"I must have hit my head a lot harder than I had anticipated, or maybe breathe too much smoke because this is definitely nut-case crazy. Or a very creepy dream that feels way too real for my own good. I can pat my subconscious on the back for that o...
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Chapter 48 - Persephone
I wake up lying down on a field of flowers. The string is gone but I'm still wearing Gustave's coat. There's stuff in his pockets. Gustave things.
Scraps of paper, a pencil, a button, a handkerchief.
I feel the strangest kind of joy over this, while still shedding tears, having these little pieces of him with me. I hope nothing happens to me in the next paintings so I don't ruin the jacket or lose anything.
It kinda feels like I'm still wrapped in his embrace somehow. I hope this means I'll be able to get back in his arms once again.
But in the meantime, I'm here, so I might as well explore.
I sit up and look around myself.
There's a woman in a pink flowy dress not to far from me. It looks from where I am that she's picking flowers, but as I get up and closer to her, I realize she's planting them.
But like. There's some kind of magic that goes into what she's doing.
And now I'm slightly worried, and before I have time to run away from her, she clocks me.
"Oh hello," she says in a melodic voice.
This is not the voice of a mere mortal. It gives me chills. It's really weird.
I give her a little wave, my feet frozen. "Hi. Sorry for disturbing you. I didn't mean to," I basically squeak.
"It's okay. You're not disturbing me," she replies with a smile and tilts her head, studying me. "You're not from around here, are you?"
"I'm not. But I won't stay long," I tell her, so she knows I'm not a treat. I would really like it if I didn't get killed today.
"That's fine. What's your name?" she asks.
"I'm Melody," I tell her.
"Persephone," she replies.
I look at her with eyes slightly narrowed. Could she be? These are paintings. She could be.
"I'm sorry to ask, but are you Demeter's daughter?"
She chuckles at the question. "Yes, I am."
"And... are you married?" I ask. Maybe Hades hasn't kidnapped her yet. Maybe I can save her from that. She seems nice. It's the least I can do, to warn her.
I know this myth. Hades kidnapped her, and keeps her in the underworld half the year. That's why we have winters.
"I am," she tells me, her expression unchanging.
Poor girl. Even when she's a goddess, she's had to follow them whims of a man.
"Can I do anything to help? My death is not permanent in this world, so it doesn't matter whatever Hades ends up killing me. Would stabbing him potentially mean you can stay here longer?" I throw at her. I'm really not sure what I can do to stop her from being trapped in that marriage. I don't know if Greek gods can be killed. I think they can, but not by mortals.
