Ep. 2 The Fates Decree | Scarecrow (The Redemption of Doros)

Cracker Jack always returns to the cross in the field  by sunset. Each day, he slipped into a semi-conscious slumber, aware of his surroundings but truly living in his dreams.

This day, the warmth of the winter sun reminded him of past fires and brought back vivid memories of Sienna. With his arms stretched over the arms of the cross, secured by vines, he drifted into vivid dreams. In his dream, the event that led to his imprisonment as a field guardian replayed itself. He scoured the scene for new perspectives—what must Lylas have gone through?

The weight of his remorse for his actions was unbearable. Lylas, this beautiful girl, had been an object of his drunken desire. Believing the female body a complete living work of art, his only wish to hold her and feel the beauty of her form.

Complicating this turn of events, “Doros” (as he was known in those times) was the close relationship he had with Dionysus over the last 20 years. Doros even made trips to Mt. Olympus with Dionysus, though not allowed in the inner courts of the Gods and Goddesses, he enjoyed much privilege among others like him in the outer courts of the consorts and confidants.

Doros remembered the day Lylas caught his eye in the outer courts of consorts and confidants. Tall and voluptuous, with soft golden hair that flowed to her waist, she was a confidant of Dionysus' new wife—the lovely goddess Ariadne. Convinced Lylas was sending him lurid signals with her glances before the upcoming festival celebrations. Those piercing blue eyes. Desperately, he wished things had gone in his favor that fateful day. Lylas would have been a good mother if not for his garish behavior.

“You fool!” he chided himself under his breath. “She wasn’t inviting you to take what you want!” How he wished he could cry again and let it out. He missed how he always felt better after a good cry.

His thoughts wandered back to the Anthesteria Festival in Greece, a three-day festival full of libations and merriment. Regret welled in his stomach and enveloped him like a weight of contempt. That's it—that's what he has felt for himself all these centuries. Contempt.

He allowed himself to become inebriated beyond that of Dionysus and did not recognize signals Lylas was giving Doros as non consensual. He believed she wanted him above all the other men at the festival. He was happy to oblige and take her right there in the middle of the celebration.

Lylas' brother, Leonidas, grabbed Doros by his beautifully coiffed dark locks and dragged him to Dionysus, where he was conducting his Master of Ceremony duties and kicking off the festival.

Leonidas recounted Doros' atrocity towards Lylas to Dionysus in front of all assembled at the festival. He demanded justice. “I will see you settle this manner, Dionysus, or I will exact justice myself. Up to you.”

Those gathered at the festival grew silent. All merriment ceased. No one moved. No one talked.

Especially not at the same time as Dionysus.

Ironically, the day of the festival had started with impeccable weather. “The Gods are happy today,” Dionysus thought to himself as he prepared to get up and start the day. He loved this festival, and it had always been a happy and celebratory time.

Now, as Dionysus looked up at the sky, he noticed thunderheads building and the air growing more humid. Pondering the situation, Leonidas just dropped at his feet. He felt the anger of Doros’ disrespect during a time like this—this gave way to a feeling of betrayal. He believed he and Doros understood each other and the world around them, sharing similar perspectives. Dionysus had a deep love and respect for his friends, considering them family even.

Doros' behavior was inexcusable—forcing your will on another human is not tolerated in his realm.

Doros fully understood this.

Dionysus knew he would grieve the loss of his relationship with Doros.

Silence reigned at the festival for most of the day. Children started crying from hunger as mothers nervously tried to hush and calm their babies.

Dionysus took it in and sighed. They are scared of me. The babies need to suckle and eat. I must get on with it then, he thought to himself and stood.

Dionysus finally spoke.

“Doros," Dionysus addressed his friend through clenched teeth.

"You profane this festival by taking affection with force rather than consent!"

"This disrupts divine balance, and you know this! It will not stand!”

Doros shook and solemnly looked down at the ground.

His friend, like a brother, was about to toss him away. He knew he would be lucky to live and quickly began trying to make peace within himself and prepare to die. Enough time had passed. Doros was sobering up and considering his behavior, wishing for more time to make amends with others- especially Lylas!

He knew Dionysus would not be giving him an opportunity to speak.

Doros hoped his good friend knew he loved him.

Dionysus continued with a bellowing speech, ferocious in his words:

“The universe is about balance! It is well known that I love a good libation and doubly well known I will not compel anyone to drink my fount!”

Dionysus pulled back his arm to issue swift punishment on Cracker Jack when, with a shriek, the Fates interrupted before Cracker Jack would be mortally struck down. Rushing up to where Dionysus was standing, almost as if they flew in from nowhere, the Fates assembled themselves in front of Dionysus, requesting council. He agreed, and they adjourned to his inner chambers.

Hours passed again. The babies and children had full bellies by now and slept in their mothers’ arms, who now took seats for the duration of what was currently transpiring.

As the sun set, Dionysus returned with the Fates.

Doros considered himself ready to die and continued to stare at the ground, wondering if the heavy pit in his stomach would sink him to Hades. It was getting hot under his mask; he wished to take it off and try to make eye contact with Lylas. He had to try and convey remorse to her before he died.

The Fates spoke of how Dionysus was going to wipe Doros out of existence but they persuaded him to issue a different verdict. Doros would be fated to walk the face of the earth with his festival mask sealed to his face for all eternity. He shall have his mask and offenses to ruminate on to keep him company. No longer would he even have human form or any means to force his will on another human or the opportunity to desecrate holy festivals.

Astonishment flew over Doros. “No human form? This mask forever? Wait...how, what—”

Before he could get the rest of his words out or holler an apology to Lylas, Doros was forever changed.

Finding himself in a field in a place he didn’t know, Doros surveyed his surroundings. He could feel the breeze and ground underneath his feet but saw nothing when he held up the hand he thought should be there.

Doros’s name means “gift”—something he has never felt like or seen himself as. He often thought about his former name and the irony of his current situation. Gift. What does it even mean, or why? He bemoaned his parents' selection of that name for him. “I didn't deserve it.”

For centuries now, this has been where his thoughts mainly wandered. He’s spent enough time in this field to have boiled down his deepest internal struggle to self-contempt.

Would dying have been worse than this?

Either way, he is excommunicated from living in the human realm for eternity as Doros, “the gift,” without the opportunity or ability to make amends with Lylas, Dionysus, Leonidas, and all the people he treated so poorly in his life, believing his station with Dionysus made him better than another human being.

Feeling his vines tighten on the poles while he thought about this was his cue to relax his mind and be patient until he could depart for a walk on his nightly release.

“Like hearing unsettling news, we sit with our sadness when it comes for a visit. Acknowledging and understanding it will eventually depart for a period & return another day. Sadness always does. Perhaps it's a universal balance of the Gods”

Thinking about how emotions are like visitors—he still had all of his, just not a body to let them pass through. Because of this, he experiences feelings in a much more profound way.

“May the Gods bless Sienna for helping me reconnect with brevity. May she keep helping me connect to lighter feelings.”

Looking down, focused on the field grass, he watched a mouse scurrying away and thought how nice it was for this little mouse to have a body. ... Sigh ... he added the softest and slightest, “Please?”

He knew sadness would be his company tonight, just like most evenings.

It isn’t known how long Doros spent in that field before styling himself into a scarecrow with a place to rest every day on his cross.

The Fates, much to his relief, check in on him. With every visit, he presses them for insight into the discussion they had with Dionysus that day. And with every visit, he has more questions.

How he came to be called Cracker Jack is a story for another day.

The rest of the time he has spent watching humans behave poorly to other humans- struggling night after night to see the good humans are capable of...another constant reminder of his unfortunate behavior.

Until he met Sienna...

Jack & Sienna's story was first published on Kindle Vella in 2024. They had regular readers. Since the site is no more, they are finding a new home on baccus bee story tree. Image for ep.2 Scarecrow created with Grok Imagin, a collabortive process call synthography. Thanks for reading.