The Book of Aphrodite
1/1
A light breeze blew across the park, forcing the gold ringlets around the girl’s face to fly in different directions. Her dark eyes remained fixed on the statue in front of her, its beautiful stone crumbling around the corners of its base. The angel’s wings were covered with droppings from the birds that take rest on its head, causing it to look like melting wax.
She scoffed softly before looking away from the angel’s face. It was just another tasteless rendition of beauty from the mortals’ perspective. Mortals were twisted and stupid in her opinion. She couldn’t understand how bones showing through fake, orange skin and showing off undergarments was appealing.
Her hands slid into the pockets of her black pea coat as a heavier breeze brushed against her. The air was slowly growing colder as the sun set, forcing the people in the park to leave. She didn’t move from her spot. She knew he would be coming soon. The mortals have been announcing it for weeks.
She sat down in the damp grass, pulling her feet underneath her. Her feet were freezing and she was starting to scold herself for wearing her thin, black ballet flats. She honestly hated her shoes, along with the rest of her outfit, but it was necessary. She must blend in with the mortals, no matter how ugly she had to be.
“I had a feeling I would find you here.” She looked away from the grass, her eyes falling onto the man standing in front of her. She smiled. “Then again, you seem to be everywhere.”
“I could say the same thing about you. The mortals have been killing one another off for months now,” she replied. The man laughed and sat down next to her. He ran his thin fingers through his dark, curly hair, his smirk never leaving his face.
“Why have you been following me?” the man asked.
“I want to go home. I’m sick of this world. It’s full of nothing but lust and mortals,” she replied. She childishly flipped the hair over her shoulder and set her chin in her hand. The man laughed. “It’s not funny.”
“I think it’s ironic. You get banned to earth for acting on nothing but lust, but you want to leave because of it,” he commented, still laughing. “Aphrodite, you’re a strange one.” The girl rolled her eyes and reached inside her coat. She felt the binding to the aged book as she gently pulled it out.
“You’re the strange one. Every time I see you, you’re acting more and more like a mortal,” she said. She placed the book on her lap, but didn’t open it. Her hands sat on the fading pink cover, folded. “It’s sad, Ares.”
Ares shrugged before falling to his back. He placed his hands behind his neck and stared up at the sky. Aphrodite smiled. It was her chance, the only chance she had. She opened the book to the correct page. Folded flower petals fell off of the fading words when it was opened, causing Ares to look in her direction. He smiled over at her.
“I miss you,” he said softly. Aphrodite stared over at him, her head slightly tilting to the side. “I originally wanted to stay on earth for silly reasons. I wanted to be in control of something. Mortals are so simple. They’re like pawns in a game of chess that I play against myself. War is so natural to them, so it was easy and entertaining.”
She smiled. “That’s perfectly understandable.” His blue eyes were clouded and hazy, but shimmered with excitement.
“I want you to come home with me. I want you to become my wife. I can’t believe I’ve never thought of it before!” He sat up onto his knees and eagerly looked at Aphrodite. “We can have hundreds of children and be happy! You can come back home. I wouldn’t care if you slept with an extra mortal or two. Whatever makes you happy, I’ll do it. Just come home with me.”
Aphrodite grabbed a rose petal from the book and held it in her hand, her eyes never leaving Ares. She used her free hand to grab hold of his blue tie. He was only wearing it to blend in with the mortals. She pulled on it, causing Ares to lean in closer to her.
The rose petal was dropped into her mouth, leaving a strange yet familiar taste. With a smile, she placed her lips on Ares and forced the petal into his mouth. His eyes glazed over even more, causing the blue to fade to white. “You’re mine… forever,” she said softly.
She scoffed softly before looking away from the angel’s face. It was just another tasteless rendition of beauty from the mortals’ perspective. Mortals were twisted and stupid in her opinion. She couldn’t understand how bones showing through fake, orange skin and showing off undergarments was appealing.
Her hands slid into the pockets of her black pea coat as a heavier breeze brushed against her. The air was slowly growing colder as the sun set, forcing the people in the park to leave. She didn’t move from her spot. She knew he would be coming soon. The mortals have been announcing it for weeks.
She sat down in the damp grass, pulling her feet underneath her. Her feet were freezing and she was starting to scold herself for wearing her thin, black ballet flats. She honestly hated her shoes, along with the rest of her outfit, but it was necessary. She must blend in with the mortals, no matter how ugly she had to be.
“I had a feeling I would find you here.” She looked away from the grass, her eyes falling onto the man standing in front of her. She smiled. “Then again, you seem to be everywhere.”
“I could say the same thing about you. The mortals have been killing one another off for months now,” she replied. The man laughed and sat down next to her. He ran his thin fingers through his dark, curly hair, his smirk never leaving his face.
“Why have you been following me?” the man asked.
“I want to go home. I’m sick of this world. It’s full of nothing but lust and mortals,” she replied. She childishly flipped the hair over her shoulder and set her chin in her hand. The man laughed. “It’s not funny.”
“I think it’s ironic. You get banned to earth for acting on nothing but lust, but you want to leave because of it,” he commented, still laughing. “Aphrodite, you’re a strange one.” The girl rolled her eyes and reached inside her coat. She felt the binding to the aged book as she gently pulled it out.
“You’re the strange one. Every time I see you, you’re acting more and more like a mortal,” she said. She placed the book on her lap, but didn’t open it. Her hands sat on the fading pink cover, folded. “It’s sad, Ares.”
Ares shrugged before falling to his back. He placed his hands behind his neck and stared up at the sky. Aphrodite smiled. It was her chance, the only chance she had. She opened the book to the correct page. Folded flower petals fell off of the fading words when it was opened, causing Ares to look in her direction. He smiled over at her.
“I miss you,” he said softly. Aphrodite stared over at him, her head slightly tilting to the side. “I originally wanted to stay on earth for silly reasons. I wanted to be in control of something. Mortals are so simple. They’re like pawns in a game of chess that I play against myself. War is so natural to them, so it was easy and entertaining.”
She smiled. “That’s perfectly understandable.” His blue eyes were clouded and hazy, but shimmered with excitement.
“I want you to come home with me. I want you to become my wife. I can’t believe I’ve never thought of it before!” He sat up onto his knees and eagerly looked at Aphrodite. “We can have hundreds of children and be happy! You can come back home. I wouldn’t care if you slept with an extra mortal or two. Whatever makes you happy, I’ll do it. Just come home with me.”
Aphrodite grabbed a rose petal from the book and held it in her hand, her eyes never leaving Ares. She used her free hand to grab hold of his blue tie. He was only wearing it to blend in with the mortals. She pulled on it, causing Ares to lean in closer to her.
The rose petal was dropped into her mouth, leaving a strange yet familiar taste. With a smile, she placed her lips on Ares and forced the petal into his mouth. His eyes glazed over even more, causing the blue to fade to white. “You’re mine… forever,” she said softly.
♠ ♠ ♠
word count : 779