"I could tell you were smiling actually, being blind has made me
rely on my other senses, especially my hearing. I could tell from
your voice that you were smiling." Agathe had been smiling, but
that fell as the woman returned. "Before you do that, I have to ask
you something... What is your name? Before you answer, mine is
Agathe." Her smile slowly started returning. "Don't worry, I don't
have a pitchfork or a torch, and I'd rather avoid both. I'm a bit
accident prone..." She rubbed at the back of her head and nodded.
"That's okay. Thank you again..."
"Oh, that is so neat! I haven't had much experience...I figured it
may have been some sixth sense knowing when my mom was
smiling...but now that you day that, it makes sense...and my name
is Sasha. And you needn't worry. Biggest thing I have here is a
hook for fishing and a knife for cleaning fish or opening clams.and
I keep everything neat and tidy. If I didn't, I would cut myself
with it on my tail. It is still unwieldy and hard to control at
times. Feet are a lot easier in ways," Sasha said, gently taking
Agathe's foot and beginning to fix it up. "The good thing is you
don't need stitches."
"Sasha... That's a pretty name." Agathe wince slightly as she began
to work. "So, if you don't mind my asking, you have a tail yet no
legs?" She had never been told the tales of the great Medusa and
the other gorgons, so how could she know what Sasha looked like.
She wasn't trying to be rude, just trying to understand. "What does
it feel like? Having a tail? Having scales?" She didn't want to ask
to touch them, and she wasn't going to. If the offer was made she
would then accept, but asking would simply be weird, and likely
uncomfortable for both of them.
"Thank you, Agathe. I like yours as well. To answer your question,
I think I should start at tbe beginning...you know of the gods,
right? Specifically Athena and Poseidon?" Sasha asked, trying to
make the process as painless as possible.
"I've heard of them, yes." Agathe had stumbled upon a few temples
in her roamings, and before she was shunned, the priests and
priestesses would tell her a little bit about the gods and
goddesses and their stories.
"My great grandma was a priestess in this temple for Athena. One
day, Poseidon saw her. He wanted her. And being a god, he just took
what he wanted. Never mind my great grandma saying no. She begged
Athena to help her, to make him stop...and Athena did nothing. Not
until the god had satisfied himself and left my great grandma aloke
in the temple. Athrna appeared, angry as a hornet. But at my great
grandma. She yelled about how my great grandma had defiled her
temple and how dare she commit such acts in the temple, as if my
great grandma had wanted that. As if her ordeal wasn't bad enough,
as if blaming her wasn't atrocious enough, Athena cursed my great
grandma. She turned her into what she called a gorgon. That's what
I am. A half snake woman with snakes for hair. I turn people to
stone at a glance. That is where most leave off. But my great
grandma had my grandma nine months later. Athena had added another
barb to her attack. We are born looking human. I had long dark hair
my mama cut when I was nearing seventeen. So that when I turned,
the snakes wouldn't be so long. I had legs, used to run and play on
the island...when I turned seventeen, the curse claimed me. I knew
it was coming, my mama had explained what had happened to her and
Gran. So we kind of guessed...one day I will have a daughter...I
don't want her to go through this. Athena's curse ensures it.
Scales aren't so bad. And the tail is actually really useful for
swimming. I don't swim too much because it is my great grandfathers
domain and as he is actually cross with me and my line, I don't
wish to be anywhere near him. He and Athena can rot in the river
Styx for all I care. The whole lot of them. Not a single one of
them tried to help. I am convinced Athena added the last bit of the
curse ensuring I have a daughter so that she can have a god killing
monster up her sleeve. She has another thing coming if she thinks
she can use me. I wouldn't mind turning the gods to stone. Of my
own accord," Sasha finished her tale, sounding lost. She tied off
the bandage, carefully tucking away the lose ends. "That feel okay?
Not too tight? Can you walk on it? I don't knoe if they will fit
but I still have my old pair of sandals you can have."
Agathe was on the verge of tears, of screaming out in anger, of
many things, but when Sasha finished her story and asked how the
bandage was she smiled sadly. "That feels fine, thank you." She
pushed up off the floor using the wall for support and put a little
weight on it. "Yeah I can walk, but I don't think I'll use the
sandals... I use my feet almost as much as my hands. If I put shoes
on I can't feel if I step in sand or on something as well as I
could if I were barefoot." Her smile fell and she sighed. "I'm so
very sorry about what the gods have done to you and your line...
The only thing I can think of is that the gods cursed me and then
abandoned me." She hadn't even considered the possibility that she
had been blessed or that the gods were always watching over her. "I
don't know which is worse... But at least you can defend
yourself..."
Sasha finished putting away the supplies into it's basket before
settling down next to Agathe. "That's true. And I don't have it as
bad as great grandma Medusa. She had to learn everything as she
went. I at least have three generations of ladies's knowledge to
help me too. You know...you don't have to leave. You could stay
here and we could look out for each other. I can teach you to fish,
if you don't know already. There is still supplies from when
everyone fled. And anything else I can't get, I just make. It'd
mostly just be me and the animals here but if you want, you are
welcome to live here."
Agathe could swear her heart had stopped beating. "Y-you don't want
me to leave?" Her voice was just barely above a whisper. She'd
never been told to stay before, other than stay away. She turned
her head and looked right at Sasha, her grey eyes not really
focused on anything, almost as though she was looking through her.
"I would really like that... Please..." A single tear fell down her
cheek, but she wasn't sure if it was from happiness or from
something else. She had no idea what to do in that moment with the
surge of emotion that flooded through her.
Sasha smiled, really happy she had made someone happy. "Yes,
really. And for more then just the amazing fact we can coexist.
This island is huge but lonely and I don't want you to have to
wonder around alone. Or have people hurt you. Would you be alright
with me looking over your other injuries? I have other creams and
remedies that can help with the swelling and bruising. People
should not have to live in fear of other people hurting them just
because of appearance or ability. We can't control it."
The smile that fell upon Agathe's features practically glowed.
"Thank you..." She settle back against the wall and ran a hand
along her own arm. "They, don't really hurt much anymore... I've
gotten so used to the constant pain that they don't bother me..."
In an instant, the smile had faded. "I would be alright with it,
but you don't have to." It wasn't that she was wallowing in self
pity, it was more that she was unused to being cared for. She shook
her head and the smile returned. "S-sorry, that was a bit rude...
If you'd like to you can." For a moment she wondered what it'd be
like to be without pain and soreness.
Sasha gently took Agathe's hand, squeezing lightly. "I would like
to. It has been a long time since I have had someone to talk with
and take care of. I don't mind looking them over. It'll probably be
a lot of the same sensations as your foot."
Agathe gently squeezed Sasha's hand back, liking the gentle
treatment. "Okay then, do you need me to move anywhere though? If I
moved to where the supplies were then you wouldn't have to make
more trips..." Now that she had a friend, she wanted to make sure
she didn't get on her wrong side, or do anything stupid or rude.
She wanted to be as considerate as possible.
"I've got it right here. I didn't want to leave while we were
talking to put it away. If you just hold out your arms and legs, I
can get those first. Did they get your chest and stomach? You
aren't having any trouble breathing, right? I would have to check
your ribs, make sure they aren't broken and set any bones that
are," Sasha said, grabbing her things again. "Thank you. For being
so nice to me and letting me help."
Agathe did as she was told and held out one limb at a time. "At one
point or another, yeah, yeah they got almost every inch of me... I
doubt much is broken since it's been so long, but things still
hurt." She chuckled slightly and nodded. "Thank you for being so
nice and helping me," She took a deep breath and winced slightly as
she hadn't done that in a while. She'd never really been relaxed
enough to take a deep breath, let alone did she have a need to take
a very deep one. "Nothing is broken, but stuff hurts." She shrugged
her shoulders a little.
"I don't think I can right old injuries but I can help with getting
range of motion back. There are exercises that can be done to help
with that," Sasha replied, her nimble fingers spreading creams over
Agathe's bruises. She looked up when the woman winced. "You okay?
Did I hurt you?" She asked.
"I'm okay, just," Agathe smiled again. "Just old injuries." She
tilted her head one way then the other and a loud snapping sound
came from her neck. "Oh..." She sighed then chuckled. "That was a
nice one... I haven't been able to do that for a long time..."
Sasha chuckled, finishing her work. "Well, I am glad you feel so
relaxed. Are you hungry? I was thinking of grabbing some food
earlier. Most likely fish and seafood though. If you're okay with
that."
"I," Agathe looked down towards her stomach and thought about it
for a minute. "I think I am... I'll probably eat only a little of
whatever you get... I don't remember the last time I was full..."
"You are welcome to as much or as little as you'd like. I am not
going to force you one way or the other. Just know you needn't
worry about going hungry," Sasha said, getting up to replace the
medical supplies.
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