The Seeds of Wrath

4

My lungs felt as if they had been set aflame by the time that I stopped running. I hadn't heard anything following me for a long while now, but I hadn't stopped, for fear of whatever it was finding me all over again. The sun had sunk below the edge of the beach by now, casting a soft, silver glow over everything in sight. The world was hushed, as if it had been put to sleep by the gentle light. I slowed my pace, eventually coming to a stop. Gasping for air, I clutched myside, which wasn't in pain, but was tingling.

Once I had caught my breath, I looked around to be sure that I was indeed in a safe place. I'd stopped somewhere I didn't recognize, the homes looking much larger than I was used to. After looking around for a minute and walking around, I found muself face-to-face with the perfect solution.

The home had obviously been abandoned for a while. The doors were barely being held up by the hinges, the ceiling slightly caved in. I knew that it wouldn't be optimal nor would I be able to stay for long, but it would work just for one night. Not giving myself any time to talk myself out of it, I stepped to the door, opening it with a lot of effort, the door groaning painfully.
Once inside, I inspected the living room; I didn't want to go any further into the house, for fear of it falling down around me. The house was boarded up for good reason; the couch that had once been usable was eaten to it's skeleton. The chairs were covered in dust and something I didn't want to touch. I let out a sigh of relief when I didn't immediately find any rodents.

I unshouldered my backpack, setting up a makeshift bed on the floor using a blanket that I'd stuffed in it on my way out of my home. Holding it close to my body, my eyes welled up with tears as I smelled the familiar scents of home. I laid down on the floor, hugging it close and using my backpack as a pillow.

That's when I heard something move just out of my view, startling me to sit up. "The night is predicted to be cold. Are you sure that you want to sleep here?" I spun around, bolting upright, my eyes focusing on the only other figure in the room. She stood just inside the doorway, her face unreadable behind the dark sunglasses she wore. Otherwise, she wore a long, black dress that was accessorized with a gold chain around the middle. "I have somewhere that you can stay, if you're not too frightened by my appearance."

Her hair began to move as if on it's own; a strange hissing noise building in the room. At first, I lurched to my feet, pulling my blanket and backpack from the floor. Where were the snakes? When I stepped backwards, my foot crashed through the floor, my heart leaping in my chest. Once I pulled my foot from the newfound hole in the floor, I looked back up to the intruder.
That's when the fear took hold of my hear. The noise wasn't coming from the house, however it was coming from her. I squinted in the dark, my heart pounding in my ears and starting to give me a headache. Her hair wasn't hair at all, but an amalgamation of snakes that were braided around each other so tightly that they resembled hair.

I tightened my grip on my stuff. "W-who are you?" Without the answer, I had the sinking feeling that I knew exactly who I was up against. My blanket wasn't going to be enough to save me this time. I'd been taught basic Greek Myths, but I hadn't believed a single thing from it. Now, standing before me, I was sure was Medusa.
She flicked one of the snakes that had moved to try to lick her face, her face stony behind her sunglasses. "You know who I am, young one. Do not be afraid of me, please. I don't wish you any harm. I only want to help you to find a warm place for you to rest your head and maybe some food that you can consume." She raised her hands level with her head in surrender, her snakes seeming to mirror her hands, looking comedically like a pair of moose antlers as they writhed and wriggled in their position.

"But you're a...a..." I faltered, my mind moving to her story. I frowned to myself, my heart finally slowing back to its normal pace.
"A monster? No. I am no more a monster than a victim is the aggressor. I was punished for a wrong that I had no control over. Would a monster want to help you to find shelter?" Medusa's voice was soft, almost bitter as if she was recounting memories she'd rather forget. I tightened my grip on the blanket, finally pulling myself from my frozen state.