The Sea of Deceit:
A Narrative from The Odyssey
"Blasted be Odysseus, the most deceitful!" The shouts emanated from the yelping mouths of men. For nine days, the men had rowed to Odysseus' command, only to be rewarded with hunger and suffering. Now, as the men gathered upon the deck, the cacophony of voices began to build to a level of hatred never seen before. It was in these moments that I, Erastus, would burrow myself below deck to avoid another bitter harangue from Odysseus, the treacherous captain. While I lay in my bed, the catcalls begin to dissipate into silent murmurings. Eventually, silence falls down over the ship like a blanket to a man, enclosing him in a bundle of nothing, keeping him from the outside world. Like the blanket burying the man, the silence drapes over the ship and prevents the noise from reaching any higher than a whisper. It is here, in the silence, I wait, for the return of my brother, Metrophanes.
Soon and without warning, the heavily crafted door to my room is berated with the fist pounds from whom I presume is my brother and other drunkards. I, contempt to take action, gradually rise from my bed to unlatch the door. Immediately after the door is unlocked, barreling in comes Metrophanes and Hypatos, both of which are filled with sinister and enchanting wine. However, following them, Odysseus, himself, enters my small cabin with a look of disgust plaguing his face.
With a tone that oozes abhorrence, Odysseus, the great swindler, remarks, "Erastus, how odd for you to be holed up, alone, is this den. I do not know if it was sheer luck, but you somehow evaded my message on deck. Albeit, you still will receive it. Let it be known I mean no harm, but I command that you, along with your drunkard brother and his friend, shall be sent inland once we reach shore upon the next island." Without waiting for reply, Odysseus turned and swiftly exited the room, turning into the damp and empty hallway. An ache unlike any other sweeps through my chest. Not only am I frightened because the island is unknown, but also because on the previous island, our men were killed by the Cicones.
Within the night we reached the shore of the next island. Upon waking, I found myself astounded by the beauty and nature upon this island. Immediately, and with little protest, Metrophanes, Hypatos, and myself set out to unearth the mystery of the island. Within an hour's time, we had delved well into the dense pocket of trees upon the island. After being beset with aching legs and hordes of mosquitoes gnawing on our skin, the complaints began to be heard.
Hypatos, the most outspoken drunkard, yelled into the thicket of trees, "Why does that accursed Odysseus have the privilege to command us like this? We travel into this atrocious forest only to receive nasty bites!"
"This is outrageous," Metrophanes added, "being forced to complete the tasks of Odysseus."
"Calm yourselves," I chimed in, "no need to shout out our anger with nobody but us to hear." It was only after this comment when a path opened up in front of us. A well-travelled road, unseen seconds before, now appeared to show us the way. Without thinking, we picked up our step and followed the path. Within the hour, the path led us to a small village. While Metrophanes and Hypatos ran to meet the inhabitants, I swayed, thinking through my course of action. I thought to myself about the last inhabitants, whom we had taken and stolen from, only to be avenged with death. While I weighed on these decisions, Metrophanes and Hypatos disappeared from my sight.
Panic immediately struck my heart. I raced after them, forgetting all my worries. I rounded the corner of the path, only to stumble upon the most spectacular sight. Before me lies a garden of flowers like the vast sea. The sea, devouring one with beauty and magnificence, spreads so vast one cannot see the end. With gently rolling waves, the infinite garden, too, sways with the wind, shocking me with beauty. The flowers of white and pink seem to call to me, begging me to come to them.
As my mind begins to blur, I lose track of the others. As if the gods struck me with lightning, I bolt out of this reverie and set back to the task at hand. Metrophanes and Hypatos appear, like statues, unmoving, before a beautiful woman. I roll up beside them, only to be struck with wonder myself.
Her hair, the color of the sun, sweeps down her side in loose braids. The woman wears a white dress woven with silk and wool. She dispenses the same smell as the wondrous flowers, displaying only in her hand a flower, itself.
The woman whispers, "You are safe now, travelers. Be not afraid, for you have reached the Garden of the Lotus. I am Amphora. We, the Gardeners, reach our gentle hands to you." A memory from my childhood calls to me in this moment. The story of the Lotus Eaters, the most beautiful people with the cursing flowers, beckons to me from the depths of my conscience. As the story comes back to me, fear takes the place of amazement.
Before I can stop him, Metrophanes reaches out and takes a beautiful flower from Amphora, the masterful deceiver. Metrophanes breathes, with deep gulps, the incense of the Lotus Flower. Amphora takes the flower back and takes a bite. The beautiful thief of minds, Amphora, places the Lotus back into the hands of Metrophanes, who takes just one small bite of the flower. Almost immediately, Metrophanes' eyes glaze over and a smile splashes across his face.
"Home, at last," Metrophanes breathes, "finally."
I grab Metrophanes by the shoulders and vehemently shake him, while screaming, "Snap out of this blasted trance, Metrophanes! These are the Lotus Eaters! We are not home, but still on this damned island. Fight the trance!" While this is happening, I do not notice that Hypatos is now devouring the Lotus Flower. Again, the trance is immediately placed on him. I turn in horror to see that Hypatos, too, has been lost into the void of deceit.
I spin around, only to be stopped by another Lotus Eater. "Why will you not taste our Flower, one which you must so devour?" The Eater giggles the words into my disgusted face. The scent of the Lotus lingers upon his mouth, slithering into my nostrils.
I urged to the crowd, "Away with all of you! Hypatos, Metrophanes, let us go. Now!"
"Stop and enjoy the most divine Lotus," Hypatos whispers into my ear. I shove the man away and run out of the center of the crowd, rushing into the waves of flowers. However, these efforts are in vain, for surrounding the great sea of flowers lies a whole army of Lotus Eaters.
I draw my sword and continue to run toward the outside of the garden. I yield my dull sword in the sunshine, thrusting it at the awaiting creatures. With one swift motion, the being wheels around the jab and disarms me, the sword flinging out of my hand and disappearing into the sea of beauty. The Eater now stands above me, guiding the Lotus into my mouth, forcing me to swallow.
The magic of the Lotus engulfs me like waves. Rolling over everything in their paths, the waves take all they want and take control. They sweep the sand from the shore and replace it with its own deposit of things. The magic, also, takes control of my greatest beliefs and thoughts, and twists them into their own. Around me, now, lies my sweet home, with my friends and family surrounding me.
"Finally, we are home," Metrophanes says, as he appears through the crowd and picks me up. The worn-out stones of my sacred home lie beneath me, cold and rough. The aged towers guard my eyes from the bright sunshine.
"Finally," I reply, "back in Ithaka."