MEDUSA, THE TRAGEDY

animal stone island

Dear Mother,

I have just finished my training as a priestess! Oh, how long I have waited for this day. You know I have always longed to become a servant of the great Athena.

Tomorrow, I shall be sent off to the Parthenon, where I shall stay for the rest of my life.

The gods are with me, Mother. They have heard my prayers.

Praise Athena.

Your daughter,

Medusa.

***

The Parthenon's white marble gleamed in the hot sunlight that shone down on the Acropolis. Priestesses went about their daily rituals, carrying platters of incense, phasing between areas of shade and light.

Columns loomed all about, giants made by the gods themselves.

The priestesses hummed a meditative tune, the smoke erupting from the bowls wrapping around them, coating every inch of their bodies in the sickly sweet scent of myrrh and lavender.

Among them, a beautiful woman, with hair the colour of oak, eyes dark and mysterious, natural and finding beauty through just a few adornments; a purple toga, large bronze earrings, and a snake band around the tanned skin of her arm.

They make their way inside the temple, where a large statue of Athena, carved out of ivory and gold, stares down at them in divine glory.

This is her temple, a way to honour the patron saint of Athens, the greatest city in the world.

The one priestess, looking up at the statue, is eager. it has been only a few days since she became a priestess, and she is happy to worship the Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom.

She looks up to Athena, seeing her as an idol, an image of beauty and domination. Being the goddess of virginity, priestesses must remain chaste for all their days of service.

This is a problem for most men, for Medusa is highly sought after by many men, but being chaste, she has sworn never to have any male contact.

As night approaches, the priestesses retire for the evening, and relax.

***

In the bedroom, where all the priestesses sleep:

Empusa: "Today was a good day, wasn't it, girls?"
Plemptra: "I agree."
Medusa: "..."

***

The Transformation

She collapsed onto her knees, agonising pain rushing through every inch of her body. Pale moonlight shone down on her, as her eyes turned black and evil. Her long brown hair, once beautiful and glimmering, began falling off, and in its place, poisonous snakes erupted from her scalp.

She screamed a heart-wrenching scream, as she convulsed, and tore at her skin. Her tanned colour became faded and broken, cracked and ugly.

The snakes writhed, and bit at her face, squabbling amongst one another.

Her teeth became razor-sharp fangs, and her nails grew into menacing claws, made of solid bronze.

Medusa had become a monster, and Athena revelled in the revenge atop Mount Olympus.

Hobbling out of the house, Medusa saw a rabbit running across the

No one would bare to look at her anymore. She had to get away from the temple. She ran across the courtyard, hobbling, feeling the effects of her terrible transformation wearing away.

As she arrived in the forests of Athens, she stopped and rested against a tree, and looked up at the moon...

I eventually arrived at the River Styx, the River of the Dead. It reeked of death, a low mist...

The island of Colchis...where I found a temple, surrounded by a beautiful garden. And from there, my statues grew in number...