Page 59 of Meduso
I was now floating in the sky from the looks of it. Nothing but white clouds and endless blue was before me. Beneath me, I could see a figure also flying in the air. It was Perseus. He was sitting on a glorious pearl animal. Was he riding a white falcon? No. As the image became clearer, I recognized those majestic wings. He was riding Pegasus. Perseus turned behind him. I followed his line of vision to see that they were heading south from our island. He and Pegasus soon descended towards the surface, heading for a rocky ledge against the sea. The waves crashed against the cliffside without mercy. Examining the precipice more closely, I saw a beautiful young woman chained to the cliff. I also took notice of a giant scaled creature emerging from the sea, heading straight towards the woman. Its jade, slippery tentacles flapping in unison, helping to propel the monster closer to the cliff. Pegasus swept forward, closer to the sea monster. Its hideous mouth opened as it snarled, revealing its blade-like fangs ready to prey on the victim chained to the cliff. But Pegasus and Perseus flew down to the ledge and swept right between the sea monster and the trapped woman. Perseus raised my severed head out of a bag and made sure the creature stared right into my eyes, turning it to stone. The sea monster fell back into the ocean depths, leaving a crash of waves hitting the sides of the cliffs from the impact of its fall.
My vision finally returned to normal, and I was finally back on my island at the entrance to my cave. I did not even have to think about the vision I just saw. There was nothing more to debate about. The Fates had spoken, and I knew what they had in store for me. I was fully aware that the decision I would soon make was for Perseus’s survival. If I allowed us to remain on this island together in each other’s arms for any longer, it would only cause wrath from the gods. They were likely to find a way to kill us both. Not only this, but his mother’s life was also at risk. If Perseus did not leave this island, he would be unable to save her.
My destiny was revealed to me. It was as clear as a bright sunny day. I could not shun it. As I stepped forward, I could not just end myself right then and there. I needed to feel Perseus, to feel the touch of my lover, one last time. I fell right into his arms and tilted my head, so it rested against his chest. His hands caressed my back as I leaned into him.
“Is everything okay, Meduso?” He asked this so innocently, with such naivety. He had no idea what pain and grievance I would be causing him, and that killed me on the inside.
I could not respond to him. How could I lie to him and tell him everything was fine, when only minutes later I would end my life right in front of him? I kissed him one last time. I tasted and felt those soft lips of his. I wished for that touch to be the last lingering feeling on my body, before I would depart from this world.
Once our passionate embrace was put to a close, I glided past him towards the wall at the back end of the cave. I reached for his own sword that was hand-crafted by Hephaestus himself. This would be my final speech to my lover. My epitaph.
“Perseus… there is no easy way for me to tell you this,” I began with.
He lifted his head and watched me intently. “Tell me what?” The passion in his eyes that he always had killed me in this very moment.
“I had two visions, Perseus. The first showed myself slitting my throat, beheading my own self. The second, was you using my head to kill a giant sea monster, saving a woman chained to a cliff,” I revealed.
Now I felt awful. I bombarded him with this so instantly. I barely gave him any time to process what I had just told him.
“Meduso… no! It cannot be! Please do not tell me you actually believe this vision!” he exclaimed.
“I do, Perseus. I believe all of it. I also know that your mother is in danger. And if you do not return to Seriphos, she will die,” I said boldly, then moving the blade in my hand at an angle towards myself.
“No!!! Meduso! Stop!” he screamed this, louder than I ever heard him scream before. The tears started pouring down his face. “I cannot live without you, Meduso! Please don’t do this. I am begging you. Don’t…”
Seeing the agony burn within him pained me to no end. I could not bear to see him hurt so badly. Ending my own life would be less painful than watching Perseus suffer like this right before my eyes. “Perseus, you must live without me. You have others to live for. You must take my head. Use my gaze in battle. Take Pegasus and fly south of here. That is your destiny. As formydestiny… my destiny is meant to help and save you. Use me to save yourself, Perseus. Don’t let Athena’s curse on me actually be a curse. Let it be a means of salvation for yourself.”
He moved forward, but I raised the sword closer to my head, prompting him to not take any further steps towards me.
“Please don’t, Meduso!” he begged.
“I’m sorry, Perseus! I have to. I can no longer put you through this. I will always love you…” I swung the blade with all my might across my throat. My last vision in this world was of my loved one, leaping forward to me as he wept. In a way, he was such a captivating creature coming forth to me. I would rather have no other picture as my last in this very world.
Throughout my whole life, I was bitter and worried about being stuck in my oceanic palace with my sisters, my parents, and the Graeae, unable to live in the real world. Even in Athena’s temple, I felt imprisoned and isolated, not able to experience this crazy, beautiful world and its opportunities. But now that I look back on it, I realize that I lived my life in one eclectic whirlwind of an adventure.
I lived in a gorgeous sea palace among gods and majestic creatures of the ocean. I was able to meet my soulmate on the surface. I tempted and made love to a god, thereby defying another. I experienced another part of my life in a unique manner, as a gorgon monster. I knew what it felt like to have love lost, only to find it again with Perseus’s return to me. And I cannot forget the love my sisters had for me on top of that. But most of all, I was a mortal that made the gods worry and even quiver, sometimes second guessing themselves and their actions. And if I was a mortal that was capable of making the gods squirm, then I must have lived… and oh, how I lived!
Act III
Perseus: The Tragic Hero
Chapter 20
Why did he do this to me? How could he? I could not bear to look at Meduso’s lifeless body on the ground. I knelt on the cave floor with my hands covering my eyes. All of our hopes and dreams to remain living peacefully on this island just vanished right before me.
I pounded my fist into the ground in anger, screaming out loud, “Why? We could have continued living this life together! But you… you just…” I could no longer even allow any other words to escape from my mouth. My breathing rate had intensified, and I was on the verge of hyperventilating into an unconscious state, but I managed to maintain the little amount of sanity I had in this very moment.
I sat still for a few hours, just staring ahead at the cave walls. I felt absent-minded just glancing ahead in my own bizarre trance, mourning the loss of my beloved Meduso. But at the same time, I also came to realize what needed to be done.
Meduso had assigned me a mission. He wished for me to use him to travel south for some odd reason. Then he wanted me to return to Seriphos to save my mother. I could not let Meduso’s death be in vain. I would live out the rest of my life in his honor and his name.
I rose to my feet and retrieved the magical bag that was given to me by the Hyperboreans. Reluctantly, I grabbed Meduso’s head by the hair and placed it in the bag. Right before my eyes, the bag shifted shape so that the head fit perfectly in it.
I continued to sob. All of this was still so difficult to believe and comprehend. I prayed to be able to end this ongoing nightmare I believed I was experiencing, but no pinches could wake me from it. It was my reality that I had to face.
Reaching for Athena’s bronze shield, Hades’ invisibility cap, and Hephaestus’s sword that Meduso used to kill himself, I wiped the cold blood clean from the blade. I began packing a few essential items, knowing I would need to depart this island very soon. I could not muster up the courage to witness Stheno and Euryale’s reaction when they came to find out about Meduso. I had to escape before then. The agony would be intolerable for me.
But I would soon have to push through this, because I was able to hear Stheno and Euryale chatting. They were coming into the cave, laughing to themselves. I placed my glass eyewear back on, wrapping the fishing line around my head. As I did this, they stood still just blankly staring at Meduso’s headless body on the floor.
