Persephone, goddess of springtime, enjoys her peaceful yet dull lifestyle with her strict mother, Demeter. When she is suddenly captured by the god of death, however, she realizes that not everything is as it seems. Trapped in the underworld, will s...
She knelt down to fold her hands around the blossom, soft petals like velvet under her sensitive skin. Persephone smiled as she lifted the pale pink rose, breathing in its sweet scent. Placing it in her basket among the other flowers, she continued her way along the path, fingers brushing the delicate plants' leaves. As she walked, she left a trail of life in her wake—flowers bloomed brighter and the leaves rustled with renewed energy.
Sighing softly to herself, she set aside her basket of blossoms as she entered the glade. Persephone laid on the soft grass, her pale skin taking on a rosy hue by the light of the sun. Gazing up at the light glancing through the trees, she smiled to herself and began to sing softly of stars and moonbeams and sunlight. The world was bright and pure; birds sang sweetly and flew among the trees.
She continued through the forest, pausing to touch the bark of a tree or add another blossom to her basket. As she wandered through the glade, she couldn't help but sense that she was being watched. The light had turned from golden to a pallor, and the leaves among her were no longer vibrant but beginning to wilt. Persephone tugged on the hem of her dress, beginning to feel somewhat uncomfortable. Her steps quickened when she realized the forest had gone quiet.
Rounding a corner, she suddenly came upon the most beautiful flower she had ever seen—a black iris with a pale yellow center. It was absolutely stunning and a sharp contrast to the greenery around her. Entranced, Persephone took a single step forward, then stopped, remembering the way the forest had gone silent. Something wasn't right, and inspecting the beautiful iris would have to wait.
Gathering her blossoms in her arms, she left her basket lying there and broke into a run. The forest around her whispered and rustled, and fear began to overtake her as she struggled to find her way home through the green glades and trees that surrounded her.
At long last, she chanced upon her mother's cottage and sighed with relief. Smoothing her wrinkled dress and pushing her auburn hair behind her shoulder, she entered the cottage and laid the flowers on the table, smiling gently at her mother as she did so.
"Persephone, back already?" Demeter said sternly, not looking up from stirring the pot on the stove. "You didn't wander off the path, did you?"
She winced as she realized that she had done just that, and she tried to hide her guilty expression before her mother noticed. "No, mother. Do you want to see the flowers I brought?"
"Place them on the table, I'll glance at them later."
"Yes, mother."
She knew her mother loved her, but sometimes it seemed like she didn't care about her daughter's wishes or interests. Inside, she longed for something other than cottages and flower blossoms—she wanted adventure and passion and life. Telling herself her mother was only busy or preoccupied with other matters, she began to help her prepare the meal.
Persephone sighed softly to herself, thinking back to the black iris she had seen in the forest just off the path. She knew her mother disapproved of wandering away, but it was such a beautiful flower that she knew she would be delighted to see it again. Arranging the flowers on the table, she made up her mind—she would look for it tomorrow and bring it back for her mother.
The next morning, she returned to the glade, laying down in the tall grass and scattering petals around herself. Recovering her basket, she laid it next to her and gazed at the bright blue sky. She arranged her hair on the ground beneath her, adding to it the flowers she had found—lilies and crocuses and roses and violets. Gazing up dreamily at the sky, she soon fell asleep, lulled into fantasies by the soft rustling sounds of the forest. She sighed happily to herself as the golden sun warmed her rosy skin.
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He'd been watching her for a month now.
To any mortal who would have the pleasure of looking upon her face, she would have seemed to be around nineteen years old, but with a beauty that seemed ageless. Her hair was long, reaching nearly to her waist, and was a brilliant auburn. Her eyes were hazel bordering on golden, and her limbs were lithe and graceful.
He smiled softly at her appearance. She was more than just beautiful; she would have put Aphrodite to shame. Hades watched, entranced, as she caused the flowers to blossom around her, adding life and magic and beauty to her surroundings. Their glory, however, paled in comparison to hers. It seemed that nothing in the gods' creation could compare to her.
Hades gazed at her sleeping form, her chest rising and falling slowly. He took a step forward, nearly revealing himself, but paused. Demeter would not take kindly to his interference in her daughter's life, but he couldn't stand to be away from her. Ever since he first laid eyes on her, he was entranced and longed to make her his. And with just a little magic, perhaps it would be possible.
Persephone began to wake, slowly coming to as Hades stepped back out of sight. She remembered the black iris just off the path from yesterday, and she decided to go admire it and perhaps bring it to her mother. As she walked, she began to sing, and he nearly stepped forward, drawn to her melodious voice and her carefree spirit. Her soul was a beautiful, shining thing, and he longed to possess it as his own.
She smiled to herself when she reached the iris, not realizing that the forest had gone mysteriously quiet and she was being watched. It was even more beautiful than she remembered—glossy black petals, crinkled and folded like ruffles, with a pale yellow center. Raising a delicate finger, she reached out to gently caress its soft petals, not realizing that she had just fallen into Hades' trap.
He tensed, watching her fingers entwine around the stem of the blossom. It was suddenly in her hands with a soft snap, and she inhaled its spicy sweet scent. Instantly, he was beside her, scooping her body into his arms and disappearing in a cloud of acrid black smoke before she could even think to cry out.
