Prologue
The sea was my only companion. Each wave that crashed against the rocks below seemed to echo against the steady beating of my heart. I had become accustomed to this solitude, my mind often wandering to memories of a time when I was revered, not feared. A long time ago, I was Medusa, the priestess of Athena, a symbol of beauty and grace. Now, I was a monster, cursed to live in isolation; my gaze had become a weapon.
As I sat at the edge of the rocky cliff, I felt the familiar ache of loneliness creeping in. My serpentine hair, restless as always, hissed softly in the wind, a constant reminder of the curse I belong to. But… each snake was a part of me, a representation of my pain and anger, yet also my protectors and companions in this sick place I now called home.
Sarpedon was my prison, a barren place where I lived alone. Off the coast of the Aegean Sea, its rocky cliffs jutted out menacingly, battered with powerful waves. Sparse patches of weathered vegetation clung to the rugged ground, and the air was thick with the scent of brine and the mournful cries of seabirds. Centuries have passed, each day blending into the next in a monotonous cycle. The stone statues scattered around the island were a reminder of what I could do; what destroyed me. Each statue, once a human, sought me out only to meet their end by my unwilling hand. I often wondered about the lives they led before fate brought them here. Were they warriors seeking glory, or perhaps desperate souls looking for a cure to their own troubles?
The roar of the waves below was interrupted by a distant sound, barely audible at first. I tilted my head, straining to catch it—a faint melody carried on the wind. It was the sound of a lyre, the notes drifting towards me like a fragile promise. My heart quickened, a mix of curiosity and caution stirring within me. A human was approaching my domain.
Rising to my feet, I started to follow it. I descended the cliffside with ease, as I was familiar with the jagged and treacherous path back down. As I neared the source of the music, a cloaked figure came into view, the hood drawn low over their face. Few dared to come this close to my lair, and fewer played music while doing so.
“Who comes to Sarpedon, knowing that fate awaits them?” I called out.
The figure stopped playing their instrument and slowly removed their hood, revealing a young woman with striking features and eyes that glowed a cloudy white. She was blind, her unseeing eyes gazed past me, unfazed by my deadly stare that turned anybody else to stone.
“My name is Thalia,” the woman said quietly, “I have come to find the truth behind the legend of Medusa.”
Her words sent a pang of curiosity through me. This was no ordinary intruder. I studied her, “And what truth do you seek, Thalia?”
“The truth of your story,” she replied, “Not the one told by bards or poets, but the one buried beneath the lies and curses. I believe you are not the monster they say you are.”
Her words struck a chord within me. For so long, I had longed for someone to see beyond my cursed exterior, to understand the pain and injustice that had shaped me, “You risk much by coming here,” I said softly, “Few have sought to understand, and fewer have survived.”
Thalia took a step forward, her hand outstretched, “I am willing to take that risk. I believe there is more to your story, and I want to help you find redemption.”
“Why?” I asked, taking a step back, “Has she sent you?”
Thalia shook her head, "No one sent me. I come of my own accord. My village whispers tales of you, Medusa, but I don't believe in stories crafted to instill fear. I believe in finding the truth for myself."
“But why?” My voice became shaky.
"Because I know what it’s like to be misunderstood, to have your story twisted by others. I was born blind, and for that, people called me cursed, marked by the gods. They saw me as an omen of bad luck, something to be feared or pitied. But I refused to let their stories define me. I seek to do the same for you."
"I have been alone for so long," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper, "The world has forgotten who I truly am. They only see the monster I’ve become."
Thalia nodded, "Then let me be your witness, Medusa. Let me hear your story, and together we can reclaim the truth. You don’t have to be alone anymore."
Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, but I held them back. For so long, I had guarded my heart, encased it in stone as impenetrable as my victims.. Yet here was someone willing to see beyond the curse, to seek the woman I once was.
"Very well," I said, my voice steadier now, "But know that my tale is not for the faint of heart. It is a story of betrayal, pain, and the cruelty of the gods."
"I am ready," Thalia said softly, her hand finally finding mine. Her touch was warm, grounding me in a way I hadn’t felt in ages, "Tell me everything."
And so, as the waves continued their relentless assault on the cliffs below, I began to share my story, "I was once a priestess of Athena," I started, my mind drifting back to a time when my life was filled with purpose and devotion, "I served her faithfully, my beauty admired by many but cherished as a gift to the goddess. Little did I know the person I served, I admired, would fail to believe my words— and I’d end up here, only because I couldn’t fight back.”
Points:
Time spent:
IP address:
Canary word: Present
Possible AI signals:
Original Text:
Are you sure you want to delete this comment? This cannot be undone.
Mark this comment as a review? Points will be awarded to the poster.
Your comment was posted, but it wasn’t long enough to count as a review. Reviews need about four complete sentences (at least 250 characters). Try writing another review that explains your thoughts in more detail — the author will appreciate it, and you’ll earn points for it.
138,126 Literary Works • 672,075 Reviews
Hi there Ley, I came here to read this, intrigued and boy am I glad I did!!
Let’s get into a review!
I love how you emphasised on Medusa’s aching heart and loneliness whilst also adding to the descriptions with her prison. The place she was forced into for decades. Her emotions are evident and described so well, I felt you really did justice to her story there!
You described her personality, reserved yet longing to be open to people but afraid she will hurt more people, innocent or not.
Her feelings towards her snakes, I like how she doesn’t resent them and has come to almost accept her fate, it’s sad but adds a wholesome feel to the story.
Another thought I had, was that I was thinking that you based Thalia off of Thalia from Percy Jackson too for a second but she isn’t blind (from what I’ve read) so that’s probably not it! ^^
I like this sentence, as it shows her fear and maybe resentment towards Athena, it’s a small detail but shows that there are many layers under her seemingly monstrous backstory.
I love how Thalia is portrayed, someone who is just a blind girl from a village but because of those times, she is ridiculed and feared irrationally because she is simply blind. The way she was introduced was also creative, she plays a luring tune, something that awakens the curiosity and excitement inside of Medusa- the longing for something to happen in her mundane, depressing life!
Thalia and Medusa will, seemingly, kick off rather well, as they are both misconceptions of society, they are heavily misunderstood and wronged. I look forward to see their relationship and read further ahead!!<3
Overall, sorry it’s so short but it is a beautiful piece~
I cannot explain how intrigued I am!! Have a good day/night and keep writing more!!!!!
Hello there my name is Stickles of the ST Brand Story/Book/Poem Review company or better unknown as STBPR. Today i am here to review (Ley) your story titled (Stoneskin Prolouge).
To start lets discuss your writing technique. Honestly, it was very good, for a prolouge to grab the attention of the reader is something that isnt rare to find but the use of sentences being shorter to explain movement like medusa going down the hill yet longer for more description is rarely used but i enjoy all the same.
Next we need to review the story as a whole. I cannot ofc but this is a great prolouge explaining the reason why she wasnt turned to stone, the reasdon why the traveler would care at all, it fills plotholes that wouldve been difficult to later on.
Almost done cause next we have to look into the dreadfully boring grammar and spelling (not that I know how to spel). Everything looked fine, the words although confusing fit the medieval theming well so it gets a pass.
Finally I wanna talk from the heart and tell you what I as a reader think is great and what needs to be worked on. This final part is more my opinion than actually anything so dont worry your pretty smart head. This is just me and im sorry you wont get flying colors but its just something i see to much. A fantastic prolouge but a horrible story is all to common but i have great faith in you all the same
Your final score is /20
Writing 5/5
Story 5/5
Spell/Grammer 5/5
Personal 2/5
Grand total 17/20
Oh and a great bonus with being Reviewed by STBPR you get a audio book of your story free. It will be posted on (08/26/2024) via this link located here.
https://youtu.be/xjqHG9KmCMI
Have fun writing. -Stickles
Hi Ley! I'm here to leave another review for you.
I love this chapter and the concept of the story! I've always been fascinated by the story of Medusa and the interpretations of it, and it's so cool that you are writing a story about it.
This is a great beginning of a book, it shows immediately what Medusa's character is like and that she has been reflecting on herself while living here. Everything she sees means something about her and her life, and how it has affected how she is now. And I've gotta say, I love that first line, "The sea was my only companion"! It's very poetic and tells a lot about Medusa by the first line already.
I also thought you did really well describing the setting, you used lots of great verbs and metaphors. The first few paragraphs were like a poem! All the description were full of emotion and thoughtfulness.
Speaking of emotion - you wrote a lot of that for this chapter! That’s super important for a prologue because it shows how much thinking a character does. There was a lot of emotion when Medusa was describing what the island was like and what she was feeling as she lived there all alone. You also conveyed emotion in the dialogue part.
The dialogue part!! I loved this scene. It was so sweet and beautiful that Thalia genuinely wanted to hear Medusa’s story. Your writing of dialogue was great, it was clearly heard in Thalia’s voice that what she said was real and truthful, and Medusa was at first shocked that someone cared, but that was what she had always wanted - someone who understood her, or at least, wanted to understand her pain. It is great preparation for the rest of the story and gives the reader hope that her story will finally be heard.
I think the general mood of this piece was very calm and serene, but there was a sort of cloud of sadness and loneliness, as Medusa was outcast and seen as a monster by everybody else. But I think when Thalia entered, there was a sense of hope and perhaps not yet happiness, but the anticipation of it.
I don’t have much to critique about this piece because there were many awesome parts to it, I couldn’t think of anything! The pacing, visual details, dialogue, and character development were great! The only thing I could think of was the visual description in the scene itself, of where Medusa and Thalia were standing and what they were doing. Were they standing in the grass? A forest? Were they trees or animals where they were? Unless my brain skipped over it somehow, then maybe you could make the details more prominent. Only a suggestion though!
This was a beautiful chapter, and I really did enjoy reading it. I hope you will continue this series because it sounds interesting! If not, then I wish you luck and awesomeness in your writing endeavors.
Keep writing!!
Ant
Thank you so much for your kind words <3