Odyssey Pastiche
Word count 606
How dare a mortal say he does not need the gods! We guided and protected him, and still he thought he alone was victor. The Grecians won the war not because of Odysseus! Troy fell at the hands of the gods and this mortal shall be punished. Far he will travel, and yet he will go nowhere. His wife, family, and island will all await his return. When others arrive home from Troy he will not be with them. Instead I’ll sink his ship and kill his men. Us gods deserve respect and admiration. Odysseus’ negligence has this time crossed the line. He will come to know the true power of Poseidon. He will kneel before me and pay me the respect I deserve. For I am the god of all the sea! No mortal will ever defy me without consequence. Odysseus set sail for troy but soon my current led his ship astray. They sailed and they sailed, and finally they came upon land. I washed him upon the shores of the immortal Circe. Odysseus’ men explored the territory and came upon the palace of Circe. They walked straight up to the palace, for she was singing, and weaving! Surely she must be friendly to the Greeks! Friendly she seemed, but soon all but one of Odysseus’ crew were turned into Pigs. With the help of my nemesis, Athena, Odysseus rescued his crew and once again set sail.
After barely surviving Circe’s Island you would think Odysseus would bear warning before docking in an unfamiliar land. Odysseus once again thought that the Greek customs of hospitality were in effect, and once again there were repercussions for him and his men. They were trapped, and it seemed that they would spend the rest of their lives in the cave of the Cyclopes, Polyphemus. Odysseus broke free and took his sheep, burned his eye and gloated as he fled. Little did he know, this particular Cyclopes was my son. Polyphemus called out to me to destroy this man and his crew. I will comply, for no one will defy me! Let alone a mere mortal.
Round and round in circles Odysseus sailed. Facing countless traps and battles, only to progress no further. For Odysseus’ journey is that of the fish who swim upstream. Against the roaring current