The plight of Persephone

I was in the underworld running from invisible forces behind me. As I ran I came to a bridge. Slowing down I walked across a bridge deep in the forest I leaned over the side seeing the river was full of souls traveling gently down into the darkness. Slipping my dirty brown boots off I hopped up onto the edge of the stone railing swinging my legs over so they dangled lifelessly. Taking a deep breath my grip on the edge loosened. Looking towards the direction I came from I see Persephone run through the clearing. Her hair entangled with leaves and twigs flowing behind her. She had escaped. A sigh of relief slipped through my lips as she ran towards me panic etched into her face.

"Hecate we need to go now why are you sitting there?" Persephone ushered me to get down but I waved her hands away.

"This is the way out. Take off your shoes and sit here with me, hurry before he shows up." She quickly, without question, slipped off her shoes and claimed onto the railing of the bridge next to me. Grabbing her hand I told her to hold her breath and jump on three. Just as I said that Hades and Cerberus came barreling out of the forest. Time froze in that second I knew if I didn't get Persephone to jump now hades would send Cerberus after me and capture Persephone for himself. I couldn't let that happen.

"NOW!" I jumped, pulling Persephone with me into the river of spirits. This is the only way, though dangerous, that we could get out without hades following us. He would never risk being in the river of dead who would pull him apart if he set foot in. We were whisked away with the spirits pushed through tunnels. I held onto Persephone's hand as we entered darkness. The river became shallow enough for us to stand. I pulled Persephone to the side pulling myself and her out of the river and into stone.

"Are you okay?" I asked her concern laced in my words.

"I-I think so," she stuttered, still mortified.

"We need to get moving before Hades figures out where we ended up. There is a passage through that tunnel let's get going and get you back to Demeter."

We quickly got up and ran through the stone tunnel towards freedom. We reached the end of the tunnel and the bright sun hit us. The world around us was dead and cold. I looked at Persephone and saw her eyes tearing up. Letting her have her moment to herself we continued walking. Hades doesn't come to the human world. We climbed upon a horse I had left there the night before and began riding away to her mother Demeter. As we reached her home we saw her mother walk out the front door sensing us coming.

"Persephone!" Demeter screamed as we galloped towards her. We stopped and I helped Persephone climb down to her mother and they collapsed in a hug the earth around them turning warm and the snow melting. I watched as flowers sprouted all around us and the trees were brought back to life. They were crying and talking about everything that had happened. Just then someone appeared from the bushes. It was Hermes, Zeus' son and messenger. This couldn't be good. We all turned to him and he spoke.

"Zeus has decided. Half of the year she will stay here with you, Demeter. And the other half she will be in the underworld with Hades and is to marry him." We all stared at him exasperated. Persephone began to silently cry. I bowed my head Knowing that since Zeus had gotten involved there is nothing that we can do.

"In your travels between your mother and Hades I will go with you and stay with you wherever you are. It is the least I can do considering how terrible of a situation you are in."

"Oh Hecate thankyou. It comforts me to know my little Persephone will have someone when she is with that wretched god." I turned to Persephone and she collapsed to the ground on her knees still silently crying. I really hope she could learn to love him. Even though what he is doing is terrible I do know that he loves her more than anything. Hopefully Persephone could one day take that and use it in a way to live happily.

***

She did just that. Persephone actually fell in love with Hades after a few years of living with him. She learned the deep things that he thought about and learned all the ways he loved her. Hades treated her like the Queen she was and was utterly faithful to her. Demeter continued to hate Hades for taking away her pure daughter but continued to spend her half of the year in summer and spring welcoming Persephone home with love and warmth. The half Persephone was with Hades the world fell into fall and winter because Demeter fell from her duties in a depression.