Short Story #7- Unedited

Mortally Divine

The lake was always her first choice to take a bath.  While stepping into the cool water she instantly became refreshed with a new sense of calm in her mind.  The day has been long and tiresome, and just for a few minutes this young lady gets time for relaxation and cleansing.  

Her master works her until she sheds blood from her hands and tears from her eyes.  One would consider him to be abusive, but others find his ways conventional.  The only hope for the pain to stop would be if she bared a child of his, and then she would become a prized possession instead of a slave.  

Day after day the young maiden would pray to her Gods for help, or for a child, and she would receive nothing, not even a sign of acknowledgment.  Testing her faith was what it seemed as, especially when the beatings started.

This day of bathing was the beginning of a new life for her.  She peered across the small lake in hopes of seeing all the birds she heard, but instead she saw an angelic figure whistling a glorious song.  She immediately recognized the goddess; Persephone was staring back at her.

  Startled with amazement, the maiden flailed her arms in the lake trying to regain her balance.  Safely on shore she looked again to see if Persephone was just an illusion, but through her fogged eyes the figure was still there.  

The goddess looked the maiden over from head to toe, noticing all the bruises and scars, and took a sudden pity for her.  She walked towards the poor soul and embraced her in the curve of her arm.  Willingly, the maiden followed Persephone into the woods forgetting the tasks her master had given her.  She felt utterly safe with the goddess; no harm was going to come to her now. 

“Greetings your majesty,” clearly stated Persephone is a smooth, elegant voice that would make every flower wilt in comparison.  The maiden became confused from such words, until she saw the most stunning man emerge from the shadows.  He was not just a man, but a God, one that the maiden was not entirely familiar with.  His essence made every creature quiver with fear of his power and divinity, but it lured the maiden close to him.  

“My dear, what do you bring me?”  His voice was even more toned then his arms. 

“I have brought you a young maiden that wishes to be saved.  She has been greatly mistreated by her master, and will serve us now.”  This news was new to the poor girl, but she did not have a care in her mind; anything was better then going home. 

She now spent her days without as much as prick on her finger.  Her task was only to tend the garden and entertain the God with music when he wished for it.  Persephone was constantly at her side talking about life in general; she learned numerous lessons from the Goddess about love and friendship.  

On a special occasion, Persephone took the maiden into her chambers where clothes were laid out that were intended for the new guest.  The garments were fashioned from the most magnificent silks, and lined with ravishing stones that shined even in the darkest hours.  Hesitant at first, she inched away from the pieces, but Persephone persisted in that she were to change her clothes; she convinced her when saying that a true lady does not wear rags meant for the homeless.  

Before, she thought of herself as being homeless, but now she truly felt a belonging.  Once the maiden was transformed into beauty, she was presented to the God.  Amazement flashed over his eyes, and his stare was held on the young body. 

Immediately Persephone realized something went terribly wrong and she had to find a way to restore her confidence that the God only had eyes for herself.  However, she did not want to throw the maiden into the cold because she had acquired certain fondness for her.  It was odd for her to think that she wanted the body of a simple girl, but she could not help but be jealous.  Deciding that the situation could wait for a while, she escorted the maiden into her separate chambers to enjoy a long peaceful night of rest. 

The maiden had a different plan on her mind, because she finally saw her chance to claim the life she has always wanted.  In everyone one of her teachings, she learned that the life of a Goddess was beyond perfection but only the truly pure could obtain such a position.  Unlike a God, a simple maiden could became part of the ultimate divinity without being born with the privilege.  The only task is to have a true God fall in love with you, and bare his child.  If that child is born a male, then the mother becomes a Goddess because for every heir that is born it must possess deities on both sides.  This knowledge is commonly known by peasants, and many seek out this path without triumph.  Unlike all the rest, this maiden had already caught the eye of a God. 

She had to move stealthy to avoid any interruptions from Persephone.  Even though the Goddess is her closest friend, the maiden had to do this for herself; she deserved a better life and wanted the life of a Goddess.

Waking in the night, the maiden searched through the darkness in hopes of finding the God himself.  She reached the lake in which she was found, and saw the angelic figure bathing on the other side.  To not startle him, she made quiet mumbles the escaped her lips with anxiety.  The God had been waiting for her, to the maiden’s surprise, and embraced her in his arms.  The touch of a God was better than life itself in the maiden’s eyes, and she woke to find herself back in her chambers.  Now she knew that time would tell if her plan worked, but she had to act inconspicuously around Persephone. 

The Goddess only had a hunch of what happened, but did not say anything for hopes of letting the situation pass.  As the days wore on, Persephone continually envied the glowing skin of the young maiden; she could not take it anymore.  Approaching the God with caution, she told him of her worries.  He assured the Goddess that if anything were to happen that she would be free to go back home to her mother, Demeter, without any consequences.  This did not appease the Goddess at all, but decided that she no longer wanted to be held by this God any longer.  She wanted the life of a simple peasant, mostly to show the maiden that she truly is better off being the slave of a master than the hostage of Hades. 

Overwhelmed with joy, the maiden proudly showed off her protruding stomach, for she was carrying the child of a God.  Several months had passed, and the young maiden was blessed with a newborn boy, for which the God had taken a certain liking towards.  With the arrival of the new joy, Persephone was released from her duties and left the maiden to her horrors.  

The maiden thought she had won, but she was utterly wrong.  With the departure of the Goddess, the God took the maiden and her child to his real home; a place of darkness and death.  The maiden was imprisoned and made a slave, for the God’s use of her already passed; he had his heir.  Pleading for help in a useless attempt was all that the maiden could do, and found herself screaming for the life she had before.  She did not understand what went wrong, and realized she was truly in Hell.