Short Stories From a Camera

Daphne and Apollo

Modern adaptation of the Myth of Daphne and Apollo

There once was a man named Apollo, who was a senator for California. One day Apollo was mocking one of the senators of Washington, Eros, about how he is constantly setting people up, but can't find his own true love. Eros didn't take to kindly to this and the next day, while Apollo was asleep at his desk, Eros put a fake letter on Apollo's desk. The contents of the letter stated that it was from Daphne, a popular new model from Alaska, who was in love with Apollo, but was shy and didn't know how to tell him. It also included a picture of Daphne, with her signature laurel hair pin in her hair. When Apollo woke up and read the letter, he fell in love with her immediately. He decided to find her and marry her, so he called his secretary to find where she lived and drove off to meet her. At the same time, Eros went to Daphne and told her that Apollo was stalking her, and if he ever found her, he would force her to marry him. Naturally, Daphne responded by packing up her things, selling her house, and driving away. When Apollo reached Daphne's former house and found out she had left, he followed her. Since Apollo was a senator, the people had to comply to his demands. Apollo managed to track Daphne down with eyewitness accounts every time she thought she was out of his reach. Daphne was getting tired of running away from Apollo, so she asked her father to help her. Peneus arranged a house, bank account, and job for her in Denmark. Apollo arrived at the airport as Daphne was about to board her plane. Daphne saw him running towards her, so she took her laurel hair pin out of her hair and threw it at him. Apollo was startled and looked down to see what Daphne had thrown at him. As he looked back up, Daphne ran onto the plane and left forever. Apollo couldn't follow her, because of his duties as senator, but he made her hair pin into a laurel brooch that he always wore wherever he went.