Medusa. Mankind’s most frightening woman to ever be uttered into existence. Not for you, her lover, who sees her for who she was; a woman who just wanted to be loved, not lusted after. When she sees you, she’s terrified that she’ll blink and you’ll become a cracked stone statue in front of her eyes. When you come to visit her, you bring her favorite painted flowers, hands covered in clay, beautifully sculpted clay flowers in a vase carved into a long coiled snake.

“Then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like I—,” She blinks, your smile cracked across your stone face as her face drops “love you…” She blinks again, fearful relief gracing her features as she takes in your clay sculpture.