[Year 2001]
Later into the school year, I started writing again. Mike encouraged me to go to a creative writing class, and it ended up inspiring me very much to write poems, short stories, journal entries, etc. Very soon I had a notebook dedicated to any story idea I could think of. I carried this journal almost everywhere I went, and my goal was to fill it by the end of December.
One night, I was sitting at the kitchen table, writing for a class assignment. Persey came in and made herself some tea, then sat down next to me and looked curiously at my notebook. She had been in bed most of the week because of a fever, so I was a little surprised to see her.
"Nice to see you out of your room," I said. "How are you feeling?"
"Mostly okay," Persey said. "I've been feeling a little better, but I still have a headache."
"I'm sorry, Persey. Why don't you try sleeping it off?"
"I'm sick of being in bed," she said. "So, what are you writing?"
"It's called 'Markos and the Underworld', and it's for creative writing," I said.
"Underworld?" Persey said, brightening at the word. "Like with Hades?"
"Yeah," I smiled. "Like the stories we made up when we were little. You want me to read?"
"Yes!" she said. "As long as it's good."
"Well, I'll leave that for you to decide." I turned the page back and started reading.
-----
Once, when the Greek empire seemed to be at its greatest height, a mysterious plague swept over the country. Millions of people got sick and died, and there was no clear way to treat them.
Markos was a soldier living in the midst of this plague. He was very arrogant, and would flaunt all of his accomplishments before the less fortunate. He especially despised those who have gotten sick from the plague, for he thought that they were impure and somehow deserved it.
He had a beautiful wife named Alexis. She was nineteen, with long, curly brown hair and soft hazel eyes. Alexis was kind and faithful, much more than Markos had ever deserved. Even though he did love her, he had never showed her any affection, and he always put his needs above hers.
Markos had been away at war for a few months, fighting viciously for his empire and always longing to come back home, where he knew Alexis was anxiously waiting for his return. And when he finally did, he was devastated to find that his wife had fallen ill from the plague.
He tried everything he could to cure Alexis. He took her to the best doctors in Rome, he made her perform all the rituals he could research and drink all the potions that existed. But it did no good.
Alexis passed away after two weeks, and Markos only had himself to blame. He knew that she did not deserve to die so young. So he made a promise to himself: he will go to the Underworld, and he will search every inch until he could bring her back.
People in his village always said that the gateway to the Underworld was in the abyss behind the old cemetery, but no one was ever brave enough to actually look. That day, Markos would be the first to find the truth.
And he would never come back to tell anyone.
Markos approached the abyss with a sword and a shield. He looked deep into the darkness, trying to see if he could find how deep it was. At least that's what he was telling himself. In reality, he was just stalling for time. But then he thought of his beautiful wife again, and without any regrets, he jumped in.
-----
"That's all I have so far," I said when I finished. "You like it?"
Persey stared down at the notebook, then back at me with big eyes. "I love it," she said. "When can you finish? I really wanna hear the rest."
"Well, it's due in another week," I said. "You might have to wait."
"How can you even write like that?" Persey said. "Can you teach me?"
I smiled a little. "Sure. You can even help with Markos."
I got up and packed all my things. "Come on, it's getting late. We need to go to bed."
YOU ARE READING
Through the Acheron
General Fiction[Formerly Persephone's Death Wish} Zander was seven years old when his little sister Persephone was born. A few weeks later, he had to go to his first funeral. His first experience with death left him mystified and overwrought, fearful that when h...
