In Greece, only five hundred years after Zeus took the world from the Titans, misogyny is barely known. Women are allowed to be vibrant and independent, and are well represented by figures such as Kore after being renamed Persephone, “Chaos Bringer”, and Artemis, chaste goddess of the hunt.
But one woman wishes that someone would help.
Her name was Sappheire. She was named for the glinting blue of her eyes, which was ironic, since she was completely blind. But not much was known about blindness and not many believed in it.
So she learned the streets without help, memorized the never changing prices in the market, and learned to cook by feeling around first.
She still loved exploring, however. Despite the warnings of a snake haired woman who could turn you to stone just by looking into your eyes, she explored. It would have no effect on her, she reasoned. Her eyes didn’t work.
One day, she wandered too far. She could feel the air cooling, hear the birds begin to quiet and head home. She knew the sun was going down.
She felt stone beneath her feet, and wandered along it. Maybe she had found a cave? Either way, she would have to somehow find shelter so she could find her way back to the dusty dirt roads of home.
She felt along, and soon her suspicions were confirmed. She felt the mouth of a cave start to open, and ducked inside. She breathed a sigh of relief, sinking to the ground. She would be safe here tonight.
A chuckle came from what sounded like the back of the cave. Sappheire directed her ear toward the sound.
Footsteps approached her. “It’s been a long time since we ate, hasn’t it?” There was snakelike hissing in response, and the footsteps stopped in front of Sappheire.
Sappheire shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut instinctively, Her chin was grabbed roughly, and she was forced to face the other person in the cave. Her eyes were forced open by what felt like a tiny jaw.
Her eyes were wide with fear, but they couldn’t see the piercing emerald green orbs staring back into hers.
The gorgon held her position for a minute. Two. Still, it did nothing. She dropped the girl’s (rather cute) chin in disgust. “Why isn’t this working?!”
Finally, the girl began to say something, and when she did, the snake- haired lady decided she liked this girl’s voice better even than Kalliope’s.
“M-Medusa?” She stammered.
Medusa rolled her eyes. “Oh, what gave me away. The snake hair or the face?” She quipped sarcastically.
The girl paused, and Medusa mentally kicked herself. The first girl she didn’t petrify, for whatever reason, and she was going to drive her away!
She had to, though. She would only bring the poor girl sadness and loss.
“W-well, I can’t see either, actually.” The girl said timidly. She stood, flailing her arm out as if blindly grabbing for something. She found Medusa’s shoulder and trailed her hand down her arm, grabbing her hand and shaking it. “I’m Sappheire.”
Medusa shook her hand warily. “Are you sure you should be giving me your name? Those hold great power.”
Sappheire shrugged. “I know yours, so it’s only fair.”
Medusa blinked. That was a first.
She shook her head. “Shouldn’t you be terrified of me?”
Sappheire gave her an odd look. “Why? My eyes don’t work, so you can’t hurt me. I’ve never heard of you actually killing someone, so I’m not particularly worried about that. Something tells me you’re just lonely, but you drive people away so you don’t hurt them. And when they don’t heed your warnings… Well, that’s where the ‘terrifying gorgon’ rumors come from.”
Medusa scowled. “What would you know about that?”
Sappheire gave her a sad smile, and Medusa’s eyes were drawn to hers again. “More than you know.” She said.
Oh. Was all Medusa could think. The humans wouldn’t understand Sappheire’s blindness. They probably didn’t believe in it. Sappheire was probably left to figure out the things others took for granted, learning it slowly, left behind by others when she took too long.
Sappheire was probably very lonely.
The girl groaned, drawing Medusa’s attention to her. Her eyes were closed, but not in fear. “Medusa?”
Medusa blinked, not used to hearing her voice without fear dripping from it. “Yes?”
“Can I stay here tonight? I don’t think I can find my way back to the village before dark.”
Medusa’s heart leaped into her throat. No one had ever asked to stay with her. No one. She felt… happy.
She let a few moments pass before she had to ask the question that ate away at her. “Sappheire?”
Sappheire opened her eyes. “No. But when I got in here, and all I knew was that I heard dark chuckling and footsteps, and I didn’t know who it was, I was afraid. If I had known it was you, I wouldn’t have been.”
Medusa paused. She looked down. “You’re very foolish.”
“So I’ve been told…” Sappheire sighed. Her breathing deepened. She was asleep.
Morning came, and Medusa had decided to help her back to the village. She could feel some sort of blossoming in her heart, echoes of things she hadn’t felt in centuries. But humans were not meant to be near her. It would be selfish to let her stay.
But still, she stayed up all night hunting. It took her a while to catch a prey without it even glancing into her eye, so she could feed some non- stone to Sappheire.
She cooked it over a smoky fire (she didn’t know how to find kindling that wouldn’t smoke quite so much), which woke Sappheire. The girl stood and began making her way to the fire, and Medusa rushed to help her.
“No, I can handle it.” Sappheire told her.
Medusa stepped back. Of course. She was a gorgon, of course Sappheire didn’t want her to touch her.
Sappheire seemed to sense this. “No, it’s not that. I just… Like to feel independent in some respects, even if I’d like help other times.” She smiled. “I promise, if I need help, I’ll let you help me.”
Medusa looked up at the raven-haired girl. “Promise…” Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry, but that word means nothing to me.”
Sappheire looked at her unseeingly, but feeling the pain in those words. She stumbled over, feeling around for Medusa’s hand before holding it in both of hers. “Medusa? I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Do you want to talk about it?”
Medusa looked down. “I… Poseidon. The reason I’m like this. He masqueraded as a woman to me. Promised me he loved me. Then he took me to the temple of Athena- that poor woman, I bear no grudge for her- and Athena got rightfully angry. She exposed him and turned my hair to snakes. Now, I petrify everyone I look at. I…”
Medusa looked down. “I don’t want to do it. I don’t mean to. I hate this. I-”
Sappheire wrapped her arms around Medusa, and Medusa stopped her sentence. Medusa let her hands hang, unsure of what to do “Why are you…”
Sappheire smiled. “You sounded like you needed it.”
Medusa let her hands wrap around Sappheire. Whatever the reason for Sappheire’s immunity to her power, be it her blindness or Aphrodite cutting her a break, she was going to make it last until Sappheire went back.
“I’m not going back.” Sappheire stated. She tried to look Medusa in the eye while she said it, to assert herself, but wound up looking closer to her nose.
Medusa was in shock. “Wha- why not?”
Sappheire’s eyes widened. “D-do you want me to? Gods, I didn’t even consider your feelings, did I, and you would have to be the one to feed me, I’m sorry-”
Medusa cut her off. “No, I do want you to, but why do you want to?”
Sappheire blushed. “I don’t know, I just like it here…”
Medusa grinned from ear to ear. “Okay.”
Sappheire’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Medusa nodded. “Of course.”
It was a year later, exactly. It was fifty- one weeks after they’d started dating.
They sat, holding hands, at the top of a hill full of flowers.
Medusa rested her head on Sappheire’s shoulder, and Sappheire used her free hand to affectionately play with the snakes that had grown quite fond of her.
“Sometimes I wish you could see this. It really is beautiful.” Medusa mumbled.
Sappheire smiled. “If I could, I wouldn’t be here. So, funny as it sounds, I thank the gods every day that I can’t see it.
Medusa raised her head, turning to look at Sappheire. “I’m so glad I met you.”
“I’m glad I met you too.”
Medusa put a gentle hand on the side of Sappheire’s face, guiding it gently toward her own. Sappheire hoped she guessed what was coming and leaned forward.
Their lips met in a soft and gentle yet prolonged kiss. Sappheire wrapped her arms around Medusa and Medusa put her hands on Sappheire’s back.
Sappheire was the first to break their first kiss. “I love you, Medusa.” She whispered.
Medusa smiled tearfully. She never thought she’d hear those words again, much less believe them. But here she was. “I love you, too.” And she swiftly moved forward to initiate their second, but certainly not their last, kiss.
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