The Naids Pond

by AB

Long ago in the world of Greece, two siblings roamed around the town of Athens. Their names were Hestia and Phoenix. Hestia and Phoenix lived in a small town by a big forest. Every day they would go to the forest and explore its nature. They picked leaves, climbed trees, and enjoyed the beautiful birds and animals—except one thing: The Naids Pond. The two were strictly told NOT to explore or go near the pond, and they always followed the rules, until one day.

One day, the sun rose, being “carried” by Apollo and the horses. Hestia and Phoenix woke up, and got ready for the day. They ate their breakfast and went to school, until the end of the day arrived. All the kids ran out of the school and into their homes, but Hestia and Phoenix went to the forest as usual.

They set their bags down and ran around the grassy meadows like birds, happily soaring through the air. The two ran around for minutes, until they saw a beaming light striking through the air. They ran and climbed and ambled through the forest, trying to find where it was coming from, until they approached the light and approached the one place they were to never go: The Naids Pond.

These two siblings, Hestia and Phoenix, knew not to go near or explore the pond, but it looked too suspicious, too enticing, too clean and blue.

"Hey Phoenix!" Hestia said. “Look down at those orange Koi fish peeking through the majestic, blue water!” At that moment, they couldn’t help it. They had to explore it. So they did.

They walked around it many times until they got dizzy, and dipped one thin finger into the water, then a toe, and then a leg, and then—SWOOSH! Phoenix jumped in.

“Phoenix!” Hestia yelled.

But Phoenix did not stop. He did not listen and did not respond. He completely soaked Hestia and sank to the bottom.

Hestia started to panic, since she knew Phoenix broke the promise.

But, without a moment's hesitation, Hestia took off her pasty, brown slippers, and jumped in the pond. Her hair rose up, as she floated to the top, but with no sign of Phoenix. She dove back under through the slimy fish, but still, not a sign of Phoenix. A few seconds later, she hoped out of the pond, all drenched, and called out for him. But there was no response.

Suddenly, the pond started swirling around. Fish and hair twirled in circles, and, before she knew it, a ghostly white figure rose up from the pond.

Hestia’s eyes glazed as she watched as the figure hovered above the pond, and she realized that it was the one and only, god of water and sea: Poseidon. And dangling from his giant hand was her brother, Phoenix.

“Phoenix!” yelled Hestia.

“You foolish kids!” Poseidon raised his trident.

“Sire, we simply didn't mean it. We just—” stuttered Hestia.

“Silence!" Poseidon boomed with anger. "You just what?”

“How dare you foolish kids mess with something you're strictly told not to. Especially something that's controlled by the gods.”

“But Sire, we simply did not mean—” Hestia stuttered.

“Just because you see something fascinating, doesn’t give you the right to go explore it—especially when you're told not to,” said Poseidon in force. “Now you see why you were strictly told not to, because of the dangers of this pond. And those dangers are me. I am a strong, powerful god, that foolish kids like you should NOT be messing with."

As Phoenix was dangling from the giant hands of Poseidon, Hestia started to panic and turned and ran away.

But as she set foot to ground, she noticed her hair was dripping with little specks of water. Then, she felt like a whole bucket of water engulfed her and drenched her and started “pulling” her back towards Poseidon. She floated back right to him, all soaked, and flew into his other hand, right next to Phoenix.

The two siblings dangled in Poseidon’s humongous, slippery grip, and then one by one, they got dropped into the whirlpool Poseidon had created. Phoenix went first. Then Hestia. You could hear the screams of the two all the way down, down, down. They swirled around in circles, until only strands of hair were left and they vanished.

Poseidon simply rubbed his hands together. “Well done, Poseidon,” he said to himself, “You did it once again." Of course, this should teach all kids to obey their elders, and never, ever mess with gods again. After accomplishing this, Poseidon buried himself back into the pond, and the two kids were never seen again.