.1 a ghost in the woods

Once again, it was winter in Athens. However, this time it was different: it snowed. Rarely did this ever happen, and all the people in the city, young and old, went out and admired the flurry that lasted for only the morning.

"Orithyia!" someone shouted.

A young girl of sixteen turned at the sound of her name and had flakes of snow blown in her face. As her vision cleared, she saw that it was her younger sister who had done the mischievous deed. "Creusa!" Before Orithyia could have her revenge, the other girl ran off giggling. "I'm going to catch you for that!" the older sister hollered, wiping the remaining flecks of snow from her cheeks. Through the pale fields the two girls skirted, laughing and squealing, as one chased the other with a handful of snow.

"Try and catch me then!" teased a voice over the hill.

Oh, she was so going to get it, thought Orithyia, pushing her legs to run even faster. As she scurried up the hill, the beauty of the surrounding landscape came into view, and she stopped in awe at the black and white world before her, snow sifting through her fingers until no more.

Fields of tall grass stretched into the brooding horizon, bending at the wake of the wind. In the distance, she saw the fleeting figure of her sister nearing the edge of the murky woods. However, the most breathtaking sight was behind Orithyia. Athens, usually bathed in gold by the rays of the sun god Helios, was now a city of ivory swathed in fog. Every so often, the roofs of houses would sparkle as snow reflected the light from the sun. In how many years would she see such work of nature again?

"Orithyia!" The sound of her sister's voice faintly reached her ears. Creusa madly waved from afar before calling out to her again. Snapped from her daze, Orithyia resumed her pursuit, vengeance forgotten, and in a short while caught up with her younger sister, who was no longer running.

"What were you doing?" Creusa giggled. "Did you see something in the woods? Or did you suddenly have some sort of premonition from the gods?"

The older sister reclined on a soft bed of dying grass and smiled up at her sibling. "Yes, Creusa, I had a premonition from the gods," she replied sarcastically.

The eyes of the eleven-year-old girl widened. "You're not serious!"

Covering her mouth with the back of her hand, Orithyia laughed heartedly, amused at the naivety of her sister. "No silly!" she said, then patted the space next to her, "Now, come and lie down with me so we can watch the clouds."

Creusa obeyed. However, in less than a minute, she complained, "Orithyia, the clouds are boring. It's just a dark blanket across the sky without any shapes."

True. In fact, Orithyia never intended to look up at the sky. She just wanted to close her eyes and bask in the cool breeze of winter. Watching clouds was just an excuse to get her sister to lie down with her.

Grabbing Creusa's wrist, as if afraid she would leave, Orithyia implored her, "Oh, Creusa, just stay here like this with me. It's so nice outside." Hearing a slight moan of displeasure, the older girl turned and embraced her sister lovingly. "Please?"

Creusa tilted her head and looked over at the hills with longing. "I rather go pick flowers though."

Orithyia pouted but couldn't bear to deny her sister of anything. "All right," she agreed loosening her hold a bit, "but come back to get me before you leave. I don't want to be here alone, especially in the dark."

"Of course! Which sister do you think I am? I am not Procris," she said the last word resentfully.

Orithyia pulled her sister closer and nuzzled her nose with her own. "I know that, and that's why I enjoy being with you more!"

"You better!"

"But Chthonia seems more fun." A tone of facetiousness played along each word.

"You, cat!" Creusa retorted at the sound of their youngest sister's name. "She never leaves Mother's side. How is she ever fun?"

Orithyia yelped as she was poked in the ribs and poked Creusa back in her stomach. Soon, a battle ensued as poking turned into tickling. Shrieks of laughter filled the air. The sisters pitched back and forth, soil and snow clinging to their attire, but soon the older turned on her back, clearly losing, as the younger continued her attack.

"Stop," Orithyia choked out in between giggles, "I- I can't breathe!"

"Apologize then!"

"All right, all right!" Her hands groped for her sister's fingers unsuccessfully.

"I didn't hear the magic words," Creusa said in a sing-song voice.

"I'm sorry!" Immediately, the onslaught ceased. Creusa rolled off gleefully while Orithyia panted with a hand on her chest.

"You know," Creusa said, "I don't feel like getting up to pick flowers anymore. I'm much too tired now." From the corner of her eye, she saw her sister trying to suppress a guilty smile. "This is your fault."

"Good then," Orithyia replied in a very pleased manner and slipped her hand into her sister's. All was silent afterwards.

Closing her eyes, Orithyia relished the sensation of the wind. It danced about her lithely, lifting the dark curls of her hair and slipping through her woolen tunic. Her skin trembled at the sensuous experience. All the while, the grass wavered around her, producing a swish-swish sound. It was so peaceful here, such a contrast to the turmoil within the palace. If only . . . .

"The banquet!" Creusa sprang up and exclaimed. "Orithyia, we forgot about the banquet!"

Orithyia languidly opened her eyes half-way and from the position of the sun saw that it was past three -most likely almost four- in the afternoon. Was it already that late? She and Creusa had left the palace about an hour after lunch, but it felt like only minutes ago.

"Get up, get up, get up!" Her sister shook her side fervently. "You don't want Father to be angry at us."

Slowly, Orithyia sat up with her arms, and her gray eyes roamed the fields, trying to take in as much of the beautiful scenery as possible. Would the snow still be here tomorrow?

Orithyia.

The older girl flicked her head in the direction of her sister. "Hmm?"

"What?" Creusa, who was now standing, looked down at her sister quizzically while combing her hair with her fingers.

"Didn't you say my name?"

Tossing away a piece of twig that had weaved itself into her strands, she replied, "Um, no."

Orithyia tipped her head to the side and furrowed her brows in confusion. "Oh." Then, not wanting to waste any more time, she stood up as well. As she dusted off her clothes, Orithyia glanced about her one last time. Her eyes unexpectedly skimmed over something in the woods.

For a second, she saw a man with feathery white hair lying limply on his back atop a dark branch. One arm rested on his forehead while the other dangled off the side. Ice-blue eyes pierced right at hers like those of a wolf. His pose uncannily resembled that of a corpse which had died with its eyes open.

Automatically, Orithyia shifted her gaze back: nothing. Refusing to believe that her eyes could have played a trick on her, she continued to survey the trees. For the first time, she realized how macabre the woods appeared up close during winter. For miles, leafless limbs clawed at the sky menacingly as knobby roots infested the ground like deformed veins. A chain of mist ensnared the ancient trunks. Perhaps she saw a ghost? Goose bumps prickled along her forearms at this thought.

Nonsense, she thought to herself. In the gloomy haze of the woods, any number of shapes could have formed itself in the quick passing of the eyes. Yet, as Orithyia assured herself this, she couldn't help but feel that the person she saw was very real. Though not in the most absolute detail, her mind could conjure the appearance of the man vividly. Even now, she could sense someone watching her –or maybe this was all psychological –and shuddered as those frightening blue eyes flashed into her thoughts.

Orithyia suddenly perceived how close she was to one of the trees that lined the edge of the woods. Only just earlier, she had wanted to stay longer, but now she was eager to leave. Turning to her sister, she prompted, "Ready?"

Creusa was gone.

Her heart began pounding in alarm when an explosion of giggles pulled Orithyia's attention ahead of her. "Creusa!" she cried, eyes wide. "You left me!"

The younger girl stood at the base of the hill not far away. "That's because you were too slow!" she yelled back. Then, smiling like a fox, she ran up the ashen mound, looking back to see if her sister followed her–or to be more exact, chased her.

Orithyia gasped at the audacity of her sister. "How dare you!" At that, she lifted the hood of her cloak over her head and ran after her sister –away from the woods.


A/N: So, I wanted to write something a little different. Every time I visit the Mythology section, I always see at least three stories about Persephone and Hades. Therefore, I decided to write the myth of Orithyia and Boreas, which is also along the lines of abduction/rape. Yes, it's a real Greek myth. Look it up if you don't believe me! I know that this chapter is short, but I promise that it will get longer as the story progresses. After all, this is only the beginning. Also, since this is my first story on FF, I would greatly appreciate any comments or constructive criticisms. As always, thank you for reading! xD