Soul Collector

    A cool, familiar breeze rustled Ivory's hair as she lounged across the black rocks she knew as home. The dark ocean waves lapped against her feet and her long, luxurious gown dipped into the waters edge. Her grey eyes wandered to the horizon- where the seemingly endless ocean reached out and touched the sky- looking for another lost soul. 

    The sun didn't shine there on her lonely Isle, so Ivory eventually lost track of days and nights; not that she slept. No slacking on the job her Master always chided. A small smile toyed at her lip as she dragged her fingertips along the ocean's cool surface, watching the ripples flow out like magic.

     Her gaze followed the ripples out until they met a small sail boat drifting toward her. Ivory's grin grew and she sat up, awaiting to greet the passenger. He was a young man with just a shadow of his first beard upon his jaw. His black hair was unkempt, his skin kissed by the sun's harsh rays and his attire suggested he was a sailor.

    The sailor's eyes (which had been searching for signs of life for the weeks 

 he was lost at sea) widened as they fell on the ethereal beauty of the girl standing before him. His boat came to a smooth stop at the islands edge and he floated off, bewitched by this creature. Serene smile on her lips, Ivory glided over to him and curtsied deeply.

     "αγαθός κύριε, good sir," She said, her voice like that of an angel's song, "Welcome to the Isle κόλαση." She bent and kissed each of his worn boots.

     "κόλαση?" He mumbled, a puzzled crease on his brow.

     A knowing smile spread across Ivory's face. "Ah, you are not Greek?" The sailor shook his head, throat too dry to speak in the presence of this goddess. "Pray, tell your name?"

     "Mar-Marcelous." He stuttered.

     Ivory nodded, "Then welcome brave Marcelous. Aye me, you look as if you've been out at sea for years without food or drink! And you must be very weary. Come, take your rest here with me." She invited, taking his hand and gracefully pulling him further into her domain. Marcelous stayed back though, peering across the land, ill at ease.

    "What did you say κόλαση meant?' He asked distractedly, eyes fixed on what almost looked like a bone. Ivory followed his gaze and giggled. She stroked his neck fondly and kissed his cheek.

   "I shall tell you in time brave Marcelous." She assured, happy when his dazed eyes came back to her. Slightly mollified, Marcelous let himself be led to the interior of the Island. A small, curvy tree stuck out in the dead center. Ivory reached up and plucked a large, round fruit.  With a smoldering glance at her visitor, Ivory sank to the ground, producing a silver dagger from her bosom to slice the fruit open. Popping a few juicy seeds into her mouth, Ivory gestured to the space next to her. "Sit."

     After a brief hesitation, Marcelous complied and sat stiffly next to her. Ivory brushed her fingers lazily across his legs. "Wont' you eat some with me, good sir?"

    Ignoring her question, Marcelous asked one of his own. "Are you all alone here?"

    Ivory laughed lightly, her hands moving to graze his strong arms. "Why of course sweet Marcelous. That is until you got here."

    Marcelous kept silent. He had a sickly feeling that the maiden was lying to him. Unaffected by his nerves, Ivory popped another seed in her mouth, moaning softly at the taste.

    "Mm, good Sir Marcelous, have you ever seen a pomegranate so red and juicy? Absolutely divine. You must have just one taste." She held a plump, ruby seed an inch from his watering mouth.

    Unease ate at the pit of his stomach. "Thank you my dear, but I'm not hungry." Ivory's eyes narrowed slightly but her sugary grin did not waver.

     "Are you certain?" She inquired, her eyes piercing into his own. Swallowing hard, the sailor nodded. Alas his growling stomach shined light on to his lie. Ivory's eyebrows raised, amused by her guest.

     Hurrying to draw the focus away from himself, Marcelous commented, "What a lovely ring you have." His eyes wandered across the island, then landed again on Ivory's large, meteor stone. "From where did you obtain such a treasure?"

     "It was a gift." She answered simply, drawing her hand back. The friendly expression left her face, replaced by a guarded glare.

     "I thought you said you lived alone." He reminded. Clenching her jaw, Ivory rose and started back to the waters edge. "Wait!" Marcelous called, running after her. He caught her by the wrist and spun her back around to face him.

     "Why can't you be easy like everyone else. Just eat one little pomegranate seed!" She hissed at him.

    Marcelous was taken aback by her change in character. The sweet, sultry maiden was gone, a flustered girl in her place. A pang of guilt for causing so her to get so upset hit his chest. "Why are you so desperate for me to eat?"

    "Because it's my job! You must stay on this island." She sighed and dropped her face into her delicate hands.

    "What, is it poisoned?"

    Ivory rolled her eyes and sat down, her feet handing over the edge of a small cliff. "No, Marcelous. You saw me eat it and I am obviously not harmed."

    "Well perhaps you're a ghost, sent to haunt my weary eyes." He mused, appraising the maiden. Ivory laughed and rubbed her bare arms for warmth against the breeze. Tenderly, Marcelous removed his weathered coat and draped it across her pale shoulder. Ivory smiled up at him, a new light in her eyes.

    "What is your name dear girl?" He asked, perching next to her.

    "Ivory."

    "Who gave you this ring?" He prompted, hoping to learn more about this mysterious creature.

    "My master." She whispered, voice blending in seamlessly with the air.

    The corner of Marcelous' mouth tugged into a frown. "Your master? Is he keeping you trapped here Ivory?" He asked, gently interlacing his warm fingers through her. Ivory bit her lip, unnerved by his show of affection. A blush tinted her cheek, a foreign, human reaction to his warmth that she's long since experienced.

    She slipped her lithe hand from his grasp and stared at the vast ocean. "If I left this place, I'd have nowhere else to go." Ivory murmured, a single tear spilling from her eye. Warming to the hauntingly lovely girl, Marcelous gently wiped away the teardrop with his calloused thumb. An idea whirled in his head.

    "Come with me." He said.

    Ivory's sparkling grey eyes widened. "What?"

    "I said come with me, Ivory, please."

    Chuckling darkly, Ivory shook her head. "Please don't toy with me sir."

    "I'm serious Ivory, we could do it. I'll take you away from this dismal place. My boat is still floating at the shore, we'll get in and sail far away." He wrapped his arm around Ivory's shoulder and pointed out into eternity. She followed his gaze dreamily. "I passed a small Island village a few days ago, we can go there and make a new life. You need not be alone anymore. I swear, you will be happier off this island, with me."

    Ivory took a slow breath and mouthed, "Really?" Marcelous nodded and pulled Ivory into a warm embrace. She ran her fingers through his thick, windswept hair and shuddered with anticipation.

    "Alright Marcelous, we shall go." Ivory placed a hand on her empty stomach. "But if we are to go on we must eat something." Hunger had pained Marcelous for weeks, but he pursed his lips.

    "Do you swear it is safe to eat Ivory?" He asked, rolling a pomegranate seed between his thumb and forefinger suspiciously.

    To answer, Ivory dropped 6 seeds into her mouth, licking her lips clean after. Taking a deep breath, Marcelous looked at his sail boat (hovering by the water's edge) and bit into a seed.

    Ivory smiled sadly at Marcelous as he satisfied his hunger and hugged her waist tightly. She breathed in his pleasantly human aroma and sighed. At the sound, Marcelous looked up to her.

    "What's the matter sweet Ivory?" He inquired, cupping her cheek.

    Ivory gazed serenely into his eyes. "Shall I tell you what κόλαση means good sir?" Marcelous nodded. As she spoke, a black ferry with two shadowy figures in cloaks gravitated toward them. Marcelous' throat grew dry and his knees shook when Ivory whispered the word in his ear.

    "Hell." 

    Swift as the breeze, one of the cloaked men seized Marcelous. "Ivory help me!" He yelled, struggling fiercely against his captor's grip . But she did not move. Instead she watched as the ferryman forced him into the small, black boat and sailed down the river Styx. His screams echoed in the distance until he finally faded away as everyone eventually does.

    The remaining figure sauntered over to Ivory and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead fatherly. "You did well my pet, as always." He murmured. Ivory nodded, but couldn't quite meet his dark gaze. He tilted her chin up and examined her expression. "Are you alright, pet?" He asked.

    "Yes master," she spoke softly, her eyes still in the direction Marcelous sailed off to. "I suppose I'm just a bit homesick for my old life," she confessed.

     Master patted her in understanding. "I know dear, everyone is at some point. But I pray I have come to be enough for you."

    Ivory smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, "Of course, my lord. I'm very content here." The two embraced, willing away the girls sorrows, until the ferryman returned to take the master back to his palace.

     After they had left, Ivory glided easily back to her black rocks by the shore. She laid down, tracing patterns in the shallow water, and waited for the next lost soul to float her way.

Author's Note

**IMPORTANT NOTE***
αγαθός κύριε- Good Sir in Greek

If you didn't pick it up, "Master" was Hades

In Greek Mythology there way a rule that if you ate anything while you were in the underworld you could never leave. Ivory's purpose in the story was to get the recently deceased to eat so they could not escape back to the land of the living.

Ivory is not based on the myth of Persephone. I used pomegranates because Persephone's myth makes them well known so it was a tool for foreshadowing I suppose...

Thank you for reading and God bless

Reviews

[Jay. E. V.]

I will say at first, you had me leaning toward Siren Mythology. Which I am very interested in. She was much too loving toward Hades to be Persephone;D so I did not think it. I am a very big fan of this work actually. Though I did feel that some of the dialogue Marcelous Used was forced. Maybe you got a little anxious and sped through it?=)

Either way, even as it stands it is a work of art=). Thank you for sharing.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you for the review:) I'l look through some of the dialogue to see if I can make it flow better
God bless

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thanks!

[Jay. E. V.]

No problem:p

[Rhianne Ney]

Whoa, greek mythology, nice write~!

[Tazz S.H.]

I like your style, Mickey. :]
I can see why the other people think it would be a siren's story, and good job at making the reader think about who the character's really are. This would make a really nice short story for people learning about Greek mythology.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thanks girl:) though it isn't a real myth

[Tazz S.H.]

I know, but still :D it helps people learn about Persephone's garden, which you implied. THE CURSED FRUIT MUAHAHHAA—yeah. ^_^

[Lost in Wonderland]

Haha:P

[Bianca]

In the begining I thought she was going to be a siren, it sort of went that way. And Peresphone would never be that nice to Hades. But not being a siren was a...good and interesting twist. Well done. While I was reading it I was like Don't eat anything! Still I thought that Ivory was going to give in and flee with the sailor but I guess not, bravo. Excellet twist!

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thanks! God bless

[John Alexander McFadyen]

A well told tell to mesmerise and enchant. Lovely!

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you:)
God bless

[CreativeCookie]

I love it! First you think "Okay, she's some kind of siren." then you think "Don't eat the pomegranate seed!" (or at least I did) next it's "She's desperate". Then Marcelous is so sweet to her and then you think they're going to sail away together (cue the aww..s) next thing you know she stabbing him in the back! I love it!

[Lost in Wonderland]

Haha thank you:)

[M.D Leon]

What i find most interesting about the piece and what i guess seemed to drive my attention to a subject that to be honest i have no interest about is the elegance i which the characters are personalized as much of their actions i feel tell more than what they are saying. I wasnt a huge fan of the character Ivory but that is of my personal preference and not a critique on your work as it is masterful. Well done

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you for your honest review:)

[M.D Leon]

Very welcome care to take some time anf review my piece "prayer to a love song"?

[Lost in Wonderland]

sure:)

[Dev]

Good use of language and expression.
Intriguing till the last.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thanks:)

[K. D. Kromminga]

Well Pomegranate seeds are also how Hades entrapped Persephone for six months out the year, the Greek Legend of why the goddess Demeter allows Winter. Its very similar to the Norse Legend of Baldur with exception that being as far North as Norse are they actually thought the sun(Baldur being the Sun God) was imprisoned in the underworld for winter.

Nice short little vignette, I think Ivory would actually make a wonderful character in a larger story or even a book if you so chose. Greeks actually believed that if someone dead escaped the Underworld they could be alive again.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Yep:) Which is why Ivory's character made sure they couldn't escape. I love the Myth of Persephone and actually have a poem based on it

[Jericka Nichole]

My favorite aspect of the story was the female character. She is almost submissive accepting her role, almost as if she had died-but (Hades) thinking she was to beautiful for hell gave her, her own island. She is grateful to him, but also longs for her old life. Wonderful character!

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you for your lovely interpretation of Ivory:) I'm glad you liked her
God bless

[Ron Newton]

I loved it!, this is a amazing story it has a mysterious quality to it through out the entire story and that is hard to maintain but you nailed it!.The story kept me drawn to it not even a thought crossed my mind when I was reading because I was so into, I would like to see more.

[Lost in Wonderland]

Thank you so much! I was really worried I couldn't maintain that tone with my syntax later in the story, so I'm glad you enjoyed it:)
God bless

[Ron Newton]

No problem.