Emotional Mixology

Awakening Earth

The River Styx was no river at all.

I stood at the entrance to the underworld and saw only the rush of excitement that comes with spelunking 300 meters. I was anxious to float through the air to what I believed to be a cavern in the Earth's surface. I convinced myself that the smell of ambrosia was just some sort of underground berry or flower as I launched over the ledge and disappeared into the darkness.

The faster I fell the less I could see the more I could hear. The sounds of hissing, laughter, screaming, crying, pleading all mixed inside my ears as if they were liquids in a bar shaker resulting the emotional equivalent of The Commonwealth. With every meter came a new emotion — euphoria, anxiety, doubt, loneliness, embarrassment, paranoia, frustration, horror, regret, shame, hysteria, even hunger snuck in there.

As I approached the surface the air changed to a thick blue fog and a figure appeared beside me.

"My name is Charon." The figured said without opening its mouth.

"I'm...uh...my name is...uh...where am I?" I couldn't remember my name or where I was before I found myself falling through the blue haze.

"You are in the River Styx." The figurer grabbed my arm and we speedily floated to the surface. "Welcome to the underworld. You probably know it as Hades, but that is actually your new master."

For all the emotional mixology happening during my descent I felt nothing as I landed on the cold ground my eyes saw only a large gate, which beckoned me to enter.

"Congratulations, you are temporarily deceased. If you can find the scepter of birds and return it to Hades before the sunsets, you can live again." Instantly a single Ray of sunlight shot down through the blue mist of my descent.

I cautiously approached the gate and in anticipation of my entrance the gate crept open with a loud scratch across the stone floor. I stood silently before the judges for a moment before Minos waved his snake-wrapped arm and transported me to Elysium.

I stood and looked into what seemed like paradise. Gods playing chess, heroes eating ambrosia, and Persephone sitting on top of a tall hill watching all of the festivities. The crystal rivers ran down both sides of the field, and in the distance under a dark cloud I could see Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a steep slope. I looked behind me and I could see the Charon's sun circle.

There was no sign of Hades so I resolved to speak with the queen, and from my viewpoint I saw one area where the rivers widened and blocking the path was Hero's Ring. So I began my journey as the sun circle became a half moon shape.

I entered the ring and before me stood Achilles ready for battle and holding a key that unlocked the exit behind him. Without warning he flew towards me and my instincts propelled me into a dive to the right. In midair my head tucked, and I rolled like a bal until I popped up back onto my feet. My eyes scan the environment as Achilles fights to stop his momentum, and I see flags lining the arena with pedestals in between each with a different object on top.

I need something sharp to cut his heels.

Suddenly, a voice cracked through the air like thunder, "Chose wisely, warriors, for your first choice will also be your last."

I looked up to find the source of the voice, but my left the sky as Achilles threw me to the middle of the ring. Landing on my back I saw him soaring towards me, and my limbs took action catching Achilles and threw him over my shoulders.

I stood and quickly scanned the pedestals. A sword! I moved as quick as I could towards the item, and as I looked back to check Achilles position something caught my eye. It was a scepter adorned with birds.

knew I had to get that scepter. Achilles was charging towards me, and I took off running towards the sword. Achilles was faster than me and I felt the wind as he reached the sword and held it high above his head. As he screamed his battle cry I ran for the scepter reaching it just before Achilles realized I wasn't following him.

I held the scepter like a sword and hoped my mind would finish the plan I had set into motion as I noticed the sun half moon becoming a slither, but Achilles charged towards me with his arm raised and his newly acquired sword pointed at me. As he leaped towards me the scepter disappeared, I saw Hades as the world faded, and I woke up in my room.