Week Three Story: The Face of Jealousy

 Author's Note: I read "Cupid and Psyche" by Apuleius. In the story, Psyche's own sisters trick her into losing Cupid because of their own jealousy over what she has, such as a godly husband and a palace. Psyche loses Cupid and she tracks her sisters down who end up taking their own lives to satiate their jealousy. I was very interested in this jealousy plot between sisters and wanted to write it into a story of my own. In Apuleius' version, the sisters are not as pretty as Psyche, but in my version Paige (stand in for Psyche) is not as beautiful as her sisters because I like a good underdog. I also attempted to give the sisters a more concrete relationship in my piece so that when everything goes wrong, it shocks more than what I felt like it did in the original "Cupid and Psyche". As in "Cupid and Psyche," I incorporated a narrator as well and I'm interested to see what you think of him so imagine you are at a party, watching a couple with envy, and someone approaches you to tell a story. Enjoy! Also, here's the link to the updated story: Portfolio.

The Face of Jealousy

    Hi, nice to meet you. I notice you can’t take your eyes off of that couple over there. Do you know them?

     Who am I? We’ll get to that later but first let me tell you a story to take your mind off them. It is a hot summer night in 2009 when three sisters, Harriet, Gwen, and Paige, are torn asunder by Jealousy.

     Now, allow me to introduce you to our main characters. The girls have been close their entire lives, spending every day and night together like an eternal slumber party. 

    People even often confuse them as being triplets though they look nothing alike. In fact, their personalities are as if you took a step outside, looked up and found a starry night, a dawning morning and a setting sun all in the same sky. Harriet is the night, Gwen, the morning, and Paige, the sunset. 

    However, Harriet and Gwen are not only blessed in their personalities, they are also beautiful, something that Paige has never been. Not that she minds, though. Her setting sun of a personality blinds her to the reality of her sisters’ hateful nature just as their beauty convinces everyone else to let them get away with anything. Paige remains beautiful only on the inside and oblivious while her sisters wreak havoc.

    As I retell this story, imagine it is 2009 and the girls are making their way to their favorite hangout spot, a massive bluff overlooking their hometown.

    Harriet and Gwen are anxious to meet their boyfriends. They are also excited because their dear sister Paige is going to be set up with a friend of their boyfriends', unbeknownst to Paige herself. In fact, had Paige known, she probably would have went home that night. Of course, she doesn't know and so she stays. 

    When the three girls finally make it to the bluff, Gwen pulls Paige to her side. 

   "Well, boys, where is your handsome friend for our Paige?," she asks, her lips curving into a deep smile. Harriet rolls her eyes and pries Gwen's fingers from Paige's arm. 

     "Give us a second, please," she leads Paige away from the boys. Gwen follows.

    "You two ... what is going on?," Paige inquires with narrowed eyes, looking back and forth between them. 

      “We convinced the guys to get their friend to come meet you," Gwen giggles, grinning from ear to ear. 

    In the flickering light from the bonfire that's roaring at the center of the bluff, Paige suddenly feels small, as if she's shrunk ten sizes. "Guys, no...," she trails off. Harriet nods slowly and reaches out her hand to smooth some of Paige's hair back, "We just don't want you to feel left out anymore, P." 

      Paige shakes her head quickly. “I didn't feel left out in the first place!" she groans, placing her hands over her face. 

      “Okay, okay, we'll tell them to forget it," Harriet replies, shrugging. "No!," Gwen exclaims, deflating like a balloon. Harriet reaches out to pinch her, but she dodges the biting fingers. 

      Paige slides her hands down her face and sighs, "No, it's fine. Surely it can't hurt to just meet him." 

    Gwen claps her hands and grabs Paige's arm, dragging her back to where three guys now stand with their backs to the fire. 

     At this point it would be prudent for me, your dutiful storyteller, to let you in on a little secret: Harriet and Gwen think they are setting Paige up with a hideous boy. They are secretly loving this little game they’re playing.

    "Hello boys," Gwen coos as they approach. 

    "Ladies," the new boy responds as he turns. Harriet and Gwen gasp. Since Paige's eyes are locked on the dirt, she doesn't see what her sisters see: the most beautiful man they've ever laid eyes on. I would describe him to you, but I have a good feeling that you already know what your version of the most beautiful man would look like. His is the type of beauty that is meant to please. 

    Despite the girls' gasps, his eyes never waver from Paige's face as she looks up. Paige does not gasp, however. She looks on his face and frowns. She then looks at her sisters, who stand in awe. In fact, it's as if everything has halted except for the four of them. Paige looks around and realizes that everyone is completely oblivious, even the other two boys.

    She looks back to him as he introduces himself, "My name is Luke, pleased to make your acquaintance." He offers her his hand and she takes it as she hears a hiss near her left shoulder. She flinches and sees Gwen gazing at her with her teeth bared.

      "Gwen?," Paige questions, looking back at Luke with raised eyebrows.

     "I only bring out jealousy and envy in those who don't know what it's like to agonize over something they can't have," he replies, shrugging his shoulders and pushing his hands deep into his jean pockets without breaking eye contact. 

    "What?," Paige's eyes travel to Harriet whose own are trained on Luke.

     "Paige, I love you," Luke replies, his eyes aflame with the light from the fire as he glares down at her. His voice is monotone and emotionless to Paige but she suddenly feels her head thrown back. Harriet has taken a handful of her hair and is yanking her to the ground. 

     "Harriet!," Paige screams, trying to hold onto the hair that is being snatched from her head as she is dragged to the ground. 

    "I only have power over those who have bad hearts concealed by their easy and beautiful lives," he calls out to Paige as Harriet drags her, kicking and screaming, through the dirt. "Be grateful that I don't affect you. It means you've only ever had your good heart to rely on." 

    My face is the last thing Paige sees before she is flung over the side of the cliff. It is an ugly face. Do you recognize your narrator now?

   

The Face of Jealousy (Source: Wikimedia)

Bibliography: "Cupid and Psyche" by Apuleius. Website: Myth and Folklore UN-Textbook.