The Eleusinian What Now?
Content Warning (click to expand)
helicopter parenting, incest, sexual harassment, violence
by Gerri Leen
Persephone was window-shopping at the mall, enjoying a rare afternoon away from her mom and her maidens and the endless gamboling around fields and flowers in pastel chiffon. She was eying a little black dress her mother would never let her wear when her phone pinged.
It was her creepy uncle Hades saying: Hey.
She ignored the text.
Her phone pinged again. Heard you’d be out later picking flowers. Wondering where/when.
She texted back: Why?
I <3 u.
She knew he didn’t mean she was his fav niece. And his facility with text lingo somehow made the message even more disturbing. She tapped in: Ewwwww.
Her aunt Hera would tell her to show some respect. Aphrodite would just laugh. Her mother, though, would rip Hades’ head off. To say she was overprotective was like saying Zeus was just a teensy bit unfaithful to Hera.
Perse, I really care 4 you. I think u should check my realm out. U might like it. Get some freedom from Demeter.
Right, ’cause the underworld was known as such a carefree place. As if.
Perse, we srsly need to discuss this. She’s suffocating you.
He wasn’t wrong. But why couldn’t he just be her uncle about it? Someone to talk to instead of run from? What was wrong with her entire freakin’ family?
She watched a group of girls go by, laughing as they looked at one girl’s phone. Persephone wanted more than anything to be like them: normal and just having fun, not looking over her shoulder for overly protective — or worse — family members.
Perse?
I’m blocking your #. Leave me alone or you’ll be sorry. She hit the block button then sent a note to Zeus, who always was quick to respond to her — was it true he was her father? Just more ickiness to contemplate so she focused on the task at hand. Hey, like I know you’re super busy, but could you tell Uncle Hades I’m totes off limits?
Again? I’ll talk to him.
UR the best! Before she could shove the phone back into her bag, her mother’s ringtone sounded.
She answered on the second ring so her mother wouldn’t commandeer one of the winds and fly over to see if she was safe. “Hey, Mom.”
“What’s up?”
“You tell me — you’re the one who called.” Before her mother could pretend not to be checking up on her, she said, “So, Hades was wicked pushy today. But don’t worry. Zeus is handling it — gonna tell Uncle Squickman I’m off limits.”
“Aargh. I’m going to have words with your stalker.” The connection dropped, just as Persephone hoped it would. She eyed the dress again. She had the money — but did she have the gumption to bring it home and put it on and actually, like, wear it? In the face of utter Mom disapproval?
Before she could decide, she heard: “Persephone?”
She whirled.
Hades stood in front of her. “We can’t fight destiny.”
“Can’t we, though?”
“It’s written in the stars.”
“It’s daytime. And there’s a roof.”
“It’s written in my heart, then.”
“And once more I say, ‘Ewwww.'” She pulled out the taser her mom had no idea she owned, flipped off the safety, and sent the darts into him, watching him convulse. “No means no. And I’m not some helpless maiden.”
A mall cop rolled up on a Segway. “Problem here?”
“He wanted me to go away with him and…” She shuddered as if she just couldn’t imagine what might have happened.
“Outrageous — to do that to a delicate flower like you.”
“I tased him.”
He grinned, as if she’d done the most amazing thing ever. “Delicate and resourceful. Well done, Miss…?”
“Just Persephone.” She leaned in, pitching her voice low, giving the mall cop a little divine push. “I bet there’s a lovely bench outside — you know, in full sun.” After eons below, Hades had super sensitive skin. Let him read his stupid messages in the stupid stars with a nasty sunburn.
“Yes, Miss.”
“But first—” She yanked out the darts.
Hades yelled, then surprised her by laughing. “We do belong together, Perse — you enjoy punishing me.”
Fortunately the mall cop dragging him away behind the Segway shut him up.
She turned, eyed the black dress, and was about to go into the store when her phone lit up with a text from her mom. U ok?
Mom, it’s all good. Hades handled 4 now. Her mother didn’t need to know she’d handled it herself, and she knew Hades would never let on.
Your maidens are lonely. Where are you? We’ll join you.
Persephone turned away from the black dress in the cool shop and sighed. She bet she could wear all the black she wanted in Hades.
Shit. Had she really just thought that? Her life was so screwed up.
Her phone pinged again. Honey?
Be home soon. Luv u.
Luv u more.
About the author and the piece (click to expand)
Gerri Leen tells us this piece was rejected at least 22 times before making its way to Hades, er, Hell Itself. She lives in Northern Virginia, originally hails from Seattle, and is passionate about horse racing, tea, and collecting encaustic art and raku pottery. She’s recently published her first poetry collection Unwilling: Poems of Horror and Darkness and had her first novel Bluegrass Dreams Aren’t for Free released by WolfSinger Publications. See more at gerrileen.com or Instagram @leengerri.
©2025 by Gerri Leen. All rights reserved. May not be used for A.I. training.