I am Ariadne.

I woke up alone. And naked. On the shore of this island.
He left. I saw a dot floating on the blue horizon. It must have been his ship.
Bobbing like a child’s toy on the waves.

I feel sad and alone, but not missing him. There is someone else. I felt a kiss that melted like sweet cream upon my cheek. He told me I was beautiful and that I was his queen. The hands that held and caressed me were soft, delicate, delicious.

It couldn’t have been Theseus, he’s such a ruffian after all.

I dreamt of the perfect lover and now no mere superhuman hero will do. Ever again.

I must find him. I search the entire island and hear nothing but the lonely echo of my voice.

“Ariadne. Mistress of the Labyrinth.”

I hear a soft voice, calling me. It is my love!

“Ariadne. Mistress of the Labyrinth.”

Like a wind, he blows through me. The Soul of my Soul.

“Yes, I am the Lord of Souls.”

I notice the silence after these words. I am here my Lord.

Lead me to where you are.

Running breathlessly into the wind, his arms. And I fall crashing hard to earth. Sand. in. my. mouth. Perhaps his voice is coming out of the waves.

I hurl my whole body into the warm, salty womb of Aphrodite. I float. The waves caressing me and holding me. But this is a different feeling. Not my lover’s touch.

“You are looking for me in the wrong places.”

“I am lost.”

A dolphin magically appears as my guide and I hold on as it glides me swiftly away from the island.

We wre swimming and swimming for a long time. Finally we reach land.

I’m a foreigner here. Strange sights, sounds and smells. I look up and see that there is a mountain peak that reaches beyond the clouds and I know I must climb to the top.

I climb the rocky, dry terrain. Stones cutting my bare feet, wind whipping against my naked skin. I’m bleeding from head to toe. My eyes watering from the gales and the pain.

I can’t stand upright any longer and I crawl. Up and up and up.

Finally at the top, I see a bizarre sight. A huge man sparkling in the moonlight. Dancing so gracefully that I am transfixed.

Do my eyes deceive me after the battering winds have irritated them and filled them with dirt? Dizziness, fatigue.

This man has 4 arms! A cobra coiled around his neck and a bluish cast to his luminous skin. His animal skin tunic and long flowing black locks remind me of my love. Instantly I melt again. Breathe.

Shiva meets my gaze he stops dancing. He sits and crosses his legs the size of tree trunks, into full lotus.

His eyes. I’ve seen those eyes before. They echo into no-thingness and yet bring me right back to myself.

I bow to him.

“I am Shiva. Great awakener, destroyer and creator. I know why you have come. You seek the great Dionysus.”

“You are bleeding and tired. Your eyes exhausted from searching. Your brain on fire with passion. Your body moves of it’s own volition for it only seeks one thing. Re-union.”

All I can muster is a weak, yes. Will you help me.

“I will guide you to him. Here is what you must do.

Fling yourself from the top of this great mountain into the chasm below.

I walk, well more of a limp, and look over the edge into the black chasm below. Jagged black and grey rocks. Soon they will have splashes of red. I begin to bargain with myself, but I know I can’t bargain with a God. This guy is obviously a god right? He wouldn’t really send me to my death, would he?

I no longer have my thread. It’s sitting somewhere on the beach, I’m sure. I could’ve lassoed that thing around one of the rocky outcrops. I don’t think this Shiva guy would be very happy with me if I went against his directions.

Do I have a choice? Well, no. I want Dionysus. There is no other way.

I step to the edge of the peak and put my right foot out into the void. My stomach is taking flight on it’s own. My heart is pounding out of my chest leaping like a crazed maenad … that’s it. I will do my labyrinthine dance, moving in spirals until I reach the edge and I will take flight. With every last ounce of my energy I spin and spin and leap and spin and leap and spin. Launch myself from the edge with my eyes closed and arms outstretched. I’m ready.

To die. I’m definitely falling. Waiting. to hit the rocks. I fall continuously and I do hit the bottom. But I don’t feel any pain. Everything is black.

After what seemed like an eternity, I felt the warm sun on my eyelids, and blinking my eyes adjusted to the lightworld again.

I feel arms around me. I see my love right there in front of my face.

He laughs as I stare at him wide-eyed with wonder. “How did you get here?” I ask.

Hmm, well, I’m a God. I can be anywhere and everywhere I choose. And I’ve always been here with you, Ariadne.”

I really wanted to pull that hair of his.

“So, going to the top of the world and killing myself looking for you was all that I needed to do.”

He laughed again. “It’s what you needed to find yourself. I was just waiting for you to wake up from your nap.”

I couldn’t help but love him.

We’re still together and we love to dance.

And, there’s a part of me that’s still on that island waiting to find another part of myself.