Both Bitter and Sweet Was Persephone Inside Most Incomplete

"Both Bitter and Sweet Was Persephone Inside Most Incomplete" is the first of several short stories I've written.

This is a story about a young woman who is made of chocolate. She is enslaved by her guardians who harvest chocolate from her every night. One day, she convinces them to set her free to experience the world with her own eyes... but, all is not what she imagined it to be.

These stories are along the lines of Grimm's Fairy Tales / Aespo's Fables by means that each has a dark nature infused into the plot-line. We're going to be doing a limited book press-run as soon as our illustrator is complete with the water colors he's doing for the first book. We are then converting the story into an e(i)Book and then into an animated / live action short film.

Each short story will have a new illustrator / style to it... and each short film will also.

I have attached one of the watercolor's we're still developing and have pasted the Persephone story below. It would be great to hear what everyone thinks about it.

Both Bitter and Sweet Was Persephone Inside Most Incomplete

To say Persephone was poor, disadvantaged and sad – would not be a correct assumption to describe this girl’s state.

Persephone was indeed unique, and the world all around did love her… so to speak.

Was she normal? Well, that was something no one would quite say. Persephone grew up inflicted by means of having dark skin, quite hard and most thin – and with the condition of a confectioner’s conviction within.

But the hardest part of living her life, was being made of chocolate – constantly growing and changing… and with beauty so bright.

Her life began this way.

Persephone’s guardians were talent-less and weak – so they traded their souls for the ability to create the best chocolate anyone ever did taste.

But tricked… were they.

One day, minutes before they were to close their Shop of Sweets, a basket was delivered with a note clipped to it.

“Our deal is now set – I give unto thee, a child born and made of chocolate – which you must nurture and feed. Give her sugar aplenty, and she will grow beautiful and strong – and supply you with sweet chocolate which will provide for you all.”

Her guardians did not like this position, no… not all at. They had no desire to care for a child or see it grow strong. “We shall strike any feeling we could have towards this girl… and treat her like a object from which our prosperity shall grow.”

So, through the years, they coated Persephone with sugar each day and night… and would steadily take what they could, by and by.

One day a leg - the next maybe both hands. Two feet one week...

Why once, even Persephone’s head!

But, they coated her with sugar every night, and her limbs always grew back.

Persephone, now seventeen, toiled day and night while her guardians sat fat – dollars so many… rich beyond means.

Until one day she rebelled… and decided that was that.

“Oh guardians, so twisted and cruel. How could you dismember me daily like I have no soul? Am I nothing to you but a means from which your fortune can grow? I can love, and do… don’t you see? Please, let me go out and show the world what I really can be!”

Her guardians thought, pondered most quick… “Should we let loose our prized possession? Should we risk all of this?”

Persephone pleaded, promised to come back. “Guardians, you have my word, let me go free for seventeen weeks, please? One week for each year I gave unto thee. Once my time is done… forever will I stay – and work for you daily. I promise, for eternity hence force, you shall have me freely.”

“Forever for seventeen weeks… why that’s a good trade.” They were already so rich, why a vacation they’d take!

“Just know Persephone… the outside is not what you might think.”

And so it was agreed - Persephone was freed, for seventeen weeks, to the world outside.

All she had to do was sugar herself each day so she would not crumble and blow away.

But the world was not what she imagined it to be.

Persephone fell in love, many times. Her beauty was so very bright and her charms, so very kind. But humans being humans – the outside was all they saw.

They used poor Persephone - and took from her all.

She trusted, she hoped, someone would see - that inside laid her real beauty…her real beauty.

But as the weeks passed, disappointed was she.

“Why… it’s been seventeen weeks… and I am still me! A beautiful girl, yes, but hard like a shell - with a glimmer of wondrous light inside, for which no one seems to care.”

Persephone came home… heart broken, soul collapsed. How could she live now… knowing the world outside was sinister, greedy, insincere, weak, broken, cruel, hopeless, helpless and afraid… like that?

Thus, that night, did she switch bags.

The next day she worked, giving all she could be.  So many people arrived that day - she lost both arms and both legs.

It was busy at the Shop of Sweets.

Her guardians, at night, lifted her onto the table with care. They asked her, “Why so quiet Persephone? Oh, we see. You did not believe the words about the world we earlier did speak.”

She did not want to listen, so Persephone quietly said, “Just pour the sugar… let me become whole. Let this night end.”

Her guardians then began mending her with glee.

Boy, were they surprised with what happened next!

Persephone began to melt - her features did drop. For the night before, she switched the sugar for salt!

Her guardians cried loudly, but not for Persephone’s sake. “Oh no! What have you done? We’re ruined!”

Then came a voice so wicked. In the corner, by the oven, stood a cloaked figure - dark and twisted. “Our contract is broken. You cared for her naught. Your lives are now forfeit...they’re mine, souls and all.”

Before a word could escape the guardian’s mouths, in a flash all three beings were gone… leaving poor

Persephone alone, melted to a puddle… forever gone.

So one might think…

For a single chocolate finger Persephone saved, in a jar, with a letter that did state.

“I was created sweet and full of life, but bitterness came and blew out my light. Even though I am now incomplete, maybe one day…one day, I shall truly be free.”

• Mark Roush