Medusa

LEO’S JOURNEY

Leo looks in the full length mirror on his closet door. He frowns at his shaggy blonde hair that is easy past time for a haircut and his over-sized hand-me-down clothes. 'At least the big clothes hide my fat body.' He thought to himself. 'If only something could hide this awful birthmark.' As he thought this he pulled at his hair trying to cover his eyes and left ear that were almost completely covered with the raspberry colored markings. Realizing he's done all he can, he sighs and walks away. As he walks out of his room, he steps on something squishy. He looks down to see sticky slime covering the bottom of his right shoe. Luckily the floors were hardwood here or mom would be furious. He looks to his right at his evil little sister's doorway. She stood there laughing.

"You should watch where you walk, Hothead." She snickered.

He hated that nickname, even if it wasn't the worst thing he'd ever been called. She'd called him that since she had been in second grade, six years ago. She said it was because his birthmark looked like fire.

Leo took off his shoe and cleaned up the slime before heading downstairs. As he grabbed paper towels to try to get the slime off his mom asked "What happened?"

"Elaine." Leo sighed.

"You should probably watch where you're walking." His mom said softly.

"Yes ma'am." Leo said quietly.

Leo put his shoe back on, grabbed his backpack and a pack of s'mores pop tarts, and headed for the bus stop.

As he approached his bus stop he slowed. Lizzy was the only person here right now and he knew Elaine wouldn't be far behind him.

Lizzy is the most popular girl in school; both because of her rich parents and her insanely beautiful face. Lizzy and Leo had been best friends in elementary school but as they got older, they had grown apart. Plus, when Leo got moved from 3rd to 4th early, that didn't help, and even worse was when he was moved from 5th to 6th early. Now, he's a freshman and she's still in 7th grade.

Still, they're the same age and she makes him so nervous. It seems like every time he is near her he makes a fool of himself somehow. Like clockwork, as he thinks this, his sticky shoe sticks just enough and he tumbles face first at Lizzy's feet, spilling his books out of his old backpack.

"Just my luck." He murmured quietly.

She bends down to help him pick up his books.

"Thee- theog- theogony?" She asked. Fumbling with the name. "What's that?"

"It's a poem by Hesiod." He answers timidly.

"This whole thing is a poem?"

"It has an interpretation of the poem at the end." He grabs the books and says "Thanks."

"What class is it for?" She asks as other students begin to arrive.

"It's for fun. I really like ancient Greek legends and myths."

"Oh cool." She says at the same time Elaine calls "Nerd alert!" From behind him. Leo puts his head down and heads to the back of the small crowd of kids. When the bus pulls up, Lizzy is one of the first kids on. Leo is dead last. When he gets on, he makes quick eye contact with Lizzy who is seated in her usual spot at the front of the bus. She smiles at him. As he tries to give a sheepish smile back, Floyd Dennings sticks out his foot and trips Leo. Once again, he falls face first, dropping his books.

As the kids all burst into laughter, he gathers his books and takes a seat at the back of the bus. He quickly took a seat and avoided all eye contact by looking out the window as tears slipped silently down his cheeks.

After school that night, his mom came and knocked on his door. "Leo, you packed and ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes ma'am." He called through the door.

"May I come in?" She asked.

"Why?"

"Well, you're leaving for two weeks tomorrow and I will miss you. I just want to spend a little time with you before you go." Leo huffed but opened the door. His light blue eyes were red-rimmed and puffy from crying. "Bad day?" She asked when she saw him.

"Aren't they all?" Leo retorted.

"I bought you something today that might make you feel better. Hold on." She left his room for a while and when she returned, she had 3 books with her. "I found these and thought you'd need new reading material on your trip." She smiled as he eagerly grabbed the books.

The first book was titled Encyclopedia of Gods. The second one was a collection of epic poems including The Odyssey and The Iliad both by Homer. The third book was called Retelling: Set in Stone by R. C. Berry. After reading the back cover of the final book, he looked at his mother with one arched brow. All he said was, "Medusa?"

"I looked it up and apparently Medusa was rumored to have lived and died near Tripoli. Since that's where you're going I thought it was fitting."

Leo smiled. "Thanks Mom. I'm going to miss you too."

As Leo and his classmates boarded the plane the next morning, he tried to remain relatively unnoticed, but he still ended up being the butt of almost every joke. He tried to stay strong. Once on the plane, Leo pulled the book his mother had given him about Medusa out of his backpack and began to read. Eight hours into the flight he started to fall asleep. Eventually, he woke up needing to use the restroom. He unfastened his safety belt and stood. When he tried to step out onto the aisle, though, his foot was caught and he fell. Half of his body was in the aisle, the other half was on the lap of Amelia, the smartest girl in the class. As he hit the ground, small wads of paper went flying out of his hood and rained like confetti over Amelia. She gasped, frustrated. Leo apologized profusely as he looked to his feet and noticed his laces were tied together and around the seat in front of him. Everyone, except for Amelia and him, was laughing.

It took Leo what felt like an agonizingly long time to untie his laces and free himself. Once he did, he got up and made his way to the bathroom. He tried to hold it in, but he couldn’t. He silently sobbed. When he was able to pull himself together, he blotted his face with water and headed back into the cab of the plane. He sat down and reached into his bag for the book. It wasn’t there. He looked everywhere. It was gone. Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He considered talking to Ms. Brown about it, but he knew that would only make the teasing worse. So, he sat back and counted. His mother had taught him to count when he was stressed. He didn’t think it actually helped, but it did give him something else to concentrate on.

Finally, they pulled into the airport. As the students all began to grab their bags from the overhead compartments or from under the seats, Leo watched the other students hoping to see his book. As the students began to file off, Leo watched Amelia reach out and secretly pull a book out of Steven Lang’s backpack. It was Leo’s book. She held a solitary finger up to her lips and handed Leo the book. She winked at him and walked off the airplane before he could say anything. When the reached the hotel, Ms. Brown but Leo in a room with Tobias Filmore. Leo was grateful for this. Not that he and Tobias were good friends or anything, but Tobias didn’t pick on Leo, he just ignored him. Tobias used to be just like Leo until Leo got there, of course. Now, he is just jealous of Leo. According to Leo though, being ignored was better than being mistreated.

That night, Leo lay in bed thinking about the only good thing that had happened that day. Amelia’s help and her winking at him. He wondered what it had been about. He and Amelia had never talked before. She was pretty, but she was shy. ‘Maybe she likes me?’ he thought. ‘Yeah right. She’s probably just tired of Steven being a jerk.’ He sighed as he rolled away from Tobias’s bed and fell asleep.

He dreamed of Medusa that night, but it was unlike anything he had ever read. There was a young blind girl and Medusa was kind to her. Leo woke confused. He had never read anything about a blind person and really never heard about Medusa being kind to anyone. He shook off these thoughts as he pulled on his ginkgo jeans and old ripped, over-sized Ravenclaw hoodie and headed out of the room and toward the breakfast area.

As the day began, the students followed Ms. Brown as she went to the tour bus where they saw things like the Arch of Marcus Aurelius, Assai al-Hamra, and Maidan al Jazair Square Mosque. As evening approached, Ms. Brown told them they were heading to a small shopping area. They set a meeting place and time when they arrived and the kids all went their ways to shop.

As Leo walked up and down the street looking into the shops, he noticed a small hole-in-the-wall shop with a small sign that read: Tales from the Past: Antiques and Books.

He smiles and steps into the shop. The first thing he noticed was that everything was extremely old, even the shopkeeper. She could have easily passed for a hundred years old. She was grey haired and hunched over. She smiled at him revealing a hit and miss row of blackened teeth and her left eye looked fake as it looked up at an awkward angle seemingly of its own accord.

As he walked around the border of the shop there were bookshelves filled with antique books on every wall. There were two shelves running horizontally in the front half of the shop with an antique chaise lounge in between them. These free standing shelves were filled with potteries, antique nick-knacks, and other things. He rounded the corner and headed into the back section of the shop. There was another antique chaise lounge in the center of this area facing the desk at the southeast most corner of the shop where the old woman sat trying to mind her own business, though her strange left eye seemed to be trained on Leo. As he walks past the couch, he notices an old book lying open on the seat of the couch closest to him. He glances at it. It looks like a journal or a diary. Just as he thinks he shouldn’t read someone’s journal, he notices the name Medusa. Curious, he picks up the book and sits on the couch. He flips through it before looking at the first few pages. On the second page, there is a note beginning with ‘Dear Reader,’ Leo quickly reads the letter.

“Dear Reader,

I found these entries carved into the walls of a cave on an Island called Sarpedon, near Cisthene. There were too many to fit in here and some seemed to be very out of context. As none of the carvings were dated, I cannot guarantee that they are in chronological order, but I did my best. I hope I wasn’t too far off. It is my desire that these stories will be both entertaining and enlightening to anyone who might discover this journal. I also hope to redeem the woman once known as Medusa.”

Leo looked at the old shopkeeper again. She was still trying to give him his privacy, but her strange eye was still fixed on him. Unsettled, he quickly turned to the journal and flipped the page to the first entry and began to read.

“Many of you have heard the story of a monstrous woman with snakes for hair and a glare that turns men to stone. What many of you don’t know is she was once a beautiful woman. She is only the monster you know because of a curse. You might be wondering how I know this, or if it is even true. I assure you, it is true. I know it is, because I am that monster. I am Medusa and this is my story.

ENTRY ONE

Many years ago, before any of you were born, I lived in Greece. I was named Medusa in honor of a family secret. My ancestors were the protectors of an ancient power. You see, when the gods defeated the titans, there had to be someone to watch over them, making sure they didn’t escape. Luckily, Hades was assigned that job, though I don’t believe that was fair, but that is another story for another time.

Anyway, the titans had discovered a fantastic power called the dory tis akriveias, the spear of accuracy. For many years, Athena, the goddess of war, used the spear to win her battles. Since it could never miss, people began to say that Athena was only the goddess of war because she possessed the spear. This angered Athena, who was extremely proud. She decided to lay down the spear and prove that she was still the best without it. She entrusted it to my family who hid it in Athena’s temple to guard it there. My mother, Keto, was the protector of the spear for 90 years before she entrusted the job to me.

It is an honor to serve the great goddess, Athena. I have been serving Athena for fourteen years and have been the sole protector for three years. I have become a woman while protecting the spear. Lately, I have noticed men starting to look at me in a strange way. I never really thought much of it, until this week.

To be honest, it is becoming a bit distracting. I am trying to be a faithful servant and have pledged my life to celibacy in order to remain focused on keeping the spear safe. Yesterday, a very beautiful man tried for my attention and I had to remind myself four times of my pledge to stay pure.

It is not easy to ward them off. I have the most beautiful golden hair in all of Greece and I would probably be proud if I allowed myself time to think about it. The fact of the matter is, I do not want to be one of those trivial women who sit in front of the mirror and fret my life away. I want to guard the spear until I am old enough to pass on the responsibility, then I want to travel the world. The problem is, because of my pledge, I must wait on my sister Britania to bear children.

One particular day, after my nineteenth birthday, I was reading a scroll while I guarded the spear. A beautiful man approached me. He was easily twice my age, but somehow he remained handsome.

He walked up to me and said, “Hello. May I sit with you awhile?”

I tried to remain polite as I replied, “I am actually quite busy. If you would like to pay your respects to the great Athena, you may do so, but I am far too busy to entertain you.”

He chuckled a bit and sat beside me anyway. I was about to ask him to leave when he leaned in to kiss me. I stood up abruptly and said, a little too loudly, “What do you think you are doing? I have said I am too busy to talk. Therefore, I am too busy for your fornication as well. Please leave me alone.”

“Do you not know who I am?” the man asked angrily.

“No, I do not, nor do I care to.” I was no longer trying to be polite. He had made me so angry by trying to kiss me without my permission. No one had ever done that before.

“I am Poseidon, the god of the sea. If I wish to kiss you, I may.”

“I do not believe you. Besides, why would a god be so cruel and heartless?” I was being rude and I knew it. If he was a god, he had every right to punish me now, but I couldn’t imagine a god acting as he had. I knew that the gods often bore children with us mortals. My parents were both demigods, but I thought that the mortals were willing recipients.

I was wrong. Poseidon took me in Athena’s temple, and though I screamed for someone to help me, no one came. Poseidon took me that day and he forced me to break my pledge of celibacy. He left me, curled into a ball in the center of Athena’s temple, crying.

After half an hour, I saw a shadow enter the temple. I was excited that someone had finally come to help me. I looked up and saw Athena herself. I tried to get my body into a reverent position, but I was in so much pain. My throat hurt from screaming and my body ached from the act itself and the fight I tried to put up. Athena looked angry. Her beautiful face was set into hard lines. Her eyebrows were pinched together and dipped harshly above her dainty nose. Her lips were pressed into a tight, thin line. When she finally spoke, her voice was thunderous and feminine, all at the same time.

“You have dishonored me and desecrated my temple! For this you shall be punished greatly. From this day forward, all who look on you will be as stone. Your hair will writhe about your head as live snakes. None who see thee shall covet thee. Ye shall be as a hideous beast.” She said.

“It wasn’t my fault. He made me.” I tried to tell her what happened, but she continued over my cries.

“He is a god!” Her voice boomed. “You were supposed to be a protector. You have failed me and you have committed a great sin against me. You will serve as protector until your sister bears a new heir and then you will leave. Forever. I will return to make sure of it.”

“Great Athena, I didn't mean to.” I begged.

“Quiet.” she ordered and I obeyed. “You dare to argue with a goddess? Once your time is served you will never return to this temple. Never again shall I smile upon your offerings. You have displeased me tremendously. You shall be banished to live alone forever. Until then, your appearance will ensure you will be able to serve me without defiling my temple further.”

“Please. Don’t. Do. This.” I choked out between great sobs.

“It is done.”

As she said this, my eyes began to burn as though they were on fire. When I reached to rub them in an attempt to soothe the pain, I felt my hair begin to move on it’s own. I heard it’s hissing. I felt a pain in my hand and when I looked at my hands and saw that they were green and scaly. I looked up to where Athena had been and saw my mother. She was crying, but when our eyes met, she turned to stone, wet tears still rolling down her concrete face. I wept.

SYMPATHY FOR MEDUSA

Leo wiped the tears from his eyes. He had heard rumors that Medusa had been cursed after committing a great sin against Athena. He had even read that she had been the victim, but reading it from her own perspective. To hear the story from the person itself, was always more powerful. ‘I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you.’ Leo thought looking at the book. He turned the page to entry two. He takes a deep breath and continues reading.

“My sister, Britania, bore a son 5 years after Athena changed me into this monster. He came of age when I was 30 years old. I thought I would be able to travel and learn everything I could about the world like I had always dreamed, as long as I stayed away from people.

I was wrong again.”

ENTRY TWO

Athena came to her temple the day Britania brought her son to learn how to protect the spear. Britania had called into the temple, “Medusa. We are coming in. Close your eyes.”

I closed them and called back. “You are safe. I will leave.”

I felt a hot tear slide down my scaly cheek as I left the temple. I could hear Britania crying softly behind me. I wanted to look at her. To see her one last time before I left them forever. To see my nephew for the first time. Right before I turned, I remembered the statue my mother had become the day I was turned into this hideous beast and I looked forward as I left forever.

I was ashamed of all of the people who had turned to stone as I awaited the heir’s arrival. I thought about how my life had changed, and still would change, as I walked away from the only home I had ever known. I would never be able to return to my home town. I could never see my family again, or what was left of it. I could never find love, for if I were to look them in the eye, they would be as stone, just like my mother had. I finally broke down weeping and prayed to whatever god or goddess would listen.

Being on my own was frightening at first, but I was sure I would be alright. I walked for many miles praying and looking for help. I was lonely. I had never been alone before. All my life I had lived with my mother and sisters. Being alone was hard for me. I was very social all my life. Now, when I talk to people, they turn to stone if they see my eyes. If they don't see my eyes, they run screaming from the sight of me. However, if anyone tried to hurt me all I had to do was make eye contact, right? Unfortunately, I hadn’t traveled more than fifty feet when I heard the tinkling laughter of Athena.

“Going somewhere?” She asked. I was about to answer when she continued. “I told you that I would return when there was a successor.

“I was leaving. You told me that when there was an heir I would never be allowed back into your temple.”

“This is true, but there is a bit more.” Athena smiled a wicked smile. “You are not allowed to come back to this town at all. Ever.

“I understand.” I murmured. She left me there, silent tears streaming down my face.

Finding food was the hardest part at first. On a few occasions, I ate the wrong berries and was incredibly sick. Once I figured out the food situation, life became easier. A bit.

After three months of banishment, I found a ship on the shores of Athens. I snuck into the cargo hold and hid. Someone came into the hold to locate something and found me instead, He instantly became stone. Knowing I couldn’t hide here much longer, I made it to the deck. I waited until I saw land and I jumped. I swam with all my strength until I reached the land mass. To my surprise, there were no other people in sight. I found a cave on the outskirts of the island. I decided to make a home there. Inside the cave was a small patch of land where I eventually planted a garden. I grew many vegetables and planted a few fruit trees, for future yields. My life was going almost well until I received a visit from a certain god that I had lost respect for many years ago. Poseidon.

FEELING HER HATRED

Leo grimaced. ‘What is he doing there?’ he thought. ‘Why can’t he leave her alone?’ Leo felt similarly about the kids at school. No matter how down he was, they kept pestering him. Always bringing him lower. He felt Medusa’s pain and anger. He wanted to help. To be there with her. He quickly read on.

“How are you, my dear?” He boomed as I entered my cave uninvited. “Looking around, I would say you could be better.” As he looked around my cavernous home, he noticed the stone figures that littered the entrance.

ENTRY THREE

“Why are you here, Poseidon?” I asked, probably more disrespectful than I should have been.

“I came to see you.” He sounded hurt. “You seem lonely. I thought maybe you would enjoy the company.” He stepped closer and I shuddered.

“Not your company. It is your fault I am here. Your fault I am alone.” I was bitter and a little frightened, but who wouldn’t be?

“Be careful who you talk to that way.” he warned, growing suddenly stern.

“You cannot make it any worse. Please, just leave me alone.”

I sat on a stone beside the garden and fought back the tears threatening to flow.

Poseidon was enraged at my dismissal of him. “I can make it worse!” he said, his voice echoing like thunder in my cave. “Do not tempt me!”

“How, Poseidon? How can you possibly make it any worse? I can never see my family again. I can never have friends. I can not find a lover. I will be alone for the rest of my life. So, please tell me, how can you possibly make it worse?”

By this point I was yelling and hot tears were spilling down my cheeks.

“I can make you immortal like the other gorgons.” Poseidon answered in a voice that was so calm it sent chills up my spine. I could still see the rage in his eyes.

Before I could even begin to beg for forgiveness, or ask what he meant by ‘other gorgons’, or even blame my behavior on my desocialization, I felt a wave of power wash over me and I knew it was done. Poseidon had made me immortal. To anyone else this would have been a gift, but to me, it was the worst sort of curse. My life long hell was now an eternity of hell.

Forever. I would remain a monster forever. No hope of a new life after death. No hope for a peaceful eternity among the souls of the lost. I would be here, bitter and alone. Forever.

I spent that day as I had many others over the past three months. Weeping.

BEGINNING TO RELATE

Leo huffed. ‘Who does Poseidon think he is? Just because he’s a god doesn’t give him the right to keep hurting this poor young woman.’ He thought angrily. ‘Why didn’t her family do more? My mom would have, right? No, she won’t even stand up to Elaine for me.’ He sighed. ‘I feel for you Medusa.’ he thought as he began to read the next entry.

“It has been fifty years since Poseidon last visited. I have only left my cave when absolutely necessary. If I ran into anyone, or anyone ran into me, I would bring their stone bodies back to my cave.”

‘Yea, payback.’ Leo thought as he read.

“Last week, I decided that I would take a walk on the beach near my cave. It was relatively cold so I didn’t think I would see anyone. As I was walking, however, I noticed two women walking along the beach towards me. I almost panicked. As I came closer, I noticed that their skin was pale green and scaly, like mine. Their hair was writhing, even against the strong wind, like mine. Maybe, their eyes were cursed like mine too. As they approached I tried to look away, but one of them called to me.”

ENTRY FOUR

“Fear not, sister. You cannot harm us.”

When I looked at them I noticed they looked exactly as I imagined I looked. I had never seen myself. If I were to look into my own eyes, I guessed I would be turned to stone, too.

I asked them, “Who are you? How did you become like me?”

“We have been this way for centuries, my dear.” ,the other woman replied. “We are known as gorgons.”

“Gorgons? How many of you are there? I thought this was my curse to bear alone.”

“No, my dear, but we have only ever found you.”

“So,” I asked incredulously, “it is only the three of us?”

“As far as we know.” She smiled . “My name is Sthenne, but I was once called Eve.”

The other woman grinned. “And I was called Jezebel, but my name is Euryale.”

“Hello.” I replied. “My name is Medusa and that is what they call me.” I forced a smile. “I live in the cave down on the beach.”

“We know.” Eve said with a sinister smile.

“We have been watching you for many years.” Jezebel chuckled.

“Then why have you not introduced yourselves before?” I asked, a little hurt by the fact that they had known I was here and yet allowed me to remain alone.

“We had to be sure you were ready.” Jezebel said.

“And that you could handle all that being a gorgon is.” Eve continued.

“Am I?” I asked, unsure of what they would say.

“We believe so.” They said in unison as they smiled widely.

This time when I smiled, I didn’t have to force it.

A LITTLE HOPE

Leo smiled. ‘Maybe having sisters will help.’ he thought. ‘Doesn’t help me, but that’s because my sister is evil.’ He chuckled to himself. He quickly glanced at the shopkeeper. She was still ignoring Leo. Well, all of her except her eye was. ‘Good.’ Leo thought, smiling. ‘Better to be ignored than criticized.’ He looked back to the book and read the next entry.

The sisters, as I came to know them, helped me learn many things about my curse. Eve became a gorgon at the beginning of time. She messed up and sinned against the gods when she ate a forbidden fruit, but the god she sinned against was gracious. Unfortunately, many years later, after her son was cursed to wander the world alone for the rest of his days, she visited him and tried to help him. This time, her cursor was less forgiving and she was made the first gorgon.

ENTRY FIVE

Jezebel was turned into a gorgon many years later. She was known far and wide for being a scandalous woman. Many even called her a prostitute. One day she slept with one of Hera’s favorite play things and Hera cursed her to be a gorgon. She was the third to the sister’s knowledge. I was only the seventh gorgon ever created, through curse or by birth. Most gorgons don’t live forever, but the sisters and I will, along with one other. Her name is Ursula. Many people have heard of her, but when her tale was penned the author changed some things and it forever changed her story and her life.

The sisters used their knowledge of magic to keep unwanted guests away, though it didn’t always work. Or so Medusa thought.

Within a year, or so, the two sisters and I became inseparable. They taught me all they could about being inconspicuous and remaining unseen. Oftentimes, they would stay with me in my cave. Occasionally, I would travel with them.

I had become a little less bitter over time, until meeting the sisters. Eve and Jezebel were not the best influences. They enjoyed turning people to stone, though they only harmed those who harmed them. Still, hanging out with women so used to harming others had only hardened my heart toward humanity even more.

I reveled in my statutes and wasn’t at all upset when I made a new addition. I became very much the monster the stories spoke of. It wasn’t until I met a young girl named Addison, that I realized that my life wasn’t what it could be.

ADDISON’S IMPACT

Leo wandered about the young girl Medusa had mentioned. ‘How could a young girl meet Medusa and survive? How could she change Medusa’s worldview?’ He had to know more. He quickly read the next entry.

“Addy, as I soon began to call her, was a smart young girl. She had not had an easy childhood, yet somehow she had remained joyful and kind. I met her while on the beach one spring day. She was helping some turtles get to the water unharmed.

ENTRY SIX

“What are you doing, little girl?” I asked her.

“I am helping the turtles get to the ocean.” she replied, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. She had to have thought that it was obvious.

“I can see that.” I smirked. “I meant why. Why are you helping them?”

“If I don’t they could die.”

“Death is part of life.” I said, then added sadly, “Usually.”

“I realize that,” she smiled, ignoring my grumblings and continued, “but it doesn’t have to happen today.” Then her smile widened as the last turtle made it into the water. “There.” She sighed, content. “Now, how can I help you?”

She turned to look at me and as we made eye contact I shuddered expecting the girl to become stone, but the girl just stood there. Her eyes were foggy and grey as she stared right through me.” She sounded so much older than she was. “No, I live near here and was out walking when I saw you. I was just curious.” I wondered why she wasn’t afraid of my monstrous appearance, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask.

“May I ask you something?” the young girl asked.

“I suppose.” I didn’t really know how to respond to kindness. It had been a very long time since I had been treated kindly by a human.

“Are you the person the legends are about?”

“I believe I am. Why do you ask?”

She paused for a moment and thought. “Well, I hear lots of snakes, but do not feel them slithering on the ground. There are legends of a trio of women on this island with snakes for hair. However, the legends call you ruthless, evil monsters. I don’t think you are monstrous or evil. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have talked to me. You would have tried to turn me to stone.”

I smiled, “I suppose you may be right, but when people get something into their heads, there is often little you can do to change that.”

“That is true as well, but I have learned at a young age, that you cannot always trust what people say about you. People often say I am a strange little girl. That I have no friends because I am different. Luckily, I don’t care much for rumors of children.”

“You are awfully wise for someone so young.” I remarked.

“I have lived a full life in the last ten years. Many things in life have not gone as planned and I have learned a great deal from that.” She smiled up at me. “My name is Addison, but you can call me Addy. What is your name?”

I was taken aback. Stammering, I said, “”Medusa.”

“It is very nice to meet you, Medusa.” She reached out to shake my hand.

I shook my head, “I can’t touch you.” I tried to give her a reassuring smile.

“Why not?” She asked, lowering her hand.

“I don’t know what will happen. I haven’t touched a human in over a hundred years. I would hate for something bad to happen to a girl like you. In fact, Athena would probably be angry that you were even kind to me.”

At that Addy scoffed. “Gods are so temperamental.”

“You have no idea.” I replied, rolling my cursed eyes.

“I do though.” she said, pointing to her own eyes.

“Oh! What did they do to you?”

“I was born a man. When I accidentally wounded two mating snakes, I was turned into a woman. As far as my eyesight, I was born blind because Athena thought my sight as a seer would be enhanced this way.” Addy sighed. “Gods always have good reason for what they do.”

“If that were true, why did Athena turn me into this monstrosity for something that happened ‘to’ me? Why did Poseidon extend my life to include eternity for being angry at him for hurting me and ruining my life?”

“You must learn from it.” She said simply.

OUTRAGE AT ADDY

‘Learn from being turned into an immortal monster? What is Addy talking about? What is there to learn other than the gods only care about themselves. You can’t learn from everything. What am I supposed to learn from all the kids teasing me? That there is something wrong with me? Or there is something wrong with them?’ Leo felt heat rise in his face. He didn’t understand how someone who had been mistreated by the same goddess who hurt Medusa, and so many others, could have the outlook Addy did. Leo looked at the clock. He was late getting back to the meeting place. He rushed to the counter with the book. “How much is this?” He asked the old woman.

She smiled. “It is yours son. Take it.”

“Are you sure?”

She looked away and grabbed a bookmark. “Enjoy your trip.” She said handing him the bookmark.

Leo had a billion questions, but he was already late. He smiled and rushed to meet the rest of the class. When he got there, only Ms. Brown noticed. She gave him a disciplinary look but he held up the book. She rolled her eyes and gave him a half smile as they continued on toward the hotel for the night.

When they reached their rooms, Leo took an extremely fast shower and opened the book. He took a moment to look at the bookmark the strange woman had given him. It read: “Anyone is Redeemable.” Leo looked at it strangely before he shook his head and opened the journal to the seventh entry. He read on.

“How is that possible?” I asked, completely appalled and dumbfounded.

“Mostly through practice and meditation.” She paused, but when I remained silent, she continued. “I suppose forgiveness and self love help too.”

ENTRY SEVEN

“I don’t know if I can do that. How could I love myself like this?” I asked. “I barely liked me when I wasn’t a monster.”

“I told you, I haven’t had the easiest life. It took me a long time to find peace. I was cursed to never see a sunrise, never see my mother’s face or a deer in the meadow. Never see anything. Then, if that wasn’t enough, I was transformed into a woman after stepping on, and injuring some snakes I only couldn’t see because of the curse. My life has been anything but fair. I hated myself, the gods, and the visions. I kept the prophecies all to myself for years thinking Athena would be sympathetic or frustrated with me enough to release me from the curse, but instead, she forced my family to leave me so that I had nothing and no one but her. Finally, a year after being turned into a girl, I began to realize the only person I had to live with forever, was me. If I couldn’t learn to love myself, it would be a long life. So, I let go of my anger and hatred. I tore down the mental walls I had built that I hoped would protect me. And I let myself love. First to love myself, then to love others. When I heard your story, I came to find you. To show you that you are not a monster. You were mistreated. You do not have to pass that treatment on to others.”

I felt a burning tear slide down my cheek. Without warning, Addy grabbed my hand and placed it in both of hers. “What are you doing?!” I gasped.

“It is alright.” Addy said softly. “See, nothing happened.”

“How did you know it was safe to touch my skin?”

“I didn’t.” Addy smiled as I burst into tears feeling my tough exterior melt away.

AMAZED AT ADDY

Leo sat there dumbfounded. A young blind girl who had been through something that he couldn’t even fathom had turned her dreadful situation into something beautiful. He sat there thinking about all the wisdom he had just read. He wondered how Addy could have changed her view so quickly. He even caught himself wondering what would happen if he had changed his own view. ‘What would Elaine and Mom think if I just decided to love myself? What would the bullies at school do when their pranks didn’t get to me anymore? Could I really learn to love me?’ He looked down at himself. He wasn’t sure. As he began to read again, he caught himself questioning everything right along with Medusa.

“I thought about what she had said the rest of the time we were together. As the days passed, I began to doubt what I thought I knew about how I came to be this monster.

Had I simply allowed them to create the monster I am? Had I somehow created the monster after they altered the appearance? It got me thinking about Eve and Jezebel. Why did they allow themselves to be monstrous? I stopped leaving my cave after a week and after a month I was beginning to go a bit crazy.

ENTRY EIGHT

“Medusa, what are you doing?” Addy asked.

“What do you mean?” I replied.

“You haven’t been outside in a month. This isn’t healthy.”

“Has it really been that long?” I looked at the cavern walls I had covered in carvings.

“What is this?” Addy asked, looking over some of the writings.

“I wrote my story down.” I said quietly. “I thought maybe I could help someone else like you helped me.”

Addy smiled. “You are an amazing woman Medusa. I hope you see that now.”

“I do. Thanks to you. Maybe I can help the sisters see that as well.”

“You can most certainly try.” After a brief silence, Addy added. “I've been thinking about returning to the place where I stepped on the snakes. Maybe there is a way to undo this gender change.”

“Anything is possible.”

CHANGES

Leo smiled and wiped tears out of his eyes. He was so proud of Medusa. He almost closed the journal when he turned the page as an afterthought. When he did he saw one last entry.

“It has been 150 years since I was turned into a monster. I tried to remain the same kind and innocent girl I was, but I am ashamed to say I didn’t do well. I filled my home with the stone figures of people who once lived and instead of filling the void in me, it only made me cruel and vicious.

ENTRY NINE

Poseidon doesn’t visit anymore and I was more alone than ever. I used to think about my family and wonder how they were doing, but when I realized that the people I knew as my family had probably already passed on, I slowly stopped thinking about them altogether.

I meditated a lot, just like Addy showed me. She returned to the sight of her curse 7 years ago where she was transformed back into the man she had once been. We had remained relatively close until she left. She had been one of my dearest friends. Eve and Jezebel moved on in search of other gorgons many years ago. They tried to get me to come with them, but I had Addy at the time.

Using meditation I have been trying to figure out who I want to be. I looked around at my hundreds of stone figures. Each one I life I stole in the worst way. You see, it is believed that when a person is turned to stone by a gorgon their soul cannot move on like after a normal death. It is trapped in the stone. There is believed to be a cure, but no one has figured it out yet. At least with a normal murder, their soul can move on. If someone did find a cure for these stone people I had hurt, everyone they know would be dead. Their life would never be the same. They would have culture shock. They wouldn’t know how to survive in the world as it is now, but their soul would be able to move on.

I sat in my favorite spot in my cave and closed my eyes. I could hear the stream that trickled through the rear of the cave and the dripping of the stalactites that echoed throughout the entire cave. There was a rustling as what was left of the bats, that lived here when I moved in, stirred mid sleep.

I pictured in my mind a winding staircase. As I imagined walking down the stairs one step at a time, I felt my eyelids getting heavier and heavier. The further I went down this never ending winding staircase, I came closer and closer to a meditation state.

Once I was fully into the meditative state, I thought about my life. Who did I wanna be? What characteristics did I want to possess? I am unsure if anyone will ever even know I changed, but that's alright. I'm not doing it for anyone, but me.

LEO'S CHANGE

Leo smiled. He felt different. Changed. He was so proud of Medusa. He determined that he would choose to not let those around him dictate who he would become.

That night, he made it a point to talk to Tobias. He seemed unsure of Leo at first, but he quickly changed his tune as Leo proved over the next few days that he was just a normal kid. Over the two weeks in Tripoli, Leo and Tobias became almost friends. On the trip home, the kids tried to pick on Leo, but this time, Tobias stood up for him and it started a ripple effect. Amelia was the first to jump in and help. Soon, Steven was the butt of the jokes and Leo caught himself standing up for Steven. Everyone looked at Leo like he had gone mad.

“No one, not even Steven, deserves to be mistreated.” Leo smiled at Steven, who gave him an unsure smile.

Leo was convinced his whole life was about to change, and he was incredibly excited to see how.