Eternal Souls
Marianna's Story
Chapter Four
{Author's note. Zeus was pictured as the
irreplaceable Anthony Quinn, when this
was being written.}
"Several days ago my village was somehow warned that an enemy attack was coming. No one knew who had issued it but everyone took it seriously. My family was able to pack and leave immediately and many others did the same. There was a handful that planned to catch up later, however. I was one of them. You see I was the curator for an art museum.
The thought that all those beautiful pieces of art might be destroyed in a war made me sick, so I set about hiding as many of the treasures as I could. Some of them were buried, others hidden in secret stairwells and behind wall mortar in various homes and buildings. But there was one piece, a statue that was too large to disguise. It would have taken at least ten strong men to move it and the people, who were left had more immediate and important problems. Yet I couldn't bare the thought of people never knowing that this piece of such beauty existed.
It was just so special you know. At least it was to me. No one ever knew how it came to the museum, which were the subjects it depicted or even who the donor was, but I felt it was magical. And others seemed to always be immediately drawn to it. So I went to my wagon that was tied out behind the building and got my art supplies. My intention was to make a brief sketch and then quickly meet up with the final group leaving the village. But something came over me. I took out my paints and began trying to capture from every angle, its very essence so it would never truly be lost. I think I would have just kept going, if the light hadn't begun to fail.
When I realized how long I'd been there I started to feel afraid. I quickly gathered up my work and headed out. The sense of terror grew when I realized that there was not a soul left in town. Since my wagon had been in the back the others must not have seen it and assumed I had set off ahead of them.
The only sound was the howling of the wind and the banging doors of empty homes. Part of me wanted to set right out after the last group. I missed my parents and brothers so much at that moment. But the night was growing ever darker and the cold even more bitter. I knew I'd never make it. So I headed for my home. I hid the wagon behind the trees and ran inside. I was afraid to even build a fire, so I huddled in a blanket."
Marrianna began to shiver with the force of her memory. GHerc did his best to offer comfort. "You don't have to continue, if this is too painful," he whispered. "No I want to tell you, I need to tell you," she insisted. He nodded in understanding. Marrianna took a deep breath and continued her story.
"I didn't sleep a wink that night. I was planning on setting out at first light. But when it came, so did the enemy soldiers. I grabbed the paintings of the statue and hid in the cellar. If I had fled, the would have captured me for sure. As it was I thought they would surely come in and take me prisoner or worse. Instead I felt the very foundations of the house begin to shake. It dawned on me that they were using a battering ram but there was nothing I could do.
I was trapped. One of the beams began to crack. I saw it falling towards me and then there was nothing. No sounds, no sights, no pain, just nothing.
I thought this is it, it's over but then something happened. I found myself standing in a room of pristine white gates and there was a kindly old gentleman waiting to greet me. He said not to be frightened. That he had come to help me. He was holding a golden tankard and he held it out and bade me to drink. My throat was parched so I gratefully accepted. Never guessing what I was consuming."
"Ambrosia", GHerc said knowingly. "Yes ambrosia," Marrianna replied. "All I knew at the time, was it was the sweetest thing I had ever tasted. Then the strangest feeling came over me. It was like I was glowing inside and out and a surge of intense heat and power shot through my body. The man introduced himself as Zeus, the king of the gods.
He informed me that I was now an immortal and that he was there to take me to Mt. Olympus. At first I laughed, but when I looked at him, really looked at him, his clothes, his face, his demeanor, I knew he wasn't jesting. I kept telling him; he'd made a serious mistake. He said there was none made. I begged him to tell me what was happening. Why I was being taken. I pleaded with him to send me back to my family. He looked at me with his eyes full of what I swear was sympathy, but he spoke not a word. He simply touched my arm and the next thing I knew I was in the bedroom of a small but beautiful cottage."
GHerc's face grew red with anger. "He didn't try to seduce you did he?" he growled. "Because if that dirty old man laid a finger on you, I'll.... "No", she quickly assured him. "Zeus just disappeared after that. Later I was called upon to meet the rest of the gods and goddesses. They were for the most part polite, but I knew they viewed me as the outsider that I am. And the one named Apollo gave me the chills. So I left and found my way back to the cottage. I've stayed in for the past few days. But I was starting to go stir crazy, so today I decided to come and view the surroundings."
She felt her cheeks grow warm. "I saw the lake and decided to bathe. The water looked so inviting. I thought it would help, but it didn't. So I swam to the shore and just gave into the tears. That is when you arrived. Don't misunderstand me, everything is exquisite here. The cottage, this field, the clothes, you.." her voice trailed off. She was afraid she was revealing too much. "But this is not where I should be. I miss my family, my friends."
"I understand Marrianna", GHerc said in a strangled voice. "I do too." GHerc reluctantly disentangled himself from the embrace they had been sharing, while they talked. "I can't promise you anything, but I will speak to my father on your behalf. "Zeus is your father?" she asked with amazement. "Yes, but don't get your hopes up that it will make a difference. It never has before." With that rather cryptic remark he was gone in an instant, before she had a chance to respond. She desperately hoped she would see him once more.
"Several days ago my village was somehow warned that an enemy attack was coming. No one knew who had issued it but everyone took it seriously. My family was able to pack and leave immediately and many others did the same. There was a handful that planned to catch up later, however. I was one of them. You see I was the curator for an art museum.
The thought that all those beautiful pieces of art might be destroyed in a war made me sick, so I set about hiding as many of the treasures as I could. Some of them were buried, others hidden in secret stairwells and behind wall mortar in various homes and buildings. But there was one piece, a statue that was too large to disguise. It would have taken at least ten strong men to move it and the people, who were left had more immediate and important problems. Yet I couldn't bare the thought of people never knowing that this piece of such beauty existed.
It was just so special you know. At least it was to me. No one ever knew how it came to the museum, which were the subjects it depicted or even who the donor was, but I felt it was magical. And others seemed to always be immediately drawn to it. So I went to my wagon that was tied out behind the building and got my art supplies. My intention was to make a brief sketch and then quickly meet up with the final group leaving the village. But something came over me. I took out my paints and began trying to capture from every angle, its very essence so it would never truly be lost. I think I would have just kept going, if the light hadn't begun to fail.
When I realized how long I'd been there I started to feel afraid. I quickly gathered up my work and headed out. The sense of terror grew when I realized that there was not a soul left in town. Since my wagon had been in the back the others must not have seen it and assumed I had set off ahead of them.
The only sound was the howling of the wind and the banging doors of empty homes. Part of me wanted to set right out after the last group. I missed my parents and brothers so much at that moment. But the night was growing ever darker and the cold even more bitter. I knew I'd never make it. So I headed for my home. I hid the wagon behind the trees and ran inside. I was afraid to even build a fire, so I huddled in a blanket."
Marrianna began to shiver with the force of her memory. GHerc did his best to offer comfort. "You don't have to continue, if this is too painful," he whispered. "No I want to tell you, I need to tell you," she insisted. He nodded in understanding. Marrianna took a deep breath and continued her story.
"I didn't sleep a wink that night. I was planning on setting out at first light. But when it came, so did the enemy soldiers. I grabbed the paintings of the statue and hid in the cellar. If I had fled, the would have captured me for sure. As it was I thought they would surely come in and take me prisoner or worse. Instead I felt the very foundations of the house begin to shake. It dawned on me that they were using a battering ram but there was nothing I could do.
I was trapped. One of the beams began to crack. I saw it falling towards me and then there was nothing. No sounds, no sights, no pain, just nothing.
I thought this is it, it's over but then something happened. I found myself standing in a room of pristine white gates and there was a kindly old gentleman waiting to greet me. He said not to be frightened. That he had come to help me. He was holding a golden tankard and he held it out and bade me to drink. My throat was parched so I gratefully accepted. Never guessing what I was consuming."
"Ambrosia", GHerc said knowingly. "Yes ambrosia," Marrianna replied. "All I knew at the time, was it was the sweetest thing I had ever tasted. Then the strangest feeling came over me. It was like I was glowing inside and out and a surge of intense heat and power shot through my body. The man introduced himself as Zeus, the king of the gods.
He informed me that I was now an immortal and that he was there to take me to Mt. Olympus. At first I laughed, but when I looked at him, really looked at him, his clothes, his face, his demeanor, I knew he wasn't jesting. I kept telling him; he'd made a serious mistake. He said there was none made. I begged him to tell me what was happening. Why I was being taken. I pleaded with him to send me back to my family. He looked at me with his eyes full of what I swear was sympathy, but he spoke not a word. He simply touched my arm and the next thing I knew I was in the bedroom of a small but beautiful cottage."
GHerc's face grew red with anger. "He didn't try to seduce you did he?" he growled. "Because if that dirty old man laid a finger on you, I'll.... "No", she quickly assured him. "Zeus just disappeared after that. Later I was called upon to meet the rest of the gods and goddesses. They were for the most part polite, but I knew they viewed me as the outsider that I am. And the one named Apollo gave me the chills. So I left and found my way back to the cottage. I've stayed in for the past few days. But I was starting to go stir crazy, so today I decided to come and view the surroundings."
She felt her cheeks grow warm. "I saw the lake and decided to bathe. The water looked so inviting. I thought it would help, but it didn't. So I swam to the shore and just gave into the tears. That is when you arrived. Don't misunderstand me, everything is exquisite here. The cottage, this field, the clothes, you.." her voice trailed off. She was afraid she was revealing too much. "But this is not where I should be. I miss my family, my friends."
"I understand Marrianna", GHerc said in a strangled voice. "I do too." GHerc reluctantly disentangled himself from the embrace they had been sharing, while they talked. "I can't promise you anything, but I will speak to my father on your behalf. "Zeus is your father?" she asked with amazement. "Yes, but don't get your hopes up that it will make a difference. It never has before." With that rather cryptic remark he was gone in an instant, before she had a chance to respond. She desperately hoped she would see him once more.
