For as long as I could remember, I was forbidden to wander outside. My mother always feared for my sake for I was beautiful and her worst nightmare was another god falling in love with me. I always hated her rules, convinced I knew better.
My mother was the goddess of the harvest, Demeter and my father was the king of the gods, Zeus. My name was Persephone and I was goddess of nothing, it seemed. I felt worthless and unworshiped. I loathed the other god's children. They were all useful. They were not kept indoors, out of the sunlight.
So, when my mother traveled to Mount Olympus to visit Hera, I took my chance and I stepped outdoors. The sun was shining brightly and the wind moved softly through the grass and the trees. Flowers rustled and a nearby stream gurgled calmly. I loved it.
I began to dance around, joyous at being outside for once. I picked a bouquet of flowers and wove them into a crown. I pretended to be the most worshiped goddess that ever lived. I ran through the meadow in my bare feet relishing the feel of the cold grass.
As the night approached, I knew that my mother could not find me outside so I walked home, depressed that I could not stay outside forever. When I arrived home, I quickly hide my crown of flowers and washed my body which was coated with mud.
At last, my mother arrived home.
"Hello, Persephonia. How was your day, my dear?" she asked me as we hugged. I quickly came up with the lie that I had been working on my tapestry. She didn't question this; I was always working on my tapestry.
However, I began to feel guilty for lying to her and when I was sent to bed, I couldn't fall asleep. I decided to go to my mother and tell her the truth, though I was sure that she would be disappointed in me. I quietly began to walk to her room when I heard voices coming from the front of the house.
"But that's impossible! My Persephone has never left this house, except to visit Olympus. How could Hades have fallen in love with her?" I had to stifle a gasp.
"I don't know Demeter. She must have gone outside, maybe today when you were visiting Hera." I recognized the second voice as Poseidon, my uncle who was also the god of the sea.
"No, no. My daughter is obedient. She knows to listen to me and to pay my rules mind. She knows what I fear for her."
"None the less, he has fallen in love with her and has gone to Zeus to demand that she become his bride. He has stopped him-for now. But he will not go to war for one child who was foolish enough to step outside. I fear if Hades goes back, Zeus will give in."
"Is there nothing we can do?" my mother was near tears now, I could hear it in her voice. There was a desperation also, something that I had never heard before.
"Well, we could hide her. Then, perhaps Hades can be deterred. But, we must hide her immediately. Go! Wake her up, Demeter and have her pack up some clothes. I will be back in half of one hour with all other arrangements made. Go!"
I quickly hopped up from where I had been kneeling and ran onto my cot. I was just barely able to tuck my blanket around myself when my mother came running in.
"Persephonia, wake up!" I quickly opened my eyes, but my mother wasn't looking at me. She was dashing over to where I kept my clothes and throwing my dresses into a small bag. I quickly got up. "You are going into hiding. Poseidon is coming soon. You must hurry, dear! Hurry!"
"Mother, oh mother!" I began to lightly sob. "I'm so sorry. I didn't listen to your rules. I went outside and I danced in the sun. Oh mother!"
"Persephonia, there is no time for tears. You must hurry!"
"Mother, are-are you going with me?" I asked knowing and dreading the answer.
She turned around slowly and pulled me into a tight embrace. "No, my dear. I am sorry, but I cannot go into hiding. The people need the harvest to stay alive. I am so sorry." She began to cry, tears running down her face. "But now we cannot think of that. We must get you packed up."
She grabbed my tapestry and stuck it into the sack. We hugged again, until too early, Poseidon came to fetch me. I followed him down the road, numbly as I watched my mother disappear.