Music in the Darkness

 

Mbiras as pretty cool-looking. And portable.

 

Hello, reader. When I was writing this story, since it's a Greek myth, I thought it apt to write it about two men in love. It wasn't until I was most of the way through that I remembered the trope of "bury your gays", and well, we all know this story is a tragedy. So, my apologies for the trope. The next fairy tale won't be a tragedy.

Spyros had always said that his boyfriend was the best musician he'd ever heard. So it wasn't too surprising when Michalis proposed to him with music. Spyros said yes, of course. They had a spring wedding, full of love and flowers.

The only cloud over the day was one of Spyros' exes who called and left a voicemail. Spyros had broken up with him years ago, but it seemed that Kostas still hadn't gotten over him. In the voicemail, Kostas said that he couldn't forgive Spyros for getting married to someone else. When he listened to it later, it scared Spyros, but he already had a restraining order against Kostas. That would be enough, right?

Spyros waited a day before he told Michalis about the voicemail. He didn't want to ruin the glow of just being married with something like this, but he had to tell him.

"We're going on our honeymoon in a few days," Michalis said. "He won't be able to find us. And by the time we get back, he'll probably have forgotten. And remember, we have that security system too. If  anything happens, the police can be here in minutes."

Spyros nodded and smiled, feeling relieved.

They took a honeymoon to Greece and saw a cave where legend said that Persephone came out of the underworld each year, bringing spring with her. Apparently it was the only way in or out of the underworld. Never mind that lots of people went exploring in the cave and never found the underworld. Spyros liked the myth and mystery of it. Michalis thought it was a cool historical site.

The next day, they went on a hike through some Greek wilderness. Michalis hadn't brought his guitar on the flight, but he had an mbira with him and he played a few tunes as they walked. The mellow tones of the metal floated the rattling of the instrument in a peaceful way. Spyros couldn't help but smile, even as he was sweating.

Then, up ahead, Spyros saw Kostas. Spyros grabbed Michalis' arm and he stopped playing, but Kostas had already seen them. Kostas came running toward them and Spyros screamed, "Run!"

The two of them flew over the ground, until Spyros suddenly stopped. Michalis skidded to a halt and turned around. Spyros was grabbing his ankle. Michalis saw the snake nearby and froze. Was that a venomous snake? There wasn't time to find out. Michalis grabbed the snake behind its head and threw it at Kostas. Then Michalis picked up Spyros and ran with him as far as he could.

They made it back to town, but neither of them could describe the snake well, and when they were able to figure out what kind it was, it was so rare that it was hard to get the antivenom.

"I didn't expect to be reaching 'in sickness and in health so quickly'," Spyros joked from his hospital bed.

Michalis grabbed his hand and said nothing. What was there to say?

The venom glided through Spyros' body and killed him before they had a chance to save him. For three days, Michalis was inconsolable. Then he remembered the cave that led to the underworld.

Maybe it could work for him. It was the only thing he could do.

So Michalis brought his mbira to keep him company as he walked. He walked into the cave and played. He played his heartbreak and his need to find his husband. He played and played until the rocks moved out of his way and he went down a strange slope. The colors didn't seem right, what little he could see in the dark. But he kept walking. Down and down.

Finally, Michalis reached an underground river. A huge, three headed dog charged him. But Michalis had been playing this whole time, and he couldn't stop, even in fright. He started singing, something he'd written for Spyros. The dog slowed and stopped. He laid down in front of Michalis.

A boat came across the river toward him. "Please," Michalis said, "please, I need to find my husband."

"You're not dead," the person in the boat pointed out.

"I know," Michalis said. "But please. He was taken too soon. This isn't right."

The person in the boat said nothing. So Michalis began to play again.

And the person in the boat let him in and took him across the water. Michalis found a human-shaped person waiting for him on the other side. He was sitting on a throne. It was hard to look at him directly. He seemed to be darkness, but the kind of darkness that's lit with an internal glow. Next to him was a dazzling woman-shaped person who gave off light and wore flowers in her hair.

Michalis swallowed. He was in front of Hades and Persephone.

Before his nerve could give out, Michalis began playing. He told of his love for his husband. How happy they had been together. And how cruelly Spyros had been taken from him. Michalis asked for mercy, this one time, to bring his husband back to him. He begged. And Michalis could see Hades soften.

Persephone put a hand on Hades' arm. "Just this once," she said, her voice thundering through Michalis.

Hades didn't move. Then he nodded. "Very well, but listen well, musician. You may lead your love out of the underworld, but he must go behind you. And if you turn around before you're both out of the underworld, he comes back here, and you must stay there until you die. Agreed?"

Michalis was ecstatic. This was more than he had hoped for. All he had to do was walk with his husband behind him and not turn around? This was an easy test.

"Agreed," Michalis said.

Spyros walked out from behind a column, weeping. The two embraced, holding each other tightly.

"Time to go," Hades said, his voice reverberating. "Don't turn around, Michalis."

Hades' voice was almost too powerful. Michalis shut his eyes. When he opened them, he found himself on the other side of the river, facing the tunnel he'd come through. He almost turned around, but checked himself. "You back there?" Michalis asked.

"He's back there," the person in the boat said. "Now go."

Michalis nodded and began walking. He played as he walked. He sang of love renewed, of his joy at holding his husband in his arms again. He sang and sang, but Spyros didn't sing along once. He was still back there, right?

Michalis sang some more. He kept walking. Spyros wasn't making any sound behind him, not even a footfall. Michalis began to get uneasy. Maybe it had been too easy. Maybe the gods had sent him away empty handed and were closing up the way behind him. But he couldn't look back. He had to keep going. He had to believe that Spyros was behind him.

Then, ahead, Michalis saw a light getting brighter. They were almost there. He played louder, hoping that Spyros would join in, but he was still silent. Finally, Michalis stepped into the sunlight. They'd done it! He turned around and saw Spyros looking stricken behind him, still in the cave.

"I love you," Spyros said. "Goodbye."

And then he was gone.

Michalis stood in silent shock for several minutes. Then he began playing again, plucking until his thumbs bled, singing until his voice broke, but the rock didn't open for him again. He couldn't go back. Michalis sat and cried until a tour group found him.