Medusa's Garden 

By Cara B. Witching 

Chapter one of Mythnotized

…

I was blissfully enjoying a beautiful spring day, the clear blue sky above me, while the warm sun embraced my skin with its comforting rays. It was hard to picture a better time to relax and enjoy nature, and I tilt my smiling face up to enjoy more of the sun's kisses.

"Ahh~" I happily sigh out, twirling in place over a small stone walkway. My hands reach out to grasp some hanging vines, stepping from my sandals when I approach a narrow grassy tundra, surrounded by monolithic architecture.

My bare soles feel the warm, inviting grass beneath them as I step around ruined stone and pieces of white marble. A snakelike hiss fills the air like an enticing call, my hair following behind me like wispy brown serpents...

I've always felt such a loving tranquility from being in nature, preferring it far more to hectic city life. At the very least I could clear my mind and enjoy the fresh air for once. 

I giggle as a few leaves crunch between my toes, stepping over a resting pillar resembling something from ancient Greek antiquity, and surveying a field of marble statues that now rest before me. 

Sculptures of men and women clutter around the discarded grassy columns, some looking quite frightened, shielding their eyes or screaming, while others looked peaceful and relaxed, almost like they'd fallen under some spellbound daze...

The detail was so impressive, they almost looked like real people, if not for the years of deterioration from the wind and rain. Part of me wonders if maybe there was a safer place around here, to display such trophies away from the elements? 

...

*Sssssssss* 

The sharp wind intrigues me for a moment, as I stare into some blank, rocky eyes. It sounds like there could be a snake around here, it was probably just the harmless garden variety, but I still make a note to be careful where I step.

When I tilt my head to investigate, I feel my attention drawn to a small white fountain, built in stone and surrounded by chipped pillars. 

My bare feet strut a bit closer with a smile, playfully tapping a statue gentleman with my hands, while feeling the soft grass between my toes, and to my surprise I find that the fountain was still filled with water!

My voice laughs as I reach down, sighing when I feel the coldness in my palm. I take a moment to dust off a few vines and leaves by the edge, before taking a seat and using the fountain water to gently splash my neck and face....

As I lose myself in nature's offering tranquility, a chill travels down my back to the looming presence I can't ignore. A few more watery splashes help distract me, but it isn't long until I'm back to feeling like someone...or something was watching me...

Damn it, and I've left my pepper spray back in the car! 

*Sssssssss* 

I listen to the leaves crunch behind me, feeling my face blush red. It was probably just someone else out for a walk here, no need to panic...I run into other people at the park all the time...

But nothing ever gave me such an intense feeling of dread before…

"Sssssssay now....What have we here?"

Suddenly I realize it was another woman here, and I would have sighed with relief, if not for the venomous chuckle in her low, serpentine voice.

“A new rossse for my garden?"

Her voice was quite seductive, I could easily lose myself in the rhythmic hissing of her prose. She spoke with a playful energy, drawing me in despite the sinister undertone to her charm.

My body freezes up as her shadow falls over me, a gasp escaping my lips when the most beautiful woman I've ever seen appears in the fountain below! She was much prettier than anyone could hope to be, and yet, there was something very off about her appearance....

*Sssssssss....*

A dread fills my heart as I realize the snakelike hissing wasn't only coming from her voice, but also from her beautiful flowing locks, opening to reveal a nest of snakes dancing around her face! 

A forked tongue flicks against my cheek as she kisses me, while my face burns even redder. 

She couldn't possibly be who I thought she was...Could she? The gorgon sister who nearly killed Perseus...No, those were only myths, just stories to entertain...I must be hallucinating or something…

And yet her appearance in the pool's reflection was unmistakable. Medusa herself was standing right next to me, and what's worse, she was gazing me up and down with a hunger in her beautiful glowing eyes, while her snake dreads snapped around my face menacingly. 

"Ssssssuch a pretty little flower....I ssssso love it when ssssssoft prey wanderssss into my grasssssp...."

An ice cold hand wraps around my bare shoulder, lightly digging her claws into my skin with a chuckle. 

Quickly I avert my eyes away from her beautiful yet menacing visage, closing them tightly shut with a whimper. I feel another kiss on my cheek, giving a slight squirm as I'm spun around to face her. 

"Oh pleasssssse...You have sssssuch beautiful blue eyessssss....Let me look upon them my ssssweet...~" Her claws continue to tap against my skin.

"No! I...I know who you are....Medusa!"

She laughs as I give a defiant head shake, keeping my eyelids shut as tightly as I can. I had seen her eyes glowing in the reflection, and pulling my attention away from them had been rather difficult....

Even now as she whispers her hissing tongue in my ear, I can feel a small desire to open my eyes and gaze into her own...But I knew it had to be a trap, some kind of hypnotic trick to seduce me!

“Then you sssssshould know I mean you no harm, little rosssssee..." Her serpent voice chuckles all around me, while I study the darkness of my closed eyes. 

“I only wisssssh to keep your beauty for mysssself...."

I wince as her claws dig into me, before releasing my shoulder and cupping my chin. 

“And ssssssuch beauty to admire...You musssst be one of Aphrodite'sss little ssslutss..."

Her sharp talons flick my own hair dismissively, and I release a shiver when I feel scales running across my feet, binding my ankles together and slowly wrapping around my legs. 

"....Ssssurely you are not that bitch Athena'ssss..."

I let out a squeal as she coils her tail around me tighter, her voice becoming slightly more menacing. 

"How rude not to look me in the eyessss...Don't you find me pleasssssing to sssssee? Don't you find me.....ssssssexxxyy....?" 

There's so many forked tongues dancing over my face now, peppering me with tiny kisses. But I keep my eyes closed, knowing the full danger I was in, despite her attempts at enticement. 

"Look me in the eyesssss when I'm sssssspeaking....Let me admire thosssse pretty blue gemssss again..." Another soft kiss is placed over my trembling lips.

"I won't do it! I...I won't give in to you..."

She laughs at my pitiful defiance, and within my mind I now find it impossible to think of anything but her eyes. She had looked so beautiful in the reflection, so mesmerizingly gorgeous...

Lovely wouldn't do her justice, I'd do anything to be like that...Actually....I'd do anything just to look at her again....So pretty….

....No! It's part of the trick! She's trying to hypnotize me and add me to her collection of statues! I can't let myself fall to her charms...

My gorgon captor seems quite amused with my defiant little headshakes, trying my best to fight off her seduction as her coils grip around me tighter. My mouth opens in a gasp, all the air forced from my lungs before she allows me to breathe again. 

"Jussssst one little peek..." Her tongue flicks into my open mouth, savoring my taste.  

"Pleassssse....Sssssuch beautiful eyessss...You can sssssssee mine too...~”

Eventually her coils reach my shoulders, wrapping me up completely from the neck down in a warm and inviting snuggle. My arms are pinned to my sides, feeling the cool scales against my skin. 

I would love to see her eyes...Nothing would make me happier...But I know it's part of her trick, I have to fight it...Have to fight....this…

Can't let her mesmerize me…I have to…resist…

Res.....Resistt...

I...I mussst....give in....to her….ssssspell….

Against my own wishes my eyelids slowly flutter, open beyond my control. With a surprised gasp I'm welcomed by her gorgeous face, looking even prettier than she did in the reflection, and instantly I feel myself drawn into her glowing eyes...

"Yessss...That'sssss it...Look into my eyessss...Look deep into my eyesssss…”

Her stare was so compelling, so hypnotic. I was actually glad to give myself to her control, and let such a seduction claim me, but I'm able to quickly close them again with a head shake.

Oh no! I had looked into her eyes, she almost had me! I could have been turned to stone there!

Her eyes had drawn me in so effortlessly, I'd felt so powerless under her stare! Her skills as a hypnotist were quite impressive...

"Now where did thossse lovely bluesss go...?" Her voice sounds almost sad, touching my cheek with her clawed hand with the affection of a close lover.

"Daughter of Aphrodite, let me obssserve your beauty forever...Join my garden, and look into my eyessss..."

Honestly nothing sounds better to me, I can feel my heart yearning to join her, I'd do anything to belong to such a gorgeous woman...

Why was I keeping my eyes closed again? It had felt sooo good to let her gaze wash across my mind, subduing my consciousness into a deep sleep. 

I try and fight but it's no use...with a groan my eyes slowly reopen, immediately falling back into her stare with a defeated sigh. The beautiful gorgon laughs wickedly at my submission, her eyes glowing brighter and brighter in a warm hypnotic embrace.

"Yesssss...Look into my eyessss...Sssstare deeeep into my eyessss...."

"Y-....Yes...Yesss...." I softly moan out, my jaw hanging limply as my eyes open wide, eager to take in more of her spell. Falling into Medusa's trance was so wonderful, I felt so hypnotized and submissive...

"You cannot look away from my eyesssss....Sssstare deeper...and deeeeper my little rosssse...."

“Can't…Can't look….a-away….”

Her coiling hug wraps me up even tighter, while the snakes from her head swarm around my vision, ensuring I could see nothing but her perfect face. Another sigh escapes me, my body stiffening upwards in her coils while my feet begin to feel like they're glued together...

"O-Ohh..." I give one final, submissive gasp, completely surrendering to the snake temptress' 

stony spell. My expression soon becomes happy when a tickling euphoria fills my head, my lips curling involuntarily as my skin runs with pleasant tingles.

"Sssssssstare...Sssssssstare...Sssssssstare..."

Yess...It feels so good to stare...So good to fall under her gaze. None could resist Medusa's seduction, and why would they? It was perfect to be her's....Perfect to be claimed by such a legendary beauty...

....

It isn't long until I've completely transformed to stone, just like the statues around us. With a grin she unwraps her coils, revealing myself as her newest decoration. 

"Ssssuch a good girl...Daughter of Aphrodite..."

She gives my stone cheek a kiss, before taking me in her claws, lifting my frozen body with ease. She tucks me under her arm, while brushing the cobblestone that was now my hair. 

"How lucky to catch my very own ssssssiren…”