Orpheus + Eurydice

Orpheus and Eurydice. A pair to behold. Their romance began as any other – a courtship, a meeting of the families, a pair of young hearts filled with love. Orpheus, a skilled musician, showered Eurydice in song. His passion for his craft was nearly as intense as his love for her, and that love fueled his craft even more. Eurydice knew the difference - his notes were just a little bit sweeter when he sang for her. 

Their love ran deep and true, and soon the two were set to be wed. On the morning of the wedding, Eurydice set off into the forest in search of fresh wildflowers for their ceremony. She started down the path, keeping an eye out for something she thought might rival the beauty of Orpheus’ song. With this mission in mind, she wandered further and further into the thick woods, eventually stepping off the path entirely. As she waded through the high grass, the snakes took notice of her presence. They lay in wait, and just as she reached for the perfect flower, Eurydice felt a stabbing pain. The poison entered her leg just above her ankle, and the pain spread through her leg, a burning hot sensation that left her unable to scream, to think, and eventually, unable to breathe. 

As the time of the ceremony approached, Orpheus began to worry that Eurydice had not returned. His family told him to wait, that she would come back, she always had before, but Orpheus knew in his gut that something wasn’t right. He set out down the same path he had seen Euridyce take that morning with his lyre strapped to his back. He sang for her, hoping his melodies would draw her back if she had decided to run from him. He continued his walk, and called her name until his voice went hoarse. Just as he had begun to give up, and the thought of finding her seemed like a distant dream, he spotted a dent in the grass. 

As he approached, Eurydice’s form revealed itself, her face still contorted in a silent scream. Orpheus dropped to his knees and released a scream of his own, a sound of pain unlike anything he had ever produced. He knew that his beautiful love had died a painful and lonely death, and that he should have been with her. He screamed and screamed until there was nothing left but tears. As he wept, he began to hatch a plan. 

Orpheus began his journey to the underworld. His mission was clear – he would convince Hades, lord of the dead, to free his wife, no matter what the cost. Orpheus passed through miles and miles of dark, wet earth, finally reaching the throne room. His journey had not been easy, but now, standing here in the room he both desired and feared, his trek felt like nothing. His thoughts raced, blurring together and washing over him like an unstoppable tidal wave, crashing over him again and again as he stood alone in the foreboding room. Suddenly, his mind went silent as the sound of the door’s latch broke the stillness of the room. 

Orpheus, who had just moments ago felt the looming impossibility of the large room, shrunk into himself, suddenly feeling that the walls wouldn’t hold their new occupants. Hades and Persephone entered the room with such a presence that Orpheus nearly lost his nerve, but he knew he could not fail his love a second time. He had to ask. And so, he stepped forward, and plead his case. 

After he finished, Hades remained silent. He had never granted the return of a mortal before, but Orpheus had pulled at his heart strings. He looked over to Persephone, his own love, and relented to offer Orpheus a deal. Hades would allow both Orpheus and Eurydice to return on one condition – trust. Orpheus would walk in front of a silent Eurydice down the miles of tunnel, and not once was he permitted to turn and look at her. He would have to have faith that she would follow him, and if he was able to keep this promise, they would both be allowed to stay in the land of the living. If not, she would return to Hades with no more chances to be saved. 

Orpheus agreed to the task set before him, and began his journey back to the surface. The way up proved itself to be far more difficult than the way down, and Orpheus slipped and clamored and clawed his way back up the path. Every skid made him want to turn and face Eurydice, to make sure that she would be alright, to reach out his hand and guide her, but he firmly resisted the urge. Finally, the daylight became visible in the distance. Orpheus began to run towards the opening, and just as he reached it, the walls began to crumble. 

The gut-wrenching crash of the ceiling collapse caused Orpheus to whip his head around, searching desperately for his lover. Just as he caught sight of her, though, the floor beneath her feet fell away. He had broken his word, and Eurydice would return to the land of the dead. Orpheus could not save her, no matter how hard he tried. In the end, the same love that changed his life, created his beautiful song, and infected every aspect of his life with light and laughter, would also bring Orpheus to his knees, screaming into the abyss until his voice, like his love, was gone.