Monotony

TW: Discussions of mental health issues and self hatred! Do not read if not comfortable!

We've all heard of the Greek gods and goddesses. Supreme beings who reign across the skies, the oceans and the bottom of the earth.

They faded out of existence several years ago. The huge whirlpool of forgotten memories sucked them into a vortex of never being seen again.

How did I know all of this? I could be making it all up, right?

But I wasn't. My name is Echo. I fell in love with the most beautiful mortal man to ever exist.

My story is one that should have been easily forgotten, compared to the mighty legends of Zeus or Poseidon or Hades. But as the years passed by and they crumbled away, I continued existing. Living.

It was easy to blend in, actually. I had long scarlet hair and deep blue eyes, and a voice which was as melodic as it was monotonous. I had been cursed to repeat whatever I said forever and ever, for no particular reason at all.

Hera was an evil queen indeed.

April 4th, 20XX started off simple enough. My raggedy old jeans and patchy sweater weren't the best, but they were all I could afford. I had attended the same high school in the same town for the past thousands of years, and none of the mortals had noticed. They all graduated, left school and went on with their lives. To the hundreds of humans I saw every day, all different faces every year, I was nothing but a paled shadow roaming the school halls.

It was not like they were particularly unkind to me, of course. The occasional "Hey, Echo!" was often thrown my way. But to them all I was as forgettable as the janitor's smelly mop. They never questioned why that strange girl with the red hair never graduated with them either.

This day was different. I could feel it.

The air seemed charged with electricity. The leaves were rustling excitedly, as if whispering "It's time! It's time!"

My old high tops smacked the shiny hardwood floors of the classroom sharply as I entered and sat down in that one unchanging desk at the back.

The teacher's voice droned on and on about triangles and squares while I dozed fitfully. Suddenly something jerked me out of my stupor.

"Class, say hello to our newest exchange student. Narcissus."

Oh no.

Sleek maroon hair, bright gold eyes and the most perfect complexion known to mankind.

A bitter laugh rose to my throat, but no sound came out. Ever since a thousand years had passed, my curse stopped working properly. Instead of repeating back whatever I heard, I couldn't speak at all.

Narcissus's shy eyes locked on mine.

Wait- shy? Why did he look so quiet and apologetic?

"Go sit next to Echo, okay? Let's get on with the lesson now."

After about ten minutes had passed, Narcissus turned to me.

"Hi! Echo, isn't it?"

Sharply staring back with my intense gaze, I stayed silent.

"Oh.. Are you mute? That's okay, I don't mind!" He had a soft voice, more gentle and less aggressive than the one I remembered.

Grabbing my notebook, I scribbled on it. "Shut up now, we're having classes."

He gave a sheepish laugh. "O-oh, I'm sorry. We'll talk at lunchtime, right?"

His eyes looked so pleading, like a puppy's eyes after it had been kicked. I sighed deeply.

A nod followed forth.

Around lunchtime, Narcissus literally jumped on me. "Hey, Echo! Let's go to lunch together!"

I wrote on my notebook. "Duh. Like chewing dry sandwiches will ever be fun anyways."

He laughed. "Better than the muffins at my therapist's office."

Wait.

Therapist?

He probably noticed my confused expression, because he awkwardly scratched his neck and answered "Yeah, I suffer from depression and uh....self hatred, y'know?"

My eyes softened with pity. I knew how it felt to hate yourself.

Before knowing what came over me, I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

He grinned back at me. "You'll really make a good friend, Echo!"

At the word "friend", my heart splintered a little.

If only you knew, Narcissus.

As I was walking home, autumn leaves swirling everywhere like a tawny lion's mane, I heard the quick footsteps behind me.

"Echo, wait up! It's me, Narcissus! Can I walk home with you?"

As we sat together in the quietude of my cave, sipping Dr Pepper, he turned to me.

"Isn't it funny that I feel I've known you for years already?"

Because you have.

I just gave an absent-minded smile and turned back to staring at the perspiring cup in my hand.

A sudden touch made me jump slightly. Long slim fingers pushed through my wavy locks, and Narcissus whispered in an awed voice.

"Red...red hair?" It was a statement, but had the curl of a question.

Gold lights flew from my hair, as if it was made of molten lava. I let out a silent scream and Narcissus fell backwards in shock. The fluttering lights filled the cave, my forgotten cup, and my hair. They filled my body with the most delicious feeling, as if I was easing into a hot bath after a long day. It changed to a spinning void, and I was twirling, faster and faster and faster, and the spinning got went quicker and quicker until-

FWOOSH.

The lights cleared, and soft almond eyes stared out of them.

"HERA?" I spat, glaring at her. I slapped my hands over my mouth, realizing I had just spoken my first word after a millennia-long silence. And it just had to be Hera's name.

Oh, the irony.

"My dear children of Olympus." She smiled warmly, making me and Narcissus both cringe.

"Your eternal curse has been lifted. I have felt pity after seeing the way you two were suffering, and.." she reclined her glowing vortex of a body on my handmade couch, "being a gracious queen, I decided to remove it!"

I rolled my eyes. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't put that uncalled for curse on me, right?"

Hera scoffed and disappeared without a word.

"Guess she didn't get sucked into the void of forgotten memories yet. A pity." I snorted.

Narcissus bumped fists with me. "We're best friends, aren't we?"

I grinned back broadly. "Of course."

The monotony had broken. The repetition of previous mistakes had gone.

The future looked good.