Page 13 of Meduso
We sat in awkward silence again, both of us just gazing into the mesmerizing fire before us. I found myself sneaking glances beyond the fire, over at him. The complexion on his face was glowing with the embers. His hair was finer than the thread on the spindle of the Fates. I realized that I had been staring at him for far too long once he peered up from the fire and made eye contact with me. I quickly searched elsewhere, ashamed that he had caught me watching him.
He must have sensed my uneasiness, for he made a proposal. “Care to go for a swim?”
“In the middle of the night?” I asked.
“Of course! Why wouldn’t we?”
“Is it safe?” I was somewhat worried about the idea.
Perseus laughed. “Under normal circumstances, it may not be, but you’re the son of a sea god. What’s the worst that could happen?”
I shrugged and had no argument to the accurate point he made.
Perseus stood up, flicking off his sandals and then stripped his tunic off, throwing it down into the sand by the fire. He was all flesh. I managed to get several glimpses of his perfectly sculpted body before he darted directly into the water. I took off my clothes as well and followed behind him into the sea.
Surprisingly, it was not as dark out here as I had anticipated. The moon was nearly full in the night sky. It cast a decent amount of light down upon us. A blessing from Artemis herself.
We went out as far as the water rose up to our necks.
Perseus then pressed his hands forward, creating a large wave of water striking my face. He began giggling at how caught off-guard I was by this. I realized he was playing a joke on me. The kind of joke Euryale and I would have with one another. It provided me comfort in having this light-hearted moment with him, reminding me of my sister. I retaliated and threw water back at him. He then returned the favor in what then turned into a frenzy of splashing each other. Once we were both fully soaked, we cackled out loud. I eventually was the one to have to give up and surrender. After all, I was no match for the strong waves and quick splashes he sent my way with his formidable vitality.
“Okay! You win! I give up!” I relinquished.
We swam back to the shore and sat in front of the fire with our backs to it, allowing the heat to dry us off. Side by side, we surveyed out beyond the sea and into the glimmers of the night sky. I pointed to a few of the blinking objects above us that seemed like they were thousands of miles away.
“Katasterismoi,” I stated.
“What is that?” Perseus inquired.
“In one of my lessons with the Graeae, they informed me that on the surface, in the darkness, you can make out small traces of light in the sky. These lights are organized by Artemis and are shaped to tell heroic stories of the past. The gods refer to these lights asKatasterismoi,” I elaborated.
We both sat reticent, just appreciating this natural mosaic above us. I didn’t want this moment to end. I had made a new friend. Well, in reality, Perseus was my first and only friend. Everyone else I knew was a member of my family, with the exception of Athena. Nevertheless, I relished this experience right now. I wanted to make my feelings known to Perseus.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen the night sky in its full artistry. I know you see it all the time, but I’ve only ever heard stories about it for the past seventeen years of my life. I’m glad to be able to share this experience with you. You have been nothing but generous since I arrived here this morning. Thank you, Perseus, for your patience and for taking me under your wing.”
Perseus’s face lit up, dare I say as bright as the current scene above us?
“Remember earlier, when I mentioned that not much goes on, on this island? And when my mother told you that it’s not very exciting here?” he asked me.
“Yes. I recall.”
“Well, I’ll be honest, your arrival has made it exciting for me. Everyone around here is dull, stuck to traditions and their daily duties. You, on the other hand… you have this exhilarating aura about you. You’re a breath of fresh air. So, thank you too, Meduso, for bringing life to me.”
I wasn’t exactly sure what Perseus meant by this, but I was able to comprehend that he was appreciative of me as well. And that, I could accept, and be jubilant over his expressed feelings. “You have my trust, my loyalty, and my friendship,” I shared.
“Likewise,” he replied.
We remained silent for a bit longer until the fire was starting to die out.
“We have an early itinerary tomorrow. Dictys is usually ready to head out to sea just before the sunrise. We should head back and get some rest,” Perseus suggested.
“Yes. Let’s head back.”
No! I didn’t want to leave.
But I knew expressing those true feelings was inappropriate. So, I would agree with Perseus and return to his home to go to sleep.
We both wrapped our tunics back around us, slid into our sandals and headed back up the trail to Perseus’s home, which looked identical to his mother’s. He led me into a room beyond the main area, which I assumed was his bedroom. There was a bed that he laid in and then one in the opposite corner of the room that I flopped down on.
