The Girl that Hades called Persephone

-38-

My head was killing me, my eyes burned every time I tried to open my eyes, but I had to push through it and just open them wide, to see what happened to me. I didn't remember much, but I remember drinking a lot. 

I cursed Debbie. The thought of just taking up the goddess title so I could just do a real curse on her. Drink after drink, I remember it all, coming to me in a distant memory. 

Thinking I was in my bed, that possible Hades had to carry me back home, I reached for the covers. My covers, however, were not there, nor my pillow. I was starting to feel the coldness of the floor, it was hard, bumpy. 

My eyelids opened, and panic started to make it's ugly way into my body, as I looked around and saw I was not in my dorm, or even at Hade's place. 

I was on the floor, my ankle chained up, trapped in a large metal cage, like some dog. 

"Hello? Hades? Hello?" I called 

"Sorry love, he's not here," a voice said. I turned around and saw it was that woman from the bathroom. I stood up, the chain wrapping itself around my ankle tighter. 

"You! You're the woman from the bar. I remember you. Who are you? Did you do this to me?" 

She stared at me with those snake eyes, staring right into my soul almost, trying to stab it to death, having my soul bleed out all over the ground below me. She had a drink in her hand, by the looks of it was red wine. 

She took a sip and gladded her way across the room. It was huge, and this cage was so small compared to it. "I am Echidna." 

My heart sank. I remember Hades telling me about her, how she was the mother of demons/monsters. She was the thing that had created that shapeshifter that tried to kill me! My knees felt weak, my chest was tightening. 

She was so much more beautiful than I could have imagined. 

"You . . . You . . ." the shaky words couldn't form passed that. 

"Oh, so Hades did tell his little pet about me," she said, seeming to speak more to herself than me. 

"What . . what do you want from me?" I asked. 

She smiled. It wasn't an evil villain type, but like the one where a mother was greeting you home with your favorite meal. "I just want to turn Hades little pet into one of my children." 

"But . .  But . . . why?" 

"I know who you are Persephone. A goddess, but not really just yet, and Hades had just proposed to you? Do you think you are deserving of his love? Do you think you someone like you, as weak as you are, deserve to be his queen?" 

Tears were starting to swell up. "I'm sorry, I don't know what I did to you, but please, let me go. We can work this out." 

"You tried to take what's mine." 

I thought about it for a few moments. "Hades?" 

She frowned. "You are not fit to be queen." 

"I-I-I am sorry-y," I was shakey, my tears becoming more and more. I sat in the corner, trying to get away from her as far away as I could. 

"Worthless," she said, heading for the door. "How could you ever be the queen of the Underworld." 

*-*-*

Hades POV: 

I was starting to get nervous when Steffi wasn't coming out of the bathroom. I had worried that maybe she had passed out, or something worse. I couldn't shake it off. Debbie had informed me that Steffi would be out in just a few moments, but it's been too long. 

Fear was starting to take over. 

I was a God, and nothing had every scared me, until I had met her. Until the fear of losing her was very real. Now every second of the day, I had thought of her, and her well being. 

I've tried to hold myself back, always trying to be reasonable, but it was hard around her. I just wanted her around me every second of the day. 

The bar was slowing down, people heading home. 

Finally, I stood up and walked over the women's bathroom. I knocked on the door, "Hello? Steffi?" 

There was no answer, so I thought it might have been safe. When I entered, no one, not even Steffi was in there. 

I walked out, scanning the bar for her. 

She wasn't here. The feeling of fear arose once again in my gut. 

I went back to the bathroom, trying not to jump to the worse case. Something had happened, I could feel it. 

Closing my eyes, I tried to feel the energy around me, trying to figure out what had happened. Steffi was here, and she didn't leave. 

Then, the laughter. 

Her laughter. 

It was Echidna. 

"Hades!" someone shouted, pushing my shoulder hard, making me come out of my trace. I turned around, and it was Steffi's mother. I blinked,  wondering how in the hell did she get here, or more importantly why she was here. I had never loved anyone the way I loved Steffi, but why did Demeter of all people had to be my future mother-in-law?

"Demeter? What are you doing here?" 

"You bastard! You proposed to my daughter without even asking me?" 

"What?" How the hell did she find out?

"Steffi had just called me, drunk may I add. Where is she? I want to speak to my daughter." 

"Demeter . . . I think something bad just happened." 

"What do you mean?" she asked, her tone quiet and fear crawling into her words. "What are you talking about?" 

I pointed to the energy in the room, and the look in her eyes, I knew she could feel it too. She shook her head, "No."