Hadestown

Chapter 1

    Everyone gathered around. Gods, nymphs, centaurs, creatures beyond your wildest imaginations were there. Some enjoying a glass of wine others chugging down a bottle or two of ale. For I was about to tell a tale. One of tragedies, it was in no way a happy tale, but it was the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice.

The room was filled with music. Laughing and joyous air. As I began the story, a song of sorts, one that rang out and sang in taverns across the world one that made you weep. "For once upon a time there was a railroad line. Don't ask where brother, don't ask when. It was a road to hell, it was a hard time, it was a hard time in the world of gods. It's an old song, it's an old tale from way back when and we're gonna to sing it again."

The crowd began their cheering. Spirits were high and the moon was up. "We've got some gods in the house tonight!" I shouted lifting up my hand to toast the room. Shortly falling to help our special guests up onto stage. They were the weavers of fate, the three sisters in gray, just three old women all dressed the same. "Everybody, meet the fates!" The trio began dancing along with the crowd. All eerily in sync as their bodies swayed in an unnatural way.

My feet began taping and dancing along with the tango of the story. I might as well have been drunk with rest. "On the road to hell there was a railroad station." I took the oldest of sisters' hands and she twirled and continued on with the music in the night. "And a man stepped out with feathers on his feet. He'll hand you a ticket to your final destination, Mr. Hermes!" I stopped the dancing bowing along as the crowd began cheering."That's me." A pair of winged feet jumped off stage and I began spinning and stepping around the room. Clipping and clashing by the heels of my shoes on top of hands clapping along with the beat of my movement. "It's a sad song. It's a sad tale in fact, a tragedy. It's a sad song but we're going to sing it anyways." Howles and hoots sprang from the back.

"This wasn't the first time the song had been sung. It had been sung many times before. Imagine immortal trees going thick, leaves green without a tinge if brown. Next to it, was a railroad line. On it was a lady stepping off a train. Her hair tightly curled red falling over her shoulder. A flower in her hair and beauty beyond compare. With a suitcase full of summer time, Persephone by name." I paused letting people react with their joy. Even more famous than springtime, is the queen who patrons it, the woman we were singing about.

"Behind her a man of gray in a suit bought with riches of gold. Oh but we'll get to him another time." The crowd began getting louder, the story's rhythm building up the beats of the ones hearing it. Chaos started to rein in as bottles were smashed and glass was breaking.

What were they doing? Someone had to pay for that. "Guys!" I shouted but my voice was drowned out only when my feet stopped their movement was attention gained. "Guys!" The second time my voice catching their ears and the room began to settle down. They were immortals, they needed to be behaving themselves and not interrupt my story.

I cleared my throat meaning to continue. "And on railroad line on the road to hell. There was a poor boy workin' on a song. Poor boy singing to himself waiting for someone to come along on the railroad line on the road to hell. Like a certain young girl lookin' for somethin' to eat." I never needed to say it, everyone knew who I was implying. None other then the lover herself, the lover of Orpheus, Eurydice. "And that begins the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice!" People begin clapping once more. Wanting to hear the old song, sang once again.

    Eurydice was a hungry young girl, with a fiery spirit. Her coat was torn and pants ripped but she kept going on in a dream for the world to become better. A world where she wouldn't have to worry about hurricanes win the West, the snow coming from the North. The gods made her life difficult, but she was determined to make it through the winter. It was her against the world, against the wind. Strange things tended to happen these days; fall would come early, spring would come late. But outside in a field full of flowers Eurydice was there, enjoying the sunshine and the trees. Strange things come and strange things would go, Eurydice would prepare for anyway in which the wind blows.