here for the rest of my life, decaying in this perpetual placidity, never knowing what was out there...

Alright, I'd take my chances. Even if this ends up being a terrible experience - which I seriously doubt - it would be better than one more minute in this prison. With that thought in mind, I don't have much more problems with confidently walking through.