Chapter 8
Another identity crisis. Can't people just pretend to be who they should be? I should've seen this earlier. But I didn't. I never see them. I should've seen through Auntie Em. I should've seen through her like Grover did. I should've known she was Medusa.
I mean who else wears snake skin stockings, has green fingernails and wears a turban all over the place. Only I wouldn't have seen that.
"Corrie!" Grover hollers, "Get down!" As I did, a swift arrow launches over my head. It gets Auntie Em right between her eyes. I kneel there in a state of shock. I am lost in time. I sit there.
Reality check. I am kneeling on a cushion. The roof of the coop has already disappeared. Auntie Em has just revealed herself to be Medusa. Grover, standing at the hallway, has just shot an arrow at Medusa. I am shocked.
Medusa rises once again. She pulls out the arrow in her head and grins. The snakes around her head constantly hiss at me, one of them even snaps. Medusa slaps me. I feel the stingging sensation on my face. It hurts. But what hurts even more is my back. The wound has started to open again – the one from the Manticore. Grover's spell was wearing off. The pain was overbearing.
My eyes stare blankly into space. Grover charges at Medusa. This throws her off balance. "Run!" I hear, but I was still in a daze. "Run!" I hear again, this time it was louder. I try to lift my legs and run, but they are numb from the pain. I can't take it anymore. I breakdown and cry. The more I cry, the dryer my eyes feel. The venom from the scorpion is getting to me. I try to shout for help but no sound comes out.
I'm doomed, I tell myself. That was true. If I didn't run in the next ten seconds, I would be. Out of the blue, Grover pushes me out of the way. I fall on my elbows, mostly unharmed. Grover on the other hand, was bleeding. In his abdomen was a glistening blade, which belonged to Medusa. I felt hopeless now. Grover was about to die. I had no more hope. I also felt angry. Angry at myself for not moving. Angry at Medusa for killing my only hope.
That's right. It was all Medusa's fault. Anger started to empower me. I was full of hate. I wanted to rip Medusa apart. I shot up. Even though I was without a weapon, I charged. I charged at Medusa. What was I thinking back there? How could I kill a snake lady with a bad hair day without a weapon?
But that was the amazing thing. I started to be on fire. I was in flames. I myself was shocked too. I have never been this way. However, I continued to charge. Now, I had a weapon.
Now, Medusa was taken aback. What kind of child had such courage to kill Medusa? I wasn't going to retreat like my previous battles. This time, I had the upperhand. I had the element of surprise. I continued to charge towards Medusa.
The battle was about to end. I could feel it. The only thing I didn't know was the winner. Something wasn't right. I could feel it in my bones. I stopped in my tracks. Medusa was now emitting a different aura.
Or maybe it wasn't Medusa.
Anyway, I wanted Medusa to die. I wanted to end this fight so badly. I wanted to treat Grover's wound. He was about to die, especially if he was losing anymore blood. I summoned all my power. In my hands was a flaming ball about the size of a bowling ball. I shot it towards Medusa. She gasped.
And then she disappeared.