Threads

In a fit of pique, Atropos - one of the three Greek goddesses of fate, cuts the thread of life of a newborn and refuses to end the life of a terminally ill man, leaving those affected by her actions to live with the consequences. Having evoked the wrath of Zeus, Atropos must make amends or suffer banishment. One 'thread' follows Moira, as she grieves for her child, supported by Nancy, a psychic. Their friendship helps Moira through her grief and when Nancy suffers a stroke, Moira cares for her. Another thread concerns Paul who is dealing with his terminal diagnosis. His second wife Candace resents both his illness and his teenage son Jack (the father of Moira's baby). Paul is determined to make the most of the life he has left, much to the enjoyment of Jack and the annoyance of Candace. Meanwhile, Atropos, disguised as a cat, visits both Moira and Paul, to decide how to make amends. In Hades, she meets the spirit of Moira's child, and Persephone offers to arrange for Zephyrus to carry the child's soul back to the mortal realm where it lives within Nancy after her own soul is lost after her stroke. In the end, Moira overcomes her grief, Nancy remains true to her beliefs, Jack learns to take responsibility, Paul lives life to the full, and Candace tells Paul's story with her embroidery. The human characters deal with feelings, learn from experience, relate to each other and discover what life means whereas the eternal gods are driven by their narcissism. However, when Atropos has restored life to Moira's child and enabled Paul to die, she understands that although the fatal cut of life's thread is hers to give, people's responses are freely chosen.