Prophet Seeking Pt. 03

Author's note- This is an anthology series set in the same location of a mysterious dreamy Greek inn, yet the characters and plot differ so they can be read separately or in any order the reader chooses. Enjoy!

~Ode to a Grecian Spurn~

You know the story, it's older than antiquity. Boy meets girl. Girl makes boy successful. Boy leaves girl for newer model. Downright cliché. Of course, the unoriginality of it all doesn't make it feel any better when it actually happens to you.

After Theo made partner at his firm I expected a proposal. Instead I got summarily dismissed and replaced by his pretty young secretary. I had given up everything for him, countless long nights waiting tables to pay his way through law school, any chance at a real career of my own, not to mention a good chunk of my prime baby making years. What did I get in return? A Dear Joan email. A &%$#ing email. SMH. Lawyers.

Suffice it to say once Theo dumped me like a two-day-old donut I just wanted to crawl inside a box of Krispy Kremes and never crawl out. Instead I booked a flight to Greece. A bottle of wine was just as good a refuge as a dozen assorted and less fattening to boot. Plus my best friend assured me that the timeless beauty and sunny vistas were just what the doctor ordered to soothe a broken heart.

Though sitting in a dimly lit Greek bar listening to euro-club music thumping in the background was doing nothing for my aching heart. My aching head, on the other hand, was pounding away with the beat. I suddenly wanted to leave. Too many drinks. Too many sympathetic glances.

The pain on my face must have shown as clearly as a mask of Greek tragedy. Even the blind old innkeeper gave me a look of sympathy as she handed over my room key. At least I think she did. It might have been the liquor talking but I could have sworn she was wearing a glittery gold jumpsuit and a multicolored afro wig.

She mumbled something about a 'stone-cold bummer' and held up a power fist. "Keep on keeping on, sister."

As I hurried away from the disco duck of desk clerks I wondered just where my friend had found this place. All she would say is that she had spent a memorable night there once. It wasn't so much what she said but how she said it that struck me. The way her voice went raspy and her eyes got all glossy like she had just seen a buck-naked Idris Elba riding a unicorn. A unicorn? Really? Wow, I really must be drunk.

When I got to my room my head was spinning a bit too fast to notice much about the space. I dumped my bags and went straight to the bathroom mirror. Big mistake. The face reflected back looked even worse than I suspected. Bags ringed my hazel eyes, frizzy brown hair hung deflated around my puffy make-up smeared face. My dress clung a little too tightly to my short curvy figure. I bore a depressingly close resemblance to a knockoff Barbie doll someone fished out of the harbor. Biscayne Bay Barb. (dignity not included)

Groaning I found my way to the enormous canopy bed and crawled beneath the covers, longing for sleep. My mind and body were feeling worn down to a weary nub. I must have been more wasted than I thought because the intricately carved figures on the headboard were dancing before my eyes. The weirdest part?

They were doing the hustle.

Ω

I woke with a start. It was quiet, too quiet. The rowdy clamor of sailors which my ears had lately become accustomed to were suddenly gone. My waking thoughts jumbled together like a ball of twine- and then it came rushing back. That freakin' twine!

Theseus had showed up in Minos as a sacrifice, brash and cocky even in his chains. I fell head over heels for him instantly. He was intended to be a sacrifice to my father King Minos to feed his insatiable Minotaur. But Theseus had other plans. He defeated the monster and conquered its maze- but not without help, mind you. It was I, Princess Ariadne, who gave him the plan and the ball of twine so he could find his way out of the inscrutable Labyrinth.

The fact is if it wasn't for me he would have been Minotaur chow like all the others. And all I asked in return was one simple thing; a promise of marriage.

Now he was nowhere to be seen. No wait- a quick gaze on the horizon revealed the black sails of his ship. It was nothing but a tiny dot bobbing on the turquoise sea. I watched it get smaller and smaller until my vision blurred with tears and I could see it no longer.

Then I really let loose. Sobbing, wailing, shoulders shaking, snot streaming, full-on ugly cry. I was alone on an unknown shore, forsaken and abandoned. What else was I supposed to do but throw a pity party for one? I had defied my father, risked my neck and left my homeland forever, all for him. And how does he repay me- by dumping me like unwanted baggage on some gods' forsaken island. I just hope whatever politically convenient Princess his advisors urge him to marry will hound him like a Fury with a permanent case of PMS. I choked on a harsh cackle turned sob.

Yet there is only so long one can cry oneself silly before running out of steam- and moisture. Finally I managed to pull myself together long enough to dry my eyes and survey my surroundings. I turned my head left and then right- nothing but rocky coastline as far as the eye could see. To my back lay a lush woodland. Even through a veil of tears I could tell the place was as beautiful as it was remote.

My mouth was parched from all the crying so the gurgling of a nearby stream beckoned me like a siren's song. I followed the sound into the woods. Soon I discovered a small brook cutting through the forest floor. Cupping my hands to the water's surface, I brought the sweet cool liquid to my lips. It was delicious and refreshing, like a frozen margarita on a hot day, so I drank my fill.

Lulled by its gentle babble, I followed the meandering water upstream to find myself, after a few minutes of walking, in a sunlit clearing. The air there was cool and fragrant. Wildflowers speckled the lush grass, their hue almost impossibly bright like an old Technicolor movie. Nearby a waterfall sung out a soothing melody as the water tumbled down a rocky cliff side to join with the stream below. It was beautiful. But beautiful was a woefully inadequate description. Magical? Yeah, that fit the bill. The place was freaking magical!

From somewhere in the forest the distant stains of music and laughter reached my ears. The sound gradually got louder until finally a band of musicians broke through the trees. The musicians held their cymbals and double flutes high as they played an unexpectedly groovy tune. They were closely followed by a pack of dancing nymphs and maenads. There were at least a dozen of them and each one was young, lovely and totally wasted. They twirled and gyrated to the music, some of them staggering, others linked together arm in arm to keep themselves upright. It was like pledge week at Omega Boozy.

Next came two large men riding massive horses. It was only once they emerged into the sunlight that I noticed one minor detail- animal and rider were attached at the waist. They were not separate creatures at all but centaurs. I blinked in disbelief at the novel sight of rugged man-torsos perched atop huge horse bodies. Well, this day just keeps getting weirder. To make it even more surreal they lugged a cask of wine under each muscular arm and a cart with even more casks behind them. Their burly human chests glistened with sweat.

"Keep up, Silenus." One of the sweaty centaurs called out from behind in a bellowing voice.

"Hold your horses!" Replied the enormously fat man who came tottering up from the rear on a very tired looking donkey. His round, sweaty belly jiggled with each step of the poor overburdened animal. "Or should I say horse's ass." He laughed at his own jest making his belly jiggle all the more. Yet the stone-faced centaur remained unamused.

With the loud popping of corks the centaurs opened the casks under their arms. They held them high in the air and tipped, letting the sticky wine spill down all over the maenads, like an ancient wet t-shirt contest. That is, if any of them had been wearing t-shirts. The dress code with this crowd appeared to be clothing optional and no one had gone for the clothed option. I felt ridiculously overdressed in my sheer white tunic.

Eventually the motley crew stopped their chugging and cavorting long enough to notice my presence. They quickly homed in, encircled me, dancing and shouting until my head was spinning like a top. The women were busy doing the grapevine with their bare muddy feet. While the centaurs bumped their sizable bronco booties together, shaking their 'groove thing' as the song instructed. Clearly an epidemic of disco fever was going around.

Suddenly the music grew louder, the dancing faster, all being driven by a palpable air of anticipation like the crackling energy in a theater right before the curtain rises. Just when the anticipation became nearly unbearable a golden chariot burst through the trees pulled by two majestic leopards.

Woah. One hell of a dramatic entrance.

At the sight of the chariot's rider my heart stopped, sputtered and then broke into a Whiplash style drumbeat. He was agonizingly handsome with a straight nose and smooth chiseled cheeks. Lips with just the right amount of fullness to make a girl wonder if they taste as good as they look. The messy strands of dirty-blond rocker hair that hung around his shoulders were practically begging for my fingers. He was polished and shined to within an inch of his immoral life. I took in every mouthwatering detail, fighting the urge to gawk and failing miserably. There was no point resisting. Everything about him was mesmerizing. Cue Dream Weaver and slow-motion camera effects.

I felt a shudder run down my spine as my mind filled with dirty thoughts. It was as if his face was designed to make one think of sex. Really good sex. And not just his face. He was practically poured into his black leather pants and his shirtless chest was lightly sculpted with lean, sinewy muscle.

I knew who he was instantly. Drop-dead gorgeous and scantily clad- check. Traveling with a troop of fantastical creatures and drunken fanatics- check. Armed with enough booze to supply a month-long Mardi Gras- check. There is only one person who fit that description. Well not person. God. Who wouldn't recognize Dionysus, party god extraordinaire.

Leaping down from the chariot, he held his hand out and one of the leopards rubbed against him and eagerly lapped at his fingers. Lucky kitty. The sappy music in my head bumped up a few notches in volume when his bright blue eyes lit on me. He didn't look surprised. He looked... pleased. Almost as if he expected to find me there. Gulp. I could hear my knees knocking as he began to walk my way. No, not walk. Strut.

"Hello there, Sea Breeze. Where have you been all my life?" At the sound of his luscious voice my brain turned to scrambled eggs. He was so damn sexy even a pickup line of that dismal caliber couldn't detract from his synapse frying sexiness.

"You're- you're- Di- Dio..." I heard myself stammering. I felt like a fangirl meeting her rock idol, after obsessing over his perfect face plastered on every billboard and temple wall. And now he's right in front of me, staring straight at me, looking even more perfect in person. Note to self- don't ask him to sign your tits.

"I am Dionysus, God of wine and theatre, bringer of ritual frenzy, the Liberator. Lord of keg stands, conga lines, Coachella and a whole lot of other things but I won't bore you with my full resume." He humbly replied, taking my hand to press a soft kiss on my knuckle. Our eyes met for a brief moment and then he winked. "Just think of me as the god of fun."

What was the proper protocol for meeting divinity anyway? I probably should have knelt or curtseyed or done something dignified but instead I giggled. Yes, actually giggled. I hadn't done that since I was a bubble-gum-chewing-Gilmore-Girls-watching-school-girl. But I was suddenly feeling very giddy. Come to think of it I was feeling giddier by the second as if his mere proximity was making me drunk. Not to mention extremely turned on. Reign in the hormones, Ariadne.

He was only inches away now and closing. Apparently the Olympians weren't big on personal space. Turns out that was just fine with me because it gave me the opportunity to admire his eyes closely which were the color of sapphires with the same inner sparkle. The glittering sun streaks that shot through his dark blond hair. The perfectly tanned skin that looked as if he spent long hours being worshiped by the sun. He looked like- yup, you guessed it -a Greek god.

It was then Dionysus noticed my tearstained face. I flinched a bit when he brought a finger to my cheek and wiped away a stray tear. Bringing it to his face he examined the bead of moisture as if it was something completely foreign to him. Finally, his beautiful lips turned down in a pout. "But you're not having fun. That won't do."

Dionysus raised his hand in a dismissive gesture and his entourage began to retreat. They dissolved into the wood line one by one until we were alone. Returning his attention back to me, he snared me with his gorgeous gaze. Up close I could see that there were lavender flecks in his sapphire eyes. They almost looked like they were glowing. No... they were definitely glowing.

A gold coin suddenly appeared in his hand. It flicked back and forth between his fingers. He tossed it into the air, catching it from one hand to the next, making it disappear and resurface at will. When the coin finally stopped its vanishing act, he presented it with a flourish. "Take it. There is plenty more where that came from." Coins began pouring from his palm, cascading onto the grass at my feet. I offered a brittle smile but it quickly faltered. "So, it's not money troubles."

"Perhaps the problem is a lack of balance in your life." With the wave of his hand he produced a small crystal ball and held it before my eyes. He then poised the shiny orb on the top of his hand and let it roll back and forth along the line of his arms. After a brief study of my face he decided, "no, that's not it either."

I shook my head and the ball disappeared back behind his palm.

"Then it must be the worst trouble of all- love." A blood red rose appeared from behind his back. He pressed the gorgeous bloom into my hand. Staring into the fragile petals I broke into fresh sobs. I turned away to hide the tears I couldn't blink away but it was no use. As much as I appreciated the private magic show it was hard to enjoy anything with my heart feeling like it had been run through a meat grinder.

"Tell me what's wrong, mon sherry." Dionysus took me by the shoulders and spun me to face him. He took my face in his hands so I was forced to look deeply into those dazzling jewel-like eyes. They resumed their glowing act and it was as if he could read my thoughts through the windows of my soul. We communicated wordlessly. It was like having a thousand conversations in a flash. Just like that he knew my story.

"The man is a fool to leave behind such a treasure, Ariadne."

"The only fool is me for sacrificing everything for him."

"Did you ever consider that Theseus wasn't your destiny? Maybe you're destined for greater things."

"I'm not sure I believe in destiny anymore." I said and I meant it. My whole life I had thought myself fated to be a loyal Minoan princess then I was certain I would be Theseus' loving queen. Look how that turned out. The hint of a smile vanished from my face. "Men plan and the Fates laugh."

Dionysus threw his head back and a rich laugh echoed through the clearing. "You forget who you are talking to. I know the Fates personally. They're not bad gals really. At least two of them aren't. The other one... Well, let's just say you wouldn't want to be cornered by Atropos at a cocktail party."

Well, duh. I hardly needed a god to tell me to avoid the homicidal deity responsible for cutting the mortal thread of life.

"Because of the whole-" I moved my two fingers in a mock scissoring motion- "thing?"

"What? No, terrible halitosis." He crinkled his nose in disgust.

"Am I supposed to feel better because the hosts of some celestial Wheel of Fortune decided to change my relationship status to dumped?" I tried to sound tough and defiant yet the slight quaver in my voice exposed the lie. I wasn't tough. I was nothing but a weak, weepy mess.

"You can do better than that glorified matador Theseus. An Olympic quality piece of man candy for instance." He swept his hand down the length of his decidedly dishy frame.

"Personally, I'm glad your ex turned out to be a blockhead of colossal proportions. Otherwise you wouldn't be here with me now." With a touch of his palm he gently brushed a stray hair from my face, his hand lingering in a soft caress.

I waved the thought away, enticing as it may be. "Its only a coincidence you happened to find me here."

"There is no such thing as coincidence, my blushing lady. All this time I thought I was just traipsing through the woods without a destination but I was heading towards you all along."

"But how could you possibly know that. You don't even know me."

He pressed a finger to my lips. Sparks flew. No, really!

"Yes I do. You are loyal and brave, resourceful and strong and more beautiful than any mortal has a right to be. We were meant for each other. Can't you feel it?" As he inched a little closer I was most definably feeling something. "Our union was written in the stars. Trust me, I'm never wrong about these things. Did I mention I'm also the god of celestial bodies?"

Dang, he was a charmer. I so wanted to believe his words even if they were too smooth by half. Wise up, Ariadne. After my last disastrous relationship I should really know better than to trust the honeyed vows of handsome princes. Yet despite my well-founded reservations I felt drawn to Dionysus. Felt safe and secure in his presence like he had always belonged in my life. Which was downright crazy. He was a bona fide deity. So far above me I must look like an ant from his vantage point. Besides, we'd only just met.

Dionysus didn't seem bothered by the shortness of our acquaintance. In fact, he looked at me as if we'd known each other for ages- eons even. Leaning forward, he pulled a hanky from his nonexistent sleeve and presented it to me with characteristic flair. Smiling, I took it to dab my eyes.

"I bet you're wondering where I hide the bunny rabbit. Now there's that smile," he pointed to my grinning cheeks which were quickly turning pink. "But I think we can do better than that."

Dionysus took a step back and raised his arms. He splayed out his fingers and turned his palms towards the sky. A parade of wildflowers flew from the earth to his waiting grasp. His hands spiraled in a circular motion until the little buds began to swirl in midair. The petals twirled in unison like the murmuration of starlings. Suddenly his eyes blazed an unearthly blue. With a bright burst of white light the flowers joined together in a dainty golden circlet which then dropped into his waiting palm. Holy Houdini! This wasn't stage craft or sleight of hand. This was real magic.

Criss Angel eat your heart out.

I stood stalk still and dumbfounded like a deer in the headlights, wide-eyed and slack jawed. It was one thing to hear about gods and supernatural powers but it was quite another to witness them in person. I barely worked up the sense to dip my head when he placed the enchanted crown onto my brow. As it settled on my head a powerful surge of insight struck me. My disbelief suddenly vanished, replaced by a deep sense of conviction. Dionysus was right, we were destined for each other. A perfect match. I knew he would never fail me or tire of me. In an instant I was a true believer.