Page 2 of Charmed By Apollo

And in the blink of an eye, the ground underneath Geri’s feet disappeared. Her alarm bells rang, as her keen senses and animal instinct detected something wasn’t quite right. However, in a split second, she was on solid ground again. Still, there was a buzzing in the air, a strange energy that told her they were in another place.

“We’re here,” Persephone declared.

“This isn’t at all what I thought of when you said we were going to the Underworld,” Geri said as she glanced around. Plants from the Upperworld surrounded them, and she instantly recognized them as the plants and blooms Persephone loved. “Did you make this garden?”

“Yeah, this is just one part,” Persephone explained. “It’s around the castle area. C’mon, let’s go?—”

“Uh, hello?” She cocked her head to the motionless body slung over her shoulder. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Oh, right!” Persephone chuckled. “Hold him up, and I’ll wake him.”

Geri slid Adonis off her shoulder, then propped him upright. “Okay, ready.”

The goddess snapped her fingers, and Adonis opened his eyes. “What do you mean right—huh?”

He blinked and glanced around him. “What—how?”

“What’s wrong?” Persephone cocked her head to the side innocently.

He opened his mouth and shut it again. “Are we”—he glanced around—“in Jersey?”

“Yes,” Persephone replied nervously. “This is it. This is Jersey, alright.”

“But, how…how did we get here?” He turned to Geri. “Did you drive?”

“Uh, yeah…?”

Persephone hooked her hand through his arm. “You’re so silly. You fell asleep in the back of the car before we went through the Lincoln Tunnel.”

“I did?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh. Did I snore?”

“Of course not,” Persephone assured him. “You slept like an angel.”

Adonis laughed. “Of course I did.”

“C’mon, let me show you guys around.”

The sound of laughter and chatter filled the air as the souls bustled about, setting up stalls and decorating each row with a distinctive theme, creating an inviting scene of colors and activities. To their left, a row of stalls unfolded, brightly painted signs adorned with playful fonts and whimsical illustrations advertised a variety of games. Farther ahead, another row boasted a lively and colorful display reminiscent of a lively marketplace. Banners fluttered in the breeze, showcasing an array of exotic goods and delicacies from distant lands.

“This is stunning, P,” Adonis said.

“Yeah, the souls—er, people here are really excited about the street party. They said they’ve never had anything like this in millen—er, years,” Persephone said. “Well, I should get going, but you guys should take a gander. Explore and stuff.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Geri said.

“Yeah, we came here to spend time with you,” Adonis said.

“Aww, you guys.” Persephone hugged them. “Well, there are a few more things I need to do around here.”

Persephone guided them to the courtyard and gestured toward the arrangement of furniture scattered throughout the space. Wooden benches and intricately carved chairs were positioned haphazardly, their placement more suited for solitary contemplation than communal gatherings.

“Let’s rearrange these,” Persephone suggested. “We want people to be able to move around freely but also have comfortable spaces to rest and enjoy the festivities.”

Adonis and Geri nodded in agreement, rolling up their sleeves and setting to work with a shared sense of purpose. Together, they began to shift the furniture, each piece finding its new place in the courtyard like a puzzle coming together to form a cohesive picture.

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