AUTHORS NOTE: Even though she wants to be alone, Persephone’s been feeling ignored by me, so this is a little peek at what she’s been up to, also known as The Persephone Myth, My Way. All photos were taken by me excluding the first one, which came from the pool of Bing. Now, please to enjoy Persephone’s day at the beach.
My internal alarm gives me a gentle nudge waking me soft and slow.
Slipping out of bed in the pre-dawn hours I tip-toe quietly out the door and make my way to the beach to watch the sunrise, with only my thoughts to keep me company.
I have a lot to think about but right now, I have no desire to think about anything more taxing than whether or not I should grab a jacket to ward off the early morning chill.
I’m at a crossroads with no sense of direction.
My life has turned into a series of dramas with no resolution and I feel as if this is it, time’s up, it’s make-it-or-break-it time.
If I don’t figure out what the hell I’m doing with my life, and soon, I’m going to be the one who breaks.
I’ve spent most of my life worrying about everyone else and always putting myself on the back burner but that’s gotten me nothing.
Just me running in place going nowhere fast.
The feel of the ocean breeze playing with my hair reminds me why I love this time of the day. It’s quiet, hushed, nothing but the sound of the waves lapping gently against the shoreline. I idly wonder where the seagulls go to sleep as I sink down onto the cool sand.
I’ve been successfully avoiding my husband for weeks now and I know that Hades has been showing more restraint than even I knew he was capable of.
I know I have to come to some sort of decision soon and I will, but right now I don’t want to think of anything.
As the sun peeks over the horizon a gull appears as if out of nowhere coming in for a soft landing right next to me.
I’m the only person on the beach so there was no mistaking who was speaking as the sea-bird opened his beak and quietly whispered “Persephone”.

Soon as I heard that voice I jumped to my feet and started walking away, cursing under my breath.
To the casual observer there may have been something odd about the lone seagull hovering next to me as I walked along the shoreline.
To me it was just another day at the beach.
“Persephone you really need to come back early!”
This was getting ridiculous. No matter where I went, no matter what I did, solitude was impossible.
All I wanted was some time to myself.
I thought I could be alone for at least a little while when I slipped out earlier to see the sunrise but it wasn’t to be. Ascalaphus had appeared beside me in the form of a seagull pleading with me to come home and I had a gnawing suspicion that Hades was behind it.
“I’m not talking to you Scally. Go on, fly away, shoo!”
I started walking faster and he started flapping his wings harder to keep up.
He was still having trouble adjusting to his avian form. Serves him right for ratting me out when I ate those stupid pomegranate seeds but it could have been worse. He might be a bird but at least he wasn’t a dead bird.
“Persephone please! You’re needed back home!”
He did sound a little panicky but I was determined to ignore his pleas.
My determination lasted all of two seconds.
“Don’t even talk to me Ascalaphus, I’m still pissed at you. Go away!”
“Please Persephone, I’m sorry I told your Mother you ate the seeds, you have to forgive me, you can’t stay mad at me this long and you have to-”
“I don’t have to do anything! Now get the hell out of here!”
“You must return to Hades!”
I was so sick of being told what to do by everyone and my Mother that I did what any grown woman would do, I turned tail and ran down the beach as fast as I could.
After managing to lose my flying shadow I spent the rest of the day alone, wandering the streets of the quaint little seaside town I’d grown to think of as my safe place.
It was driving me crazy that Scally had found what I thought was my secret hideaway.
If I didn’t know better I’d swear Hades had a GPS implanted on me somewhere. More than likely though, somebody’s pockets were probably bulging with a big fat wad of cash. One thing that had never changed over the centuries was the fact that pretty much anyone could be bought.
I should’ve at least dyed my hair or something.

I stayed away from the beach house the rest of the day. Sleep wasn’t my friend lately and I was hoping all the walking I’d done today would tire me out enough to sleep through the night.
I decided to end the night with one more stroll on the beach before turning in.
As I walked along the shoreline the surf swirling around my ankles was frothy and foamy, like beer.
Which sounded like heaven now that I thought about it. And I don’t even like beer.
Maybe if I got mind-numbingly drunk I could forget all the bullshit clogging up my brain.
I’ve been in avoidance-mode for so long now I was getting on my own nerves.
“I’m pathetic,” I muttered into the sea air.
“You’re just catching on now?” Scally dropped out of the sky right in my path, flapping his wings slow and flying backward.
I had to ask him how he did that sometime.
Some other time.
Some time when I actually wanted to talk to him rather than squeeze his neck till his beady little seagull-eyes popped out of his head so he’d stop giving me that guilt-inducing look.
“Hey, don’t kill the messenger,” Scally squawked.
“You read minds now?” I asked.
“I don’t have to, you look pissed.”
Nothing worse than a self-satisfied seagull flying in your path.
Wait, yes there was, a self-satisfied seagull with a smirk.
“I am pissed!” I shouted. “Why can’t you just leave me alone! I don’t want to deal with-”
“Too bad princess, you got no choice, suck it up and get your ass back to Hades, there’s some serious shit going down.”
With that Scally flew out of sight leaving me the way I wanted to be left, alone.
Suck it up? Serious shit?? Princess???
He was watching too many bad movies again.
A crashing wave sprayed me, drawing my attention away from Scally and his latest reminder of my responsibilities.
It really was a beautiful night.
The moon was bright and full, reflecting a path of light leading straight to where I stood ankle-deep in the surf.
I wanted to walk on water, dance across the reflected moonlight and not think about the mess of a life waiting for me.
So for just a little while longer, that’s what I did.

to be continued…