Chapter 9c
Zing! Zing! Zing!
Three arrows. The first one hit the bulls-eye. The second one, too, hit the bulls-eye. The third split the first arrow in half.
What sort of archer could this be? The teenage god of love wondered. He had seen the three arrows shot from a clearing as he made his way back to his mother's palace. Surely, no one was better at shooting targets than he!
He ventured down to investigate.
Down in the clearing stood Artemis, Hermes and an auburn-haired girl with a bow in her hands. Hermes and Artemis were clapping loudly as the girl dropped a curtsey to them.
Persephone? Surely not! He thought. The last time he saw her, she was this plump little girl ….
But twelve year-old Kore was changing. Her chubby arms and legs were getting longer, slowly slimming down. A sudden growth spurt had now made her as tall as Aphrodite. Her body began to fill out in areas that used to be just cute plumpness.
Her hair and skin glowed more than ever but it was her face that had undergone the greatest change of all. While her mother's displayed a regal and elegant beauty, Kore's face was one that haunted you for a long time. In hers was freshness and innocence. It made one forget about everything else. Eros was pretty confident that his mother, Aphrodite, was starting to worry. The young goddess would soon outshine his mother.
He watched her with growing interest as the days went by.
He watched her. She was quite unaware of her growing beauty. She was too busy with Artemis and Athena. Hermes, though he seemed smittened with the girl, stood by with the nurse Ianthe – both seemed very protective of her and were always on their toes.
Eros would slip by and whisper sweet nothings in her ear, accidentally, intentionally, touching her hand…. Sweet and innocent Kore blushed and giggled…
-O-
The midsummer festival had come. The deities had come from all over for a feast. There was much frivolity and celebration.. Inebriated, the immortals lost control over themselves. They were behaving very, very badly.
Ianthe, sensing that this was not something for young eyes to see, led her charge to her chambers in Aphrodite's palace. There was no one else there. Everyone else was in the Great Hall and Demeter, herself, was down on earth celebrating with the mortals.
"Now, go to sleep now, dear Kore," Ianthe tucked her in. "No more scrolls!"
Kore, who would usually disobey her nurse, was too tired and sleepy to argue. The feast had taken a shocking turn and she, too, was glad not to witness the wanton behavior of her family.
"Good night, Kore!" whispered Ianthe as she shut the door.
"Good night, Ianthe!" the girl mumbled. She curled up on her side and went to sleep.
-O-
He had taken too much… He knew. The spirits had already taken their effect and he could not think straight much less find the way to his room.
He wanted to lie down and sleep this off. Groggily, he opened the door and staggered into the room.
This didn't seem to be his room… there were scrolls everywhere…. Oh well! As long as there's a bed for him to lie down… anything would be fine…
He made his way to the bed and suddenly, straightened.
There on the white sheets was her form, hair spread all out in flowing waves, lying curled on her side, her face turned up … bare arms and legs, creamy skin, innocent rosebud lips waiting to receive their first kiss….
Eros leaned forward and inhaled the scent of her hair, tracing his fingers down her shoulders to her elbows and to her br….
She awoke to someone touching her, the hand slowly going towards her chest…
She whimpered as she recognized the form… "Eros, what are you….? Please …. " She cried softly.
"Shhhh!" he silenced her, his lips coming towards hers….
"Eros….please! Please!" she cried weakly, confused. She could smell the alcohol in his breath and turned away.
But desire had clouded Eros… He had been waiting for this moment for weeks…. He'd be damned if he did not have his way with her now….
"Stop! Stop!" she cried weakly but he refused. She struggled but his words were hypnotic…. "Shhh! Shhh! No one will ever know… Our little secret…."
Kore's tears were flowing… No one to help her now… She did not want it this way… Not this way…. Stop! He continued touching her ….. Stop! …He wasn't listening! He wasn't listening! …Desperation welled up inside her…. She must fight him! She must defeat him!
I SAID "STOP!" she thundered.
A clap of thunder. An explosion was heard throughout Olympus. Aphrodite's palace caught fire. Zeus awakened in his drunken stupor to find his thunderbolt missing.