Don’t be fooled

“Will you make me laugh or face execution? the choice is yours my old friend.”

That was the first thing he said to me upon seeing his guards drag me across the floor with chains around my wrists, how merciful, to give a criminal a chance to evade penalty, I never took the god of wine and dine to be a sentimental type. Hmm, is he drunk, to ask for a laugh when he’s perfectly capable of making himself laugh.

I remember the last time we ate; He had skipped into the room like a toddler, with a broad grin and a glass full of solid grapes. “Can’t have a meal without a glass of wine” he said holding the glass up higher

I gave him a deadpan

Dionysus chuckled “lighten up, I’m not quite drunk yet; Nymph, take this away and bring us two glasses of wine”

“What is your choice?” Dionysus said, his face emotionless while he slammed his staff onto the floor with a thud.

“…I will make you laugh” I say a little uncertain, Dionysus knows that I am horribly unfunny

“Will you now?”

I didn’t speak and just focused on trying to think of something, anything... or maybe not ‘anything’. I raise my head and looked around, desperately looking for ideas; white ceiling, white walls, white curtains, even the sky is a dull white instead of its usual blue, it’s all very ironically hopeless. My gaze lands on Dionysus to see him wearing a white cloak, I stare at that cloak, white, no Dionysus prefers Red wine… That’s it!

Taking a deep breath, my face dripping with sweat, I open my mouth “Dionysus, which innocent soul vomited in your palace today to turn your red walls white or have you started to care more for white wine?”

Nothing, even the nymphs are unamused, well what now? Well I suppose I could stall for time. “Old Friend, why are you showing mercy to a ruthless criminal when you know death is what I deserve?”

It was then that Dionysus Laughed, a cold, humourless laugh that sounds more like sirens than celebratory music. Dionysus stood up from his throne and stared down at me with the most chilling gaze I had ever witnessed. “Mercy! You think I’m showing you mercy?... how naive, a lifetime in my cells will please me far more than a dead body, for your crimes, you deserve to face my wrath not once but for the rest of your immortal life, I will have my guards torture you in every way imaginable”

I stand defeated, I may have made him laugh but all the same, my ending is a well-deserved hell.