Page 3 of Song of Memories

A beat of silence passed between them.

Makaria looked torn, as if she didn’t want to tell Eurydice something.

What could have possibly upset a death goddess so much? Eurydice’s brow furrowed farther. She knew the gods of the Underworld were not the heartless deities that Olympus would have you believe, but Makaria was resoundingly tough when she needed to be. Makaria took a deep breath and closed her eyes, all her words rushing out of her at once.

“I suppose there’s no easy way to tell you this. Orpheus has died. He’s on his way to the Underworld. Thanatos is with him.”

There was a beat of silence, and Eurydice felt everything, all at once.

Except she didn’t know what she was feeling. Her heart started to pound in her chest, and foggy remnants of sadness and betrayal started creeping up her spine.

“Who’s Orpheus?” Telodice frowned, starting to bite at her nails, clearly picking up on the tension now cutting through the clearing. Eurydice and Makaria didn’t respond. Eurydice’s hands started to shake as she jumped down from the tree branch before she had a chance to fall.

Makaria was immediately at her side, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder. “Do you… Do you remember Orpheus, my friend?”

Makaria was studying Eurydice’s expression intently, looking for something. Eurydice didn’t want to disappoint one of her companions, but she had no idea what Makaria was expecting of her. A quick glance at Telodice proved that she was just as confused about what was happening.

“H-he sounds like something from a memory,” Eurydice whispered. Her face was pale, and some of the flowers closest to her started to droop. Makaria nodded as if that was very understandable and gently led Eurydice to a small pool, helping her sit down on one of the smooth rocks at the edge of the water. Telodice held her hand.

“You were married in Greece, Eurydice. Does that sound at all familiar to you?” Makaria spoke in low, soothing tones. Eurydice wasn’t annoyed by it. She rather preferred it at the moment—even if it was somewhat infantilizing. Telodice gasped in quiet surprise.

Suddenly, flashes started going off in Eurydice’s mind. She remembered her friends dancing with flowers in their hair, a great banquet, a winsome smile…and a snake?

Why do I remember a snake?

“You were bitten by a snake on your wedding day.” Makaria prodded gently, and Eurydice realized she’d been thinking out loud.

“Oh. Yes, yes.” Eurydice’s heart started beating faster. “I was married. There was a wedding. We were so happy, but… Pan wasn’t there. I was sad.” Eurydice started massaging her temples as flashes of scenery started flickering through her mind like smoke, easy to see but impossible to grab and analyze. Something was burning in her chest like there was a hot coal sitting between her breasts.

“Shall we ask him?” Telodice piped up. Makaria threw her a withering look and a raised brow, and Telodice quickly nodded and fell silent.

“I was married and then I died.” Eurydice picked her head up and looked at Makaria for confirmation. She nodded her head.

“Do you remember anything else?” she asked, and Eurydice got the feeling once more that she was missing something.

“No?” Eurydice’s voice rose as the missing pieces in her memory started to frighten her. “What else could I be missing? You only die once! I was married, and then I died, I died, I died…” Eurydice started to trail off, pulling her knees up to her chest and rocking back and forth.

“Ssh, that’s quite enough. Don’t worry about it,” Makaria soothed, wrapping her arms around the nymph. “You don’t need to remember anything. No one will force you.”

“I remember Orpheus,” Eurydice whispered, staring past Makaria and Telodice as though they weren’t even there. “I remember Orpheus.”

“Do you want to see him?” Makaria sighed, gently pushing some of Eurydice’s hair off her face, the way a mother would tend to a child. “You don’t have to. It’s your choice.”

“What if he wants to see her?” Telodice interjected, her eyes round and wide with curiosity. Makaria snapped her attention to Telodice and held a finger to her lips, indicating that Telodice’s contributions were not helping.

“Does he want to see me?” Eurydice looked at Makaria, breathing heavily.

“It doesn’t matter what he wants. What do you want?” Makaria looked troubled, as if this entire conversation wasn’t going in the direction that she thought it would. If Eurydice hadn’t been so completely overwhelmed, she would’ve pushed Makaria harder.

“I… He’s my husband.” Eurydice repeated the words robotically. Her fingers trembled, and some of her confidence ebbed away. “I want to see him. He’s my husband. A bride should always want to see her husband, right?” Eurydice looked up at Makaria for guidance, trying to scan the goddess’s face for any clues as to what she should be doing—but Eurydice had never been very good at interpreting what was happening between the lines.

“Eurydice…” Makaria started and stopped, letting out a long sigh. “If you want to see him, then I’ll bring you to him. It’s as simple as that.” Makaria’s smile was forced—Eurydice could tell—but she nodded anyway. Eurydice slid her hand into Telodice’s and squeezed it, repeating the words as though saying them aloud again would ease some of the chaos in her mind.

“Yes, of course. I’m a wife. I want to see my husband again.”

Eurydice’s voice cracked, and some of the joy drained from her eyes as she said it. Makaria and Telodice were wise enough not to say anything else.

“I’ll tell Thanatos that we’re coming.”

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