Allura had only ever had four senses, rather than the five. She could hear, touch, smell, and taste. Allura relied on these four senses to make up for the one that she unfortunately did not have- sight.
She had a very simple life nonetheless. But, like most teenagers, she desired more. Living in a small town with all people you've known from your childhood could certainly grow to be quite boring.
But there was one thing that was happening today that did not happen often. Allura was to turn eighteen that day. And she couldn't have been more excited.
Allura heard a knock at her door, and her uncle Coran going to answer it. And then she heard their voices.
Her best friends had come to visit - with presents. There was Lance McClain, Keith Kogane, Katie Holt, Hunk Garrett, Nyma Reynolds, and Romelle Maximoff.
Coran walked out the room as Allura's closest friends sang 'happy birthday' to her; Lance leading, of course.
But then suddenly, there was a cry for help from outside, and everyone went silent. Allura's uncle ran into the room to lock and cover all of the doors and windows in the house.
"What's happening?" Katie asked, trying to peek out of one of the windows.
"It's her. She's returned," was Coran's only response. Naturally, no one understood it.
"Who?" Romelle inquired. "Is she pretty?" Lance and Nyma said at the same time, then high-fived, laughing hysterically.
"Something tells me this isn't someone we should be joking about." Hunk warned, but his friends just waved him off because he was known to have totally irrational fears, and Coran wouldn't tell them much else.
Then they heard another scream; which was immediately silenced.
"Is it Mothman?" Keith whispered, breaking the silence.
"Coran said it's a her." Katie whispered back with a dismissive roll of her eyes.
"Mothwoman..?" Lance suggested hesitantly.
"Mothwoman doesn't exist, Lance," Allura chuckled, unable to see her friends but adoring the fact that she could still hear them.
More screams. What was even weirder was that they were almost immediately silenced each and every time.
Coran walked back into the room and ordered for everyone to stay low and keep quiet; a task that proved to be rather difficult for a room of bored yet also confused teenagers.
Coran hated 'being the adult.' It was much easier, and more fun, to treat the kids as equals and sometimes even play along with their jokes. But in this situation, he had no choice. Coran viewed Allura, and all of her best friends, as his own children (to put it simply.) He did not want for them to be turned to stone by the monster that was making her way through their town. What he was doing was for the best - but would it really work until Medusa left?
Eventually, Keith figured it out, with a bit of help from Katie.
"It has to be Medusa," he lowered his voice just so that Coran would not have to remind them again to be quiet.
Lance let out a partly surprised, partly terrified shriek. Keith covered his mouth and gave him the stink eye.
"That..would make sense," Allura sighed from her chair, slowly rocking back and forth. "Coran..?"
Everyone except for Allura looked to Coran almost desperately, even Keith and Katie, who were pretty sure they'd cracked the code.
"Yes," Coran replied hesitantly. "It's Medusa. She has returned."
Lance removed Keith's hand so that he could speak clearly. "What about my family? What if they're- what if they're... what if she already got to them..?"
Katie's eyes widened. "What about my family? I don't know what I would do if..."
"And Shiro?" Keith frowned quite visibly. "And Adam? And Krolia?"
"I don't know." Coran was clearly shaking, knowing there was nothing he could do to calm anyone else in the room, or even himself.
That only made the three kids worry more.
As it turned out, all they could do was wait.
