Chapter Three

No, it couldn't be! Cora thought, as she couldn't believe her own eyes. Is that a satyr?

"Who-who the hell are you?" She asked. Cora tried not to stare at his massive erection, but her eyes could not help but be drawn to it. It was just out there, and completely unavoidable.

"Who do you think I am?" He asked. She looked at the stag like man standing in front of her, while he had a cocky smirk upon his face. Although Cora believed that the Greek gods were just a myth, she had a pretty good idea, who he actually was.

"Are you Pan?" She asked. The satyr let out a hearty laugh. He then folded his arms, as he soon had a smug look upon his face.

"Hmm." He replied. "Well let's see. The Greeks called me Pan, the Romans called me Faunus, the Celtics called me Cernunnos. However, the early Christians mistook me for Satan, and even used my likeness for the fallen angel. I suppose I could sue for defamation of character, or for unlicensed use of my likeness. What do you think Cora?"

"What are you even talking about? How do you know my name?" She asked, as she shook her head, completely confused by what he just said.

"That last part was a joke." Pan replied. "But your name is Cora, is it not?"

What the hell is going on? Cora wondered. How does he know my name? Pan then leaned forward.

"Because I can read your mind, my dear." He whispered, as he gave her a quick wink.

"What?" Cora gasped, as she soon felt as though her heart was having palpitations. But instead of answering her, his eyes made their way down to her neckless. He then gently placed his hand under the crucifix, that was hanging from her gold chain.

"You see, this is the reason why I never impregnated some mortal woman with myself." He said, as he continued to look at the crucifix. "Of course, in my case, my conception would have been anything but immaculate."

Pan smiled, as his eyes soon met hers. "You know my dear, you really do need to smile more. I know that you have a sense of humor. I heard your laughter as I was observing you, from my kingdom." He said, as he lifted his arms in the air, as if he was displaying everything that was around them.

"I don't feel like smiling, or laughing!" She exclaimed. "I'm terrified, and I want to leave whatever the hell this place is!"

"There's no reason to be terrified." He told her. "This is ancient Arcadia, the home of the earth bound gods, and deities. The other gods left the human realm, when they realized that man no longer needed them. But I have stayed behind to protect mankind, and that does get rather lonely. Whatever the hell this place is, as you call it, is my home. I am essentially king of the Arcadian forest. I have chosen you to be my queen, and so you shall be. This is now your home as well."

"I'm flattered, really." Cora replied as she tried to remain calm. "But I'm afraid that I have to decline your generous offer."

"This is not an offer." He told her, as his face hardened. "You are just a mortal, and I am a god. You should be humbled by the honor, that I am bestowing upon you. Even if you are not, I am not asking. You're staying here with me, and you shall be my queen."

"Look, you're a god, I'm a mortal. I just don't think it would work out." Cora replied.

"Eros, or Cupid as he was also known, was a god that married the mortal princess, Psyche." Pan answered. "Dionysus, the god of wine, married the mortal princess, Ariadne-"

"But I am not a princess." Cora declared, as she interrupted him.

"All women are princesses." Pan replied as he smiled at her.

"That's very kind of you to say." She replied with a nervous laughter. "And I wish more men had that attitude towards women—I really do. But you see, I'm already married—happily in fact. So I'm afraid that I am just not available. But I'm sure if I were, I would be more than happy to accept your proposal."

"It's not a proposal. It is a guarantee." He said as his face soon went stoic. "Do not patronize me. And as for you already having a husband, we are not in your world—we are in mine. Your laws, and your commitments mean nothing here. This is my world, my kingdom."

Pan then waved his hand, and some sort of magical window soon appeared. As Cora looked out, she soon saw her beloved husband. There was a worried look upon his face, as there were also tears in his eyes.

"Cora!" Michael cried. "Where are you?" Cora's heart began to flutter, as her husband seemed to be frantically searching for her.

"Michael!" She exclaimed. Cora kept calling out to him, and waving to him in the hopes of getting his attention. However, to her disappointment, it seemed to all be in vain."

"He can't hear you." Pan explained, as he waved his arm again, and the window soon disappeared.

"Bring that back!" Cora demanded.

"No." Pan sternly replied.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked.

"Because I can." He told her. "Because I want to. From the first moment, that I laid my eyes upon you—I was enchanted by your beauty. As I had said before, I have been alone for some time. I have left my kingdom from time to time, and had many dalliances with mortal women. But they only temporarily satisfied my sexual desires. They neither satisfied my desire for companionship, nor my desire for love."

"Love!" Cora exclaimed. "What do you know about love? You have a tendency to fall in love so quickly—just by looking at a woman. In fact you become so infatuated, you try to force your affections onto women whether they want you to, or not. Syrinx got away from you by turning herself into a reed. And Pitys got away from you by turning herself into a pine tree. That's not love, that's obsession. I refuse to be driven mad by your so called love, or having to suffer the same fate!"

"Syrinx ran to her sisters, and they begged Zeus to turn her into a reed." Pan replied. "And Pitys begged Zeus to be turned into a pine tree. But as I stated before my dear, I am the only god that still exists in man's realm. Zeus is not here to turn you into some sort of vegetation. Face it my love, you belong to me.

Cora became frustrated, how could anyone be so selfish?

"Please let me go!" Cora begged. She started to cry, as she desperately pleaded for her freedom. But Pan's face remained cold, and unsympathetic.

"Either you accept that you are now my bride, because you are now divorced from the one known as Michael!" Pan spat. "Or you will be my bride, because you will be his widow!" Cora's jaw clenched, as her body trembled through both fear, and anger.

"You—wouldn't—dare!" she proclaimed through her gritted teeth.

"Would you like to try, and find out?" He asked.

"No." She sighed, as she lowered her head. "You win, I'll willingly be your queen."

"That's a good girl." He said as he smiled, and extended his hand. "Come, let me show you to your new dwelling—our dwelling.

Cora cautiously made her way towards him. As she got closer to him, she noticed a rock on the ground. Cora then looked up at the trees.

"What's that?" She asked, as she pointed towards the sky.

"What are you looking at?" He asked as he looked upwards as well. As quickly as she could, she picked up the rock, and hurled it at his head as hard as she could. As soon as it hit him, Pan cried out in pain. Cora took off running as fast as she could, she didn't even bother to see whether or not she had knocked him out cold. Maybe if he was unconscious, she could find a way through the invisible barrier.

Cora's heart was pounding, as her legs took her as fast as she could run. She kept looking behind her, but she couldn't see him—nor was he calling out to her. Then, to Cora's relief, she saw the opening in the invisible barrier. To her delight, she saw Michael standing right in front of the opening.

"Michael!" She cried, as she ran towards him. However to her dismay, the image soon began to fade as she got closer to Michael. It was at that moment, when Cora realized that it had all been an illusion. Then, out of nowhere, a giant hand slammed down in front of her.

"No!" Cora screamed as the giant hand wrapped around her waist. She was soon lifted up off of the ground. As Cora looked up, she saw Pan glaring down at her in a look of fiery rage. She trembled as her breathing increased. Pan held her in his hand, as if she were mere a Barbie Doll. He then brought her up close to his face.

"And just where do you think you're going, mortal?" His voice rang through the air. Because of his sizes, the octave noise sounded as though it was going to shatter her eardrums.

"Put me down?" She cried.

"No!" He exclaimed. "You are mine Cora! I think I need to literally strip you of your past!"

"What?" Cora cried out in horror. "You-you wouldn't! You couldn't!"

"Do not tell me what I could, or would not do!" His angry voice bellowed. "I am your master! Perhaps I have bestowed the title of queen upon you, but I am still your king!"

While Pan had Cora in his grip, he pinned down her arms with his thumb and ring finger. He then took his free hand, and began to slowly undress her. Cora looked at him, crying and begging him to stop. She looked into his eyes, hoping to see any form of sympathy.

But to her disappointment, all she saw was his lustful smile. In no time, he had removed all of her clothes. To even more of her disgust, he soon started licking his lips. Cora continued to cry as he held her in his hand.

"Beautiful!" Pan proclaimed in a loud husky whisper. His eyes were filled with wanton lust, as he intensely gazed upon her . While he continued to hold her in his one hand, he lightly ran his index finger over her entire naked body.

"Please stop!" She begged. As he gently stroked her breasts with his gigantic finger tip, Cora continued to cry. But to her chagrin, he just kept ignoring her pleas.

"So soft!" Pan's loud voice whispered.

"You fucking halfbreed bastard!" She cried.

Pan soon furrowed his brows, as his look of lust soon turned to anger.

"You know! I do believe that all of your aggression towards me has overheated you, my dear!" he voice loudly sneered. "I think you could use a swim to cool off!" Pan then turned around, as they headed deeper into forest.

"Where are taking you me?" Cora demanded. But Pan said nothing, as he had an angry look of determination in his eyes. As he continued to carry her, they soon came upon a small pond. Not knowing as to what Pan was planning, Cora began to tremble with fear.

Is he going to kill me? She wondered. Is he going to drown me?

"You seem to be such an expert when it comes to the history of the Greek gods!" Pan stated. "Perhaps you would like to humor me! Tell me my dear, what do you know about the Lethe River?"

"It is a river that runs through the underworld." Cora replied. "Hades will not permit a person's soul to be reincarnated, until they drink from the river—so they won't remember their previous existence. Why—why do you ask?"

"Because the water from the Lethe river flows into this pond!" Pan replied.

"No!" Cora begged. "Please don't do this!"

"I'm sorry my dear!" He answered. "But I do believe it will be best for the both of us!" Much to Cora's horror, Pan began to lower her towards the pond.

"No!" Cora cried, as she hovered over the water. "You mean that it will be best for you!'

"Don't be afraid! Don't fight it!" He whispered. "I promise, both our lives are going to be so much easier once you wake up! You are going to have a whole new existence, and we are going to be very happy!"

At that moment, Pan gently lowered her into the pond. Cora kept thrashing, and fighting, but it was just no use. Feeling exhausted, Cora's body couldn't fight him anymore. Her eyes began to flutter, as the water began to envelop her. She could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness, as she gave up, and let the darkness completely embrace her.

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