You hadn’t expected this.

You were a traveler, traveling alone across the seas to explore. You had reached an island for food, unaware that it was the Island of The Cyclopes. You talked to the Lotus Eaters, asking them where to go for food, and they told you to head to a cave. You happily obliged, thanking the small critters for their help.

As you approached the cave, you noticed a large crew leaving the cave you were approaching. One man, seemingly the captain, yelled at a large Cyclops, which was doubled over, grasping his face in pain, blood dripping from his hands.

The man and his crew eventually sailed away, leaving the Cyclops alone and sobbing.

You should’ve been scared. It was a Cyclops, for the gods’ sakes. But you couldn’t help but pity the poor guy.

As you approached him quietly, you noticed that between the large fingers covering his face, there was a sickening, bleeding hole where his eye should be. It sickened you with pity and almost disgust at the bloody sight.

You continued to approach, and as you did, Polyphemus picked up on the sound. He turned his head towards where he thought you were, his hands removing from his face. You could now clearly see his blood-covered face, his eye completely missing, like it had been torn out of the socket.

“Who’s there?” The voice of the Cyclops boomed, glancing around with his head, while unable to see at all. Polyphemus had been completely blinded, left vulnerable and hurt to any mortal or god to approach. He was still incredibly strong, but how would he fight back blinded? His own siblings didn’t even care for him..

All he had was his sheep.