The Minotaur's Sister

My room was never silent, quiet but not silent. The labyrinth was always making some kind of noise. Being there every day for years meant that I was used to the sound, able to put the whirring to the back of my mind. Playing with the small toys that I was given instead.

Other than a small bed, a small chest to put the few toys I had in, and a small dresser there wasn't much in my room. I had been given a bigger bed only a few weeks before, the last one I would get. I didn't get new things often, that same bed still sat in the corner of my room now, held together with what I have on hand.

The bed was brand new at that time, one of the few times I got to actually see my parents. It had been a while since I had seen them. A goddess too caught up in her other children and a king who has never even pretended to be my father, not in blood and certainly no other way. They had both come down to make sure that Daedalus did a good job, or at least that's what I thought at the time. Probably just didn't want me to see the way out of the labyrinth.

My father had spent the time in silence. Back pressed against the wall and staring out at me. His stare was intense and intimidating, scaring me at the time. He seemed so much bigger than me.

My mother had talked to me for a few minutes, asking me how I was doing. But cut me off before I could really tell her anything. really just reinforcing how much she didn't care about me. Not that I noticed it at the time, too caught up in seeing my parents for the first time in a while.

That day however had been one of the few days I looked forward to. Most of my time was spent exploring the small amount of the labyrinth right next to my room, not going to far in fear of not being able to make my way back. Of getting lost in the labyrinth meant to keep people out. And young monsters in.

Once a month however, Ariadne would come to visit.

She was sent with all of the food I would need for the next month before she could come and visit once again. She was supposed to make her way back to the rest of the house right after but she always stayed longer. She was the only person I saw on a regular basis so I was always counting down the days until she came next.

The day before, I made sure to clean every last inch of my small room, even cleaning around it when I ran out of space to clean. Just the same as every month, I laid in bed for what felt like hours the night before, staring with wide eyes and waiting desperately for the morning when I knew my sister would come.

Eventually I had fallen asleep but I didn't know when, waking up hours later. It always took a few moments before I remembered just what day it was and shot out of bed, getting ready for the day. At 12, no one really visited which meant that I had been able to dress myself for longer than most my age, throwing my chiton on as quick as I could. Tongue pressed between my lips as I tried to tie the belt around my waist. The knot was sloppy and probably looked ready to fall apart any moment but I started finding it hard to do the small movements needed for the knot as I grew.

I didn't have a door. There wasn't really anyone to make their way over to where I was, no reason for something like privacy.

But Ariadne always knocked anyways. On the side of the doorway, making sure that she couldn't see inside. Giving me a small moments notice. I always pretended that I hadn't heard her coming. I thought she was just pretending along with me but she didn't know at the time just how long I knew she was coming before she knocked.

"Come in," I said just the same as I did every time. Trying to pretend like I hadn't been waiting desperately to hear her footsteps and then hurrying to throw some toys out to act like I wasn't just sitting and waiting for her, doing nothing.

Her smile was always so soft back then. One hand in front of her, laying across her own chiton, a soft blue color with spots of white embroidery. Matching my own white one with similar red embroidery. Hers were always so pristine, always making me a little nervous at how torn up mine were. Her brown hair was always curled so beautifully, falling loose across her shoulders.

"Hi Asterion," she said, food piled up behind her. The first thing we always did together was put all of it away mostly in silence. Some days, when she was required back as soon as possible, the time would be filled with her telling me about what she had been doing or me talking about the various things I had found.

Today she seemed to be even slower than normal, dragging out the process. Something I barley noticed at the time, just happy to be with someone else. Knowing I would have more time with my sister.

"I do have one more thing for you." She kept her hands behind her back, soft smile still on her face. I had been so caught up in the idea that she had gotten me something that I didn't notice the tension in her face, I never did it seemed.

"What is it?" I asked, practically bouncing on my feet. Her hands came from around her back, a small wooden box in her hands.

"Daedalus was showing it to father," she said as she seemed to fiddle around with it behind her back, "and he had one for me and I asked for him to make you one as well. You press a little button on the back." She paused then, pressing the button on the back. The box sprung open, making me jump just slightly and Ariadne gave a small laugh, soft and airy.

I felt my face heat up, suddenly embarrassed at being scared of something so small in front of her. But at the same time it was nice to hear her laugh. Of course I didn't know what she was like outside of this small room but with me she always seemed so calm. Even with her small smiles and kind words, she rarely strayed from that. Very rarely did she laugh.

So hearing it was always nice. I just hated that it was this that had made her laugh.

My attention was brought back to the box however as a small noise came from it. I was quick to realize that it was a song and only listened to it for a few more moments before realizing what song it was.

"I wanted it to be a song that you knew," she said softly, not wanting to disturb the small sounds coming from the box. "You always loved when I would hum this song to you."

I looked over at her, watching her sad smile as she stared into the box, empty but a small carving of what seemed to be a girl and a small creature, "What's that supposed to be?"

At that her face lit up, something that drew my attention once more, "I carved it myself. I hadn't thought it would take as long as it did but luckily I finished it on time. But it's supposed to be you and me." I looked at it closer. There wasn't much detail on it as it was so small, but the girl had long flowing hair just like Ariadne and once she mentioned it, I did notice that it was a little minotaur right next to her.

I hadn't seen my face much at that point. I knew that I looked different from my sister, a mostly normal human and my father who wasn't even my actual father. I had been told I had gotten my mother's hair color, the brown fur covering my face matching her hair. My eyes being the same color as my fathers.

There wasn't a mirror in my small room. And even if there had been, I don't think I would have been looking in it that much. But the few times I had caught glimpses of my own reflection I could compare the look to the small carving.

The fluffy look to the top of the creature looking like my own head with a small pair of horns on top of it's head. The body was human, the same as the rest of my family.

"It's so beautiful," I said, taking the box as she passed it into my hands with a smile.

"Happy birthday Asterion," she said, my eyes going wide at the words.

I didn't celebrate the day of my birth, no one did. Even at 12, I knew that my mother was ashamed of me, didn't acknowledge my existence and hated the fact that I was even born. My father didn't see me as his son, had been the one to order me locked up.

It was because of Ariadne that I was okay with anything. I didn't really care about my parents and what they thought of me because I had my sister. But even she didn't normally acknowledge something like my birthday. I don't even know when it is.

The box suddenly felt so much bigger, weightier once it was placed into my hands. My sister remembered my birthday and thought to give me something for it. It had definitely been a weird feeling. The way my body seemed to feel so light in a way that I had never felt before.

"Thank you," I said, wonder clear in my voice. Ariadne continued to smile at me as I carefully closed the box.

"Do you know where you're going to put it?" she asked, watching my face with a soft smile of her own.

I was quiet, looking around my small room. I didn't want to put something so precious just on the floor. That was just a great way for it to get broken. But I didn't exactly have all that many places to put it not on the floor.

There was really only one place to put it. I nodded as I got up, walking over to the dresser. With the small amount of things that I had already, I didn't have to move much around to find a good place to put it.

I hadn't noticed Ariadne get up as well until she was behind me. I had gone through another growth spurt during the month long wait between visits. At that point, I was just barley shorter than her, something that would change just the next time she came to visit. Surprising me as I had to look down at my sister while we were both standing for the first time.

She placed a hand on my shoulder, as she admired the small space, a sadness in her eyes I didn't notice at the time. One that I have come to notice easily over the last few times she came to visit. Permanently stuck onto her face.

But then it disappeared. Didn't last for long before she was saying, "You're getting so big now Asterion."

"Soon I'll be even bigger than you," I said, not knowing the truth in that statement. I did notice the way she flinched. A small movement, a small movement I wouldn't have normally noticed it. It confused me at the time, not knowing what in the world would bring her to have that reaction.

But she moved on so quickly from it, smiling as she said, "Probably. You're only 12."

"It's my birthday right? So that means I'm 13 now, which means I'm basically a man," I said, straightening my back with a small huff. She laughed softly, another flutter happening in my stomach.

"Of course so I'm sure that you're going to just continue growing," she said, her smile still so soft and looking only at me. Eyes practically sparkling. I wished that she never had to go back, could just stay here with me in the labyrinth forever. A thought that has been persisted in my head ever since it popped up when I was younger.

The moment didn't last of course.

The song continued to loop as Ariadne got up from where she'd been squatting down just a little bit. Turning to me as she said, "I should get going." Once again there was a sadness in her eyes, this one being one that I easily picked up on.

"Do you have to go?" I knew that I sounded like a child. That only a few moments ago I had been declaring how I was almost a man but now I was whining like a child. Basically begging my sister to not leave.

But she didn't make fun of me, didn't even laugh. Only turned to me with her sad smile and placing a hand on the top of my head, playing with the hair I had there. Her hand moving soft and slow, avoiding my horns which weren't so small anymore.

I could feel my face heat as her hand traveled down to the side of my face, cupping my cheek lightly. Eyes roaming my face as if looking for something, something I had no idea of. Remembering wanting to ask her so badly, to know what she was trying to find. But knowing that it would have broken the moment, knowing that it would have made her let go of my face. Knowing that once she did, she would be leaving again, leaving me here all alone.

It still happened anyways of course. Eventually she pulled away, her hand falling back to her side as she spoke, "Of course. Your bed isn't big enough for the both of us after all."

"I can sleep on the floor," I was quick to say, wanting so badly to hold onto these small moments between us. I wanted to hold onto each one of them tightly to make sure they never left my memory.

I guess it worked.

"I couldn't do that do you Asterion," she said with a small sad laugh, "you're a growing boy. You should sleep in that brand new bed, not on the hard floor."

"I don't mind." She looked away, probably didn't want to see the desperation that was certainly clear in my eyes.

"Really I need to get going okay?" Her voice cracked at the end, a small thing. I wanted to reach out and drag her back, drag her into the room and never let her go.

Instead, I took a step back, a little scared of my own thoughts. Nodding softly as I relented, "okay," my voice soft and sad. She walked towards the door, probably feeling my eyes on her back the entire time.

Finally looking back as she was in the doorway, "I'll see you next time okay?" Her smile was soft and sad, a match to my own face. I nodded again, feeling my heart clench.

"Okay," I said, lifting my hand to give her a small wave. She stood in the doorway for a moment, my stomach clenching at the idea that she wouldn't return my wave. Knowing that something had changed but having no idea what it was.

But she eventually raised her own hand, giving a small wave. Turning around and hurrying back to the start of the labyrinth. Back to her own life. Taking all of my happiness with her.

Like every time Ariadne visited, I stared at the doorway. As if any moment now she would change her mind. Turn around and tell me that she was never going back again and would stay with me forever because our family was terrible to her. That she didn't need anyone but me.

When it never came, like always, I crawled into bed. Staring at the wall for hours until I fell into an uneasy sleep. Getting ready to count down the days until Ariadne visited again. Hoping that this time she would visit earlier, just the same as I did every time.