Hades

Chapter five: The fury

I opened the door to find Hades staring at the ground.

"Hades, it's the middle of the night," I yawned, slightly irritated. "What do you want?"

He looked up and his eyes were blood shot and puffy. He had been crying. "Is the book really based on a true story?"

I nodded. "Why?"

"I read up to the part where she dies. Beth dies," he spat. "Death takes an innocent life too early again. I took Beth's life."

I sighed. "Come on, come inside."

I sat him down on my bed. I left the light off so I wouldn't disturb the rest of my family. They normally slept pretty heavily, and the noise wouldn't wake them, but I didn't want to disturb them by switching on the light.

"Beth died because it was her time," I told him gently as I sat down on the bed next to him.

He shook his head. Even with the light off I could still see the tears rolling down his face. "It didn't have to be. It's not fair."

"Life and death are both unfair," I told him. "You of all people should know that."

He shook his head as he let out a small sob. "I hate that. I hate that I have to take care of the dead. I hate that death even happens. I hate myself!"

He was standing up now, his fists clenched. I sat him back down making sure I didn't touch any of his skin. I still remembered what he did to that leaf in the park.

"It's not your fault," I told him. "And you know that. Now stop being such a wimp and stop crying."

He wiped his eyes and obeyed. He inhaled and exhaled deeply several times then turned to me.

"Are you better now?" I asked.

He nodded. "Thank you, Clarice."

I smiled. We sat next to each other enveloped in the peaceful silence. I broke it by asking, "Would you like to stay the night? I'd be more than welcome to let you sleep over."

"I don't sleep," he told me.

"Oh," I replied. "Well, you could still stay. Would you like to stay?"

He smiled, "I would love to stay."

He sat in the armchair beside my bed which my mum had recently moved into my room. She said I needed a comfortable place to read my books. I laid in bed trying to get to sleep but to no avail.

"Hades," I began. "What is it like in the underworld?"

He inhaled deeply and I didn't expect a reply. "It's dark. Very dark. You can always hear the souls whispering incessantly there."

"That sounds terrible," I blurted out.

"It is," he replied. "All of it is like that. There is only one place that is tolerable. Elysium. It is where heroes go."

"Do you have a home down there?"

"You should go to sleep Clarice," Hades told me. "It's a school day tommorow."

"But--"

He reached over and waved his hand over my head. I instantly felt tired, and my eyelids shut. I fell asleep.

***

I woke up with the sunlight streaming through the window. There was no sign of Hades apart from the white Rose, like the ones they bury with people in funerals on the armchair in which he was sitting on. A scrap piece of paper with writing on it was left with the flower. I stood up and picked up the note. In scraggly writing, was written,

Sorry for putting you to sleep like that. I stayed for as long as I could, but I have business to do back in the underworld. Hope you like the flower. It was the only one I could pick up without it dying.

Sincerely, Hades.

I smiled to myself and picked up the flower. I placed it on my table and got ready for school. I ate breakfast, then kindly helped my mother to put Jon and Ron into the car. Both had attention deficit disorder, so it was quite difficult in the mornings.

"Thank you Clarice," mum said as she checked her watch. "You better hurry. The last school that makes it to your school on time comes in about five minutes."

I nodded. "If they become too difficult just call me."

"Thank you Clarice," she said. "But you better go now. Or you will be late."

I reached the train just as the doors were about to close. I managed to climb on safely though. Sitting in the nearest empty seat, I pulled out my book from my bag and began to read.

The light on the train suddenly dimmed, though we were not going through a tunnel. I looked up. The people on the bus had magically disappeared and I was no longer on the bus anymore. I was in a room tied to a chair. I couldn't see how big the room was, for there was only a small light which was shining onto me. I tried to tug on the rope but there was no way of me getting out.

A figure appeared in front of me.

"What do you want?" I asked, oddly without a hint of fear in my voice.

The figure stepped into the light. It was a winged creature with claws and fangs.

"I want to speak with you," it's voice was female and ragged.

"About what?"

"Your friend," she said. "Hades."

"What about him?" I asked.

"You seemed to have caught his eye," the winged creature said. "Who really are you?"

"Who are you?" I asked her back.

She smiled deviously then bowed. "I am a creature of the underworld. I am a fury."

"Well, I'm Clarice," I told her. "And I would be quite pleased if you let me go."

She stared at me for a while then blinked. "As you wish, lady Clarice."

Lady Clarice? I wondered but she melted into the darkness and the scenery around me crumbled away. I was back on the train which had pulled up at my stop.

There was no sign the winged lady called a 'fury' ever existed, or if I were ever at that place.