Page 38 of Meduso
That was peculiar. Usually, Poseidon was able to sense my presence and came to the surface the second I stared out into the sea, longing for him. I waited at the beach for over an hour, but still nothing. Just the occasional driftwood flowing by.
I became instantly worried by Poseidon’s absence. My mind began to run wild with the worst of thoughts.
What if he was hurt?
Was he with Athena right now, without me?
Was he having second thoughts about us, and decided to abandon me?
Did he confide in another god about our relationship and they forbade him from visiting me?
I continued to agonize as the hours passed by, until I eventually realized I needed to return to my sleeping quarters, knowing someone could potentially be checking in on me at any point during the night.
So, I returned to my bed, finding it even harder to sleep with this panic that now stirred within me.
A few days had passed and still no sign of Poseidon. I returned to the beach every night, praying and wishing for his return, but I continued to be disappointed.
By the fourth night, I returned to the temple grounds from my lonesome visit to the shore only to catch Euryale and Stheno jogging towards me.
“There you are!” Euryale exclaimed.
“We’ve been searching everywhere for you. Eschara has summoned all three of us to the golden shrine room,” Stheno explained.
The last time the three of us were summoned to that chamber was years ago when we first came to the Acropolis. Instantly, I knew exactly why we were being called there. Athena must know about the relationship between Poseidon and me. Who knows, maybe Poseidon would turn up there as well, ready to take me away from this dreadful place. That was my biggest hope that could come from this urgent meeting.
I followed behind my sisters into the chamber, seeing Eschara standing at the front of the room, waving for us to come to her. “Kneel before the altar,” was all she commanded.
I fell to my knees right between both Euryale and Stheno. Now that we were positioned as demanded, Eschara moved to exit the room, shutting the door tightly behind her.
It didn’t take very long for Athena to reveal herself, taking the same human form she did when we last met with her. “Rise, young servants,” she ordered.
We listened and did as she instructed. Athena’s voice seemed more severe than I last remembered. “Surely, you all know why you have been called upon at such a late hour. Do you not?”
We all shrugged, but each of us truly knew the reasoning behind this sudden gathering. Well, not to the full extent.
“Meduso, would you like to inform everyone of your transgression? Or did you not tell your sisters what happened in this very room just several nights ago?” Apparently, the goddess knew more about my affair with Poseidon than I had imagined. I was horrified and embarrassed to have to retell the incident to my sisters, but I knew there was no other option before me.
“Poseidon and I… we made love here at the altar a few nights ago.”
Stheno gasped. “Meduso!? How could you!?”
“We came here to confess our love for one another to her goddess, Athena,” I explained. “But we just got caught up in our bliss. Poseidon then seduced me here, and I gave myself to him.”
Athena roared when I made this confession. “Love!? Ha! Young man, do you honestly believe my dear unclelovesyou!?”
“Yes. He does love me. We’ve been meeting every single night for the past several months. He wants to take me away from here, to live in his palace with him, as his lover,” I brazenly shared.
“Foolish boy! Just listen to yourself. And where is Poseidon now? Why is he not here to take you away as you presumed?” Athena inquired.
“I… I am not sure,” I admitted.
“I will tell you exactly where he is. He is already on to the next mortal. That’s what my uncle does. He locks on to the most beautiful females, and evidently males, and he sets his sights on bedding and making love to them. And that’s precisely what he has done with you. It’s a game to him. And whether you knew you were playing or not, you have lost.”
“No. That can’t be true. But he told me…” I began with.
Athena immediately cut me off. “…That he loved you? Let me guess, did he promise to shower you with gifts, and feed you some pathetic line about how you are the only person he could imagine his life with? That he could picture being with no other lover, but you?”
Athena was accurate in all of her statements.
