Mini Stories and One Shots

Maybe Hades Isn't So Bad After All: Goodbye

Elle looked back at her reflection, her eyes glazed over in worry. He was coming. She knew it; she could feel it. It had been three days since the first balloon arrived and each day she would find another balloon wrapped around her bed posts.

He was coming for her, and there was nothing she could do about it. She had died in that car crash with her aunt. It was all her fault, and that was why she was supposed to go to the underworld. She killed her aunt Maggie. If she never had gotten into that argument, her aunt would have never turned around, and the car would never have swerved off the road. Elle was just being a nuisance; it was all her fault, she was guilty, she was the criminal, and she was dead.

She was dead. Elle felt it every day. Lifeless blood pulsing through her veins, dark stormy eyes staring back at her when she looked at her reflection, pale skin that made her light blush appear darker and younger. Elle was still the young girl she used to be. She was still the murderer she used to be. She was still dead. 

And he was coming for her, to take her to where she belonged. Elle understood that now, in her history lessons when she learnt about the greek gods, she knew. She just knew that it was Hades that had came to take her away. She knew she was a killer. and she had finally realised that she was going to go down to a dark Hell. A dark Hell was where she belonged.

And what was scarier?

That she knew it was going to happen soon, very soon. Or that... She had actually accepted it?

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Hades wiped his eyes tiredly, gripping his balloon tighter in his big bony hands. It was 1:02 am. Three minutes to go until he made his appearance, just like he did thirteen years ago. 

"Happy anniversary," one of his shadowy minions said, opening the carrage door for their ruler. Hades hissed a slow snakey sound, his mood deflating like the air in the balloon, like the life in Elle. Hades needed to do this, he reminded himself. He slipped on his boots and flew up to the little girl's window. His non-existant heart was beating rapidly, making Hades feel a strong sense of dread.

He needed to do this.

His long finger unclicked the latch. The window flew up, and Hades stepped out. The room was different; the teddies weren't there anymore, just books and notepads. The photos of the young girl were replaced with photos of an older looking girl. That sweet innocent look was still present in every picture, though. Hades felt the need to turn away and leave the girl to live her death in peace, but he couldn't... If he did... No! He had to.

Hades took in his surroundings. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw that not-so-little girl sitting in the middle of her bed, four balloons looped between her dainty slender fingers. He watched her eyes fill with tears, tears she refused to let fall. She bowed her head in front of him and passed him her life balloons. Hades knew what was supposed to happen next. He had to pop the balloons and let her soul remember it was really dead. All there was supposed to be left was a dead body lying limp on the floor, just waiting until someone entered her room. Hades looked at her slowly as the shadows came up from the floors and started clawing at her body in appreciation.

Elle whimpered and let a few tears fall down her cheek. She closed her eyes before holding her hand out, getting ready for the life to be sucked out of her, like it was supposed to happen thirteen long years ago.

Hades felt his resolve breaking. Just looking at that young girl and knowing that she had accepted her fate was too much for him. He had read her case file every day for the past three weeks, and technically she didn't kill her aunt, but in large print it stated that she must come down and live where she belonged. The young girl cracked an eye open, her big brown eyes widening when she saw the look of sheer terror on Hades' face. He was shaking.

Something pounded inside of him, the beating killing him inside. It was all very alien; it was something he had never felt before. 

Elle nervously stretched her small hand out and placed it where his heart was supposed to be. She gasped when she felt a beat underneath her hand.

Hades looked at the girl, aghast. What was she doing to him? "What's happening?" The angelic words came out of Elle's mouth.

Hades' heart beat faster. He was getting a heart! He was becoming human, and he was dying inside. And all because of one girl, that one girl who stood, petrified, in front of him.

                       

Imagine the shadows clawing at your body to stop.

For Hades to cry out in pain, his face growing paler, and paler, almost skeletal.

Imagine watching Hades fall to your feet, looking back up at you, frightened.

"Thank you," he says, "For making me human again."

And then his eyes flutter closed, and the balloons float out of your window, along with a hazy black dust. 

You yelp, feeling the pressure to close your eyes once again.

And then you wake up.

In your bed.

And it was all a dream.

But you know... Deep down... That it wasn't.

                     

Hades was gone, Elle was alive, and the last thirteen years were anything but a dream.

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It's done! A sad ending, yes, but there will be an epilogue. :P Comment, vote and fan.