Pick a famous fictional character (for our purposes here it can be any character from fiction, mythology, legend, comic books...whatever) and give them a secret vice---at the very least it should be distateful if not outright illegal. Now give the character's rationale in their own words.
Below is my entry.
Below is my entry.
Her cell phone rang. It was D. Why could not she leave her alone? Ugh, she was so needy, so annoying. Why can't a girl have fun without her control freak of a mother wanting to know her every move?
"Who's that, my sweet P? Is there another guy in the picture I should worry about?"
"No, H. You know you're the only one. It's just my mom. She's always trying to keep tabs on me. It drives me nuts."
"Are you sure I am the only one? You come here once every six months, then you just vanish and I don't hear from you in ages. What do you do when you stay at your mom's? How do I know you're not seeing someone else? Maybe I should answer your phone the next time it rings…"
"Oh, come on. Are you gonna get on my case like her? What is up with you people? If I'm not with you, I'm with her. Story of my life. You'd think someone would cut me some slack. And we see each other more often than that. You know I'm always putting my ass on the line for you. If she found out I was sneaking down here to see you, she would hang me out to dry. Remember she still thinks I don't like you."
"I'm not convinced you do like me. It seems to me like you only come here to drink from Mnemosyne. How do I know you're not playing me, P? I've seen you, how you go straight for the river as soon as you get here. Sometimes it takes ten minutes before you come to me. And you're always buzzed when you finally make it. I think you're hooked on the memory water."
Persephone got serious, and for a moment dropped her sullen teenager facade. "So what if I am, Hades? Does it matter to you why I'm here or just that I am? I am stuck here with you six months out of the year, I might as well have some fun while I am at it. Besides, you're the one who turned me into that stuff..."
Her tirade was interrupted by the cell phone ring. It was Demeter, again.
"Hello? Sweetie, where are you? I've been looking like crazy for you and I can't find you anywhere! Pretty soon you'll have to go back to that scoundrel and I am missing you already."
"Hi, mom. Don't worry so much. It's not good for the crops. I'm on my way. I just was hanging out with Diana. We went swimming."
"I just worry that Hades will try to take you early again. I shudder to think of that horrible place. Why did you have to eat those damn seeds, Persephone?"
[So I could get a break from you every now and then.] "Oh, mom, you know me. I'm spacey, I just forgot I was not supposed to eat anything. Anyway, there's nothing we can do now. It's my burden and I'll bear it with pride."
"Alright, sweetie. Hurry up and come home. Love you. Bye!"
Persephone turned to face Hades. He was stroking his three-headed pet dog while looking at her intently.
"I have to go. It's harvest season and everything will be ruined if she finds out I'm here."
"It's alright. I'm sorry we fought. Would you like something to drink before you leave?", he said as he reached for the glass bottle labeled "Lethe", sitting on the table behind him.
I LOVE it! **still laughing**
ReplyDeleteDid she drink it?
ReplyDelete:D
i wish i knew something about mythology... i love the story... but i know there are loads of references in there and i am clueless....ivskdb
ReplyDeleteWhat a clever piece! Goddesses with cell phones...I love the sudden, mysterious ending.
ReplyDeleteI love the modern twist on mythology. And why couldn't that be the reason for her going to Hades?
ReplyDeleteLoved it.
Rose
xo
So that means her addiction or vice is Hades or drinking?
ReplyDeleteGautami, she has a tendency to be spacey, so I think Hades has been playing the "switching waters" trick on her before. He's like one of those drug pushers that go to schools and offer kids drugs for free to get them hooked.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lissa. Thanks for asking. Not only does she like bad-boy Hades, as opposed to what her mother believes, but she's also addicted to the waters of the river Mnemosyne (memory), from which only initiates in the Mysteries should drink. So it's kinda like an altar boy drinking the communion wine.
I imagine her sneaking sips of water and getting a sudden rush from the onslaught of all the combined memories that the water unleashes in her.
Lethe is the other river mentioned in the story. It's waters have the opposite effect, they erase all memories of previous lives.
I hope I did not over-explain the story.
Loved it, loved it! You are incredibly creative, Ingrid. I have no talent for writing fiction at all. This was a wonderful twist on the story! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying the great diversity of fictional characters used for today's exercise. Initially I read this thinking that the "vice" was Demeter's overbearing, overly controlling nature. And the cell phones in Hell is quite apropos. This works on a lot of different levels.
ReplyDeleteThanks, pjd. I guess it does work that way. Demeter comes accross as a psycho mom, doesn't she?
ReplyDeletehi there! I love the handphone-toting gods :-) I didn't quite get the complete implications of "mixing" the impacts of Lethe and Mnemosyne waters until reading yr explanation to Lissa, but I loved the ambiguous 9to me) ending :-)
ReplyDelete