The Descent

The river ran backwards on the day the queen vanished. At least, it appeared that way walking underneath the water’s silvery surface. I reached up, a whisper away from the rippling sheen overhead, and stopped myself.

I will not be dragged back to my mother over a glimpse of my fingers.

In my other hand, I clutched the invitation tighter. Its pure white petals still radiated the meadow’s golden heat. When I picked the sweet bloom from the muddy banks and saw the black pit open wide under the river, I realized the unassuming blossom was a deliberate answer to my prayers. I turned its yellow eye away from me, afraid its blindness was only a mirage.

Enveloped by the tunnel's dark expanse, I pressed my hands into the wall, feeling my way deeper down towards a far and flickering blue obscurity. Very few would have chosen this manner of escape, but the soft whistling of the wind and the cool cave walls under my palms soothed me after the eternal beating of summer up above. The sun burns. I crave a different warmth.

As the light’s power grew, shadows stretched and flickered in a sensuous dance over the crags, their fuzzy forms enthralling. In this place, flame was the only source of illumination.

Rounding a corner, a vast pool awaited me. A slick wooden boat rocked over slight ripples. I steadied it and stepped down into the body of the small ferry, only to sit, unmoving. I patted my pockets, searching for coins, until I remembered the golden center of the narcissus.

Of course, the flower.

I cast the floral calling card overboard and watched it drown, floating to its final resting place. The boat pushed away from the shore and sailed on a phantom wind. The ride generated a cool breeze, carrying the scent of moss on the dank air.

Torch-lined walls came into view, signs of life I had noted the absence of since the start of my journey. Then, great oak doors rose above me. The slamming of the knocker echoed through the caverns. It swung open easily, revealing a decadent anteroom.

“Do you like it?”

I was worried I answered the call in vain, but his voice was unmistakable.

“Yes, your highness. It is peaceful here in ways it is not on the surface,” I said.

“Enough that you would choose to stay here?” he asked.

“I would not have come otherwise.”

“Then, allow me to offer you a bite to eat.”

He served me a rich tray laden with fruit: sweet grapes, citrus stars, apples, and a pomegranate, spilling seeds in all directions. I pinched two seeds between my fingers and ate.

“I don’t believe it. Why did you accept my proposal?”

“My verdant homeland strains with color. The world longs for rest,just as I do. You offered me the freedom to choose my own path."

Hades smiled. “Allow me to be the first to welcome you to your new kingdom, Queen Persephone.”

I turned my attention towards the splendid palace. My mother will survive.