April Showers Bring May Flowers
By: Geneva
Once upon a time, the winter goddess Chione was making a blizzard up in the sky, she was the greatest at making storms for she was the goddess of winter; her wild curly and silver hair blended in with the clouds. Chione’s pale light skin reflected on the fresh powder that was gently placed all over the land. Her lips and cheeks were rosy from the harsh winter winds. Truly, Chione’s eyes were as blue as the ocean, they almost looked like as if icicles grew in her iris. Chione spends most of her days up in the clouds watching the simple mortals run to their homes. Chione was happy in winter, though she despised summer.
The month was March, and all of the land was covered in white cotton, the plains sounded as if the wind was whispering to the mortals to run. The sky smelled of crisp frostbite. This was the weather Chione created, and this has gone on for five months and counting.
Chione whispered to herself, “I don’t care if it takes everyone in the world to die, to realize that winter is the best season of the year, and since it is the best season soon winter will be the only season for every year!” Chione grinned she was very proud of herself for capturing Persephone and Iris.
But Chione didn’t know that her prisoners Persephone and Iris, were plotting their escape. Chione captured them because, she never wanted winter to end.
“Iris the only way we will be able to get out, do you know what that is?” questioned Persephone, “with sunlight because sunlight will melt all of this ice,” she explained.
“I realize that Persephone, but how will we get past the deadly icicles that haunt this prison? Before the ice melts,” asked Iris.
Iris and Persephone looked at each other. They both knew that this winter had been going on way too long. Both were trying to figure out a plan to get rid of Chione,
“I got it!” Iris exclaimed.
The more blizzards Chione makes, the more people of the word keep dying from frostbite and hypothermia. However, Chione didn’t care about the people who were dying, she only cared about stopping spring.
“Ok, I think I have found a plan to get rid of Chione, all she wanted was winter to be longer, right?” said Persephone.
“Right,” answered Iris. who was sitting on the icy ground of the prison cell, her hair was damp but still had curls in it. Both of them had been locked up now for four months, it was now March 28.
“What we need to do is give Chione what she is asking for,” Persephone said, “she will have November 20 to March 19.”
Iris groaned she didn’t like working with Persephone even though there gifts collide with each others, it was like a cat working with a dog. they don’t mix, even though they were forced to work together. Iris wished that Persephone was never here, Iris was optimistic but she was never with Persephone, Persephone was always kind and daring, she also had made childlike suggestions to get them out of there cell. They both knew that the other gods and goddess were counting on them to stop Chione of her wrath.
It was now the month of April, Iris and Persephone had almost broken free of the cavern.
But they were now stuck in an endless labyrinth.
Finally, the goddess succeeded and found themselves in a different ice building.
“Ughhhh, we have a whole other ice cavern to go through,” groaned Persephone.
Iris wasn’t paying attention to Persephone's blubbering because she saw a light in the distance. That light was singing, the lyrics were about the cold harsh winter, Iris hissed at Persephone, they both heard the singing. They ran toward the light and saw Chione. Her hair was glistening off the snow and her lips were as red as blood. Iris and Persephone both realized that the sounds weren’t singing. People were screaming. People were screaming with pain. Chione giggled to herself as she watched the mortals scream with pain. Chione whipped up a blizzard that caused a disease that would tarnish the whole human race. Iris and Persephone stood in shock.
“Chione!”, yelled Persephone, “Let these people live in peace, we are going to make a deal with you.”
Chione turned her head to face Persephone and Iris, her lips were as red as blood, her hair flowed against the wind, and her eyes looked as if they had icicles in them, these icicles are killing the mortals.
“I’m listening,” said Chione.
Iris with a confident voice stated, “we are willing to give you November 20 to March 19, we will not let you have the whole year as winter.”
“No, I’m not going to do this unless the month of your escape, April, will have rain showers in honor of me, Chione the goddess of winter, these showers will warn the mortals that I will be back,” stated Chione.
Persephone and Iris looked at eachother, they both had become friends.
“We both agree to this deal Chione, there will be rain showers in the month of April to honor the goddess of winter, but after each shower Iris will light up a rainbow for the mortals to brighten there day after the showers,” explained Persephone.
And from then on, Chione would leave the mortals alone until November 20. There was rain showers in honor of Chione. Iris would put up a beautiful rainbow in the sky afterward. And that was the end of the dreadfully long and diseased filled Winter.
Kinard Mythology Anthology Volume III Page 31