MEETING OF GODS, GODDESSES AND OTHERS, 3

“Diana, you can’t bring your bow to the podium.”

“Who’s going to stop me?” she asks, bumping the woman aside.

“Fine, just don’t use it.”

“Hi, my name is Diana.”

“HI, DIANA.”

“Looking around, I think most of you know who I am.”

People nodded.

“I’m pretty fast with a bow.”

Mumbling and more nodding.

“Someone has to protect the women and nymphs, don’t you agree?

Even more nodding, some out of fear.  She did have her bow in her hand, after all.

“These are my faithful hounds,” she said, looking at them.  “I’ve seen pictures of me, with my hounds, in books. They do any of us justice, do they.”

Everyone agreed, grumbling and applauding.

“I’ve read the stories.  Women believe that I am their protector.  They know…”

“Excuse me, but it’s freezing in here,” said a Goddess, wearing a long gown and hooded cape.

“HI, HERA,” said the crowd.

“I’m going to start a fire.  It will only take a few minutes.”

“Minutes?  I can warm up the room in a few seconds,” chuckled Aphrodite.

“She can,” said a male in the back.  “Trust me.”

“But I’M the Goddess of the HEARTH,” said Hera.

“Sorry,” said Aphrodite.  “Didn’t mean to step on your toes.”

“Just back off sister,” said Hera, glaring at her.  “Go drag some man into the back room, and let me work.”

“Drag me,” said about fifteen men, at the same time.

“HEY, I’M STILL AT THE PODIUM,” shouted Diana.  “IT’S MY TURN TO…”

“Honestly, Di,” snorted Aphrodite.  “We ALL know your story.”

An arrow whizzed by Aphrodite’s shoulder, and stuck two inches into the wall behind her.

“You were saying?” said Diana, her dogs snarling, their teeth in full display.

“Nice puppies,” crooned Aphrodite, holding out her hand.  “Sweet doggies of mine,” she continued, getting close enough to pet them.

The dogs whimpered, then lay down and rolled onto their backs, their tails wagging, begging for pets.

“Diana, you might want to think about using female dogs, when I’m around,” said Aphrodite.”

“You’re such a pain Aph.  Really?  My dogs?”

Aphrodite shrugged.  “Magic is magic,” she said, smiling, rubbing a dog’s neck.

“There,” said Hera.  “A nice cozy fire.”

“There’s no fireplace in this room,: said someone in the front row.

“Oh, details,: laughed Hera.  “There’s one in here now.”

The woman in charge, stood on a chair and said, in a very LOUD voice, “THIS MEETING IS OVER.”  There are cookies and whatever, on the table in the back.  You all act like a bunch of bratty children, and DON’T YOU DARE LOOK AT ME THAT WAY ZEUS.  You’re the biggest baby of them all.  With that, she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

“I guess the next meeting is here, next week, right?” asked a man, with a cookie in his hand.

Everyone agreed, as Diana pulled her arrow out of the wall and went to the cookie tale, her hounds trailing behind her.

 

Meeting of GODS, GODDESSES AND OTHERS…A short story

“Hi.  My name is…Dave Waxfeather,” said the handsome man, standing in front of the podium.

A soft murmur came from the people sitting in folding chairs in front of him.

“You’re supposed to be honest, when you’re here,” someone shouted.

Dave Waxfeather nodded, and fidgeted with the cuffs on his shirt.  “Hi. My name is Cain.”

“HI CAIN.”

“I’ve been around for…a long time.  Pretty much from the beginning, and, as some of you might know, I’ll be around to the very end.”

Soft laughter.

“I used to have anger issues, but I’ve managed to overcome them, for the most part.”

Nods, from those in the audience.

“If you’re not an Only Child, it may be difficult for you to understand how a sibling can drive you to the brink of insanity.  I was the first born, but Abel was the favorite.  I still don’t understand that.  I don’t know why.  And what kind of name is Abel anyway?  And Cain?  What were our parents thinking?”

Mumbling could be heard.

“Siblings take your stuff, including your parents’ attention.  When I was a kid, there wasn’t much to do.  My father was lazy and kind of a jerk, and my mom, well, she felt trapped, and she hated her life.  Actually, she hated my father. And she wasn’t the first woman to hate him.  Lilith was the first.  So, when my mother ran away, I didn’t blame her.  She’d had kids with a guy she couldn’t stand.  A man who though he was better than she was.  Anyway, it wasn’t the best home life, for a curious child.  And my brother was always right there.  Like a fly that simply would not go away.”

“We hear you,” shouted a man.  “We hear you.  Go on, son.”

“Keep in mind that we were, supposedly the only people on earth.  NOTHING was there.  No fast food, cars…nothing at all.  So, one day I just snapped.  I wasn’t myself.  Well, of course, I was my self.  We’re always like ourselves, even if we don’t like who we are, some of the time.  Anyway, I killed my brother.   Thank you for listening,” he said, and stepped off the stage.

Hands went out and touched his arm as he passed by, giving him strength and telling him they understood.

“Next,” said the woman at the podium.

A gorgeous woman took to the stage.

“Hi.  My name is Medusa.”

The audience, said, “HI, MEDUSA.”

“I’m angry about the lies that have been told about me.  The things they say in books, the stories they tell.  None of them are true.  They have been written by the men who desired me.  Wanted to control me.  Wanted to make me theirs.”

“We hear you,” shouted a tall brunette, in the second row.

“I went so far as to cut myself off from society.  I found a cave and stayed there, just so I could live my life my own way, but they still would not leave me alone.  Sending one man after another, to drag me back, to teach me a lesson, for not obeying them.  So, I killed those who entered my domain.”

“Only thing you could have done,” yelled a blond.

“Then they called ME a murderer.  THEY came after me and I was not expected to defend myself.”

“You did what you had to do,” said a woman in the front row.

“I want the truth to be told.  I want people to know how they harassed me, tormented me, and refused to let me live my life in solitude. I want new stories to be written…not just about myself, but about all of you, as well.  I’m sick of all the lies.”

The audience rose as one, and applauded.

Medusa bowed and went back to her seat.

“Well, that’s it for tonight,” said the host.  There’s coffee and cookies on the back table. Stay and chat, if you like.  Our next meeting for GODS, GODDESSES and OTHERS, will meet here next Tuesday night, at seven.  Hope to see all of you then.”