Dark Petals (A Hades and Persephone story)

Chapter Nine - Persephone

"What did you think of Hades?"

My mother's question catches me off guard. It had been weeks since his visit, and I didn't tell you about seeing him in the meadow today. I am not sure of the reason she has brought him up. "I don't think I know him well enough to form an opinion, but he seemed nice."

"He's walling himself off more and more. Only coming around now every hundred years or so. He used to be so lively and joyous... but being alone has done something... changed him slowly. I just wish you could have met him before his slow retreat into himself" she says as she cleans up the remaining dishes.

She sinks into her inner thoughts, voicing them. I don't know what it's like to have a sibling, but I can imagine you worry about their well being and try to help when you see they are hurting. With not seeing him for a hundred years, Mother was not aware of his condition or what he had turned into. Her concern must have been eating at her since his recent visit. But unfortunately, I do not know what to say to calm her worries.

She looks at me after placing the last dish in its place, she seems exhausted "Dear, I'm going to retire for the night. I will see you in the morning." Walking over, she kisses me on the forehead, "I love you."

"I love you too, mother. I hope you sleep well."

She smiles, leaving me standing in the kitchen, closing her door behind her.

My mind goes back to Hades and thoughts of the lonely man consume me. How long can someone live in such a way before they truly lose themselves entirely?

For him, it had been a process over a millennium. How long had he been in the underworld before it began? Did he try to leave and visit the outside world in the beginning? Or did he accept his fate graciously and then only as the years ticked by did he become to despise it.

The chirp of the crickets is the only noise to be heard as I walk around the kitchen, picking things up and putting them where they belong. I look toward Mother's bedroom door, and when no sounds come from the room within, I quietly walk to my own room. My bare feet press against the wooden floorboards making soft sounds with each step, cracking open my door. I take a large step over the threshold. The floorboard within the doorframe creaks and I learned long ago to avoid it. It was in avoiding that small piece of wood that I began my morning adventures of exploring the land around me. My mother is unyielding on the distance I am to go, giving just an inch with each year. As I have aged, she has relented slightly but still continues to refuse me total freedom. The market was a huge step, hence my shock.

I push the door closed behind me and tiptoe over to my shelf where nestled on top is my favorite possession. A worn paperback book whose pages curl at the edges and the title is forever gone. A familiar smile tugs at my lips as my fingers graze over the smooth leather when I take it in my hand.

Pulling back my blanket, I curl my legs under myself as I prop against the wooden walls of the cottage. I open the cover flipping to the first page Though I have read it more times than I can remember I will never get tired of immersing myself into the characters lives. I am not the sole contributor of the age written on it but just a piece of its history.

I focus on the story in front of me, following each word as it leads me deeper into the tale that is these characters. The minutes swiftly turn into hours and the night awakens as the story unfolds.

My attention drifts back to reality as the soft tapping of rain hits my windowsill. Glancing out into the darkness, I can barely make out the shape of raindrops falling through the air. The stars are partly blocked by the clouds converging together, meeting to allow this small space the water it needs.

My eyes have become heavy through the hours of my reading, and I decide to close the pages for tonight and permit my tired body the time to revive itself. Laying the book on the shelf, I blow out the candle snuffing the soft glow of light that had been filling my room. But before I lay my head down, I glance out the window one last time, scanning the surrounding area. Nothing stands out besides the raindrops falling together to the ground.

I don't know what I expected to see but the need to look... it was overpowering. Chuckling I lay my head down resting against the goose feather pillow. Did I expect silver eyes to be looking back at me? Did I think he would be waiting outside my window like he was today standing at the meadow?

I am nothing more than a silly little girl thinking about a handsome stranger that has no more interest in me than he does a fly buzzing about. There is no reason to dilute myself and make nothing into something.

I pull the blanket to my chin and close my eyes, welcoming sleep to find me. When silver eyes threat to wade through the nothingness, I quickly push them back where they came from not allowing them the chance to get my delusional thoughts racing. I focus on nothing but the blackness behind my eyes and will my mind to go blank. My body begins to feel heavy and sleep slowly takes me, claiming me as its own.