Goddnesses Stories

These are not essays but stories. Stories that are in a different time and place. Book: $4.84

Nikos is a theology student, raised in a deeply devout Orthodox family, and dreams of retreating to a monastery on Mount Athos to dedicate his life to God. To take monastic vows, he must remain a virgin. He avoids looking at women and struggles mightily with his own desires. The image he carefully cultivates helps him avoid attracting the attention of the opposite sex during the day. But at night, desire often overcomes him, causing unbearable suffering. A female figure that appears in his dreams gradually takes on the features of a real girl from the same university, named Aphrodite, who also happens to be the best friend of his twin sister. Aphrodite becomes a frequent guest in their home, and it seems as if she is deliberately trying to disrupt his plans to remain pure. Not only is Aphrodite stunningly beautiful, but everything about her is alluring-her voice, her movements, even her scent. For Nikos, she becomes the greatest temptation, and he struggles to resist her. Little does he realize, however, how uneven this battle is. The higher powers have prepared a very different path for him.