Persephone

The hours before Persephone is allowed to enter the living world are her favorite.

The dripping water echoed in the cave, followed soon by the moans of the dead. Charon, oblivious, continued to stare up the blackened cave stairs, waiting for the next soul to wonder into his boat. The river Styx flowed smooth, nothing to disturb its waters since the man who could charm the very walls of death passed through, very much alive. 

She stood watching the calm waters, noting the misery held in Charon’s shoulders. It wouldn’t surprise her if he had forgotten his state of constant misery was just that: a simple state of being. Doubtless he never experienced true happiness or joy, but she did wonder. A shudder raced through the deathly caves and she acknowledged the silent warning. There were still four more hours until she could leave.

Her black gown swept the rubble floor and she leaned down to dip her fingers in the river. The water glowed; coating her hand with the invulnerability granted to the very few whom could claim mortality when feeling the water of Styx. A breathy laugh escaped from her parted lips. “A pity his mother forgot his heel.” The river gurgled in reply.

There was another shudder down the darkened path she had entered from moments before. “Darling, you’ll wake the pups.” There was no reply. She stood gracefully, holding her head high, eyes glowing in the dark. A cooling breeze floated from deep within the cave and teased her curls and the curves of her gown. She smiled.

Abruptly, she turned and headed towards the dark corner by the bend of the river.  A screech filled the air followed by a sharp growl. A head lashed out from the dark, gleaming white fangs piercing the darkness. She held up her hand, the teeth snapped shut a hair’s breadth from her palm. Hesitantly, a large black nose sniffed the air before pushing into her open palm. The nose nudged her palm, snuggling warmly into her hand. The whines lasted for only a few moments before two different large heads appeared from the dark corner. The gleaming eyes of her pet shone with indifference, then affection, and soon she found herself wrapped in a tangle of necks and moist noses. How long she stayed petting any expanse of head she could find, she didn’t know. But a tingling started at the base of her neck and she pulled away. Her movements, always elegant, easily untangled her body from the shadows and beast hidden within. A fond smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. The red of her lips slowly turned to pale pink in the time it took the smile to reach across her face.

She could feel her dress shift, knowing the black lightened to the colors of sunshine and grass. It lost the touch of clingy darkness to be replaced by the light feel of flowing silk. Cerberus growled.

 “Stay sharp, precious.” The smell of flowers filtered through the dank air and she was gone. 

Reviews

[Glen Yumang Manese]

This plays out in the lines...you give the reader...enough...but leave us in suspense...seems she lives in the underworld of Hades...and has a power to unearth from there to the world of living above...a little scene with Charon and Cerberus...as her pet...or so it seems...may be just mutual respect for each other...her clothing has a way of tell her when the time is right to venture from her dwells...and she disappears to the land of the living...

As for your grammar and spelling...its on cue...I did not see anything out of place...for suggestions to this...I'd put forth more in the beginning...add a bit more...a bit of action...to get the pace flowing --- in the read...besides that...its a sound and crispy starter...if you're going to continue this -- write...is the question...