• It’s a dark and gloomy night on the full moon. Only it’s light shown through the window so that only the hallway of the balcony could be seen. Only lonely Persephone lived here; far away from the people in town. Long ago her husband to be left to go on a hiking trip in the woods. It’s been two years since Persephone had seen her fiancé. Yet, every night of the full moon, she walks down the dimmed hallway and opens the doors to the balcony. And she stands, leaning on the balcony’s edge, peering into the same woods. Over time grooves formed into the stone ledge where her arms sat. She let the vines climb up the house and touch her hands. It’s a place were there were no birds, no gathering squirrels, not even the wolves howling could be heard from the balcony. And yet there she stood…watching…waiting. Many times she’d watch the moon and numerous times she’d count the stars, waiting for her lover to return.
    Tonight, the night of the full moon, Persephone walked down that same hallway. She listened to her small footsteps. Her night gown swayed with the motions of her legs. The moon’s light made it shimmer lightly like night time ocean waters. She stopped at the end of the hallway, pushed aside the curtains, and opened the balcony doors. It was raining tonight. Thunder seemed to come less frequent then lightning did. And yet, she still stood on her toes, her arms in the same spot, her fingers twirled around the vines ever so gently. The pouring rain soaked her shoulder length hair along with her snow white gown. And still she stood perfectly still, not even a blink. She peered down at the woods waiting to see her dearly beloved. Then she looked at the ledge itself, the water droplets forming a vast number of small puddles. How magnificent it was…. After a couple hours wait, she removed her arms from the ledge and headed back inside. Closing the door behind her and pulling shut the curtains.
    She never talked says the rumors and most thought she died along with her fiancé. However, this is not true. She will always be loyally confident that he will return. They will see, that one day her lover will return and he and Persephone will be married and have a family. They will cut down the vines and weeds and turn away from the woods…together.
    Four more years pass. However, Persephone has changed. She has grown even older then when the man she loved last saw her. Now before she walked to the balcony she would stand before her vanity mirror. Putting her hair back and putting on make up. Maybe she thought her fiancé wouldn’t recognize her if her complexion changed. So, on the night of the full moon, she line hers eyes deep with black and smoothed the soft wrinkles on her face. Next, she walked out of her bedroom and faced the balcony. Again she walked slowly, listening to her footsteps, her gown once again swaying along with the motion of the slender legs. She stopped at the end of the hall and pushed aside the curtains and opened the balcony door. It was a rather starry night, too many stars for her to count now. The moon reached past the height of the trees and the vines connected to them.
    She paced smoothly up to the stone ledge, nestled her arms in the same spot as before and stood on her tip toes and leaning over the balcony to look at the woods. They were dark and gloomy as usual, only the top of the trees shown the reflection of the moon’s intense light. She still stood and waited but nothing ever came. Persephone finally gave in and left back inside the house. Closing the doors and shutting the curtains.
    The next night was rather unusual for Persephone. Her night started normal. She went to her bathroom to wash up. Turning on the steamy bath water and washing her body. After her soothing bath she grabbed her towel and changed into her night time lingerie. A black corset and a dark, gown-like slip and clipped on her favorite locket, a locket with a picture of her and James. She walked over to the mirror and wiped the condensation away to see her reflection. Her doll like face was gone now. It vanished over time. Small wrinkles formed near her eyes and her lips. Her high rosy cheeks had turned pale.
    She soon turned her attention off the mirror and was heading for bed. Leaving the bathroom, she passed the balcony doors. However, the curtains were pushed back and door was cracked open. Weird? How could this have happened? She quickly pulled her hair up and clipped it in place. She quietly shuffled her way to the balcony doors. She closed the door and shut the curtains. But, as soon as she turned her back, she heard an odd creaking…the sound of a door with rather old hinges. She turned again to see that the door opened even more than before. For reassurance she opened the doors and walked onto the balcony, something that she’s never done except for the night’s of the full moon. The night seemed eerie to her. She placed her palms onto the ledge and looked at the blooming vines. They didn’t seem as lengthy. In fact, the woods seemed overall smaller and the trees not as full as they were last night. She shivered a bit feeling the chilly night breeze. It dried the ends of her wet hair and ruffled her silk slip. For once things changed. She did not place her arms in the grooved stone nor did she stand high on her toes. She looked to the ground. What is this? A figure…a person stood at the tree line. Persephone closed the balcony doors behind her and ran down stairs.

    Could it be? My fiancé…James?
    Oh how I missed you and you have returned?
    …After all these years I’ve waited…
    Will you even recognize me?

    Silly, of course you will.
    We are soul bound.
    I knew it all along, everyone…
    Everyone thought we died long ago.

    I knew they were wrong
    And now…
    We will get married
    And start a family.

    Just as I had hoped.

    She slipped on her slippers and rushed into the kitchen. She gracefully headed to the back door, unlocking it. When she pulled it opened a cold breeze flowed into the house forcing her to stop in place. As soon as the wind had come, it had eased. Persephone took a couple steps forward into the garden, the woods drawing nearer.
    Suddenly, she stopped. Her swaying slip remained still and her blood ran cold. The figure in the woods wasn’t her beloved James. It wasn’t even a man. Leaning on a tall oak was an attractive and seemingly young looking women stood.

    What is this…this horror?!
    This is not my sweet, sweet James
    But some wench?!
    Oh how could this be?!

    She looked at the women with curiosity. Was she waving to her? Persephone stepped forward a bit closer. She was waving, trying to get her attention. Persephone walked over silently and with caution. This is the first time in over five years that she had seen another being. “Come here girl.” The woman said. Persephone jumped at her smooth and enticing voice.

    Her voice is that of angels.
    She calls to me not knowing who I am…
    Who is she?
    And what does she want with me?

    Persephone kept walking but suddenly came to a stop. The women reached her arm out into the woods. Her skin was pale but clear. She had no scars, bruises, or acne of any sort. She wore clothes that appeared to be from the Medieval Era…something that a queen would wear. They were as white as the gown she wore for the full moon. However, she wore no shoes and instead of the moon making the gown shimmer, it was the lack of light that made her glow. Persephone waited to see what the mysterious woman was doing. Out of the dark shadows a hand revealed itself, looking as pale as the woman’s arms. However, it wasn’t a woman’s hand but a man’s. His nails are clean with bony knuckles and several light blue veins poked out. Surely this was a handsome man.
    After the hand was an arm, lean with muscle. Next was his head and torso. He had rich, silky, black hair that was spiked in the more modern way. The mysterious woman held his hand lightly, leading him out of the shadows. She walked unknowingly to get a better look at the younger man. His eye hailed light, crystal blue eyes outlined with long dark lashes. His lips were faintly blue in color and his gaze light. He had broad shoulders and his torso looked incredibly smooth. He seemed to glisten like a fresh coat of ice on morning snow. He had on only a pair of black, torn jeans and a pair of hiker’s boots. Persephone finally realized who this was…her fiancé, James, has returned to her.
    “Oh glorious woman! You have brought my sweet James back to me!” Persephone called. Tears formed into her eyes and she tightly gripped the locket hanging from her neck. The woman only smiled and released James’ hand. Persephone took a step forward, wanting to reach out and touch her lover’s skin.
    Suddenly, the vines of the leaf littered ground wound themselves around Persephone’s ankles and legs, their roots sinking deep into the soil. She quickly looked down to hear feet and instinctively tried to pull the vines off her. Seeing that her struggling hadn’t helped she looked back to where the other two stood. And they weren’t there…. She looked to the woods but saw no one. No scrap of clothing or footsteps of any sort.
    “What is this trickery?!…This sorcery?! I saw him, there in front of me. Oh how I ached to touch his skin!” She screamed ripping out a lock of her golden brown hair. “I have…have waited all these years. Every night of the full moon and you never came! Now…now that I have seen you…. How can you leave me again?!” She sobbed and sobbed and screamed at the moon. After a while the vines had withered away. Persephone violently tore the dead plants away and had walked back inside.

    What has become of me now?
    I have been waited for over six years…
    And still you refuse to return to me?
    I cannot wait any longer…

    She slammed the back down shut, breaking the glass window, and ran up the stairs. She paced into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was messy and partially torn. Her eyes were cloudy and still bared tears. She looked at herself, ashamed and disgusted…a pitiful frown accented her misery. She raised her hand and broke the mirror before her. Her hands bled from the deep cuts and embedded shards.
    Without a word she headed to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. She wrapped her bleeding hand around the locket’s thin chain and tore it off her neck. The shinning silver fell by the door way. She couldn’t bear to see herself anymore so she pushed over her vanity mirror. The reflecting glass cracked and crumbled and covered the floor. She bent over and picked up one of the shards, gripping it tightly so her hands bled. She pulled the shard to her left fore arm and dragged its sharp edge along her pale skin. “James” Is what she carved. It took only seconds for the wounds to start bleeding. Not wanting to let go of the precious name, Persephone tried to wipe the blood away but it only smear. She started to cry once more, her tears only washing away small portions of her bloody arm.

    Do you see James?
    I am nothing now…nothing without you!
    If I cannot see you hear…
    Then I will see you in Heaven!

    She looked at the bloody shard of glass. She had no more tears and no more patience. She swept her hair back and tilted her head back. She grasped the shard firmly and started to carve it under her jaw. Once she could feel the blood stream down, she slowly dragged the glass further, across the throat, and to the other side. The cut was deep enough to be fatal. Blood streamed from her mouth as she tried to breath and soon enough she fell silent. Her head lay on the hard wood floor, her body lay limp, and the shard lay shaky in her throat.

    Outside, a pale man stood on the balcony. The climbing vines and weeds were gone. He ran his hand along the top of the balcony ledge…but there was no grooves, no erosion. He opened the doors and the hinges did not make a sound. The man stepped inside and closed the doors behind him. However, it was odd that the floor was wet. He walked into the bathroom to witness the blood soaked floor and the shattered mirror. His gaze remained light and his lips mute. The young man turned around and gazed at the floor…he followed the drops of blood that lead to the bedroom. He placed his hands on the cold knob, opened the door, and stepped in.
    A loud cracking noise alerted his attention to his feet. Lifting his foot he realized he had stepped on something metal and he bent over to take a better look. It was the bloody silver locket Persephone had worn earlier that night. It broke open revealing a small photo of he and Persephone. It was then he saw the body…the body of the young Persephone.
    “Persephone! Persephone!” He yelled frantically. He knelt down to her still body and caressed her head in his hands. But, she said nothing. James ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her cold forehead and looked at her mangled body. “What…What have you done?” He wept. The tears landed on her pale smooth chest. “I was gone for three nights Persephone…just three. Could you not handle yourself while I was gone?” He asked. He placed the locket into her hand and held it closed with his own. James rested his head upon her corset. There he sat and wept and refused to leave her…until eventually he died himself. Slow and painful like the pain his lover had endured on the last full moon.

    ~The End