Shadow or no shadow

We begin on a normal day Demeter is awaiting the arrival of her daughter Persephone. “I should prepare some nice flower buds for her so she can make them bloom,” Demeter says. “Lady Demeter we have the seeds that you requested.” Said one of the flower nymphs. “Good when she arrives, toss them up into the air and I will make them become flowers.” They still had some time before her arrival so Demeter and the nymphs went to do some work in the fields. “Hello lady Demeter am I late for the celebration?” said the Groundhog. “Not at all, you are right on time she will arrive in five minutes,” said Demeter.

The ground begins to shake and a small hole appears, in an instant, it bursts open, and outcomes hades and Persephone on their chariot with the black horse pulling it. “Mother!” Persephone shouts. They land with a small thud then Persephone embraces her mother in a tight hug. As they hug the nymphs toss the seeds up into the air and Demeter makes it rain flowers. Sunflowers, roses, lilies, and marigolds fall on their heads linking together and becoming flower crowns. “Well, I suppose that is my cue to leave,” Hades says looking a little down. “I’ll see you in six months, my love,” Persephone said kissing hades goodbye. Hades gets back on the chariot and goes back to the underworld.

“Dear would you like to make the first flowers of spring bloom?” “I would love to mom.” Persephone walked towards the flower buds and raised her hands, a green light emits from her hands and becomes a smoke that changes to the color blue, it surrounds the buds and makes them bloom releasing the pollen it had been keeping inside of them all winter. The fields become a rainbow of colors. “It’s beautiful,″ said the groundhog. “Why thank you, it has been a while since I’ve done this.” “Lady Persephone, Lady Demeter, and sir Groundhog it is time for lunch.” Said the nymphs. They sit down and enjoyed a nice meal when out of nowhere Apollo came down to mess with everyone. “Well hello it’s so good to see you back Persephone, you should just stay here forever and not go back to that dreary and dark place you call a second home,” Apollo said with a smug look on his face.

With fists balled and vain popping from her forehead, Demeter said “Apollo I just got my daughter back, so if you wish to keep your life you should leave right now!” Apollo startled from seeing his aunt this mad rushed away to Olympus. “Mother you need not be mad for my sake I am an adult now so I can take care of him myself,” Persephone said as she took her mother by the hand and held it softly. A few weeks pass by and Demeter and Persephone are hard at work. “Dear you can take a break now, you have been working nonstop all day,” Demeter said looking at Persephone’s dirty hands. “Alright mother, if you need me I shall be by the river.”

Persephone walked along the path only to see Apollo sleeping underneath a tree with a letter from Hermes addressed to her. Hmm, why would Apollo have a letter that’s for me? Persephone thought. She knelt down and went to grab the letter when Apollo grabbed her arm in a tight grip. Just then a yellowish-white light surrounded him. It was Zeus! “Uncle what are you doing here and why do you have a letter that is addressed to me?” “Sweet child I just had a little surprise for you, so let’s go to Olympus to get it.” He said tugging on her arm and motioning her to follow him. Persephone went along knowing that her uncle was up to something.

He took her to his chariot and flew off with a whoosh. Persephone holding on tightly to the side said “Uncle I have to tell my mother or else she will be worried and will think that hades took me like before.” “Don’t worry I have already spoken to your mother,” Zeus said with a crooked smile. “Lady Demeter it’s almost time for the party.” Said the groundhog. “Wonderful I’ll get Persephone.” Demeter walked along the same path Persephone had and made it to the river. “Persephone come home, it is time for the party, and we’ll sing and dance together if you like.” When Demeter didn’t see or hear her daughter she feared that Hades had taken her away. “I thought we had a deal!”

Demeter went back to her house and told everyone that the party was off. “Lady Demeter I’m sure lady Persephone just went for a walk and will be back shortly.” said the groundhog. “No this has hades written all over it, each time I have her he draws her away and they spend more time together, he always interrupts our time together but now he went too far.” Demeter sets down a basket of rose seeds and gets down onto her knees and knocks on the ground three times. The ground began to shake and once again the small hole appeared and out popped Hades this time he was not on his chariot. “Yes my lov...,” “HADES WE HAD A DEAL AND NOW YOU WANT TO GO BACK ON IT!” Demeter shouted in a fit of rage.

“Mother what are you talking about!?” Hades said in confusion. “Don’t play games with me, you know what I'm talking about!” Demeter raises her hands and a red color emitted from her hands leading toward the rose seeds. The seeds turned into roses with sharp thorns, Demeter took off all of the thorns and tossed the rest of the roses aside, then she shot the thorns right at Hades. Hades put out his hand and blue light emitted from it, it had brought him his bident. He used the bident to send the thorns in another direction. “Mother, what would Persephone think of you doing this?” “She would say I wish I had my mother to take me away from this dark place!” Demeter brought giant roots up from the ground and surrounded them around hades.

“Fine, you want a random fight then let’s fight!” “Hades said, using his bident to deflect the roots. “CERBERUS COME TO MY AID!” Hades shouted. The ground shook and then stopped, from the hole hades came from, out popped Cerberus the three-headed hellhound. “WOOF” his bark echoed all around. Demeter began to make the weather change rapidly, rain, hail, snow, and more. They both charged at each other, Demeter throwing poisonous plants and Hades riding on Cerberus. Cerberus got up on his hind legs and jumped, trampling the flowers Persephone grew. Demeter looked at the destroyed flowers and grew to become taller than a mountain. Hades grew just as big as they collide with each other hand in hand trying to push each other down. All of a sudden a loud rumble came from the sky, it sounded like Cerberus when he was hungry. Zeus came down with a flash of lightning hitting the ground. “Brother, what are you doing here?” Hades and Demeter said.

“I noticed that a lot of my followers had decreased in size and you know very well that without the mortals to believe in us we cease to exist,” Zeus said. “HE TOOK MY DAUGHTER AND BROKE OUR DEAL!” Demeter shouted as she was shrinking back to her normal size. “That’s not true Demeter, why would I break our deal now?” “Because it’s what you do, you’re just like your brothers!” “Ouch, I'm right here,” Zeus said. “Now if you both can calm down will you allow me to speak?” “Yes.” Both Hades and Demeter mumbled. “I took her,” Zeus said with a big grin on his face. “YOU WHAT!” They both said. “Yeah, I took her to Olympus. She is hanging out with Artemis and Apollo right now.” “But why did you take my daughter?” “I was bored and I was gonna give her back to my little brother, so they can spend a little more time together.” “But it is my six months to have her.” “I know but he just seems lonely,” Zeus said putting his arm around Hades.

“Look how about this I give her back and we flip a coin and that person gets her for six more weeks that sound ok to you?” “I have a suggestion”, said the Groundhog, “If I see my shadow then Lord Hades gets Lady Persephone for six more weeks but if I don’t then Lady Demeter gets her.” “I would be fine with that.” Said Demeter “As would I.” Said Hades “Perfect then it is decided, Demeter you will finish your six months then she will go to hades, and when you awake check if you see it or not.” Zeus said. This went on for years and everyone was happy.

THE END