Mom had a point. When we moved to Klamath Falls, we rolled up in a station wagon from the 1970’s, with our belongings tied to the roof. Wearing clothes from Target and no one asked any questions. To them we were just another ordinary family in a new place.
Because of my modest upbringing, the elaborate decorations in my room leave me awe-struck, spinning in a circle, taking everything in several times.
Walking over to the bed, I fall backwards onto the mattress that could sleep at least five people and roll over. I’m drained and exhausted. More than anything I’m depressed. “Damn you, Hades,” I mumble, letting out a yawn. Then I make a mental note. I can’t lie here and curse myself and Hades and keep on pouting about being here like a child. I won’t accomplish anything by doing that. I should be doing something about my entrapment, like trying to come up with a plan. I should be trying to figure out a way to get out of here on my own.
Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow, first thing, I am going to get out of this hell-hole. With that in mind, I drift off to sleep. Maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow and realize that everything that happened today was a nightmare. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll wake up in my own house and in my own bed. Somehow…I doubt it.
Demeter
Those who are not parents could never fully understand how much a parent loves their child. They wouldn’t understand the bond. Demeter knew that bond, she knew it well. But that bond seemed distant now, that bond seemed like it was about to disappear.
Demeter was certain that she was going crazy. Persephone had only been gone for hours, but to her it felt like days. For the longest time, after Hades had pulled her under, Demeter walked in a circle through her backyard calling out her child’s name. The Goddess convinced herself that she’d just imagined everything that went down. She’d convinced herself that Persephone had just wandered off. Maybe her child was just frolicking in the meadow behind their house. Maybe she was deep in the forest searching for wildflowers.
Even though Demeter knew neither one of those scenarios were real, she kept pretending they were because she knew that was the only she’d push through. Otherwise, she’d be an emotional zombie for decades. Maybe even centuries. She could not face the fact that the God of Death had taken her child and she might never be coming back.
Unable to sleep, Demeter strolled along the sidewalk in her neighborhood, calling out her child’s name. “Persephone! Persephone!” She couldn’t understand why she was doing this. She knew where Persephone was, but in the back of her mind she still hoped—no—prayed that maybe everything that just happened was an illusion.
Demeter stopped in front of her driveway and stared painfully at her house. A vision of Persephone popped into her head and a faint smile curled on her lips. Persephone was walking down the driveway on her way to school and she was standing the doorway waving goodbye to her. During that moment, as she reminisced of that fond memory, it took everything inside of Demeter to stay standing and not collapse on the pavement.
She heard a voice behind her. “Mrs. Jones?” The voice belonged to the neighbor boy, Adonis. The one Persephone walked to school with every morning.
At first Demeter said nothing to the boy. She was in a trance-like state, staring blankly at the smooth concrete on the sidewalk in front of her. Then she took notice in him, staring at his perfect features and she could have sworn that she knew him from somewhere. She could have sworn that she’d seen him before. She shrugged off the thought. She was blinded by grief and her mind was playing tricks on her.
But the boy didn’t just leave when she didn’t answer him. “Mrs. Jones, are you okay?” Still, Demeter remained silent. The boy walked around in front of her. “Is Persephone ready?” he probed. “We’re supposed to walk to school together.”
She blanched at hearing the sound of her daughter’s name. And the only words she could manage were, “Uh uh. No.”
Adonis scrunched his eyebrows together. “Is she sick?”
“Yes,” Demeter lied. It wasn’t that she planned on being dishonest. It was that she was overwhelmed with grief and the boy kept on reminding her of Persephone and how she might never see her again.
“Oh,” Adonis said. “Well, tell her I hope she feels better.”
“I will.” The she turned to walk up her driveway.
Back in the kitchen, Demeter sat at the kitchen table and laid her head flat against the wood. She wasn’t physically capable of doing anything. She could not eat. She could not sleep. She didn’t even think she was capable of using the restroom if she had to.
More than anything she blamed herself for Persephone’s disappearance. Why hadn’t she been able to see past Hades trick? In the past she had always been able to see past his tricks, why not now? All of a sudden a loud bang echoed from the front door, but Demeter remained in her chair with her head down. She didn’t feel like seeing anyone else today.
Seconds later loud heavy footsteps paraded down the hallway and a presence lingered in the doorway. “Demeter,” Zeus said. “I came as soon as you called.
She had completely forgotten about calling Zeus.
“He took her,” she whispered.
Zeus inched closer and Demeter lifted her head slowly. Tears brimmed in her eyes and Zeus took her head in his hands. “Don’t worry,” he said thoughtfully. “I’ve set a plan in motion. We are going to get her back. We will get her back.”
Persephone
I’m not dreaming. The sad reality sets in when I wake up hours later in the same bed I had fallen asleep in. But, during my slumber a dream did come to me. And in that dream was a message. A message that showed me how to escape.
I remembered talking with mom about Charon, the ferryman. The minion of Hades who ferried the souls of the dead across the Styx from the land of the living. Aside from Hades, he is the only other immortal who can cross both realms. He could take me back. I haven’t eaten anything since I’ve been here, so there’s nothing to bind me to this world. A grin sweeps across my lips. Maybe today is going to be a good day after all.
Much to my surprise, Hades must have decided that while I slept I was worthy of having my door unlocked. This is a blessing, well; a blessing to me, but it will be a disaster for Hades. I wonder what he’ll do when he discovers that I’m gone. Flinging the door open, I glance down the hall warily. It’s abandoned and the silence fills my ears. Turning, I close the door to my room quietly, and then creep out into the hall. The rubber on my tennis shoes squeaks against the marble flooring. I wince glancing over my shoulder. I’m making too much noise. So I remove my shoes, tuck them under my armpit and continue walking.
Once I reach the end of the hall, I stop in front an open door. Peaking inside, the room appears to be some kind of control room with glowing buttons, gleaming chrome, and televisions everywhere. Spread across, below the wall of televisions, is a massive keyboard with various buttons and gadgets.
For someone like me, who is always letting my curiosity get the best of me, this room is a playground. I want to know what all these buttons are for. I want to push them. Stepping inside, I stroll over to the keyboard staring at a giant red lever labeled earth. Hmm. I wonder what will happen if I pull the lever. Will the entire underworld fall apart and break off into pieces, crumbling like the twin towers? I shrug. “Nah.” So I pull the lever then wait. Nothing happens. Maybe it’s useless. Or maybe it’s broken or something. My eyes dart around the room. I’m wasting time standing here contemplating whether the lever I just pulled is broken, so I head for the door. But I only make it a few steps and the whole room goes black. What’s going on? Maybe the lever is like a light switch. Maybe if I push it up, the lights will come back on.