Hades

hiding places

Stella

I woke up the following day in my own bed. It felt cold. How could I have gotten used to Hades after just a few nights in his bed?

I showered and put on clothes before opening the door.

Just as I was about to step out into the hallway, I noticed an envelope on the dark hardwood floor. Picking it up, I noticed Hades' handwriting.

It hadn't changed since he wrote Persephone five thousand years ago.

I shut the door and sat down on the bed. Opening the envelope I pulled out the letter, read it several times and hid it in my back pocket. I didn't want anyone reading this.

And I wasn't suspicious of Lucinda, I just didn't know what she was doing.

I went to breakfast and explored the castle, keeping to the side I'd started on, as to not cause Lucinda any troubles. She noticed me a few times, but she didn't seem plagued by a guilty consciousness.

I found a deserted attic space, there were footprints on the floor. They were too large to be Lucinda's, that was for sure. I followed them, being careful only to step on the prints.

A closet was positioned against a wall, light form the window in the roof cast the only light. I opened the closet and found a pile of letters. Seriously, what's with all these letters?!

Curiosity got the better of me, and I grabbed the first letter in the pile. It read Hades, so I assumed it was for him.

I opened the envelope.

Dear Hades

I have now been here for four weeks, and I have yet to spend more than ten minutes with you. What I perceive is a young man who seemed troubled and weighed down by the world he is a God of.

We are currently seven people milling about, and you don't seem to have the least bit of interest in getting to know either of us. By what Anne has told us, I understand why. Us, the residents, change every few months, and none of us remember you once we leave.

Well, let me tell you one thing; maybe it would be a solution to try and be more present? During dinner, try and engage in conversation, not even Anne knows anything about you.

It seems a lonely life you are living. Greek mythology has never been something I read too much about – as a faithful Christian I did not find it of importance to learn about the ancient Greeks. Do I by any chance remember this, I will start reading about the old Greeks.

Hades, live. Please. I'm not saying this for me, I'm saying this for you. I am, on Earth, in a predicament, where I am caught between two men; one whom I love, and one whom my father believes to be the right one for me. The few times I've met Persephone, she seems to be the one you have to love, though I don't think you do.

Follow your heart, be you when you're with people that will help with the loneliness.

Thank you for the time spent here. I am grateful there is something beyond life which does not frighten me.

For the pleasant stay,

Margareta

I smiled. That was a sweet letter. The following letter revolved around this young man's anger towards Hades. He was trapped, and by the back of the letter, he was dead before his body was saved.

My heart was beating and I put the letter back. A letter had fallen off to the side of the pile.

I picked it up and opened it.

Only to find my own letter, written by me the day before.