More Juvenilia
May. 6th, 2023 03:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerAnother round of juvenilia! (I also found a list of my favorite books, compiled in 2001, which may be of interest as a record of The Bookworm as a Young Girl? Might post it.)
This story is almost certainly from sixth grade, when my class did a unit on ancient Greece, where I learned about chitons, but clearly did not quite grasp that Apollo already has a twin sister.
***
Crash!
Tory sat up and rubbed her head. She looked around for the flowers she had picked. Instead, she saw, cold, gray rock and a swirling slate sky. “Where am I?”
“You are in my kingdom!”
Tory jumped and started around for the speaker. “Wh-wh-whose kingdom?” she stammered.
“The Kingdom of Hades, god of the Underworld!” roared the voice
The speaker was huge, wearing a chiton, and gray with short curls. “Come alone, my dear,” he said. “I have a feast scheduled just now. You’ll be my guest of honor.”
***
“No thank you,” Tory said again. She was tired of passing heavy dishes and “accidentally” knocking over wine glasses during toasts. Still, Tory didn’t dare to eat anything. Her class had learned the myth of Persephone just before they’d left on a field trip, in the meadow where Tory had been picking flowers.
“Let us drink to the happiness of our guest,” boomed Hades. Tory raises her goblet, planning to spill the wine so as to keep from drinking any of it, when a hand grabbed the glass from her hand.
“I’ll drink to that.”
“Apolla!” Hades sounded flabberghasted.
“Apolla?” Tory turned around in her seat. “But there is no Apolla!”
The goddess set down the cup and grinned. “I was never very popular with the Greeks. They preferred my twin brother, Apollo. However, the gods have FAR too many messages for one messenger.” Turning to Hades, Apollo said, “I have three messages for you. A message from Hera–” The goddess pulled a roll of linen from her belt, “stating that she wants you to let Tory go.”
“When since does Hera meddle in my affairs?” growled Hades.
“Since you started kidnapping innocent girls,” Apolla said placidly. Tory glanced at Hades. His jaw was jutting out. “A letter from Poseidon asking you to help him and Neptune come to a truce over the Bermuda Triangle,” continued Apolla. “And a note from Persephone stating that if you don’t let Tory go she won’t come down this year.”
“SHE CAN’T DO THAT!” roared Hades. Tory slid backwards, ears ringing.
Apollo sighed. “Can.”
“Can’t!”
“Can.”
“Can.”
“CAN’T!!!”
“Can.”
Hades glared at Apolla and stomped off. Apolla turned to Tory. “Come on,” she said.
Tory followed Apolla over to a horse with huge white wings. For a few moments, she just stared. Then she gasped, “Pegasus!”
Apolla nodded. She climbed on the pegasus, then turned to give Tory a lift up. Tory sat uncertainty on the animal’s wide white back. Suddenly, Apolla spurred the pegasus into motion!
Tory grabbed the silky mane and hung on so tight that her knuckles turned white.
“Easy,” laughed Apolla. “My pegasus won’t drop you. Then, as if sensing Tory’s next question, she said, “I’m going to run you by Mount Olympus, just to show Hera and Persephone you’re okay. Then I’ll take you home.”
Soon they were nearing Mount Olympus. Tory glanced toward it apprehensively. Suddenly she began to slide – and slide – and fall! Tory screamed and grabbed for Pegasus. She caught his tale and tried to reach the hand the goddess offered, but she slipped – and fell – and fell – and fell…
***
“Tory!”
“Huh?” Tory sat up.”
“I’ve been looking ALL OVER for you!” cried Cyntia. “Come on! If you hurry we can make it back in time!”
“Where’s Apolla?” asked Tory. She felt disoriented.
“Apolla?” Cyntia frowned. “You must have been dreaming. Come on!”
It wasn’t till they were safely back on the bus that Tory noticed that her hand was clenched around something. She opened it.
Inside was a long, white hair, soft as silk. It looked like it came from a horse’s tail. Next to it was a folded piece of paper. Tory opened it and read:
Tory,
Sorry. I forgot that humans can’t approach Mount Olympus pegasus-back.
Blessings,
Apolla
Tory grinned and placed the paper and hair in her pocket, thinking, It wasn’t a dream..
This story is almost certainly from sixth grade, when my class did a unit on ancient Greece, where I learned about chitons, but clearly did not quite grasp that Apollo already has a twin sister.
***
Crash!
Tory sat up and rubbed her head. She looked around for the flowers she had picked. Instead, she saw, cold, gray rock and a swirling slate sky. “Where am I?”
“You are in my kingdom!”
Tory jumped and started around for the speaker. “Wh-wh-whose kingdom?” she stammered.
“The Kingdom of Hades, god of the Underworld!” roared the voice
The speaker was huge, wearing a chiton, and gray with short curls. “Come alone, my dear,” he said. “I have a feast scheduled just now. You’ll be my guest of honor.”
***
“No thank you,” Tory said again. She was tired of passing heavy dishes and “accidentally” knocking over wine glasses during toasts. Still, Tory didn’t dare to eat anything. Her class had learned the myth of Persephone just before they’d left on a field trip, in the meadow where Tory had been picking flowers.
“Let us drink to the happiness of our guest,” boomed Hades. Tory raises her goblet, planning to spill the wine so as to keep from drinking any of it, when a hand grabbed the glass from her hand.
“I’ll drink to that.”
“Apolla!” Hades sounded flabberghasted.
“Apolla?” Tory turned around in her seat. “But there is no Apolla!”
The goddess set down the cup and grinned. “I was never very popular with the Greeks. They preferred my twin brother, Apollo. However, the gods have FAR too many messages for one messenger.” Turning to Hades, Apollo said, “I have three messages for you. A message from Hera–” The goddess pulled a roll of linen from her belt, “stating that she wants you to let Tory go.”
“When since does Hera meddle in my affairs?” growled Hades.
“Since you started kidnapping innocent girls,” Apolla said placidly. Tory glanced at Hades. His jaw was jutting out. “A letter from Poseidon asking you to help him and Neptune come to a truce over the Bermuda Triangle,” continued Apolla. “And a note from Persephone stating that if you don’t let Tory go she won’t come down this year.”
“SHE CAN’T DO THAT!” roared Hades. Tory slid backwards, ears ringing.
Apollo sighed. “Can.”
“Can’t!”
“Can.”
“Can.”
“CAN’T!!!”
“Can.”
Hades glared at Apolla and stomped off. Apolla turned to Tory. “Come on,” she said.
Tory followed Apolla over to a horse with huge white wings. For a few moments, she just stared. Then she gasped, “Pegasus!”
Apolla nodded. She climbed on the pegasus, then turned to give Tory a lift up. Tory sat uncertainty on the animal’s wide white back. Suddenly, Apolla spurred the pegasus into motion!
Tory grabbed the silky mane and hung on so tight that her knuckles turned white.
“Easy,” laughed Apolla. “My pegasus won’t drop you. Then, as if sensing Tory’s next question, she said, “I’m going to run you by Mount Olympus, just to show Hera and Persephone you’re okay. Then I’ll take you home.”
Soon they were nearing Mount Olympus. Tory glanced toward it apprehensively. Suddenly she began to slide – and slide – and fall! Tory screamed and grabbed for Pegasus. She caught his tale and tried to reach the hand the goddess offered, but she slipped – and fell – and fell – and fell…
***
“Tory!”
“Huh?” Tory sat up.”
“I’ve been looking ALL OVER for you!” cried Cyntia. “Come on! If you hurry we can make it back in time!”
“Where’s Apolla?” asked Tory. She felt disoriented.
“Apolla?” Cyntia frowned. “You must have been dreaming. Come on!”
It wasn’t till they were safely back on the bus that Tory noticed that her hand was clenched around something. She opened it.
Inside was a long, white hair, soft as silk. It looked like it came from a horse’s tail. Next to it was a folded piece of paper. Tory opened it and read:
Tory,
Sorry. I forgot that humans can’t approach Mount Olympus pegasus-back.
Blessings,
Apolla
Tory grinned and placed the paper and hair in her pocket, thinking, It wasn’t a dream..
no subject
Date: 2023-05-06 07:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-07 12:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-06 09:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-07 12:59 pm (UTC)And you KNOW that if the Greek and Roman gods both existed, they would absolutely be having territorial disputes all over the place!
no subject
Date: 2023-05-07 01:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-07 12:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-07 09:08 am (UTC)“Apolla!” Hades sounded flabberghasted.
“Apolla?” Tory turned around in her seat. “But there is no Apolla!”
And of course the negotiations between Poseidon and Neptune (!?) have to take place in the Bermuda Triangle xD
no subject
Date: 2023-05-07 01:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-07 11:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-07 01:01 pm (UTC)Do we ever really hear about the Bermuda Triangle anymore? I feel like this was a big thing in kid culture in the nineties, the mysterious Bermuda Triangle where so many ships and planes disappear without a place, and then... the Bermuda Triangle itself disappeared...
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Date: 2023-05-07 04:27 pm (UTC)I'm also super impressed by juvenile-you's sense of humor and pacing. This story is exactly as long as it should be, all beats in place!
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Date: 2023-05-07 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-08 04:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-08 01:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-08 06:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-08 01:04 pm (UTC)