September 2001 Challenge Response: Write a story of 750 words or less that begins with the sentence “it was a dark and stormy night”.
It was a dark and stormy night. Hercules stood at the mouth of the cave, just out of reach of the torrential rains that the howling wind blew toward him. He stared out into the blackness of the night, which was broken only by periodic lightening flashes that illuminated the treetops being wildly tossed about as the storm raged on.
“What’s wrong, Herc?” came the weak voice from behind him.
Earlier in the day, the two heroes had been victorious in their battle with Hera’s latest deadly pet, but unfortunately the price had been high. Iolaus had been gravely wounded, but now, instead of worrying about himself, his only concern was that something was bothering his friend. Hercules would have smiled at the display of his partner’s unselfish nature, if the sight of the broken, bleeding hunter hadn’t shredded his heart.
“I was just thinking,” the demigod answered, turning his back on the violent tempest outside and moving inward to try and stoke the flagging blaze of the small fire he’d managed to build from wet wood.
“What about?” Iolaus pressed, taking in a deep breath and trying to hide the pain he felt in his chest as he did so.
“This storm reminds me of the one we ran into the first time we went after the golden fleece. Remember, when we were at sea? Do you remember what you said to me then?”
“I said a lot of things,” the hunter replied. “And if you had any sense, you didn’t listen to any of them because anything coming out of my mouth when I was that age was most likely a lie, a line, or something self incriminating.” Iolaus started to laugh, but decided it hurt too much and bit back his giggles.
“You told me that you didn’t want to face my demons,” Hercules said quietly. “And I was just thinking that you’ve done nothing but ever since. You were right all those years ago, Iolaus. If it wasn’t for my grudge with Hera, we wouldn’t be here right now. Facing my demon almost got you killed today, and not for the first time.”
“There’s just one problem with that theory, Herc,” the hunter whispered. He stretched out a shaking hand, ignoring the pain that this small movement caused him as the demigod took it in his warm grasp. “Somewhere along the line, your demons became my demons, too.”
Hercules squeezed his friend’s hand and smiled at him before turning his face away so that Iolaus wouldn’t see the tears shining in his eyes. His entire heart and soul were entwined with the irrepressible man beside him. He feared subjecting him to the risks he faced by having Iolaus beside him, but ultimately, the fear of the hunter not being a constant presence by his side was much greater. And although it almost broke the demigod’s heart to see Iolaus injured and in pain, he knew that his stubborn friend would recover. The hunter’s spirit soared, and no matter how many beatings he took or how much horror he witnessed, nothing could ever get him down for long. Iolaus had an inner strength that could never be crushed, no matter what he suffered. Hercules knew that his friend would immerge from this experience with even more boundless energy, his loving heart all the stronger.
As the night gave way to dawn, Hercules watched through the mouth of the cave as the sun rose, sending warm, comforting rays of light over the soaked earth, making the raindrops sparkle and shine. It wouldn’t be long before Apollo’s glorious sun began warming the air and drying the muddied roads. The demigod heaved a sigh of relief, fully expecting that by nightfall, he’d have Iolaus in a soft bed next to a roaring fire under the care of a healer. He looked down at his friend, gently cradled in his strong arms, as the hunter stirred slightly in a restless sleep. Pushing back the damp curls from his partner’s white face, Hercules let himself rejoice in the fact that he still had the hunter with him. They were a team, no matter what the risk. A problem for one was a problem for both, and whatever demons were still to be faced down the road, they would face them together.
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