The moonlight filtered softly over the pale stone of large marble columns, no other light illuminated the open air hallways of the crumbling castle on the edge of the coast. The moon painted the area with a form of romantic beauty. The fine marble sculptures, the only thing not crumbling and shattered in the old castle seemed to almost breathe as the minutes pass. When the moon is aligned straight over head a loud cracking splits the otherwise silent night.

"Oh no, I'm late!" a female says as she rushes over the rubble towards the room where all of the statues are gathered a large back of soft strange leather thrown over her shoulder bounces against her strong back. As she approaches the statues crack and shed the outer shells and men and women are revealed all releasing loud groans of pain and fatigue. The young woman enters under a large crumbling archway to see the crowd of 20 or 23 men and women turning to look at her all of which gasp and scramble trying to move away.

"Be calm!" a male voice splits the air as a tall lean man with short black hair strolls past the people laying on the ruin floor, he looks around him before saying "She means us no harm. She bares food and drink for all." He turns to look at the strange female "Welcome." he says leaning to stroke her cheek. She smiles up at him through the emerald veil covering her eyes as the tendrils of her locks curl around his wrists. The woman turns back and slides to right before the crowd of frightened people and places the bag before reaching in and pulling out four pitchers of wine and goblets for each individual.

She then looks up and says "I apologize for the situation you have all been forced into but your new lives will consist of this. You will be stone statues. But once a lunar cycle you will be allowed to walk as mortals for two nights then will be returned to a statue the following morning."

The man steps up beside her "Be warned if you do not return here by two days time you will be unprotected. This ruin is a safe place for our kind and you will live for eternity. We can not protect your stone if you are not in this courtyard each month."

The man then lifts the bag and pours a feast of fruit dried meats and nuts from the bag, "The choice is yours, Medusa and I have made this agreement many years prior and have been together for many years. Now eat and take your monthly adventure." he says before grabbing an apple and then taking Medusa's hand leading her away from the group and toward the courtyard with a large fountain in the center.

"Has it really been 100 years?" he asks biting the apple and looking out onto the ocean as Medusa slithers around the fountain before resting on the edge.

"Yes," she says quietly as the salty wind twirls her white dressings around the red scaly tail that replaced her legs just over 100 years ago, "Olympus has begun to forget me the Gods are no longer angry, and you are now immortal, Michalis." Medusa says quietly. Michalis walks over to sit beside her. He reaches out to take her soft cheek into his palm and smile.

"I have missed you my love," he says leaning in to kiss her lips tilting her head up and to pull her upper body against his strong chest which she promptly melts into.