TM
The first time I saw...
In the Underworld, we call the dead Shades. I was about four years old when I saw a Shade for the first time. Before then, I’d stayed within the boundaries of the house and gardens that made up my stepfather’s home in the Underworld. My mother was careful to keep me inside when I was small, pulling me back whenever I attempted to run out of the grounds. But even though she was so attentive to me, I still managed to find my way out one day. I left the house and my toys behind, went through the garden and out of the gate and found myself in the Underworld.
I remember looking at how dark it was; the ground, the trees, the rivers and sky. Despite my mother Persephone's influence, Hades has managed to keep the colour scheme quite bleak. It's like that now, and it was like that then.
As I continued out into the Underworld, I looked back to see if my mother was following me. She wasn't, though she was probably looking for me around the house at that time. Either that, or Hades had found some way to distract her that I'd rather not think about. Seeing how no one was holding me back, I turned around again, ready to carry on walking further into my stepfather's realm. But I hit something, or rather, something hit me. When I looked up, I saw a grey figure, old and haggard, even though I didn't know that he was old and haggard at the time. He didn't see me, he wasn't aware of my presence at all. That's quite normal for shades, but as I said before, at such a young age, I wasn't aware of things like that.
When I looked at him, with his eyes completely empty and his face completely blank, I wasn't afraid of him. There was no reason to be afraid of him; he didn't have a frightening appearance or manner, he was just...dead. Dead, and unaware of everything around him, including himself, including me. He didn't pose a threat, and when I moved, he walked past me as if I'd never been there at all. The only time I was really scared of him was when I had a bad dream, a few nights later, but I don't remember that, only my mother does.
After he left me, I moved on, passing many more shades as I wandered unsupervised over the terrain. There are five rivers in the Underworld, and I had no idea how dangerous any of them were at that age, so it's surprising that I never fell into any of them. I was playing on the muddy banks of the Lethe when my mother found me. Rather ironic, for day as unforgetable as that.
In the Underworld, we call the dead Shades. I was about four years old when I saw a Shade for the first time. Before then, I’d stayed within the boundaries of the house and gardens that made up my stepfather’s home in the Underworld. My mother was careful to keep me inside when I was small, pulling me back whenever I attempted to run out of the grounds. But even though she was so attentive to me, I still managed to find my way out one day. I left the house and my toys behind, went through the garden and out of the gate and found myself in the Underworld.
I remember looking at how dark it was; the ground, the trees, the rivers and sky. Despite my mother Persephone's influence, Hades has managed to keep the colour scheme quite bleak. It's like that now, and it was like that then.
As I continued out into the Underworld, I looked back to see if my mother was following me. She wasn't, though she was probably looking for me around the house at that time. Either that, or Hades had found some way to distract her that I'd rather not think about. Seeing how no one was holding me back, I turned around again, ready to carry on walking further into my stepfather's realm. But I hit something, or rather, something hit me. When I looked up, I saw a grey figure, old and haggard, even though I didn't know that he was old and haggard at the time. He didn't see me, he wasn't aware of my presence at all. That's quite normal for shades, but as I said before, at such a young age, I wasn't aware of things like that.
When I looked at him, with his eyes completely empty and his face completely blank, I wasn't afraid of him. There was no reason to be afraid of him; he didn't have a frightening appearance or manner, he was just...dead. Dead, and unaware of everything around him, including himself, including me. He didn't pose a threat, and when I moved, he walked past me as if I'd never been there at all. The only time I was really scared of him was when I had a bad dream, a few nights later, but I don't remember that, only my mother does.
After he left me, I moved on, passing many more shades as I wandered unsupervised over the terrain. There are five rivers in the Underworld, and I had no idea how dangerous any of them were at that age, so it's surprising that I never fell into any of them. I was playing on the muddy banks of the Lethe when my mother found me. Rather ironic, for day as unforgetable as that.