30 Days of Undead Summer

#MythicMonday

Narcissus's family assumed that the young man had wasted away by that fateful lake, so enthralled with his own reflection that he simply forgot to eat or drink. Narcissus didn't die by that lake, however. Or rather, he did - and yet he was still alive, in certain aspects.

When Narcissus shoved open of his father's house, the man was understandably confused.

"Narcissus!" his father exclaimed. "Is it truly you? By Hades, how are you alive?"

Narcissus did not reply. He swayed slightly, mouth hanging open stupidly.

"Narciss - " his father began, but never got to finish, because Narcissus suddenly growled and lunged forward, sinking his teeth into his father's unprotected flesh.

His father screamed, falling back, only kept aloft by his son's teeth in his shoulder. Narcissus drew back from his father, and the man crumpled to the floor. A maid carrying a large pot of water for the man's bath hurried into the hallway at just the wrong moment and screamed at the sight of both the bloodstained Narcissus and his seemingly dead father. The pot tumbled from her hands, rolling to a stop, mostly emptied of water, in front of the corpse.

The corpse was not yet a corpse after all, however. The man groaned in pain, lifting his head slightly with great effort. He caught sight of himself in the reflection of the water left in the pot and froze.

The maid was sobbing by now, and paralyzed with fear.

As Narcissus's father reached out wonderingly toward his reflection, murmuring, "How beautiful," Narcissus stumbled over the man and launched himself at the maid.

Her screams and pleas were quickly cut off.

For the remainder of the night, Narcissus moved swiftly through his town, infecting all that he could find: man, woman, or child, it mattered not.

In his wake, he left a trail of his dazed victims, paralyzed with love at the sight of their own reflection.

Narcissus's curse had been worse than all had feared, for it had not just touched the young man - it had infected all that he bit.