3
3
I press my back against the cold stone wall as I shake off the remnants of the memory, the jagged rocks sharp against my bare skin. I inhale sharply, still reeling from the post-orgasmic sensation that memory infused in me. My trembling muscles and the thin sheen of sweat across my skin are evidence of just how affected I am by the skeletal creature that haunts my every thought.
My eyes blink back, the tears pooling on my lashes, and I readjust to the here and now, but my mind still lingers on the past. The marble vault within my mind reveals itself, the keyless door almost taunting as I regard it. My memories are in there, hidden away from whatever curse attempted to destroy them, and I have no idea how to free them.
How long have I actually been here?
Where is here?
How many are in there, and how many are similar to the one I just found?
My thoughts stray to the skeletal creature with the wickedly sinful tongue, and my body heats. Is he here? Can I find him within the crystal caverns of this place? The words of his cryptic prophecy echo through my brain.
‘The answer will guide you to me.’
“What answers?” I ask into the emptiness, my voice echoing through the shadows cast by the glowing crystals. “Where am I going to go?” My voice rises as panic grips my chest. “Where the fuck am I?!”
A loud crash shakes the ground beneath my bare soles and sends me skittering into the shadows in terror. I’m alone in a dark cave with no weapons in a land with creatures that can rip me to shreds with their claws. My chest rises and falls in rapid succession as I breathe through the fear and hopelessness still gripping me.
The silence stretches on, but I remain motionless for what feels like hours until I’m sure that nothing is on its way to tear me apart and devour my soul. I creep through the cavern and down a dimly lit corridor, trailing my fingers along the rough surface of the cave wall to keep myself somewhat grounded. It’s a short walk to the next expansive cavern, which branches into three corridors.
I take a deep breath and pick the middle pathway. I wish I could say it’s because there’s a strong feeling pulling me in that direction, but in reality, it’s just because that’s the tunnel I landed on using “eeny, meeny, miny, mo”. The darkness stretches on as the crystal lights become fewer and farther between. My feet halt as raised voices drift down the tunnel from the cavern directly in front of me.
“It is the law! She must return to the Upperworld. Her body has healed enough to hold her soul again.” A deep voice echoes through the darkness, raising the hair on my arms and the back of my neck. There’s no mistaking the authority in his tone.
“I’m not arguing that point, Hades,” a familiar voice growls. “I know the law. I was there when you wrote it.”
“Then why are you here, Charon?” Hades’ voice is a mix of curiosity and annoyance.
My feet carry me closer to the edge of the shadows as I listen to the sound of footfalls pacing back and forth.
“I want her to remember me,” Charon rumbles, and the pacing stops. “I want her memories returned to her.”
“No,” Hades says sternly. “You know the rules. No mortal will have any memory of this place when they return to the Upperworld.”
Charon growls low in his throat, and the vibration sends a prickle of another memory across my skin. But before it can sweep me away, his words anchor me in place. “Hades, please,” he implores, desperation seeping into his tone. I have been loyal to you for centuries. I have never asked for anything. Please.”
I lean forward enough to see the two men standing around an obsidian table, their shadows dancing in the light of a blue fire raging in a large stone fireplace behind them. Charon has his hands braced on the tabletop, the shadows of his cloak churning angrily. Hades is standing across the table from him, his arms folded across his massive chest. He’s wearing a dark grey suit with a pomegranate brooch pinned to the lapel, and his dark hair is slicked back, revealing two piercing blue eyes and a stern expression.
Hades heaves a sigh and unfolds his arms, sliding his hands into his pockets instead. “Why?” His tone is quiet and curious, but his jaw is firm and his shoulders are stiff. “Out of all the souls you have handled over the centuries, why this one?”
Charon hangs his skull like he’s unable to meet the piercing stare of the God of the Underworld. “I do not know why her soul calls to me,” he answers honestly. “But it does, and I can’t fight the siren call. I am powerless against her. I can’t even tell her no.”
“I know that call well, old friend, and I have a similar problem with a certain Goddess,” Hades says with a dark chuckle. “She will still have to be returned to the Upperworld. She can’t stay here.”
“I know,” he responds swiftly. “Nor do I want her to. This is no place for a mortal soul to live. She didn’t want her memories taken, and I want to give her that before she departs.”
Hades nods his head slowly. “And you?”
“What about me?” Charon asks, confused.
“Will you be departing with her?”
Charon hangs his head again. “No, Sir, I remain loyal to the Realm. Someone needs to guide the souls.”
Hades nods and looks over Charon’s shoulder, his blue eyes piercing through me even though I’m hidden in the shadows. His brow quirks, but he makes no move to reveal me. Instead, he looks back at Charon with a slight smirk. “I actually think there are a few areas that we need to make some adjustments in. After all, it is the modern age now. We need to upgrade our services.”
“You certainly have gotten our Ferryman into a twist,” a feminine voice cuts through the darkness.
I nearly jump out of my skin as I spin around and press my back against the stone wall. My eyes adjust to the dim light of the tunnel, and I can just make out a figure gliding towards me. Despite the low light, her skin and blonde hair glow ethereally. Her pink dress starkly contrasts with the desolate world around us. I look into her emerald-green eyes and feel the unease melt away.
She smiles warmly and offers me her arm, which I take without hesitation. “Hades will give him what he asks. He has always had a soft spot for Charon.”
I relax against her and let the peace and warmth of her nearness wash over me. “Persephone?” I guess, taking in the pastel flower crown adorning her head, petals reblooming as soon as they wither and drop from the heat.
“The one and only,” she confirms as she pulls us to a stop at the mouth of a cavern. “Here. You’ll need this.” She drops an obol into the palm of my hand, the smooth metal cool against my sweaty palm.
Two towering torches light the cavern on either side of a narrow wooden pier. The wooden planks stretch out into an expanse of murky water. I crane my neck to try and glimpse where the water goes, but there is only darkness and shadow beyond the circle of torchlight. We stand huddled together for a few moments longer, just listening to the steady lapping of waves against the rocky crags.
“You must understand, my husband will not keep your memories from you,” she explains in a hushed voice. “But you will not have access to them unless a need arises.” Persephone shrugs at the outrage, darkening my features. “Loopholes, sweet one, there are always loopholes with the King of the Underworld.”
“So I won’t remember him?” I spin in a slow circle, taking in the ancient Greek architecture of the cavern. “Or this place?” My stomach clenches at the thought of losing everything that I’ve fought so hard to hold onto.
The marble vault in my mind rears up, an ever-present pantheon in the landscape of my mind. I don’t mention the fact that I’ve been hoarding pieces of my memories for myself. Persephone seems innocent enough, but I don’t want her to take them away from me, too.
She takes my arms and gently squeezes me, her fingers warm and firm against my clammy skin. “I will grant you one memory that you may carry with you in your heart as you journey through the Styx.” She releases me and brings her palms together in front of her face. Her lips part, and a gentle gust of air swirls from them and deposits itself into her palms, glowing a faint yellow color.
I lean forward and watch as the lights and colors change, morphing into snippets of my memories here in the Underworld. Some tickle against the back of my mind, like I’ve stolen fragments and hidden them away in my vault, while others look wholly unfamiliar. The scenes change slowly, giving me time to assess what each memory holds.
My arrival in the Underworld with Charon.
Our first walk through the Asphodel Fields.
The many runs through the maze through Persephone’s Grove.
Our goodbye in the cavern.
“This one,” I whisper as the memories begin to repeat themselves. My fingers hover just over the shimmering light as Charon’s skull comes into view again. My heart constricts at the sight of his spectral form in the Goddess’s palm.
“It’s my favorite, too,” she admits with a slight blush. “Nothing goes on within the fields of the Underworld that we can’t see or hear. Please don’t feel like I’ve been spying because I most certainly haven’t.” Her words come out in a jumble as she rushes to explain herself.
“Sephy.” Hades materializes in a plume of smoke beside us, causing us both to jump and Persephone to smack her hands together, snuffing out the light of my memory. “Are you meddling, my flower?” His tone is stern, but his eyes glimmer with mirth.
She blinks innocently up at him with a bright smile. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, darling,” she responds and bounces up to give him a peck on his cheek. When he turns to summon a mystical skiff from the shadows, she leans in close to me. “This will get you through the journey. It’s not a pleasant one.” Her palm presses against my chest, right above my heart, and I feel a warmth seep into the very center of my soul.
“This is where we part,” Persephone says, taking my hands again. “But I have no doubt that I’ll be seeing you again soon.” She winks, and her green eyes sparkle with mischief.