After The Sunset The Stars As My Witness

“Perseus” his mother’s voice whispered as she shook him softly out of his deep sleep. “Yes, mama?” he responded, struggling to open his eyes in the moonlit room.

“Come on,” she said,as she grabbed his hand. “Follow me,” she dragged him to the kitchen. “Hold this… and this and…” Danae went on and on as she tossed things into Perseus’ arms. Perseus stood still rolling his eyes, humoured by the fact that he actually thought his mother was going to let him make a decision that would conflict with hers or make her starve.

Danae was prepared to fight Perseus with threats dosed with guilt but he hadn't put up a fight. Perseus had been silent as she packed up their belongings, he had been silent as they went to the ship and now that they were on the ship and far away from Seriphus, all that was left of it were glimmers of light scattered on the dark island as small as Perseus’ enthusiasm and hopes for greater things now.

“You know?” Danae nudged Perseus “Those stars” She pointed at the ocean of stars. “The ones that make up a mermaid” He followed the direction Danae pointed at, but he couldn’t see the mermaid his mother spoke of, instead he saw his conquest, a star-aligned silhouette of a head filled with snakes, even the sky made a mockery of him now. “Do you see it?” Perseus nodded, hoping they’d stare at the stars in silence. “In the palace garden in Argos, you can only see it on this weirdly shaped peach tree… or was it a cherry tree, I can't quite remember but we use…” Perseus nodded after every few words his mother said so she would feel like she had an audience, an attentive audience, but all that ran through his mind was the gorgon's head and the triumph of his name.

“Mama” He hesitantly cut through his mother's biography he had heard multiple times. She was instantly silent, sensing an argument looming between them.

“Why…” He took a deep breath, finding a way to word his question without causing a tempest. “Why was I seen as a threat? '' That was the best he could do but the expression painted across his mother's face indicated that he didn't mince his words well enough.

“And who said that?” she said forgetting the many occasions she had said it under the influence of her emotions

You did, he was tempted to say but he swallowed his tongue so the venom would be digested. “They were uncomfortable raising a child whose father was unknown. So I was sent away to search for your father. During the search, I stumbled upon someone who informed me you were indeed the son of Zeus. They said we couldn't return home immediately so they put us in a chest and told me that Pesiodon would take us to a safe place where no one would try to hurt us and once you had come of age we could return to Argos and share the news. I was the problem not you” She said abruptly, rising to her feet and looking down at Perseus, disappointment staining the sharp silence between them. “I have told you this numerous times and you still ask me this” She stormed off, not giving him a chance to respond or apologize. He had heard the story over and over again and like all the times he had heard the story he was left with more questions than answers. He was left with the stars who probably witnessed everything unfold those years ago but couldn't answer his questions yet.

Watching the stars Medusa manifested stories she had made up in her head. Medusa was surrounded by the statues she had sculpted by hand and not her deadly enchanting gaze. Two of the statues incomplete. One of the statues was of her and her sisters before the curse. Euryale, seated like a mermaid on a rock, hip on the rock while her fins pointed out into the ominous ocean. One of her hands buried into her untamed afro, fluffy like cotton and the clouds above, with her mischievous smile always cooking up some trouble. Her hair was her pride and joy, she wouldn't let anyone touch it. Stheno stood behind Euryale with her arm wrapped around Medusa’s waist. Her face firm with no hint of a smile but somehow warm, her thick curly hair she almost always had tied up, in the statue her hair was left to flow with the imaginary wind. Everyone preferred her like that, free. Then there was Medusa with her arm dangling over Stheno’s shoulder but no face to the body. Maybe she forgot how she looked liked before. The second statue was almost unsculpted and it was hard to makeup what it could have beeen,a prophesy, an object or…

“Perseus!” Someone yelled warmly but with a hidden blizzard in their voice as they approached Perseus, who was drowning in thought as he stared into the lifeless ocean and night. Before Perseus could look back to see who it was he felt a heavy hand rest on his shoulder, and the strong scent of the ocean that came with the person smelt familiar. He looked back only to see it was the captain of the ship, he had never met him before but it felt like he did. His stomach stabbed, he didn't know whether the captain made him nervous or curious or even sick. “So you’re the young man that shall slay the Majestic gorgon,” he said with amusement dancing all over his wrinkly face. Perseus nodded and looked back into the sky, hoping the captain would understand that he only wanted to be in the company of his own thoughts. “Brave of you to bring your mother along this dangerous quest” He said movig closely beside him not leaving space for even the wind to breathe between them.

Perseus slid two steps away still looking at the night “I am not going on the quest anymore” he said in the most unwelcoming way he could. “And why is that,” the captain asked. “Family affairs” Perseus sighed aggressively hoping the captain could sense his annoyance which was as clear as the night sky. “That’s a shame. The power your name, descendants and your ancestors before you were going to have. You would be known more than she is, feared more than she is and never forgotten.” Perseus didn’t respond not even with body language as if nothing was said “Zeus would be proud” at the mention of his fathers name his body stiffened as he slowly turned to face the captain. “And have you ever met him or this gorgon you paster me about?” He asked. “Yes” the captain unhesitently said, Perseus hoped he would say no so he had to tell the captain to leave him alone. “Then tell me about it, this gorgon you’re so invested in,” he said pretending to be interested “Well, I haven't officially met the Majestic Gorgon, but met people who have. Some say she was an evil spirit that manifested into the monster we know, Some say it was a punishment from Zeus because she disrespected him, some say she…”

“And which one of theses truths is the truth” Perseus impatiently interrupted the captain. “Whichever you decide… and it best you know little so you don't empathise with her.”

“And why would I empathise with a monster?” Perseus laughed under his breath.

“Monsters are born and monsters are made, someone really special to me once said” the captain smiled looking away , Perseus watched him smile as he reminisced and watched him realise that he could never go back to that time no matter how happy it made him for a moment. “If you do change your mind, my boy. I could help you to start off ” he said drained like the memory he had sucked some life out of him. He finally left Perseus to himself, though Perseus was curious of what could have changed the old man’s mood but he was more relieved to be left alone.

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NB: This is one of my many books I started and attempted to finish. The above story is a Medusa retelling inspired by many stories, articles, blog post, forums and pinterest art depictions I consumed through the year. My fascination with Medusa started in 2018, which is also when my curiosity for Greek mythology began. In 2022 is when I finally began to write this story with hopes to be done with it by 2023. I am still working on it and thought I could publish what I have written so far so I could stop constantly editing what I've written so far. I will try to publish a chapter a week. The characters in the story are from the stories I've read and some have been created. This is a Fictional story and is not an accurate depiction of the Mythology, locations and characters. The CONTENT WARNING is for the future chapters that maybe graphic or triggering to the reader.

Thank you for reading!!!

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