Persephone: A tale from the Underworld

Chapter One

"Do you think this will be enough?" Persephone askes the women in front of her who is knelt while petting a white lamb.

"I believe he will be very pleased, it's young and it's the most beautiful we have. We must give him the best, I might as well scarify every one of them, honestly. He saved your life, Persephone. Nothing we have will ever be enough."

"It doesn't mean we have to starve to please him." Persephone fires back. Her mother rises, her hair the mirror of her daughter's, as red as the Sullas surrounding their home

"It means," the mother starts padding her knees to clean her candid gown." We do whatever it takes to keep him as far away from you. Gods are voluble and my brothers in particular are quirky. The last thing you want, is face their rages, believe me I know it far too well." The dark tone does not escape Persephone's acumen but she does not inquire any further.

"Are you certain it is Poseidon the one we are in dept to?"

"Mother, I told you. I was in a bubble in the middle of the water and you taught me that the God who can manipulate any type of water is Poseidon so 1+1 eques...?" the question stays unanswered as Demeter falls into her private place where she locks herself inside a little too much lately. Persephone saw her mother grow anxious every year, as if she was waiting for something bad to happen. She never told her daughter why, thou.

"Don't be so irreverent. You're will angry the gods." Her reprimanding tone always put Persephone in a bad mood. She doesn't like to be scolded, she isn't a child anymore.

"Cyane! Prepare Persephone for her bath, I'll get the Altair ready." Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, offspring of Cronos and has a very tender and loving attitude. Through her hands, many things could grow and blossom but her most precious treasure is her daughter, Persephone.

She was the light of her eyes and Demeter would give up on everything to keep her safe and well. Persephone does not know this. She ignores that her mother worries about her constantly. Demeter knows what beauty does to Gods, she grew up with Zeus after all, and he had some weird cravings though the curse of his life. She is aware that Persephone will not stay innocent for too long but she will be damned if she let any of her brothers have her.

She looks into the eyes of her lamb, tears surface as she ties a rope around its neck. The mother bleats to complain, tries to steal it from Demeter's vicious claws. She has no choice though, she must protect her own child.

"I'm so sorry," she whispers as she leads it towards the hill behind their house.

Persephone appears from the vast forest that encircles their villa and paces unsure the path that leads her to her mother. Her hair tamed into a perfect long braid adorned with tiny lilies of the valley. The green dress folding her in a warm embrace making her clear eyes stand out while leaving her candid back uncovered.

Demeter kisses her child as she hands her the dagger.

"Mother?" she questions as Demeter locks her daughter's fingers around the hilt.

"You're old enough to do this." It costs her so much to say this. If she could, she would immolate herself to spare her child this atrocity. However, she can't pay this price. Persephone has to learn how much life costs so she won't put it at risk anymore.

Persephone swallows loudly but does not withdraw from her task. She tightens the grip and after giving the little lamb a kiss on the forehead, she declares: "I thank the great god Poseidon for saving me. I offer him the youngest breed to pay for my life that he so gracefully decided to save in hope of honouring his gesture."

There she goes, slipping the knife around the animal's throat with one simple gesture.

Demeter lets out the breath she was holding and soon joins to her baby. She gently tugs a rebel strand behind her younger ear. Persephone does not look at her, she is mourning for the lamb that died to save her.

She hopes it's worth it. She is praying her life is worth so much.

"Very brave, my paidí. Very brave."

Persephone nods yet something does not feel right. It's like the flames of hell are breaking loose inside her body. She excuses herself and rushes inside the old woods.

The dress is suffocating her. Is she feeling guilty? Is Poseidon punishing her?

The pond is close, maybe she just needs to wash that innocent death off her hands. She rips her dress off and crawls into the water holding to a rock while the burning starts to wear off.

She takes a deep breath and reaches for her hair as she set it free to float.

She always liked this pond. The water is warm in all the seasons and the sun peeks just right through the trees, making it so mystic.

She takes a little dive and prepares herself to get out when her eyes catches something at the corner of her sight. A gust of wind dries the drops on her body and she turns around to see someone wrapped in a very heavy cape made of black feathers and long thin hair that looks covered in soft ashes. He leans into his knees as if he was tired, his skin as engraved marble made by the hands of a very good artist with a sharp jaw and golden ring peeking from his strands.

Their eyes meet and it's like fire and ice dancing for just a brief second. . The man stands and Persephone feels his knee go weak as she takes a step back. It's like they want to bend to pay their respect to the lord in front of her but she doesn't give in. his head shakes in disapproval, as he takes in to her. Persephone narrows her glance. That man, so monumental and deadly reminds her of somebody.

Her mother's voice rings at the back of her head: ""Are you certain it is Poseidon the one we are in dept to?"

She mocked her, telling Demeter that it could have been no one else, yet there he was.

Realization hits her hard as the Lord of Death stands there in front of her, his golden eyes shimmering making the green woods look rotten. He has a crown as dark as his mise with two large horns peeking from each side and black clouds spawning from his feet as if the soil itself isn't worth to be touched.

It was him that saved her life and now is here to claim his compensation for the trouble.

She feels like melted iron pouring all over her trying to englobe her while blankly eyes her.

"Persephone, where are you?" Cyane shouts and the King peeks at her before rolling his eyes and snapping his fingers.

The moment Persephone blinks, the figure is gone and she's left naked in her mother's woods, feeling Death itself took a glimpse of her soul and will come again, craving for more.

She was wrong. She scarified to the wrong God and now the whole hell was offended at her.

Demeter will not be pleased to know this.

*THIS STORY IS NOW ON: HINOVEL* https://www.hinovel.com/ title: PERSEPHONE: A TALE FROM THE UNDERWORLD by Persephone's Quill