by Luc, D. X.
Sucking in a deep, calming breath, I closed my eyes, steeled my nerves and tossed back the liquid inside. Thicker than milk, but smoother than a malt shake, it was actually cool as it slid down my throat. The flavor changed from my Mom's grilled cheese sandwiches, to the cafe's chocolate pizza and all of my favorite foods. It was pretty good and once it settled in my stomach, I waited for the pain to start, but nothing came. I peered into the bottle to see if I drank it all and seeing it empty, I started to worry that I waited too long for it to work. Did ambrosia lose its potency?
Cursing, I stood and was about to toss the blasted thing in the waste can, but before I reached it, I froze as my veins felt as though they were being coated in ice shards.
“Vanessa? Sis? Calvin, do something!”
“I don't know what to do! Lay her down, I guess.”
“Maybe try to call Hephaestus. He'd be able to help.”
There was a long pause, but I was far too gone to object. The pain was just so damn unbearable.
“Hephaestus!” Calvin's voice rose in panic.
I knew the summons wouldn't work before he said anything.
“He didn't answer, Willa. This is not what I was expecting!”
While I struggled to gulp in air, I felt the chill starting to ride up my legs. When they reclined me back, I saw that my skin had turned golden. At first, I thought it was a shimmering glow, but when Willa touched it, then tapped her knuckles against me, it clanged. I wasn't just dying. I was turning into a frozen sculpture of gold!
The excruciating pain was unlike anything I’d ever experienced and as I reached my hand up to my sister, the small movement felt as though glass was ripping through every muscle and tendon.
Willa held me tight, as Calvin sat beside me, his eyes spilling tears down his face while he stroked the hair from my face.
Inch by inch, the icy grip of metallic gold spread over my body, while internally my organs dissolved. And yes, I could feel all of it. I guess when it came to becoming an eternal being; they wanted you to always remember the pain of mortality. That way, you'd never take humanity for granted
Though my vision dimmed and my hearing became that similar to drowning in a well, I could still hear their voices.
Willa started telling me one of our favorite memories, the one when Graeme had been born. “Do you remember how fat he was? I remember thinking he was a human turkey. But you, oh Nessa, you thought he was the sweetest, cutest baby of all. You were such a great big sister to us both.”
My limbs had grown heavy and Willa dropped my hand as it was coated in the gold ice, but I smiled at her weakly, before the darkness clouded my vision. I took my last breath. It squeezed out in a white, puff of air and all was quiet. I waited for the white light, the one that was spoken of in every movie I watched, but there was nothing but well… nothing.
Weightless, I floated down and after minutes of pure silence, I started to hear the whispers of odd voices surrounding me. The further I dropped, the louder and angrier the sounds became. When I hit a solid, cold ground, not only were there echoes of rage, but the frustrated grasps of boney fingers trying to rip me apart. I still couldn't see what was happening around me. I couldn't even stand to my feet as my limbs suddenly weighed a ton, so I opted for the next best thing… I screamed. Shouting, my throat started to get sore and I feared I would lose my voice before anyone came to help me, but then the offenders around my body were pulled away. Their angry words were replaced with the cheesiest, most ridiculous sounding game show music I had ever heard and I was sure I was officially losing it.
“A new soul? Well hello, and come on down!”
What the hell?
Out of the darkness, bright, multi-colored lights rotated around three circles, numbered. A very busty, golden haired beauty stood with her hands pointed to the first door, while her electric blue, sequined dress blinded me with its trashiness. From first sight, it seemed I died and landed in the 1970's. Startled, I peered down at my clothing and was still dressed in modern day attire.
Behind me, boisterous applause rose to almost a deafening pitch. It startled me to my feet, my eyes widening at the large stadium of what appeared to be ghost-like souls sitting in audience seats and wearing various costumes. In front of me, the woman still gestured to the doors and next to them, was a band of… bats? No, they were women. Wait, they were both, bat and woman, their wrinkled faces drawn up in pointy smiles. In their clawed fingers, they held instruments which meant they were a band? They played upbeat music while their leathery wings flapped, creating an odd farting sound in their wake.
However, out of all the weirdness, the brightly smiling man next to the podium took the cake. “Come on, little soul. Time to play! Furies, strike up the music!” His voice was deep, but loud, booming from the thin microphone he held in his hand.
Slowly, I approached the dais that now rose from the center of the room and standing on it, I waited as he approached. The man had a bounce to his step, a prancing almost, as he made his way over to where I stood. Once he was close, I got a very good look at him in all his bizarre glory.
What I first believed to be a large grin on his macabre face was in fact, his lips being drawn up by thick fish hooks that were attached to the backs of his ears. The metal cut into his flesh and though it looked dreadfully painful, the lusty glint plastered upon his plastic like face told a different tale. The neon stripes of his leisure suit enhanced the pale white that was his emaciated skin, which was covered in darker scars, lashes and welts. His hair was slicked back and long, but those eyes, or shall I say a lack thereof was what left me cold inside.
Staring up into their empty depths, I felt hopeless and I knew at that moment, I was standing before darkness himself. This man, who turned briefly, allowing me to see that his hair was actually a thick, braided rope laced between hoops which were pierced through his back, was the lord of the underworld - Hades.
The God of Death went back to stand behind his podium, waving his hand to the bimbo by the doors, and the music died down enough for me to hear him speak. Not that it was hard, considering he only had one volume… loud. “Welcome to the Underworld! The only game show that begins when you end! I'm your host, Hades! Please state your name and why you're here!”
The crowd grew quiet and I jumped back when a microphone stand popped out of the ground, the feedback hurting my ears and causing the band members to cringe.
All eyes were on me.
I cleared my throat, stepped forward and tried my best not to sound as terrified as I felt. “Uh, my name is Vanessa and I think I'm in the wrong place.”
“Wrong place?” he replied. “There is no mistakes in death, little girl. So, let's see what door you'll take? Barbie? Show her the doors!”
“No! Wait, you don't understand---”
The music struck up again, the souls chanting and my pleas fell on deaf ears.
Hades danced similar to the Godfather of Soul, while I was left to watch dumbfounded and pretty damn annoyed.
Barbie, as they called her pressed a button, which opened all three doors and with each one, the choices became even more frightening.
The first door was filled with buff, oil slicked men, spouting gigantic hard-ons and all of them wearing an inviting a smile. They stood next to massage tables while Hades announced that they were for a euphoric, relaxing forever holiday. The second door was a corn field, except the corn was black and covered in unblinking eyes. Hades explained this was for those who decided they just didn't care and the choice was for beings that have might riden horses and used guns.
Finally, the third door opened to reveal nothing but a world of eternal suffering. Grotesque torture devices of rusted metal which were all attached to a pleading soul and their screams filled the game show room, until covering my ears they were muted by a remote that appeared in Hades' hand.
He turned to face me, his face glowing with satisfaction and I couldn't help but wonder if he went into that level often, considering the ma
sochistic way his body was pierced. “So, Vanessa! Which door will be for you? Say it with me, folks! Let’s- Deal- For- Death!”
The crowd chanted the title with him, while the scary band women played their instruments like mad. Hades nearly ran over to a large wheel, handing his mic over to the boobalicious Barbie woman, and then he reached up high, the hooks pulling his grin even wider.
Do it! Do it! Chanted the souls in costumes while his dark sockets stared me down.
Suddenly, I knew that if I didn't get out of my frozen state of fear, I would end up in the torture chamber, never getting my trial and never see Hephaestus again. Pushing up on the glowing circle to give it more momentum, I ran forward almost in slow motion and before he could let it go, I screamed as loud as my lungs could push out. “Stop! I'm here for the trial to become an immortal.”
The crowd froze, then an orchestra of boos followed.
I had to dodge behind Barbie when food and other trash items started flying toward the stage. Glancing at Hades, I could see he was angry, but with his permanent smile, his rage was almost indiscernible. Finally, he turned away from me, waving his hand until all that was left was the black, corn field.
I stood alone in a spot marked with a hammer symbol. Just as I was about to make a move forward, the rattling of chains clinked above me.
Hades descended by metal links that were attached to the rings in his back. Once he landed on his feet, wearing only leather pants, I saw the true suffering that he put his body through. Crooked nails pierced his nipples, old and fresh welts, wrapped over his skeletal form. All in all, the lord of the underworld was a hot mess. He held up his hand, stopping me from any movement I would have made. “You are here, so you must stay put. No sitting, moving or stretching. To prove your worth, you must suffer the last of your mortality. If you pass the three trials, you shall join the ranks of the gods. If not, you will stay with me and I'll get to choose your place of rest.”
Despite being eyeless, I knew if he had them the sadistic gleam would be so bright, I'd probably go blind. I just knew that if I failed, I'd be sent through the third door of torture and pain, therefore failure was not an option. Yet, the very thought of standing in place, not moving, sleeping or even taking a piss, seemed daunting, if not impossible. As though he read my mind, which being a god, he possibly did, Hades interrupted my doubtful thoughts.
“You will be given food and drinks. Unless something stops that, sleep will not come, but you will not feel tired. For the trial, you will stay here for one hundred days and will be visited by three gods chosen for you. No other will come for you, not even I. Understand?”
“Do I get a say in this, or am I just going to have to smile and nod?”
“Hmm, a feisty one. You'll do fine, of this I'm sure. Your time starts now. Enjoy.”
“Wait! One more question.”
“Yes?”
“How many have succeeded in doing this? I can't be the only one.”
He tilted his head, as though the question was foreign to him, then he finally answered, though his voice sounded hollow with what sounded like pity. “My little soul, millions have gone through this. Stood in various places to be with the god or goddess they fell in love with. But in all those many, only one has passed. Does that answer your question?”
“Uh, yeah. Thanks.” For making me feel worse.
Hades shrugged, and I knew he could read my mind, but didn't care at the same time. Expecting the band to play him out, I was shocked and grossed out when he turned into a silver snake, a creature I probably despised more than Ares hated scorpions.
With a flick of his long silvery tongue, he slithered through the tall grass, disappearing into the thick brush.
A hundred days of staying put. That I could do, if I was given amenities, but what of the gods chosen for me? That was the question that left my stomach in knots.
Chapter XXII
Hephaestus
I couldn't focus, which meant I wasn't able to get my backed up work done and it was all because I was waiting to be summoned by Vanessa. There was no other way for me to see her, for once I returned to Olympus, a very angry Zeus revoked all the vacation time I may have gotten at a later date.
Supposedly, my twerp brother told on me, exaggerating the events to make it seem as though, I did nothing but pick on poor, little him. Since he was the favorite son, neither the King or Queen of the Gods gave me a chance to defend myself. They even went so far as to make sure I remained locked in my forge, until I caught up on all the orders that were left unattended while I was away. This wouldn't have been true, but the moment I left, Ares made sure to tell Frias that I wanted all the Cyclopes to take a break as well, which left me with months of items, and more steadily coming in.
My old friend was back with his brothers, helping me get out weapons, shields and a spiked whip for Persephone, but the longer I waited to hear from Vanessa, the more anxious I became. The more apprehensive I got, the harder I found keeping my temper in check and if that went bad things usually happened after. What if she needed me? Ares was allowed to go back to earth, whereas I couldn't! If he so much as laid a hand on her, so help me gods....
“Easy, friend. You're shaking the volcano we're in. I don't know about you, but I'd like to go home unscorched today.”
“Sorry, Frias. There’s just a lot on my mind. How much more do we have to finish?”
“Well, considering a new load of orders just came in, I'd say we've got a shit load.”
Growling, I looked over the new list, seeing that most of the requests came from my brother. I had to take several, deep breaths, counting to ten in order to calm myself. Tossing the paper on the large work table, I imagined how lovely it would be to make every one of his devices turn into scorpions. But to do that, would mean I had to stoop to his level and I would never submit myself to that kind of a nightmare.
Turning my attention back to the gold tiara I was making for Aphrodite, I tried to imagine what Vanessa would be doing at the same moment. The image in my mind of her smiling face as she looked up at me with love, left me both grateful and sad. I am truly glad that I got to know her, having all the beautiful memories for a lifetime. Yet, I missed her so much that my heart ached. Even when my nephew came to visit, trying hard to cheer me up. It didn't work. My thoughts kept going back to the woman I left back in the mortal realm. Not that I didn't enjoy Eros's company, because now that he stayed with Psyche more, her birth to their first child growing closer, I felt a bit lonely.
The clock chimed, alerting the staff and I that the day was almost to an end. While they would all go home to their families, I would trudge through the tunnels until I reached my apartment. Maybe this night, I'd watch a movie, seeing how masturbation had lost its thrill and it wasn't like I had much else I could do. Sleeping only meant dreaming of what I couldn't have. Striking my hammer onto the soft, heated metal, I nearly crushed my thumb when a white light temporarily dulled my sight. Around me, the mumbles, shouts and curses of Cyclopes echoed my inner sentiments.
“Who dares enter my forge without declaring their presence first?”
“Yo, bro! Sorry about the flash. I totally forgot where I was coming into!”
As if my day couldn't get any worse, now I was staring at my baby brother Hermes, one of Zeus's love children. I signaled Frias, he and his brothers went to work hiding all our supplies.
Of all the gods, Hermes was the least trusted. Not only was he the Messenger God, but he was also the God of Thieves and had been known to take things that didn't belong to him. It's how Olympus got all its cable and internet. Wearing his trademark bright orange flip flops, he floated off the ground. He was dressed in cargo shorts with a red, white and green Hawaiian shirt. Unlike most of the immortals, he was made a god by his father at the age of fourteen, so he had a permanent impish face that was pimply and covered in the beginnings of a mustache. His purple Mohawk was spiked and his mischievous, green eyes took in everything around him, even when they didn’t se
em to.
With all of his failings, the worst of it was that he was extremely forgetful. Not a good trait for the guy who brought us the world's current events and messages. Flying around haphazardly, with no direction in mind, he plucked at the various posted notes that were stuck to his body while mumbling a stream of nonsense.
If I didn't get him on track, he'd be in the forge forever and I would end up throwing him into a wall. “Hermes, what message do you have for me?”
“Uh, well… I think it's this one. No, that's from Demeter asking Iris for more bran muffins for her irregularity. Hmm… this one? Oh crap, I was supposed to deliver this one a month ago to Dionysus, telling him that his shipment of specialty grape seeds were going to be late.”
“Does my message have to do with a person, place or thing?”
“Huh? Oh, uh, yes! A person! Victor? Varsity? Vagina?”
“Vanessa?”
“Yes! That's right!”
My heart was pounding by this point and I gripped the ledge of my table so tightly, my knuckles went white. What would Hermes have to tell me about Vanessa, when the only messages he gave pertained to the happenings of the gods? “What of her, Hermes? Is she in danger?”
“Nah. Uncle Hades said to tell you, ‘Your little mortal is down in the Underworld, going through her hundred day trial.’ It seems he's also upset, because he would’ve liked to have her in his personal suffering collection, but rules are rules.”
“I have to see her. How long has she been there?”
My brother shrugged, no longer caring about my issues as he had done his job and with another bright flash, he was gone. Probably off to tell Dion about his grape shipment which would be far too late.
I, on the other hand, was left in the dark, helpless and oddly excited, all at the same time. She had chosen to be with me. Vanessa, decided to take the ambrosia and die for me, a gift no one had thought me to be worthy of. I knew once she passed, I would spend the rest of our eternity making her new life the best she could hope for. Even when that little voice in the back of my mind, suggested she'd fail and have to live forever with Hades, I didn't listen. My woman was strong, independent and when she wanted something, she'd get it. I had hope, faith and love on my side. If only I could find out if she was okay. Seeing how I couldn't leave the forge, I would have to summon Eros.