❛The hero isn't supposed to love the monster...❜ A retelling of the story of Medusa. Medusa has been cursed since birth, a monster feared and hated by all. Longing to see the world but resigned to her cruel fate, Medusa expects to spend the rest of her days alone on her island, where she cannot hurt anyone. When a wounded soldier suddenly appears on her shores, Medusa begins to wonder if the Fates have another destiny in store for her.

For years, Madelyn's worst fears have only resided in her head, feeding off her heightened sense of her surroundings and unfortunate experiences and accidents in her past. That's why her schooling is more than just assignments, tests, and high school drama. The Eralyn Academy of Secondary Education provides her with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to develop her special ability. It's her safe haven, a place where she can strive to one day control her ability and anxiety - at least, it is until things take a deadly turn. When Madelyn is dared to sign up for the school's joke of a dating app, she reluctantly complies. But when she arrives on the first date, she realizes that she's been matched with a dead man. Caught up in an investigation and ruminations running wild, Madelyn seeks to uncover who the real murderer is in a desperate attempt to outrun one increasingly deafening thought: Is she a killer? *Open Door Awards 2024 - Honorable Mention for Mystery/ Thriller 3x Featured: @Fright @Mystery & @Action Trigger Warnings: Themes of death, anxiety/ ocd, and ptsd.