Flowers for the Dead

Panic began to build in Daphne's chest. She had never had a nightmare quite like this before. Her frights were usually flashbacks or a strange mix of something she had done or seen earlier in the day. This was...different. She couldn't see a thing. She couldn't hear a thing. To make things even more disconcerting, she was bound by her hands and feet. Daphne pulled at her restraints. They were tight, but soft. They felt almost like velvet. Perhaps, she could break them. Then, make a run for it? She had no idea where she was. And she was still bare-foot and pajama-clad, as far as she could tell. She tugged again at the ropes. The knots only seemed to tighten. Kicking her feet only leant the same result. She was hopelessly trapped within the confines of her own mind. She could only hope to wake, and soon. With a sigh, she resolved patiently await the end of this nightmare. She tried to calm her racing heart as her chin trembled. Hot tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Don't be frightened, dear one." came a low, rumbling voice in front of her.

Daphne jumped with a start. She had heard a voice in a nightmare before. This one was different. The voice before was a soft, feminine whisper. This one was resonant and masculine.

"Wh-who are you?" Daphne asked the voice.

"Let's begin with something simpler," the voice chuckled.

Daphne furrowed her brow. She thought that was simple. She tried again.

"Why am I here?" she asked, sniffling.

"I brought you here."

"Why?" she asked.

"It was time."

Daphne sighed. The voice was so vague. She was better off waiting until she woke up. She remembered nightmare from the night before: the river, the voice, the chiton. She had a feeling she was in the same place.

"I've been here before," Daphne mused, "in another dream."

The voice chuckled again.

"This isn't a dream. Surely, you would have awoken by now if it was."

Daphne considered the words and her aching muscles. This was feeling less and less like a dream.

"Where are we? What is this place?" Daphne's voice began to tremble. She couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"The Underworld," came the voice as a cold hand wiped away her tears.

Daphne turned her face away. If this wasn't a dream, then she had been somehow abducted and bound by some strange man. The "underworld" was probably his basement or some soundproofed shed. How had he broken into her apartment? Why hadn't she awoken when he'd kidnapped her?

"Who are you?" Daphne asked again. Her voice no longer shook. She had to figure out how to get out of here.

He chuckled again. Daphne didn't find anything funny about the situation.

"Ever the stubborn one, are we?" joked her abductor.

"Who are you?" Daphne's voice swelled in frustration. She jerked at her bindings, ignoring the pain in her joints. The more she struggled, more her anger rose. Despite her fury, Daphne kept her murderous thoughts to herself.

You pompous, disgraceful, pathetic, egotistical, pervert! You deserve to be swallowed whole and dissolved slowly by a carnivorous corpse flower! I pray that every day for the rest of your life—

"You have quite the temper, darling."

Daphne stilled. She hadn't said a word.

"Can you read my thoughts?" Daphne asked incredulously.

He chuckled again. Daphne was getting sick of that sound.

"Your scent," came his short reply.

Daphne looked puzzled.

He continued, "When your mood shifts, so does your scent. When you're angry, you smell of peony. Typically, you smell of lilac and that daisy perfume you adorn yourself with."

Daphne balked.

"How do you know how I

smell

? What kind of—"

"I've been watching you since you were conceived. From that moment, I vowed to never lose you again." His voice, louder now, echoed through the room.

Daphne's mind spun. This was getting stranger by the second.

"What are you?" she whispered.

He laughed fully this time, from the diaphragm. The sound was not altogether unpleasant. Rather, her kidnapper's voice was warm and rumbling.

"Now that's the question! I am—"

"Let me see you," Daphne begged urgently, "Before you say another word, let me see your face. Please. I can't stand this darkness any longer.

Please

."

For a few moments, there was nothing but silence.

"As you wish, dear one."

Daphne flinched and clenched her eyes shut as the room filled with firelight. She squinted at the glare, turning her face. When Daphne looked up, all she could do was stare.

Before her stood a man of statuesque proportions. He looked to be well over six feet in height as he stood more than a head taller than Daphne's five foot, four inch frame. His feet were adorned with leather caligae that tied past his ankles. His skin was smooth and alabaster in color. His pallor was contrasted by a shock of wavy dark hair. His arms and chest were broad and strong. His body was draped in a deep blue chiton that was fastened at the shoulder with an intricate gold fibula and tied around the waist with a leather and bronze zoster. Even with the modesty of his attire, his musculature was obvious, and intimidating. Despite his looming presence, her abductor's face was gentle. He smiled cautiously beneath the stubble of a dark beard. His eyes, stormy and grey, were trained on Daphne's face. He was observing her as much as she, him.

Daphne licked her lips, which had dried as she gawked.

"What are you?" she whispered again.

The strange man bowed and spoke:

"I am the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, Lord of the Underworld, and collector of souls."

He looked up and smiled cheekily, revealing dimples.

"But, you may call me Hades."

Daphne stared again. Surely, this man was telling a terrible and extravagant practical joke. In any case, Daphne still wasn't laughing. She steadied her gaze to the man's sparkling eyes as he rose.

"What am I?"

At that, Hades' smile only widened. He stepped closer and grasped Daphne gently by the chin.

"Please—please don't hurt me," Daphne quavered.

"I would never," came his gentle reply, "You are the only daughter of mortal parents, Lady of the Underworld, and goddess of vegetation. In this life, you are known as Daphne. But, dear one, you are Persephone reincarnate."

Daphne shook her head in disbelief. Hades (or so he claimed to be) thought her a goddess. She was merely a botanist. While true she had an impressive green thumb, to say that she was a being worthy of worship was laughable at best.

"Why am I here, Lord of the Underworld?"

The twinkle faded slightly from Hades' eye as he looked off pensively.

"For millennia, your spirit has been reincarnated in different nations. The moment your various lives began or ended, I could sense it. I always knew where to find you. But I could never reach you. I am bound to the world I rule."

Hades stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. While he furrowed his brow in thought, Daphne took in her surroundings as she could finally get a good look at them. They were in a room of some sort. Floor to ceiling was made of stone. Mounted on the walls were torches, which were the only source of light. The door in front of her was stone as well. It was carved with images of some kind. Her eyes were too tired to discern.

"You said you've been watching me all this time. Why? Why do I interest you only in this life?" Daphne didn't believe his story but had to admit that she was terribly curious.

"I have always watched you. From the moment your spirit was born from Demeter, I have watched over you."

Daphne frowned. He may have watched her, but he had never protected her.

"Why am I here now? Why didn't you come for me sooner?"

"I cannot leave the Underworld, even if it were to bring you here. As you matured and began to use your gifts, I was able to send you signs here and there. But, I could never go to you, no matter how much I yearned for you."

"What signs? What gifts? If you couldn't come to me, how did I get here? None of this makes sense."

Hades smiled.

"Always the curious one," Hades chuckled, "The signs I sent were—."

"The cold! That's why I was always so cold. I always seemed to get a chill when I was in danger or...feeling depressed. The worst chill I ever had was—." Daphne looked up suddenly as realization caused all color to drain from her face.

Hades watched her with steady eyes. He noted the scent of begonia emanating from her pores. She was afraid.

"When I ate the pomegranate, the fruit of the dead," Daphne's heart began to race, "What did you do to me? Is that why I'm tied up? Are you punishing me?"

"I would never," He assured her for the second time that night, "That was merely a way to ensure that in this life, I would not lose you as I had so many times before. I learned much these few thousand years. It was the fruit and the seasons that brought you here."

"I don't understand."

"Do to your nature as goddess of the growth and new life, you could not have been brought here during seasons of planting and growing. It is the first day of autumn, the harvest season. As for the pomegranate, that created a link between you and my domain. The two together were enough for you to have been brought here."

Hades stepped closer to Daphne as she stood, still in her restraints.

"Who will feed my puppy?" asked Daphne feebly. Her mind and body were growing tired. She longed to be back in her bed where things made sense.

Hades guffawed. He bent completely at the waist, exposing his torso. His laughter reverberated around the room. As he stood, he wiped tears of mirth from the corners of his eyes.

"'Jack', as you call him, was truly a stroke of genius on my part."

"What on earth are you going on about?" Daphne asked in tired frustration.

"Your 'puppy' is my dear hound, Cerberus! Though I cannot leave the Underworld, he can. I changed his form into one that was a bit more approachable before sending him to you. He makes an excellent guard dog, even in the realm of humans."

"He's here?"

"Yes, he guards the gate."

"Please take me to him."

Hades looked away.

"Well, my love, before we explore your new domain, there is something that must be done first." Hades no longer wore the air of confidence and good-humor that Daphne had seen just moments before. Now, he seemed apprehensive.

"What is it?" asked Daphne slowly. She did not like his tone.

"We must be bound."

Daphne sighed in relief.

"I am already "bound". Just tie our wrists together or something," she said with a reassured smile.

"Actually...erm. While you are literally bound before me in the Underworld, there is nothing keeping you from leaving and being incarnated in other forms after this life." Hades hoped that Daphne would understand what he was implying without him having to spell it out. Alas, Daphne was truly a maiden, innocent and dreadfully naïve.

"What's wrong with that? I should be free to do as I please," said Daphne bluntly.

Hades raised an eyebrow. She was his! How could she not see that?

"I will not lose you again. We are meant to be bound for eternity," he stated firmly.

Daphne huffed.

"I don't know you. And I don't want to be trapped, especially not with a stranger. What were you planning? A blood oath?" Daphne pulled at her ties. Her wrists felt as if they were bleeding already.

"We must be bound by flesh."

Daphne blanched.

"Surely, you don't mean..."

"You are the bride of the Lord of the Underworld. I must claim you as such."

Once again, panic burgeoned in Daphne's chest.

"No!" she shouted, "You can't! I'll stay here. I'll do whatever you ask. Please! Just not that!"

"I assure you that this is no punishment. Our souls are meant to be bound. I won't lose you again."

Daphne began to sob. She had not asked for this. She did not deserve it. Any of it. The hopelessness and dread began to twist into anger and confusion. She would not be a victim again. Maybe she could show him how unlovable she was, and he would let her go. He could wait for her in the next life.

"Let me go, you beast! I won't stay!" Daphne yanked at her bindings. She thrashed so violently that the scarf around her hair loosed and fell to her feet. Her curls fell around her shoulders and face. She looked a vision of feral abandon, "I will never give myself to such a cruel, entitled man, or whatever you are! Let me go!"

Hades watched Daphne kick and thrash at the notion of being bound to him. His own temper rose, and his was much more formidable than hers. His nostrils flared as he stalked closer to the fearsome maiden.

"Enough!" he roared.

Hades' fury rose to the top of his head. As his blood boiled, blue tendrils of fire creeped through his skull. Soon, his head of dark hair was replaced with bright, writhing flames.

As the room began to glow in blue, Daphne looked up. When she beheld the sight before her, she fainted.

Daphne awoke with her eyes still closed serenely. She could feel the plush of mattress and covers cradling her aching back. She turned her head and relished at the fullness of the pillow underneath her. She thought of the day ahead of her. She'd had the most distressing nightmare before. Still resting her eyes, Daphne mulled over the details. She'd been tied to a stone wall by a strange man claiming to be the Lord of the Underworld. Funny, her dream hadn't ended with any resolution. In fact, it had felt very, very real to—

Daphne's eyes shot open. She was met with a steely, grey gaze. Her captor sat on the bed watching her. Daphne frantically observed her surroundings. Her arms and legs were still bound in that velvet cord, but this time she was tied to bedposts. Daphne stared at Hades with wide eyes. The last moments of her nightmare-turned-reality came flooding back to her. Though alight with flame when she had last seen him, Hades' head was back to its original state. He seemed much calmer. He merely observed her patiently.

"Will you behave? It will save you from a great deal of suffering if you control your temper," came Hades' measured voice.

"Yes," Daphne breathed, nodding franticly, "I'll be good."

Hades searched her eyes for any semblance of resistance before he heaved a heavy sigh. As much as it pained him to fetter her, he knew that she was still not entirely his. Not yet.

He leant over Daphne's small form and untied her wrists, gently massaging her joints as he went. He moved slowly, so as to attempt to predict her next move. He untied one foot and, finally, the other. Hades may have been able to identify Daphne's scent, but he could not read her thoughts.

As soon as she was fully unrestrained, Daphne took her chance. She launched her heel directly at Hades' nose. She barely registered the unsettling

crack

before she was off the bed and onto her feet. She bolted. Daphne raced down the dark stone corridors as Hades' roar of anger sounded behind her. Frantic, she turned every corner in an effort to lose the dreadful god who was sure to be close behind her. Daphne's heartbeat pounded in her ears. She struggled to fill her lungs with air as she began to hyperventilate.

I have to get out of here.

Daphne's heart swelled when she saw a light at the end of the stone corridor. Ignoring the protest of her aching body, she launched herself ever forward.

I can't believe it! I'm fina—

Daphne shrieked as the ground disappeared from underneath her bare feet. The hall through which she ran ended in a steep precipice. Her heart was in her throat as she realized her fatal mistake. The light she'd seen was emanating from a river into which she was plunging headfirst.

Suddenly, Daphne's body was encased in strong, cold arms. With a rush of air, Daphne and her kidnapper-turned-savior stood at the stone edge from which she had just fallen. Broad hands spun her around until she was, once again, facing Hades' icy stare.

"Do you realize what you could have done, foolish girl?" he bellowed, shaking her small frame.

With one arm clutching Daphne protectively across her torso and the other gesturing below them, Hades inched Daphne closer to the edge of the cliff.

"Look," he commanded.

Daphne peered closer and nearly gagged at what she saw. The "river" was not comprised of water at all. The liquid was milky and translucent. In it circled hundreds,

thousands

of cloudy phantoms. Each one was unique. The forms seemed human-like. Many of their expressions appeared pained or fearful. One floated by with a face frozen in a scream, it's body riddled with gashes. Another drifted by with no head at all. The final entity that Daphne saw caused her to dry heave. She tried to turn away.

"Look!" came Hades' enraged bellow.

Below them drifted the form of a child. On her neck was the imprint of a hand. The child's face was frozen with bulging eyes and gasping lips.

"These are the souls of the dead. This river, the river Styx, is a kingdom that only ever grows in size. If you had fallen in, you would have joined them for all eternity," Hades said, "Is that what you want? To be one of my subjects?"

Daphne turned to face him. She opened her mouth shakily to answer.

Before she could do so, Hades swept her up and tossed her over her shoulder.

"I will not lose you," he ground out, "I will not to be trifled with."

Daphne hardly registered being carried back to the cavernous bedchamber. She barely noticed being unceremoniously tossed back onto the bed. She had come so close to death and had been saved by her captor. Of course, he had only saved her for his own selfish aims. But, she was alive because of him. On the other hand, she was only here, in the Underworld, because of him too. She was held here against her will, but she had not been harmed. Was he a hero or a villain?

Daphne's mind was slowly brought back to the present and she began to notice Hades' movements. Hades swiftly removed the fibula at his shoulder, revealing his toned chest. After untying the zoster at his waist, his clothing fell away entirely. Daphne blanched when she saw the angry phallus pointing directly at her.

"Hades, wait!" Daphne gasped.

"I will not."

And with that, Hades yanked off Daphne's pajama pants and tossed them to the floor. Her panties soon joined them. Daphne closed her legs tightly and crossed her arms protectively over her chest. Hades in his strength effortlessly pinned Daphne's wrists above her head with one broad hand. He kneed her legs apart and lifted one over his shoulder. Gripping his phallus, he moved directly to Daphne's exposed sex.

Daphne shut her eyes and braced herself for the pain that was soon to come. When nothing happened, she hesitantly opened her eyes. Before her, Hades watched her carefully. Rather than angry, he appeared, perhaps, sad.

"I had hoped that our binding would be a joyous occasion for the both of us," he shook his head, "I was naïve to desire such. I do not wish to harm you, dear one. But if you resist, it will be quite unpleasant for you."

Hades leant further between Daphne's legs and pressed the tip of his cock to her entrance. "Try to relax."

Daphne inhaled a deep, trembling breath. Hades thrust his phallus into Daphne's center. She winced at the pain and shock of his cold flesh. Daphne was sure that, in one thrust, he had filled her entirely. Looking down, she paled as she realized that less than half of his length was inside of her.

Hades held himself there, relishing the snug fit of her channel. He wanted nothing more than to enter her fully and ride her until she screamed his name from love-bitten lips. But he could smell the fear pouring out of her. Her muscles were tense. If he did not restrain himself, he would hurt her greatly. Hades released Daphne's arms to gently caress her side. To give her time to adjust to his size, he continued with slow, shallow strokes.