Michelle Zhang

Per. 5

Acrisius and Moira

Acrisius was brilliant painter, who was the son of a wood nymph and a local god of the nearby forest. His paintings would be of vast and beautiful landscapes, but his favorite to paint were forests. Tall, proud oaks and pines would graze his paintings with trickles of sunlight just floating and weaving itself around the trees until it reached the ground. However, he only painted when he was miserable or disheartened. Painting lightened up his spirits and made him feel at ease again, but he saw no point in painting if it doesn't help you or make you feel better so he simply didn't.

Moira was a wood nymph who's days were filled with nothing more than gossiping with her sisters and friends and frolicking amongst the trees interlacing herself between each tree as she glides on. Moira was the most beautiful nymph within all of the forest, and of course this made her sisters Leander, Amphitrite, and Crataeis outrageously jealous. To them, Moira was the one who got whatever she desired and was admired by all. Even the most handsome of all the local gods asked for her hand in marriage, but she declined! This only seemed to anger them more. Does she think she is too good for anything? However, they concealed their envy for one day until they could act upon it.

As Acrisius was wondering through the forest one day marveling at its beauty even after years of gazing at it as a young child, Moira had gotten lost and accidentally backed into Acrisius. It was as if everything froze and for that one-second, they were both just looking at each other, nothing more than observing and watching. As they paced around in a slow circle, they examined how the other moved and walked and acted.

"Who are you?" Moira pointedly questioned while eyeing this strange being carefully.

"I am Acrisius, son of the local forest god, Eurotas and Adrasteia. And who might you be?" They were as timid as young deer and their approaches towards each other were received with a frightful glance and backwards movement.

"I am Moira." she merely stated without any second thought. Something was strange about this young man. He was always observing things and watching her every move, but somehow she felt completely at ease with him. They then began talking, first about who they were which eventually led to their lives and everything about it. By the time night fell, they had discussed every subject.

Moira searched for something to say dreading the thought of their converesation ending, "Well, um, I guess I'll, uh, see you tommorrow?" she timidly stammered hoping for a yes.

Taken aback by Moira's forwardness, Acrisius quickly responded, "Yes! I uh mean, yes. Yes!" he happily said trying to conceal his excitement for fear of frightening off this beautiful young

woman who stood before him.

Since then, they had met everyday at the same spot just to talk, and before they new it, the sun was coming down and the last rays in the sky were putting on a performance fit for Zeus himself. Acrisius had taken an extreme liking towards Moira, as had Moira, and thought maybe, even, love was a part of it.

By the sixth day Leander, Amphitrite and Crataeis had noticed how their younger sister's strange behavior and how she snuck off at the break of dawn only to return when darkness had fallen over the lush forest. Leander spoke out about these sightings with a sly, devising look on her pinched face, "Sisters, have you noticed that our youngest sister has been sneaking about day and night. We hardly ever see our dearest sister now do we?" she looked to her two other sisters for a knowing nod but when what came were just blank stares she elaborated even more, "What if we were to find out what our dear sister is up to? Just to make sure she is safe. Remember, we would just hate to see her hurt in any way possible, right sisters?" Then Amphitrite and Crataeis finally caught on and soon got a devious look on their faces also. Yes! Now their perfect little sister would get what was coming to her, so one day they all decided to follow Moira. When they discovered what she was doing they devised a plan…

The next day Moira got up and eagerly skipped off to another day with Acrisius, but this time she was not alone. As the three sisters crept after their Moira, they went over their plan once again.

"Now remember sisters, when Moira reaches her destination, Acrisius should not be there, and that is when we make our move!" Leander cackled only to try to stifle it in an attempt to be silent, "I was exceptionally brilliant to remember that the gods who asked for Moira's hand in marriage only to get turned done would be bitter and wouldn't mind having her as a wife, even if it was by force!" she purred, mainly to herself.

"Wait a moment here! Who said you were the one who came up with it? I was the one who thought of that!" Amphitrite hissed back in a subdued voice for fear of being discovered by Moira.

"Hah! Neither of you two were the ones who came up with the absolutely brilliant idea. Of course I was the mastermind behind this ingenious plot!" Crataeis proclaimed only to be replied with a hail of disagreement.

Now, Leander had had enough. She knew that the only way that the plan could be pulled off is if they stayed quiet and stayed to the plan, "Stop it you two! You don't want us to get caught now do you?" she spat at them in a whisper, "It doesn't matter who came up with it, even though we all know who was the real genius behind the plan, but that is beside the point. We mustn't let this side track us. Remember, we have a job to do!" and with that they were off again weaving through the

trees though not so gracefully.

Finally, they had reached the spot next to the big oak tree where Moira had stopped to wait for Acrisius. Then, right on time, Perseus, god of the local river nearby, came striding out, and with one swift movement he swept up Moira and declared, "Aha! Finally! You thought you were too good for me huh! Well, I'll show you. Thanks to your lovely sisters, you are now mine for a wife! Hahahah!" he cackled. Right before Perseus had begun his dialogue, Acrisius had arrived and heard everything. He lunged himself at Perseus but it was painfully obvious that he stood no chance against the burly god in saving Moira from his tight clutch.

All this time Leander, Amphitrite and Crataeis had been watching from inside the bushes and now they knew it was their time to leap out and show themselves. They stood proudly, and Moira cried for help but when they did not return she had soon began to realize what had happened. Moira was aghast and shocked; she had always loved her sisters dearly and thought they felt the same. Soon tears began to caress her cheeks.

"Leander… Amphitrite... Crataeis…" she cried through tears looking betrayed and hurt, "What… how could you… how could you do this?" she sobbed in pain. However, even if they were going to reply they wouldn't have had a chance. Perseus left without warning with his knew bride. Acrisius collapsed in a heap part from exhaustion of trying to fight Perseus and part from hopelessness. Only then did Aphrodite come down and issue her punishments for she had been watching the whole thing.

"Leander, Amphitrite, and Crataeis. You have taken away Acrisius and Moira's love! That means that you have taken away the gift I have given them and no one who does that goes unpunished! You and your sisters shall be condemned to a life of loving without being loved back! That is your punishment and you three will all die a sad and loveless life just as Acrisius and Moira will. Since you have taken away Acrisius and Moira's love, I will take away you three's love!" Aphrodite proclaimed right before she departed.

This was of no condolence to Acrisius. His beloved Moira was gone and no one could get her back. Acrisius went back to his modest home and painted landscape after landscape, for he only painted when he was in pain. He painted until he became bored of doing painting after painting and it soon didn't even dull the pain anymore. He had to find something… larger or… bigger that could ease his pain. Then he looked at the forest and thought to himself, "I paint landscapes, but maybe I could paint the actual landscape right in front of me." So he then took out his brush and painted the trees green and the bushes and groundcover green also, and this is how trees and plants became to be green. Now, whenever plants sprout up, Acrisius paints them green in hopes of blunt the pain of his lost love.