For Love is a Curse

Disclaimer: I, of course, do not own any part of Greek Mythology. I do, however, own my own thoughts and characters

~Persephone~

I ran as fast as my feet would take me through the woods in almost a frantic manor. I just had to get away from my companions without them taking notice, my mother had been oddly protective the past few days so I was rarely left alone. At some points I thought she knew of my secret, it left me anxious and the past nights I could hardly sleep for more than a few hours. But I thought it impossible for her to know, how could she? She wasn't an all-seeing God like Helios or Zeus, so therefore she could not know. But I still fretted all the same.

My heart thudded in my chest as I quickened my run through the thickening trees towards the graying sky. I did not know if my heart beat from my movements or from my emotions. My smile grew wider as I began recognizing the scenery around me, the place where he and I met everyday. My heart then felt like it was going to burst as the opening to the small meadow where the stream was, lay ahead of me. With just a few more steps I broke through into the clearing, chest heaving and laying my eyes upon the dark figure that stood waiting for me.

About a week ago he had come to me saying that he was just passing by and saw me through the trees and couldn't help but admire me. At first I was cautious with him, for I was told by my mother and many others that not one man should be trusted. But he was not a man, he was a God. I did not know what he was a God of though, for I did not even know his name. We did not speak much of him but we always spoke of myself.

The first day he asked me simple questions like what my family was like, where I was from. I told him my mother, Demeter Goddess of grain and fertility, was a kind yet strict woman. She kept me confined to small areas most of my seventeen years; she did not let me wander far. He said he understood but questioned me further. He did not seem surprised at all when I said my father was Zeus, but he was not with my mother. He had laughed then and said that was how Zeus was with many women; I did not question how he knew that though. Whenever I asked questions they were usually answered with a simple yes or no or he just ignored them and asked me more.

He instantly intrigued me within the first hours of us conversing; for he made no move to touch me but sat a foot or so away from where I rested in the grass. And this continued for a few days. He told me that our meetings must be secret; he understood that my mother would lose her mind if she knew of our time together. So I spoke of him to no one, but no one else besides him was on my mind. From his tall, built dark clothed figure to the way his voice sounded when he laughed at something I said or when he was complimenting me. His face was probably the most gorgeous thing about him; it was so perfect I found myself staring at him without realizing for how long until he interrupted me.

His skin was a pale color, as if he had never seen the sun his whole life. It made him look almost translucent, but it suit him for I would find him odd if he had a skin tone like mine. His ears were slightly pointed, like that of an elf but only when you looked closely. His jaw-line was strong and sculpted to make him look fierce and powerful, his nose straight and narrow giving way to his lips that were just the right fullness for his features. He wore armor over his forehead, which kept his long black, and silver-touched hair from his eyes. His eyes, oh his eyes, which always held my attention the most from all his features. They were grey some days and onyx the next, they held depths of thoughts and emotions that I could not fathom when I looked into them. They were entrancing and spectacular and I wished to look into them forever.

Our time together was always short though, it never seemed long enough to satisfy me and I liked to think he felt the same. His face would always go back to the usual expressionless features as we heard my mother call my name. He told me every time to not look so sad because we would have tomorrow and the day after that. It put me as ease, but only a little. I was always so afraid that it was all a dream, that I would wake up and this gorgeous, perfect man would be nothing but a figment of my imagination. But day after day of the past week he had appeared just like he said he would when the sky began to grey, my only sign of his presence.

I would do or say anything in order to escape my captive companions in order to race to the river where we met. Some days, like today, were easier then others because I never knew when he was going to appear. I don't think though anyone has caught on to my disappearances as anything to worry about yet, which I was grateful for. The more normal I acted around the nymphs and guards gave me better chances of escaping.

"You seem so thoughtful lately Persephone, what is on that wonderful mind of yours?" a black haired nymph named Callista had asked me a day ago when we were picking flowers on the mountain side near my mothers temple. The other nymph girls nodded at her, agreeing.

"Oh nothing," I lied as I gave a bouquet to one of the guards strolling behind me. "Maybe the sun has just been to warm lately."

Callista laughed at this and I froze. "But Persephone, you love when the sun is at its highest temperature." She stated which held me back form a rebuttal just having me shrug. She looked at me suspiciously before turning away and heading up the mountain.

Of course I could never tell them of my secret, of the man that I met in the woods very often. ….all of a sudden though the clouds started to turn grey in the towards the east woods and my heart leapt to my throat. I shuddered a moment in my step before calling out the other nymphs.

"I forgot to get my favorite basket from the garden!" I shouted after them backing away towards the small castle up on the hill. They looked around at me curiously then nodded and headed back to the meadow. "I'll only be a moment!"

I then took off up the hill but instead of turning towards the castle I took a sharp right towards the woods. It had felt like ages since I had seen him but it had only been less than a day. Oh I longed to run my fingers through his silky hair and touch his strong jawline.

I came to a halt at the edge of the woods as I caught his eyes gleaming at me from the dark, he stepped forward then and beckoned me into the deepest and darkest parts of the forests, and I willfully followed without a glance behind me….