The Soul of a Monster

        A fair maiden lay staring at the clouds.

        Her soft hair melted into the grass as she day dreamed. It wasn’t not as though she could even see the clouds. A mishap with the blessings of the gods perhaps, born out of wedlock with the palest of blue in her gaze. She opened her eyes but she saw darkness.

        Driven from her home at 10, the girl ran until her feet bled. Her grief and desperation lead her feet to a seaside village. She’d stayed there for ten years, taking refuge in a temple. Eating what little she could beg for and praying to whomever would listen.

        A year later she knew she had to leave. A man told her Sarpedon, an island off the shore, was isolated. She’d taken a boat, paying with whatever she could find and within a day, the peace of a deserted island was hers.

        She found a treasure on that island. A trio of sisters, who befriended her. They caught her fish and fed her, even adding rare spices. When she’d asked where they acquired such spices, they’d told her they were gifts from whoever visited the island. They taught her how to sing and cared for her.

        Soon she spent all her time with the sisters, becoming best friends and even something more with one.

        “My love? We have to eat now.” A voice rang out and the maiden turned her weight to the side facing the direction of the voice. It was her favorite of the sisters and her lover, Medusa. She never did know why Medusa did not let her touch her face, but she still loved her regardless. Even without knowing how the woman looked, her jokes never failed to leave her giggling on the ground and her laugh made the maiden’s heart beat with joy. This was the kind of love her teachers had mentioned. Pragma. Forever love.

        “I wanted to watch the clouds. I’m sure they are beautiful,” the maiden explained and Medusa shook her head. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but she laid down beside the woman anyway.

        “Whatever you’d like my dear. I suppose we can spare some time. Just a little bit…” The maiden chuckled and shifted so she could lay right up against Medusa’s shoulder, burying her face into the woman’s shoulder.

        “Hey Medusa?” she started after a pause. And the woman in questioned hummed a yes.

        “Why can’t I feel your face?” The silence made her almost regret asking, but she waited. She could feel the sun against her skin, no doubt dipping down below the horizon.

        “I am afraid,” her lover replied, a small shake in her voice. The sun-kissed woman sighed deeply and shifted next to her.

        “Kyveli, I fear so deeply that I’ll disappoint you. That you’ll feel my face and realize...” Medusa pursed her lips and Kyveli frowned. She turned and sat up, hearing Medusa do the same until they were face to face.

        “That I’ll realize what? I don’t care for looks, I can’t even see the clouds or the sun or... really anything. All I see is fog! I don’t care what you may look like, I will love you the same. The love I feel for your soul is what I care about.”

        Medusa sighed happily and the two relaxed, arms holding onto one another, as if they were both adrift in a storm and didn’t know how to swim. After a while, between their quiet breaths, Medusa murmured, “I’ll let you touch my face.”

        “I thought you were afraid?” Kyveli whispered and her lover let out an airy giggle. She stretched her tanned arms out towards the first few stars appearing in the darkening sky and exhaled slowly.

        “Oh no my love. Not anymore. As they say… if my love is true then right am I to tell you the world and more.”

        “Where did you hear of that? Ha, Medusa, with you I could face all that even heroes hide from,” Kyveli boasted cheekily, clasping their hands together and bringing Medusa’s hands back down.

        “Heroes? Darling, heroes are just glorified cowards. None of those heroes have ever done anything for me. Some even… all. All of them just hurt.” The two lay in silence, watching Selene paint the sky with stars.

        “They come for me. Because of how I look, though I cannot help where my eyes drift. They see a monster made of my own mistakes. I was never meant to be this way, the Fates couldn’t have...” A pause.

        “I don’t believe I deserve this."

        “I’m sorry,” Kyveli muttered and Medusa hummed.

        “You need not worry about that. I am happy with you. Happier then I have been in my entire life.” Kyveli laughed and snuggled closer. The slight hissing of small snakes running themselves in her hair, the sound of the ocean crashing against the cliffs, and the soft yet firm pressure against her palms of a warm hand grounding her.

        Safe. Her mind whispered and she agreed.

        “αδελφή ψυχή.” 

        Soulmate.