Hey! I know, I've sorta been dead and all, it's just that I've reached a rough patch in Do You Hear What I Hear, so I haven't been progressing that much. I haven't scrapped it yet, but I decided to post this because I thought of it and actually wrote it down. I may put a third chapter, but most likely this is all I'll include. So, without further ado, please enjoy my first mythology story.


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Oi, why is it always me? Why do I get the rottenest luck? I mean sure, I used to be a brat, and I'll admit I made a few mistakes, but does that mean I should be tormented for the rest of eternity? No! Sorry, I'm just really ticked right now. You want to know what happened? Okay, so it all started when I went on a date with this really hot guy. He picked my up in this really sleek chariot pulled by these two black horses. Trust me, it was the height of transportation back then. So, I'm standing next to him in this amazing ride with the wind blowing my hair. Now, I don't want to be conceited, but people always used to tell me I had amazing hair. Not that I get that nowadays, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

So my date turns to me and he says, "There's this really nice temple around here, wanna check it out?" Now, this was classical Greece, temples weren't that uncommon for date sites. So I say "Sure!" and we drive off and don't stop till we reach the temple of Athena.

Now, normally a date would start with an offering to Aphrodite or someone, like to ask for good fortune in love? But Athena, the goddess with no children or even a boyfriend? I'm wondering what this guy's trying to say, you know? I follow him in there and he pulls out a picnic basket. He wants to have a date in the temple of Athena! Well, I figure he must've had some connection to her; otherwise he wouldn't be stupid enough to challenge a goddess, so I sit down. We're having a great time and really hitting it off, he says things like how pretty my eyes are, when all the sudden this owl swoops in.

I don't know if you know this, but the owl is the patron bird of that brat Athena. Then the goddess herself appears and goes "Uncle, why have you defiled my temple in such an unholy manner?"

And I'm looking around like, I don't see any powerful god here, when my date answers her. My date! I WAS GOING OUT WITH POSIDEON! And he says something like "I was just showing my girlfriend around the family." and looks all suave and impressive.

Now, I completely went for it but Athena didn't seem too convinced. And would you believe that that girl decided to punish me? Me! Who had nothing to do with this decision? She turns to me and says, "So you think you're beautiful? You think beauty let's you do whatever you please? You dare challenge a goddess, wretched mortal? Let me give you a little makeover!" and she zaps me with this godly bolt thing. I'm looking around for Posideon, but turns out old fish face is really a wishy washy wimp and decided to ditch me when things got messy. Suddenly I black out.

Next thing I know, I'm on a hillside with snakes slithering all in my hair and a killer headache, right between the eyes. Wait, no, the snakes ARE my hair. I look in the nearby stream and see those atrocious serpents sliding all over my scalp and- was that my FACE? MY face? Why, I barely recognized myself. All I could focus on was the fact that my once green eyes were now ice blue and piercing.

My first priority was to remove those accursed snakes from my head, but pulling them hurt. I tried to cut them with the same results. This was getting ridiculous. So I did what any Greek girl in a massive pickle would do, I went to the oracle. Well, tried to. But when I walked down the country road, I happened across a farmer. He took one look at me and froze. I wasn't too surprised (hello, snake hair?) but his eyes didn't follow me as I passed. And he still wasn't moving. I got a little weirded out but kept walking. Living alone on a farmhouse can do strange things to a guy, right? This happened about two more times before I got fed up. The fourth farmer froze as well, but instead of continuing on my way, I stopped and asked, "Why do you guys freeze? It's not that big a deal! Hey, I'm talking to you!" But the fool still didn't move. I got a bit upset and marched right up to him. "Hey, I asked you a que-" I stopped when I realized that he was a rock. Not a rock-star, a rock. And he didn't look too happy. Could this have something to do with me?

"Yes," a voice behind me answered my mental question. "It has everything to do with you." I turned around to see the goddess who was to blame looking very pleased with herself.

"Look." I told her. "I learned my lesson. I won't go on any more dates in your temples. Can you change me back?"

"Hmm... How about no?" she smirked. "I'd rather keep you as an example to those who would try the same thing."

"What about that uncle of yours? It was all his idea, punish him!"

"I would if I could. But that would only make a mess."

"And this won't?" I screamed. "Look at me! Look at these poor farmers! It wasn't any of our faults."

The goddess just glared at me for raising my voice at her. We stood there a while before she said, "Any man who sees your face will be turned to stone. And I, being kind, will grant you immortality; only a hero may kill you."

"Yay," I replied sarcastically, "I get to spend not just a lifetime, but an ETERNITY as snake head. Woopdy-freakin-doo."


"Medusa!" shouts the oh-so-brave hero. "Come out, Medusa! Fight like a real monster!" Wow, he actually pulled out the M-phrase. Not bad. He might actually last a few seconds.

"Alright, I'm coming." I peek around the corner; he's not looking at me. He looks to be about 15. "Really? Are they sending amateurs now?" He scoffs. And now for the long-winded introduction.

"I am no amateur. I have defeated many monsters before you. I am the great Danthys of Pelloponese, and I shall defeat you!"

Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Danthys? I've never heard of him.' And you're right. Nobody has. You know why? I defeated him. Yeah, I know. 'How could you be so cruel to a child?' Well, having "heroes" come up to your cave (yes, I am reduced to cave life) on a regular basis spouting insults and bad snake puns can put a damper on your mood. And it's not MY fault they can't keep from looking at my eyes. That was the cleverest part of this transformation: the piercing blue immediately attracts attention. Just one look and poor little Danthys is a marvelous statue. Pity, too, he was a good-looking child. Would have grown into quite the young man.

I leave him there and go back into my CAVE to sleep. Because the moon is up. And I need my beauty sleep. 'Wow, you have a lot of puns.' Thank you, I know. 'I never said they were funny.' That really hurt. 'Why are you talking to yourself?' Because I have no one else to talk to. 'What about the snakes?' They don't share my opinions. 'Are you crazy?' I suppose you could say that.

Gosh, I need to stop that. 'You sure do.' Shut up.

Anyways, I slowly fall into that lovely gift that is sleep and prepare for the dreams that always occur.

I only have about three dreams, honestly. Some nights I'm a girl again, living the life I was supposed to have. It would usually feature some hero who had recently become a lawn ornament. The second dream usually involves either Athena or Poseidon or both burning forever in Hades. And the third dream, which I have tonight, involves a lot of water and boats and floods and disaster and death and terror and pain and- and it's always because of me! Always. Because I was a monster.

I AM a monster.

I'M A MONSTER!

And as much as I wish I could avoid it, I have no hope of ever being anything but a monster. And I can do nothing but hurt people. Everyone I see is hurt, as well as their families and friends and villages and beliefs and- and- and I never wanted this! And I would wake up crying.

Except tonight, tonight I wake up with the strangest feeling. I'm floating. I'm flying! And I can feel the weightlessness and joy radiating off of me. The snakes! They're gone! I see a lock of hair- real hair! And it's mine! I'm not a monster; I'm a woman! And then I realize this must be a dream. The most realistic dream yet, which means that it'll hurt even more to wake up.

"Look up, Medusa." a voice echoes. When's the last time someone actually told me to look at them? I obeyed and looked through the swirling darkness.

"Who- who's there?" I whisper. "What do you want?"

"I want nothing, but I have something that I can give to you."

"What could I possibly want? I'm the happiest I've ever been!"

"Would you like to rest, Medusa? Would you like to leave the horrors of the world and sit with your family?"

Maybe it was the way he said my name. Maybe it was the offer to be released from the world. Maybe it was the fact that my family had all died while I was a monster. Whatever the reason, I realized that I did in fact want all of those things.

"Yes, yes!"

"Then follow me to your new home."

And it was at that moment that I realized, with great joy, that I had finally died. Goodbye, harsh cruel and unforgiving world. I'll be enjoying the afterlife.


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So, yeah. I've always had a problem with how Medusa is portrayed. It seems to me that she is merely a victim, forced into the ways of evil by the one who is later portrayed as a hero. Also, did you know that FanFiction doesn't have Medusa as a character tag? Seriously, I tried to label character 1 as Medusa, but it wouldn't let me. That makes me want to write more... Anyways, in case you couldn't tell, Perseus (thank you to moonlight magic () for correcting that) came and killed her at the end. I figured that since she was sleeping, she wouldn't know what happened. Hope you enjoyed, and please give me some constructive feedback!

~Chika