Aphrodite's Banishment 2

After a minute of laying there recuperating, she pulled the covers off and headed to the shower, still thinking of the man in her dreams. He said he loved her every time, but he still left her. Who was he? Why did she keep dreaming about him?
Astrid finished her shower and got dressed. She finished getting ready for the day, then headed down stairs.
“Happy birthday, honey!” her mom said when Astrid entered the kitchen. Her mother walked over and hugged Astrid tightly. Astrid was shocked for a second. She was so busy thinking about her dream lover that she had completely forgotten it was her birthday.
“Thanks, mom,” she said, hugging her mother back. Her mother was an amazing woman. She stood proudly at five foot one and was a little plump. She had short red hair, but what Astrid liked most was her mother’s soft, loving hands. They were made to be a mother’s hands.
Astrid’s father stood from the table. He, too, wasn’t that tall. He was around five foot ten with black hair and a scruffy, week old beard her mom was always begging him to shave, which he never did. He put his arms around her as he said happy birthday. Although he wasn’t that tall, he had very large arms that always enveloped her into a bear hug he only used on her.
The reason Astrid didn’t look like her parents was because she was adopted. No one knew who her biological parents were. She was dropped off at a hospital where no one saw the people who abandoned her.
The only clue that Astrid has of her past, which she can’t figure out, is a necklace that was around her neck when she was found. It had a leather string and hanging from it was an interesting design of beads. There was a silver bead, then a red one, then a breathtaking pearl. Then there was another red followed by another silver. Then, hanging from those were three, very small gold charm pendants. One was a sea shell, one was a mirror and the other a swan. They were each beautifully detailed. Her parents took it from her and gave it back when she was twelve years old, when they told her she was adopted. Since then, she hasn’t taken it off once.
“Thanks you guys,” Astrid said when her father let go of her. Her mother’s eyes were brimming with tears.
“I can’t believe my little girl is turning eighteen today,” she sniffled. Astrid sighed.
“Oh, mom. Please don’t cry,” she said. Her mom smiled and the tears disappeared.
“Okay, I promise. Now, I made you your favorite breakfast. German Puff Pancakes,” she said. Astrid smiled gratefully. “Now go sit next to your father.”
Astrid sat down and drank some of her orange juice her mother had poured for her. Astrid loved her parents dearly. Her mother stopped working as a kindergarten teacher when Astrid was adopted and was a stay-at-home mom until Astrid was seven. Her father is the owner of a motorcycle repair shop. He owned his own bike, a 1985 Yamaha V-Max he got when he was a teenager. They weren’t wealthy, but her family was comfortable.
Her and her family ate pancakes while talking about the day and what Astrid wanted to do for her birthday party this weekend. Astrid’s mother was talking about decorations when Astrid said she had to go. She quick ran up stairs, brushed her teeth, checked herself one more time in the mirror and then went downstairs with her back pack.
“Bye mom, bye dad. I’ll see you after school!” she called and then walked out the door. Astrid usually took the family’s third car, a crappy 92 dark green Honda truck that she hated, but shared with her older brother Michael, who was now in college for his second year. She was about to dig the keys out of her bag when she stopped dead in her tracks. She let out a short scream when she saw what was parked in the driveway.
A 2003 Indian Spirit Springfield motorcycle was parked in front of her, leaning gracefully against its kickstand. Astrid stared at it. It was the exact same one her and her father saw at a motorcycle show a few months ago. She told her dad that this was her dream bike.
Astrid dropped her back pack and ran into the house.
“What is that in the driveway?” she demanded her parents, who were clearing the table.
“A motorcycle,” her father stated. “A 2003 Indian Spirit Springfield, I believe.”
“I got that. What’s it doing here?” she asked, her heart pounding, not daring to believe what she was thinking. Her parents looked at each other, smiling. Then her father turned to her, put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” he said, tossing her the keys. Astrid caught them, her mouth hanging open.
“Are you serious?” she asked, shocked.
“Very,” her mother said, smiling at her. Astrid screamed again and ran over and hugged her parents tightly at the same time.
“Oh, my God! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, my God! I can’t believe you guys did this for me! You’re the greatest parents ever!” she squealed.
“Honey, we can’t breathe,” her mother said. Astrid let go of them.
“Oh, my God! This can’t be real,” she said, looking at the keys as if they were the most beautiful thing in the world.
“It is. It’s all yours. We’re giving your brother the truck so he can have a car in college. I got this for you at the show when you were in the bathroom. We’ve been planning this since last year,” her father explained.
“Thank you so much, you guys. You have no idea how much this means to me,” Astrid said, wanting to cry. She hugged her parents individually, kissing them both on the cheek.
“Now go on. You’re going to be late for school. And for God’s sakes, drive carefully. I don’t want to regret getting it for you,” her mother said, smiling up at her daughter.
“I will and you won’t, I promise,” she said. Astrid thanked them again and then ran outside. She stared at the bike, taking in every detail. It was truly a magnificent bike and it was all hers. She was still shocked. Astrid ran her fingers along the body, feeling the smooth surface and leather seat.
She grabbed her backpack and put it on. Then she straddled the seat slowly. She wanted to remember this for the rest of her life. She placed her hands on the handle bars. It felt amazing, like they were made for her. She then put the keys in the ignition and started it. The bike roared to life. Astrid could feel it’s power between her legs. The engine purred while idling and she put on the black, tinted helmet. Astrid took a deep breath and then backed it out of her driveway and then she set the clutch and took off. Her heart beat furiously in her chest as she sped down the high way towards her school. She has never felt so alive in her whole life than she did at that moment.
Her father taught Astrid everything about motorcycles when she was fifteen, even giving her riding lessons on his bike. She got her motorcycle’s license and her driver’s license at sixteen, driving her dad’s once in a while.
Astrid pulled into the school, the thunderous sound of the engine filling the parking lot as she slowed down and parked into the first parking space closest to the building. Everyone outside stared at her, admiring the bike. She removed her helmet and shook her hair out, smiling as she did so. She cut the engine and pulled down the kickstand, gently leaning the bike against it. Then she stepped off and set the alarm on the bike. She stared at the bike.
“Whoa, please tell me that’s yours,” said Carla’s voice from behind her. Astrid turned to look at her best friend, a broad grin on her face.
“Happy birthday to me,” she replied. Carla squealed and hugged Astrid.
“Oh, my God! You’re parents bought you a motorcycle. That is so cool. This is an awesome bike,” Carla said, appreciating it.
“I know. This has been my dream bike for months. My dad bought it at the bike show we went to a few months ago when I was in the bathroom. How cool are my parents? They bought a 2003 Indian Spirit Springfield for my birthday!” Astrid said, her whole body still vibrating from the ride.
“Way cooler than mine!” Carla said, smiling still.
They finally left the bike as the first bell rang to their disappointment.

Carla and Astrid have a two hour free drawing art class first second hour. It’s an honors art program that allows you to free draw for the whole class period. Your final grade is determined on what piece you decide to use. Astrid had been working on her dream lover on and off all week, the other time was spent drawing a bike behind him. She loved drawing motorcycles and she decided to incorporate her dream lover with it. He was casually leaning against the bike with his muscular arms crossed and his hand set at an angle. He looked like he was waiting for her. She had already finished the bike and the outline of the man and was now working on the details of him. She had gotten pretty far when Carla came over to see how she was doing.
“Oh, my God!” she said, grabbing the drawing from Astrid. She stared at it. “This is amazing, Trid,” using the nickname that people sometimes used for her. “Who is the hottie?”
Astrid’s face suddenly turned serious and looked as if she were trying to concentrate hard on something.
“I don’t know. I wish I did,” she said quietly.
“What do you mean?” Carla asked. Astrid remembered what the man said last night. That today she would find out who he was. Her stomach clenched as she suddenly became very nervous. She sighed, took the drawing back and looked at her friend.
“Do you remember yesterday when I said I’ve been having strange dreams lately?” Astrid asked.
“Yeah,” Carla replied.
“Well, it’s a bit more than a strange dream. I’ve been having the same one every night for the past seven nights. They’re a little different each time, but it’s basically the same thing,” she said.
“A recurring dream?”
“Exactly.”
“What are they of?”
“Well, every night I’m in this room. It’s beautifully decorated with extremely expensive and priceless pieces of artwork and incredibly crafted weapons on the walls. Also, in the middle of this room is a bed. A large bed with red silk sheets,” she said. Carla’s pierced eyebrow went up. “Then, most of the time, I’m already under the covers...without any clothes.” Her eyebrow went up further. “Then, the door opens and-” Astrid looked at her drawing. “He comes in.”
“Wait a minute, this is a sex dream, I’m assuming,” Carla said.
“Yes, very much a sex dream,” Astrid answered, remember last night’s dream. She felt herself grow hot in between her thighs. She crossed her legs to try to get rid of the sexual arousal.
“With him?” she asked, pointing to the drawing. Astrid nodded. “Damn.”
“Anyways, he comes in and there’s usually a conversation before we start,” Astrid continued.
“About what?” she asked.
“Anything. He always asks how my day was, how I’m feeling. He says he misses me and that he loves me; that he always has and always will. After that, there’s a silence. Then, I ask who he is and every time, he won’t answer. I don’t know anything about this guy. His name, how old he is, where he’s from. He refuses to tell me. When I ask again, he tells me not to worry, that I’ll find out soon enough. Then, before I can say anything else, he kisses me,” Astrid explained. “Then, we proceed to...”
“Get down and dirty?” Carla finished, smiling.
“Make love,” Astrid corrected. “That’s what we’re doing. We’re trying to show how much we love each other by being physical. It’s hard to describe.”
“So, why the depressed look? This sounds like something I would want to dream about every night,” Carla asked.
“Well, something happens in the dream. We’re in the middle of...you know, and I’m about to...”
“Climax,” her friend finished.
“Yeah. Right before it happens, he says he sorry, then I wake up, covered in sweat, breathing like I just ran ten miles,” Astrid said.
“Really? Just before the good part, you wake up?” Carla asked, surprised. Astrid nodded. “Oh, that sucks, Trid.”
“Tell me about it. Not to mention, every time I wake up, I feel empty and cold. I can’t explain why I do or what I feel empty about, though.”
“And you’ve been having these dreams every night?” Carla asked.
“For a whole week, but last night was different,” Astrid replied.
“How so?”
“Well, most of it was the same. But, while we were talking, I start asking who he is. He says all in good time, that I’ll know soon enough. I ask when I’ll find out and he said ‘tomorrow’, which is today. And, I know this sounds crazy, but I can’t help but feeling like I’m going to see him today in real life. But, that’s insane. He’s someone my mind made up. I know I’ve never met him because I would have certainly remembered that,” Astrid explained. Her friend sat there quietly, taking in what she said.
“Well, maybe tonight in your dream, he’s finally going to tell you who he is. Maybe that’s what he meant,” she suggested.
“Maybe...” Astrid said. She turned to the drawing and stared at the man’s flawless face, his perfect muscles. “I just wish I knew who he was. Then I’d stop thinking about him as much.”
“I’d just let these dreams play out. Maybe they’ll stop eventually,” Carla said. Astrid must have looked disappointed. “Do you want them to stop?”
“I don’t know. I can’t stop thinking about them, but they’re really nice to dream about,” she replied.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind having them every night. Although, I would like to climax before it ended.”
“Yeah, that gets a little frustrating,” Astrid said, laughing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Astrid was in Mythology class. They were in the media center, researching Aphrodite. She was reading about the story of Aphrodite and Psyche, when she suddenly became very drowsy. She was leaning on her hand and she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Astrid was in the large bed, the silk sheets hugging her and accentuating every curve. She saw her lover naked at the end of the bed. He was running his hands along her calves, slowly messaging them. She sighed, loving the feeling of his hands on her.
“This is different,” Astrid said, staring at him amorously. He smiled at her.
“I want you to feel good, make up for when our time is cut short,” he replied.
“It’s working,” she said smiling, pleasurable tingles running throughout her whole body at his touch.
“I’m glad,” he said. There was a comfortable silence as she took in his hands expertly running across her skin.
“Last night you told me I would find out who you are today. Did you mean you would tell me here?” Astrid asked.
“No, my love. You will find out today, but I’m not going to tell you,” he answered.
“How will I find out then?” Astrid asked.
“You will remember me,” he said after a short pause. Astrid pulled her leg away and sat up to move close to him, letting the sheet fall away. She touched his cheek affectionately.
“Remember you? How could I ever forget?” she asked. His eyes and face showed he was hurting, as if reliving a painful memory.
“You have. You don’t know who I am. You have forgotten me,” he replied.
“I don’t understand. I know I would remember knowing you,” Astrid said. He smiled slightly, grabbing her hand in his.
“I am not upset with you, it’s not your fault you’ve forgotten. I am only upset with the fact that we have spent all these years apart and that now we can only have moments together,” he said sadly.
“Stop speaking in riddles. I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Astrid said, her heart twisting at his pain.
“You will. Don’t worry, my love, you will,” he said. He slowly brushed his hand against her breast, causing Astrid to gasp quietly. He slowly moved his hand down her stomach and past her blond curls. She felt his fingers and moaned quietly. He put one inside her followed by another and she gasped more audibly.
“My love,” he whispered.
“I love you,” she moaned, her whole body trembling.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
“No, please,” Astrid begged, but then she was suddenly wrenched from the dream, breathing heavily and sweating slightly.
“Hey, you okay?” asked Carla. Astrid looked at her.
“Yeah, I just fell asleep,” she said.
“I know,” Carla replied, smiling and raising her eyebrows. Astrid grew red in humiliation.
“Did you-I mean, did I make any-” she asked desperately. Her friend laughed.
“A very quiet moan that only I heard. Don’t worry. No one else realized you were asleep. It was just for a few minutes,” Carla answered.
“Thanks for waking me,” she said.
“How was it this time?” she asked.
“We were talking. He was giving me a foot massage. He said that he wanted to make me feel good because we never got to finish our time together,” Astrid said.
“Really? How considerate,” Carla said.
“Then, I asked him if he was going to tell me who he was because he told me I would find out today. He answered saying that he wasn’t going to tell me, but that I would remember who he is,” Astrid continued.
“What?” Carla asked, taken aback.
“That’s what I said. I could never forget knowing him. But he said that I did forget, although it wasn’t my fault. He said he wasn’t upset with me, but that he was upset because of all the years we’ve spent apart.”
Carla sat there thinking, then shrugged.
“You’re mind is a weird place, Astrid,” she said. Astrid stared at her hands, trying really hard to try and understand what her dream lover meant.
“Yeah...weird,” she muttered.

It was at lunch the next hour when everything happened. Astrid was sitting with her friends, laughing and talking, but in the back of her mind, she kept remembering her dream. She had finished her lunch and sat back down from throwing away her trash. It was exactly three o’clock when it happened.
“So, for my party, I was thinking about having a theme,” Astrid was saying to the table.
“What kind of theme?” James asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t-” she started, then stopped as a voice filled her head.
“My love, come to me. Meet me,” it said fervently. She recognized it instantly. It was her dream lover.
“Astrid?” asked Carla, looking concerned. Astrid didn’t reply, because something very strange happened. She felt a hand grab her waist. Astrid looked down at her body, but there was no hand.
“What the hell?” she asked herself aloud.
“Come to me,” said her lover again. Astrid could see him, even though she could see her friends at the same time. They were in the bedroom, laying together in the sheets. Both of them were naked as he moved on top of her.
“What’s going on?” she asked him. She knew she wasn’t really talking out loud, but her mind was speaking to him.
“We can finally be together,” he whispered, his erection pressing against her thigh, making her yearn for him.
“What do you mean finally?” she asked.
“We can be together, my love. No interruptions, nothing cutting us short,” he said.
“You mean-”
“Yes,” he said, breathing a little heavily in anticipation. He leaned down and kissed her deeply. She moaned slightly and kissed him back furiously, as if she’d never see him again. She was dimly aware of her friend looking at her.
“Astrid, are you okay?” asked Emily. Astrid grabbed Carla’s arm tightly.
“B-ba-bathroom,” she stuttered out. “I need-” she moaned slightly again as he touched her breast, the other hand on her waist, pulling her closer to him. “I need to go-go to the bathroom.”
“Okay, come on,” Carla said. She grabbed her hand and helped Astrid to the bathroom next to the auditorium. It was a small room with one stall. Carla locked the door behind them.
“What’s wrong?” Carla asked, looking worried, but Astrid didn’t hear her. She felt her lover push himself inside her, causing Astrid to gasp and moan as she arch her back; she grabbed onto the bathroom sink for support.
“Oh, God,” she moaned.
“Oh, my love,” he moaned back, kissing her neck tenderly. He wanted to be slow, take their time, but Astrid didn’t. She raised her hips and thrust against him urgently, causing him to make a guttural groan. She could feel herself cum as he moved against her faster. She gasped and breathed heavily, unable to make a sound as her voice was lost.
Then, they both climaxed at the same time. Waves of pleasure hit her at full force, each one more powerful than the last. They both cried out as the last and the strongest one came that forced her whole body to tremble and a bright light burst behind her closed eyes, forcing them open.
Then, her lover was gone. She was back in reality, leaning against the bathroom sink, her whole body shuddering as she rode out her orgasm. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was flushed a deep shade of red; also it was wet with perspiration and tears that had crawled down her cheeks.
“What the hell was that?” Carla demanded, looking terrified and confused. Astrid didn’t answer right away, but splashed cold water on her face and then wiped it off with paper towel.
“It finally happened,” Astrid whispered. She felt a strange sense of bliss and completion.
“What did? That was some strange shit, Trid. What was it?” Carla asked.
“I couldn’t stop it. It was like a daydream I had no control over. I couldn’t get out of it,” Astrid said. “He came to me, saying we could finally be together without anymore interruptions, nothing cutting us short.”
“Wait, are you talking about the guy from your dreams? Are you saying you daydreamed an orgasm?” Carla asked in disbelief.
“No, it wasn’t a day dream, but a dream while I was awake. I was conscious and aware of being at lunch, but I was also in the bedroom, under those sheets with him. I finally climaxed; we finally climaxed,” Astrid explained, tears in her eyes from happiness and relief.
“No, are you sure? Because unless you were doing something to yourself under our lunch table, Astrid, it couldn’t have been an orgasm. You can’t daydream an orgasm without something physically happening to you in reality. It’s impossible,” Carla explained.
“You’re the one who’s had an orgasm here, Carla. Did it look and sound like one to you?” Astrid asked. She hesitated.
“Okay, yes, it did. But how could it have happened? Do you think you have that weird disease where you can get an orgasm without anything actually happening? Like in that Grey’s Anatomy episode?” Carla asked.
“No. I don’t know. All I do know is that it finally happened. I finally came with my dream lover,” Astrid said. Her friend looked at her, concerned.
“I don’t know about this, Trid. This is getting a little too weird,” Carla said.
“You think this is weird? Try having this happening to you and then tell me how weird it is,” Astrid said, trying to make sense of everything. Then she sighed and shook her head. “Let’s get out of here. I need some water.”
“I’m sure you do. You know, I bet you’re the first person to have an orgasm with an imaginary lover without masturbating,” Carla said, smiling as they walked out of the bathroom.
“Ha ha, very funny. This is a little scary Carla, I think some seriousness is in order,” Astrid said, heading toward the water fountains.
“Oh, come on, Astrid. You just had an orgasm by yourself without any assistance at all. There’s a small element of humor here,” her friend said quietly. Astrid glared at her slightly as she took deep draughts of water.
When she was done, Astrid starting heading back to her table when an abrupt, terrible pain erupted in her head like someone threw a brick at it. Astrid cried out in agony and fell to her knees.
“Astrid! What’s wrong?” Carla asked, kneeling next to her friend. Astrid didn’t answer her. She didn’t hear her. All she knew was pain as tears flowed from her cheeks.
“Oh, God! Make it stop! Please, help me!” she yelled, her head in her hands. She cried harder as the pain grew to an insane degree. Astrid didn’t know pain like this existed.
“Astrid, talk to me! What’s wrong?” Carla yelled, lifting Astrid’s face so she could look into her eyes. But Astrid didn’t see her. As her mind went numb from the pain and she saw thousands of images flash before her eyes. There was one of her coming out of the ocean without any clothes, stepping onto a beautiful island where a breathlessly beautiful man helped her.
Then, she was in a large, open building with columns made of white marble, the floor made from the same material. She was in a beautiful gown, standing next to an extremely deformed and ugly man. It looked like a wedding.
Then she saw hundreds of people around her, all of them indescribably beautiful. One of them was sitting on a gold throne with a stunning crown on his head fashioned with the finest jewels.
Then, she saw her dream lover. He was dressed in gold armor from head to toe, holding a shield and the sword he wore in her dreams. He took off his helmet and looked down at her with love. Next to him stood an extremely handsome young man who looked around Astrid’s age with wavy blond hair and green sea foam eyes, the same color as Astrid’s.
“Ares,” she whispered out loud, staring at the man in armor. Then her gaze went to the young man. “Eros,” she whispered again.
Suddenly, they were both gone. She was staring at the floor. There was a large group of people around her. She slowly stood up.
“Astrid, are you okay?” asked a deep voice. She looked up and saw a man in front of her. He was a very attractive man in his mid thirties with red hair and light freckles on his nose. She knew his name was Joshua Olson, but couldn’t remember how she knew. She looked around her. Lots of people was staring at her. She felt strange and she looked down at her hands and gasped. These weren’t her hands. She looked at her body, touching her stomach and her breasts. This body wasn’t hers.
“Astrid, what happened? Are you hurt?” asked another voice. She turned and saw Carla. Again, she couldn’t remember how she knew this person’s name.
“What did you call me?” she asked, her voice not her own either. She put her hand gently to her throat.
“Astrid. What’s going on?” Carla asked.
“Astrid...” she said, the name feeling familiar. Then, she remembered. She remembered everything. Fury grew inside her chest with such a force, she almost let out a cry of rage.
“Astrid, what’s wrong?” asked Carla. She glared at the girl, but she was not angry with her. She had someone else to deal with.
She started walking through the crowd, who parted for her.
“Astrid!” yelled a voice. She didn’t stop. She continued walking through the cafeteria, then finally out the doors to the parking lot.
“Hermes! Cunning messenger god, I demand you come to me now!” she yelled into the air. Suddenly, a very attractive man with long, wavy golden hair appeared before out of thin air. He looked at her, confused.
“Who are you to demand my presence?” he asked, obviously upset.
“Save it Hermes, it’s me. You are to take me to Zeus immediately unless you wish for me curse to you never know the touch of another woman again,” she said venomously, her anger still at a boiling point.
“I don’t know who you are, but I refuse to take you to the King of the Gods. No mortal can enter Mount Olympus,” Hermes said, glaring at her.
“You foolish bird!” she spat, using the worst insult anyone can give Hermes. “It’s me, Aphrodite.” Hermes stared at her.
“What?” he asked.
“It’s true. You remember what happened. You remember what he did to me. I demand you take me to see him or I will curse you,” Aphrodite said.
“How do I know it’s you?” he asked. “No god has seen Aphrodite in her mortal body.”
“We had an affair a few thousand years ago which ended up with me having our child, Hermaphrodite.”
“Anyone who reads Greek mythology can find that out,” Hermes said, smiling cunningly.
“Fine, this was never written. I told you that you were horrible in bed compared to my other lovers,” Aphrodite replied. He stopped smiling, looking surly.
“I see. That’s true, she did tell me that. All right, I will grant your wish, but he will not be pleased,” said Hermes.
“I’m counting on it,” Aphrodite growled. She grabbed Hermes’ arm he offered her and then, they disappeared in a flash for gold dust. Her and Hermes stood at the entrance of very large, gold gates.
“This way, goddess,” Hermes said as the gates opened for them. They walked across the white marble floors, columns of white marble followed them, just like in her memory where she was being married to Hephaestus.
As they walked inside Mount Olympus, all the other gods and goddesses stopped what they were doing and stared at Hermes and Aphrodite. Never has a mortal entered Mount Olympus and, as far as everyone there went, Aphrodite was a mortal.
“HERMES!” thundered a voice so deep, it resonated off the building, causing Aphrodite’s ears to ring. She and Hermes turned to their right and saw a very large man walking toward them. He towered at six foot eight with huge muscles that made his veins pop out of his skin. He had long, curly white hair, but no beard as it was often depicted in human art. He was wearing a white toga with his signature gold pin with a lightning bolt embossed on it which held it together.
Zeus stormed towards them, looking absolutely furious.
“Hermes! How dare you bring a mortal to our home! You know it’s forbidden! Do you know what the penalty is for this?” he yelled, the vein in his forehead throbbing.
“Your Majesty, this is no mere mortal,” Hermes replied calmly. He almost never lost his temper, unlike his ruler. Zeus looked at him, then looked at Aphrodite.
“What’s the matter, Zeus-y? Don’t recognize me after eighteen years?” Aphrodite asked, glaring at him with as much anger and hatred she could muster up.
“Who are you?” he demanded, fire basically spitting from his eyes.
“It’s me, Zeus. The goddess you banished to be a mortal for a hundred years!” she yelled wrathfully. His mouth dropped open in shock.
“Aphrodite?” he asked quietly.
“Yes, you son of a bitch. How dare you banish me!” she said. Suddenly, Zeus started laughing. He was in an uproar. His booming laugh echoed throughout the hall.
“My fellow gods and goddesses. Look who has decided to grace us with her presence. ‘Tis Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love,” he said to everyone. They all gasped and started muttering and murmuring to each other.
“I demand you change me back this instant, Zeus!” Aphrodite said.
“And tell me why I should?” he asked, laughter in his voice.
“I am a goddess, not a human. I don’t belong in this body,” she answered.
“This is your punishment, goddess. You are to live a hundred years as a mortal. You will die a natural death and then you will then be allowed to return to your former glory. One hundred years, Aphrodite. No more, no less,” he explained.
“A punishment for what exactly?” she demanded.
“For trying to seduce me into leaving my wife to be with you,” he answered. Aphrodite bit her tongue, holding back her retort. She knew better than to call the king of gods a liar. She may be angry, but she wasn’t going to get herself killed.
“This punishment is unjust. You know who I am. I am the goddess of sexuality. I seduce, it’s what I do. Why punish me for using my powers?” she asked.
“Because you tried to seduce the ruler of mankind. That is not tolerated. I am bound to one goddess and one goddess only. My wife Hera is the only woman I am to be with. You knew this, yet you pursued me. So, you must face the consequences. Don’t try to negotiate with me. I have it written in stone. Once something is written in stone, goddess, there is no going back on it. You know this,” he said. Aphrodite swore. He was right. Not even Zeus had the power to break the unbreakable laws. She stood there, fury enveloping her. How dare he do this? She is Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, eternal youth and sexuality. She has power over every creature with two legs. She is nearly impossible to refuse. She could have any being she wanted, mortal or god, man or woman. Now, she was reduced to a mortal. A teenage girl in Miami, Florida with homework and zits. She nearly cried out in frustration.
“You are to leave here, Aphrodite. Wait, what is your mortal name?” he asked.
“Astrid,” she said.
“Him, ironic. Astrid is ancient Nordic for love,” he said, smirking.
“I’m lost in the irony,” Aphrodite spat. He frowned.
“You are to not return to Mount Olympus again, Astrid. Once you leave, you are exiled until your sentence is up,” he said. “Now, go.”
“Wait, I have two requests,” Aphrodite said.
“Really? This should be good,” Zeus said.
“My first one, I ask for one of my powers back.”
“Denied. You are mortal. You cannot have the powers of a god,” Zeus said without thinking about it.
“It is imperative that you give me back the power of guiding love. Although some may see me as the goddess of whores, I do help mortals in the one area they need help with the most. They need someone to guide them to love, find their soul mates. If you haven’t noticed, ever since you banished me, love has been disappearing from the world. You know what will happen if it leaves it entirely? Hatred will consume the human race, causing more wars and deaths. It will eventually be the end of the world. Then who will you rule over?” Aphrodite explained. Zeus stood there thinking about what she said. “Either you return to me that one power, or you can sit back and watch the world destroy itself. It’s your choice,” she said. Zeus heaved a great sigh.
“Very well. You have only that one power. But, it has its limitations. You are forbidden from using it on others to make them fall in love with you,” he said.
“I don’t need my powers for that,” Aphrodite replied arrogantly.
“If that is all, you may leave,” he said.
“Wait, I have one more request,” she said. He looked a little impatient as he waited. “I ask that I can see any god or goddess I wish to see.”
“For the last time, Astrid. You are banished. It is written in the stones-” he said.
“It is written that I am exiled from Mount Olympus. It is not written that I may call down the gods to come to me if I wish it. Despite what you think, I have friends here I miss dearly, not to mention my family whom I haven’t seen in almost twenty years,” Aphrodite cut in. Zeus looked angry that she found a flaw. “Well, do I have permission to do so?”
“Yes, I give you permission. However, you may not ask the other gods and goddesses to do your bidding in your life. You are to live as a mortal,” he said after a long pause. Aphrodite almost smiled.
“I can live with that,” she said.
“Your requests will be granted at midnight tonight. Now, you are to leave, goddess. Do not even think of returning until you’ve seen through your punishment,” he said.
“Yeah, yeah. I got it, okay? Nice seeing you too,” she said as if she were talking back to one of her parents.
“Watch it, Astrid. I can take away your requests at any time I wish,” he said. Aphrodite put on a fake smile.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I do not mean any disrespect,” she said, bowing slightly. “Until next time...”
Aphrodite turned and walked out of the hall with what dignity she had left. Hermes met her at the gate.
“Thank you, Hermes, for helping me,” she said when they were back in the school parking lot.
“It is my pleasure, Aphrodite,” he said.
“I guess, if I am to ever see you again, that you should call me Astrid,” she said.
“Yes, Astrid,” he said, inclining his head at her.
“Give Hermaphrodite my love,” she said.
“I will. Good bye,” he said. Then he disappeared, leaving her alone in the parking lot with her thoughts.