Clipped Wings

The man paced restlessly up and down the room. But they were the slow, purposeful footsteps of a man who set about to put his mind at ease. The world outside his window was a dark landscape - the very little light illuminating the four walls that surrounded him came from the oil lamp sitting atop his desk, as well as the dull glow of the electrical signs on the factory buildings that painted his view of the outside world. The open window let in cool evening air. He had found the sound of his footsteps a welcome and comforting distraction. When he stopped, the silence suffocated him.

Today is the day.

The very thought made his stomach drop and placed a lump in his throat. He set about to pace the room once more. This was the routine he found himself in since midnight struck. It was a sleepless night for him, causing him to retreat to his office.

There were times, many times, that he entertained the idea of going back on his promise. “I’ll just keep her down here.” he would say to himself. As though stating a fact, the words put his mind at ease. But it was a short-lived relief. No matter what happy fantasies he conceived of in his mind - he knew that he would not go back on his word. Despite what the others may have said about him, seated at their thrones of ivory in the skies above the surface, he was a man of his word. He would keep his promise.

The man’s train of thought was broken by a soft knocking on his door.

“Dearest?” a sleepy voice called out quietly from the hallway.

“Come in, love.” the man replied. His voice was deep and gruff, but he spoke with delicacy. The door creaked as it opened and a red-haired woman emerged from the other side. Her eyes were half-closed, and light nightwear clad her figure. Though her hair was disheveled, there was an effortless beauty in the way it fell just over her eyes. As those eyes raised onto the man standing next to his desk, she smiled.

“There you are.” she sauntered over to the man and wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her head just below the man’s bearded chin. He, in turn, wrapped his arms around her enveloping her in a warm hug.

“I woke up and you weren’t there. What are you doing here so early in the morning? She asked.

“Some work came up that I just needed to take care of, you go on back to bed.”

The woman craned her head upwards and exaggeratedly squinted her eyes. “Your brow’s furrowed. You’re worried about something, you can’t hide that from me.” she said with a grin. His face relaxed into a smile. “Nothing gets past you.” He left her arms and made his way towards the window. The man took a seat on the ledge and pointed to the world of night.

“Today is the first day of spring. Not that you can tell from all the way down here.” he said.

The woman moved wordlessly towards the window. The man continued. “From what I gather, the surface is nearly just as barren.”

“No.” the woman began. “No, there was a time when the sun shone brightly and the skies were so blue it looked endless.” The woman was looking away, but he knew what expression was on her face as she spoke. It was a look of deep longing that he had become well acquainted with in the many years of their marriage.

“Tell me about the day we met, dear. In the flower field.” the man asked.

“That day under the sun,” the woman replied without missing a beat. “We were surrounded by lavender. A magnificent sight. We talked and laughed until nightfall. I knew even then, that I never wanted to leave your side.”

“So you came with me.” the man said. The woman nodded thoughtfully. The expression on her face was unreadable, but he had a good idea of what she was thinking. In this moment, he looked at her as though she was the most beautiful creature in all the worlds. But he felt only a deep sadness. As the neon lights from outside the window illuminated her face, it dawned on him that he was gazing upon an elegant dove in a cage of iron.

“You should go back to the surface.” the man said after a lengthy silence.

The woman spun her head. Her eyes widened slightly, but her expression remained the same combination of emotions. “Where is this coming from?” she asked.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. And since today’s the first day of spring, I thought today might be as good a day as any.” the man replied. “I just want you to be happy.”

The woman chuckled. “Now what would the god of the underworld know about spring?” The two shared a brief smile. “Besides, I am happy. As long as I’m with you, I’m happy.”

The man turned his body to face the woman. “Persephone.” he said, with all the authority he could gather while maintaining the tenderness in his voice. “That day in the flower field, did you know that that would be the very last time the sun would be graced by you? The last time you would ever feel its warmth?”

“As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.” she repeated. Her face was neutral, but her voice was different. It sounded like she was bracing herself for something. “Let’s go on back to bed, okay?” she smiled.

Had you not seen her before this moment, you might have mistaken her for the very sun itself. Her smile overflowing with warmth, you might have guessed her heart to be as light and contented as her words. But the man knew her. He knew the smile the woman wore when he met her that day in the flower field, and he knew the smile she wore right now.

He approached her and took her hands in his. He held them tightly.

“My dear, I love you with every fibre of my being - with a love that burns hotter than any fire. But I know more than anyone else that you need to be up there. Please my love, go.” He pulled her head into his chest and felt the expression on her face change as the pain took over. He wrapped his arms around his wife as she sobbed quietly into his chest.

“I’ll be back Hades.” Persephone said.

“I’ll be waiting.”