Chapter 7: A New Dawn

I don’t know how long Perseus carried me through the woods. It has been so long since I have seen nature with my own eyes. We finally reach a house. It’s a small wooden hut. Inside, there is light; it looks like the witch’s house from the fairytale I once read about those two siblings. I think the house was made of cookies, but this one isn’t. Perseus knocks on the door. “Who are you?” said the voice of an old lady. “Serpia.” “Come on in.” Serpia is what Athena said to me right before she turned my hair into snakes. “Is it the right painting?” the witch asked. I’m guessing it’s Hecate. “Of course, I’m no idiot.” He put me on the table. I could now see the ceiling. What were they going to do? Or what was she going to do? I doubt that Perseus can cast a spell. She can’t reverse Pasiphae’s spell, can she? “Piertotum Locomotor,” what the— “Is it working?” I hear Perseus asking. “We’ll find out in a few seconds.”

I wake up to the sound of birds and a fresh breeze of wind coming from the forest. The bed I’m lying in is soft and warm. Wait, what? Soft and warm? A bed? I get up. I’m standing. Standing on a floor. I can stretch. I can feel the snakes on my head. I can feel them touching my cheeks. Someone is entering the room.

“Good morning, Medusa.” It’s Perseus. His green eyes are staring at me. It’s as if his eyes are the forest. I haven’t felt anyone in so long, which is why I can’t control myself and run toward Perseus and hug him. I put my arms around his waist. He isn’t afraid of me. He doesn’t turn away from me. Instead, he puts his hands around my body. It feels good, knowing that there is a person out there who accepts you for who you are. He removes his arms from my body and looks at me. “Should we go outside for a walk?” “I would love that.”

The forest is a haven, a break from the museum. The museum was either too loud or too quiet. Perseus approaches me cautiously. “Medusa,” he starts, his voice is soft, “I’ve been thinking. You know, about all those stories, those lies. “I meet his gaze. “What about them?” He takes a step closer, and I can hear his footsteps on the ground. “I’ve come to realize they’re not the whole truth. There’s more to you than just the rumors, the lies.” I remain silent. It was a weird feeling when he defended me while I was still in the painting, but him saying these words when I am standing in front of him in flesh and blood is completely different. “I see you, beyond this.” He points his finger at my snakes. They are hissing. However, I don’t think that they want to attack him. “There’s something… more. Something beautiful that’s been hidden away.” “Why would you bother seeing past the facade?” “Because,” he says, meeting my gaze, “I refuse to believe that anyone deserves this fate. There’s humanity beneath this curse, Medusa.” His words touch something deep inside me, stirring emotions I haven’t felt in ages. “Why risk helping me?” I ask, my voice filled with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. “Because some things are worth fighting for,” Perseus replies with a soft smile. “Even if it means going against what everyone believes.” “Perseus,” I whisper, “thank you for seeing me, not just the monster that Poseidon and Athena created.” I want to touch his hand. I want to hold his hand. Poseidon never said such words to me. To him, I was merely a trophy. Something for him to put on his shelf. Perseus, on the other hand, sees me.