Sugar, Spice and a pinch of Fantasy

Chapter 29

---------- Chapter 29 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

               “Welcome to my home,” Haden mutters dryly. “Not what you expected, huh?”

I shake my head, too disappointed to answer. Apart for the gold-paved footpath, Persephone looks exactly like well...the little town I grew up in. What a bummer!

               “Let me guess, you were expecting purple trees, flying carpets and the like?” Haden asks smugly.

               “Not exactly...but I wasn’t expecting this! It’s so...blah!” I murmur.

               “You know, Persephone is special. It’s a place ruled completely by one’s mind. For instance, if I wanted a bouquet of flowers-” Haden murmurs, closing his eyes in concentration. “-I just have to alter reality with my mind,” he finishes, a bouquet of red roses in his hand.

My jaw drops in amazement, and I smile in spite of myself.

               “Don’t look so impressed Jess. Everyone will know you’re a tourist,” he teases, handing me the bouquet. “What do you see? I mean, what does Persephone look like to you?”

               “What do you mean? Don’t you see it too?” I ask him sceptically. Let me guess, he’s going to punk me again, huh?

               “I told you, Persephone is ruled by one’s mind. What you see and what I see is completely different. You see, the thing about Persephone is that...well let’s just say the place has this weird-ass sense of humour. It gives you the exact opposite of what you want. So, when I wanted that bouquet of flowers, I altered reality to give me a slab of meat. It takes some time to get used to it, and there’s a method to the madness, believe me. But the things you see around you, the Persephone that you see would reflect the place you fear to visit the most,” Haden murmurs sombrely.

               “What do you see then?” I ask him softly. What frightens Haden?

               “I see Persephone the way I left it. Gold paved streets, colourful little stalls, bright blue sky; basically it looks like paradise,” he murmurs bitterly.

               “Wait! I thought you said you see the place you most fear to visit,” I remind him.

               “Yeah. Don’t forget, I’m exiled from Persephone. I’m deathly afraid of being here, Jess. I’m trying my hardest to stay calm and collected because you’re here. You should have seen me when I was with the guys. It was pathetic,” he admits shyly.

               “I’m sorry about that,” I mumble awkwardly.

               “Sorry? What for?” Haden demands, cupping my jaw so I’m staring straight up at him.

               “For causing you to be exiled? You should have just...let it happen,” I stammer.

               “Jessy! Don’t ever say that! I stand by what I did! I’d do it again and again if I had to repeat it,” Haden insists vehemently.

I nod my head unconvinced and glance around me, shaking from the cold.

               “Why are you shivering Jess?” Haden asks, draping his jacket over my shoulders.

               “The Persephone I’m seeing is experiencing winter,” I murmur, my heart racing.

               “Winter? Are you afraid of a snowy landscape?” Haden teases, messing my hair.