Resistance

Inspired by The Odyssey, specifically Epic the Musical.

I’ve spent around 12 years (or so) just trying to get home. I led 600 men to war and brought 600 out alive. We met a horrible storm and the god of wind trapped it for me giving 1 rule “Don’t let anyone open that bag.” I did well at this for a while, only for my right-hand man and best friend to open it while I was asleep. It’s been months since that night and he only told me recently. That situation led to me being left with only 43 men under my command. Now we’re here. I recently noticed a large ship, usually, this could be a symbol of hope or war but this time it’s neither. You see, the ship had no crew. That didn’t fully worry me until I heard music in the distance. Now that you understand where we were, let’s get back to now.

“Penelope?” My voice shakes in disbelief. My wife sitting right in front of me.

“Did you miss me?” She responds with a smile.

“More than you know.”

“Well then jump in the water and kiss me!”

“I would… but you know I’m scared of the water.”

“I’ll make sure you’re safe! Come play with me and our daughter!” it’s this statement that only makes my smile grow. I laugh and state how miserable i would be if I tried. That I’d be suffering. She simply says “I will take the suffering from you.” this is a statement she repeats a few times as I try to convince her to let me stay dry. That I would rather keep my feet on the ground. “I will take the suffering from you.”

“Fine. But only if you answer a question.” I say.

“Of course!”

“Great! So let’s say I was on the run or hiding from… well… Poseidon! Now let’s say he blocked my way home with a giant storm. How do I evade him? How do I get home? Where do I need to go?”

“He will chase you high and low so find a place he’d never go, the one way that you’ll get home is sailing where he’s scared to roam. It’s through the lair of Scylla.”

“No… Scylla has a cost.”

“Well, you asked and now you know. Now jump in the water!”

“Penelope why? You know that I’m shy and terrified.”

“I will take the suffering from you!”

“How about you come on the ship and we can jump at the same time!”

“I will take the suffering from you.”

“The things I do for you…” I turn for a moment, getting ready to jump. I pick something up and throw it into the water as I turn. I spear lodges itself into “my wife’s” chest. “Let’s cut the charade you are no wife of mine!” I yell as she screams. “You’ve been trying to take my life this whole time! I know under water there are packs of you hiding. Yeah, I know exactly what you are… a siren.”

“Impressive.” she laughs. I can tell she’s confused behind her snarky remarks.

“My real wife knows I’m now scared of the water.” her eyes widen “And my real wife knows I don’t have a daughter! But while you were so focused on turning my men into snacks, you didn’t notice that your friends got snatched.

“What!?” her shock makes me smile. Everyone seems so upset when I fight back. Odysseus of Ithica, the merciful king. But don’t they know that ruthlessness is mercy upon yourself? As I explain the ship I found I can tell she is thinking about every mistake she and her sisters have made over the years. How easy it would be to kill them for a greater man. And I am that greater man.

“We filled our ears with beeswax, that’s how we evade your song. You pretended to be my wife so I just played along. I read your lips and phrases, scanning for information, sirens know every route in the sea and now I know how to get back to my island!” I can see the fear in her eyes as my crew throws her with the others.

“Spare us! Spare us please!”

“Why so you can kill the next group of sailors? Nah, you wouldn’t have spared me. I made a mistake before that almost cost my life and I won’t take another chance of not seeing my wife! Cut off their tails! We’re ending this now. Throw their bodies back in the water… let them drown.” I can see my crews hesitation as I make my way back to steer the ship. I watch over them all as they speak to the sirens. An apology maybe. I am a different beast now. I am the one who feasts now. I won’t let anyone else go, I won’t take more suffering from them! I am the one who conquers. They are threats no longer. I won’t take more suffering from them. “Kill them all!”

It was foolish to try and trick me like that. I would know my wife anywhere. It’s an insult to me and to her and I do not take that well. The sirens are gone now. More red stains my hands and I have lost the pained feeling it used to give me. I can no longer tell if that is good or bad. We head off to the lair of Scylla. I ask Eurylocus to light 6 torches which I hand off to 6 men. I am aware going out there is a death sentence but I will do anything to see my wife and son again. I don’t care who I have to kill anymore. Eurylocus confronts me. “Tell me you didn’t know that would happen. Look me in my eyes and tell me, Captain… that you did not just sacrifice 6 men!” he’s yelling. I can’t bring myself to look at him. “Use your wits to try and say I’m crazy and mad! That this is just a trick the gods have sent! Tell me you did not miss home so painfully bad that you gave up the lives of six of our friends!? Say something!”

“I can’t!” I finally face him, tears burn my eyes.

“Then you have forced my hand…”

“Eurylocus, lower your weapon.”

“No can do. You miss your wife so bad you sacrifice your own crew.”

“Don’t make me fight you, brother, you know you’d have done the same.”

“If you want all the power then you must carry all the blame!

What have I done?