The REAL Origin of Medusa

I grew up on an island with my sisters, Sthenno and Euryale. Our parents were minor Gods, so we were immortal. We were also completely alone. The island we'd been left on was deserted, though there were buildings that were plainly marked. It was as though our parents had cleared out all of the people before they left us alone. I remember running through the deserted streets as a child, trying to find just one person that I didn't know. I just wanted a friend.

Sthenno and Euryale never understood my loneliness. They were happy just being together, because we were never truly alone as long as we had each other. It wasn't enough for me. I started venturing further after a century, driven by boredom to find something new. I taught myself how to swim, and I made friends with the creatures that would come to investigate the strange new person in their waters.

I noticed the man watching me months before he ever approached, but I was too nervous to initiate a conversation. I'd never tried to make a new friend of the same species before, and it scared me. Sthenno and Euryale tried to talk me out of going outside of the town when I mentioned him, but I couldn't give up my daily adventures. I was learning so much, and having fun. If only I'd known.

There was a single temple on the island, and I went there frequently to pray for a new companion. I was so sure that Athena was sending my new sea friends, and I was eternally grateful to her for it. The day the man approached me, I was swimming by the shore closest to the temple. I felt a special kind of peace when I was close to that place, and I liked it.

"You look very beautiful, swimming like that," the man told me, swimming closer than I found myself comfortable with. I made sure to put some distance between us before answering.

"Thank you, kind sir," I said quietly. "Might I know your name?"

"Do you not recognize me?" he asked, looking disappointed when I shook my head. "I am Poseidon, God of the Sea."

"It's very nice to meet you," I told him, but any urge I'd had to know this man was gone. He was nothing like I'd imagined, and he was beginning to scare me. Even as he introduced himself, he'd moved closer. I could feel his breath on my cheek, and it made me uncomfortable.

"The pleasure is all mine," he chuckled, reaching out to stroke my face. I'd had enough, diving under the water to swim faster to the shore. I was hoping he wouldn't follow me onto the land, being the God of the Sea. I was so very wrong. He grabbed my ankle just as I'd managed to pull myself onto the beach, and his grip hurt. "Where are you off to in such a hurry? We were just getting started."

"I've got to get home. My sisters will be missing me," I said loudly, praying that one of them would be near enough to hear and save me. I wasn't that lucky.

"I'm sure they could spare you for a little longer," the God replied, trying to pull me back into the water. I kicked out with my free leg, managing to hit him in the face. He let go in surprise, and I hurried to get all of the way out of the water. I made it all the way to my feet and towards the temple before he recovered enough to follow me. Unfortunately, there weren't many places to hide inside of the temple.

He caught me as I made my way down the steps of the backside, throwing me down and pinning me so that I couldn't get away or fight him off. There were many thoughts going through my mind as he did what he wanted, but there is one thought that haunted me the most. I don't want this. Why can't I stop this?

He left me on the steps, disappearing back into the sea, and I would never see him again. The damage was already done, though. Even if I would one day fall in love, nobody would ever want me now. I was tainted, I was betrayed, I was hurting, and I was furious. I crawled back into the temple, my body protesting the movements the entire way, and I laid at Athena's feet to cry.

I felt the changes as they happened, but I was far too upset to pay much attention to it. I didn't realize what had happened until I'd finished. My hair was moving on its own, twisting itself around and coiling over my shoulders. I could feel tiny tongues brushing my eyes, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I could see my reflection in the bronze of Athena's shield. The statue hadn't moved, but I could feel her presence in a way I never had before. This was her gift.

My hair had turned to snakes, my own new best friends. I knew instinctively that their bite would be venomous to all who dared to get too close without my permission. My eyes had changed as well, now a glowing green that made me smile. I had wings that felt strong on my back, and my face and arms were covered in the same tough scales of my snakes. I looked beautiful and deadly.

"You will never feel helpless again," a voice that I knew to be Athena's whispered in my mind. "You will be protected for all time. Your eyes will stop any who mean to harm you, if you don't stop them yourself first. This is my gift to you."

"Thank you," I whispered, stroking the snakes that were twisting their way around my shoulders. I wiped my tears and stood tall, feeling stronger than I ever had before. No man would ever come near me without my consent again, I'd make sure of that.