Flower and Root

J.R. Dawson brings us this week a bouquet of mythical proportions.

~ Julian and Fran, November 23, 2025

November’s Sunday Morning Transport arrives with a bounty of stories by Benjamin C. Kinney, Kelly Lagor, Andy Duncan, and J.R. Dawson. As always, the first story of the month is free to read.

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Flower and Root

by J.R. Dawson

Persephone Lets the Mortals Pet Cerberus

It is her way of showing them that death is inevitable, but not frightening. Dogs exist, but this one . . . these three . . . does/do not bite. She is the Queen of the Underworld, but she still has gentle hands that shake theirs when she welcomes them. Death can be kind. Sloppy, wet kisses with three long puppy tongues. In death, we all are equal. And Cerberus loves us all.

Hades argues it is not becoming for a three-headed monster dog to lick the mortals. Persephone laughs as Cerberus turns their sights on their father and pounces him to the ground. It is a good day here in the Underworld, playing as a family on the beaches of the Styx. The mortals expected them to be fearsome, powerful, up on their thrones with staffs made of skulls. But true power looks like unapologetic love.

The mortals are still learning this. They’ve spent their whole lives in the sunlight under Zeus, beside Demeter, powers that demand to be remembered. But death is never worried about being forgotten. Death is what is left when all the flourishes and pageantry are gone. Truth remains, and Persephone likes to remind Hades of this, to not be like his brothers. And Hades kisses her on the cheeks, on the neck, on her eyelids, on her lips.

Persephone Waits at the Bottom of the Stairs

Persephone never wanted to return to the earth. But when she looked at Eurydice, she knew that’s all the girl wanted. There was no point in telling her how much the Underworld glowed like stars in a night sky, or the peace that comes with no pain, no fear, no terrible thing because the worst things had already happened. As Queen, Persephone had privilege a little mortal soul like Eurydice would never have.

So when Eurydice said goodbye, Persephone really did hope she would never see her again. Or, at least, not for a while. That’s the thing: these mortals fought so hard to go back up into the daylight when they would eventually end here again. Endings happen. No matter what.

Persephone almost didn’t wait at the bottom of the stairs when the two young kids took off together, Orpheus in front and Eurydice following behind him, silently. She almost didn’t want to know if they made it or not, just pretend she knew for a fact they were still up there and maybe check in on them in a century when they would certainly be here anyway.

But Persephone did wait. And it was so soon that Eurydice fell down the stairs and landed in a heap and sobbed and sobbed until she couldn’t do anything any longer. She lost her tears and stopped trying to clamber up the stairs again.

Persephone sat beside her as long as Eurydice needed.

“Hades would have looked back, too,” Persephone said.