I, Medusa

Athena tells Meddy to direct her anger against Athena herself, since it was the goddess who ordered Appolonia’s expulsion. An incredulous Meddy cannot understand why the goddess would punish the devoted Appolonia for the soldiers hurting her. Athena explains to Meddy that Appolonia had sexual intercourse with the soldiers, which means she lost the “chastity” that is demanded of a priestess of Athena. The concept of sex finally sinks in for Meddy, but she still cannot understand how the events of last night—clearly rape—were Appolonia’s fault. Athena tells Meddy that Appolonia showed poor judgement by roaming the streets and getting drunk. A woman of such poor judgement cannot be a priestess of Athena’s temple.

Though Meddy is still outraged at the injustice meted out to Appolonia, she is mollified when Athena compliments her for her service to the people of Athens. Athena also tells Meddy that she may visit her family for a week, as Phorcys has requested. Meddy feels happy that her father misses her enough to request her presence. Later, she notices that the seashell necklace given to her by her sisters is missing.

Back home, Meddy’s illusions about her father missing her shatter when Phorcys demands to know if she curried favor for him with Athena. When a bewildered Meddy replies that her father never asked her to do so, Phorcys yells at Meddy. He threatens to recall Meddy to the island permanently, since she has failed to fulfil her purpose in Athens.

A panicked Meddy lies that she has been praising Phorcys to Poseidon, the sea king, with whom she has had a private audience. When she returns to Athens, Meddy will further the case of the Sea Court. Phorcys is temporarily convinced enough to let Meddy return to Athens. Meddy’s meeting with her sisters is joyous, though she is upset with Stheno and Euryale for not explaining intercourse to her. Stheno and Euryale apologize to Meddy. Meddy learns that Euryale has been intimate with a forest nymph; the concept of same-sex intimacy intrigues Meddy.

Later, Meddy meets Theo and narrates the Appolonia incident to him. Theo immediately sees the unfairness of Athena’s actions. To her surprise, Meddy finds herself defending the goddess, telling Theo he cannot understand her code of conduct as he is too removed from the situation.

Later, Meddy finds Ceto by the shore, attending to a monstrous-looking sea-creature. Ceto explains to Meddy that the creature reminds her of her other children, Meddy’s oldest siblings. She finally reveals that her earliest children with Phorcys were unusual in appearance, such as Echidna, who had the torso of a woman and the tail of a fish, and Ladon, the dragon. Athena took away the children during the Gigantomachy, deeming them “monsters” and potential enemies to Zeus.

Ceto’s story makes Meddy realize the reason for her mother’s hatred of Athena, as well as her own mortality. It also raises uncomfortable questions about the goddess, but Meddy does not allow herself to dwell on them. A sobbing Ceto blames Athena for taking away Meddy as well and warns Meddy against trusting Athena.

Meddy’s parents throw a feast to celebrate her brief homecoming. To everyone’s surprise, Poseidon turns up at the dinner. Poseidon feigns that his arrival is a happy accident: He decided to visit Phorcys’s table as he was in the vicinity for work. He compliments Phorcys for his hospitality and suggests he can persuade the other Olympians, such as Zeus and Hera, to visit for the autumn feast. Phorcys is overjoyed at the prospect of such important guests and sidles up to Poseidon. Meddy feels Poseidon looking at her and recalls their passionate kiss.

Later that night, Meddy is awakened by a shadow outside her door. She steps out and sees Poseidon, who tells her he has been unable to stop thinking of her. Meddy walks to the gardens with Poseidon, flattered by his interest in her. When a lovelorn-seeming Poseidon tells Meddy she consumes his thoughts, she feels special and powerful. Poseidon returns to Meddy her shell necklace, which he found on the streets of Athens. As he draws close to her, Theo appears on the scene. Poseidon contains himself and bids a formal goodbye to Meddy.

Theo is immediately suspicious of Poseidon’s proximity to Meddy. He tells Meddy that Poseidon has a terrible reputation: It is rumored his charm hides a cruel streak, the sea king flooding entire cities on petty whims. He also cheats relentlessly on his wife Amphitrite, as Meddy and Theo witnessed when they saw Poseidon having sex with the nymph in the garden. Indignant, Meddy argues that Poseidon is her friend and he only wanted to return her necklace. She accuses Theo of misunderstanding Poseidon. Theo walks away, hurt. Meddy feels alienated from Theo and her family.

Given the turn of events, Meddy is happy to return to Athens a week later. She spends her days working alongside Kallisto and Amersa, the other two remaining acolytes. Kallisto often taunts Meddy about Appolonia and denigrates Meddy’s foreign origins, unaware of the fact that Meddy’s parents are gods.

On one such occasion, Kallisto is interrupted by the sound of a woman’s screams. The acolytes rush outside the temple and see an impoverished-looking older woman running towards the temple, with soldiers in pursuit of her. As the woman cries for help, Meddy rushes to her aid. The soldiers tell Meddy not to intervene, as the woman is wanted for stealing food. Kallisto decides to stay out of the matter, while Amersa watches helplessly. However, Meddy defends the cowering older woman, hitting the men with a broom when they try to use force.

Euphraxia appears on the scene and sends away the soldiers. She reveals that the acolytes just went through their final test: helping a woman in need. Only one acolyte passed the test, and that is Medusa.

Euphraxia asks the older woman if she agrees. The woman transforms into Athena and declares Medusa a priestess. Athena administers the vows, and Meddy promises solemnly. When it comes to the vow of chastity, Meddy briefly thinks of Poseidon’s kiss, but banishes the thought. The priestesses hug and kiss Meddy. Kallisto and Amersa are dismissed.

Despite being anointed a priestess, Meddy willingly continues to live in the acolytes’ quarters and performs tedious chores. A few days after her initiation, Meddy and the other priestesses visit Athens again to distribute food. To Meddy’s surprise, a group of citizens seek her out by name, asking her to pray on their behalf and bless them, the way she did Kallinikos, the charioteer. It is clear that a rumor has spread that Meddy has special powers. Meddy tells the people that she is just an ordinary priestess, but they press on. Meddy finally agrees to pray to Athena with them, asking the goddess to heal a gravely ill child.

Back at the temple, the priestesses are frosty with Meddy. Meddy can tell that they disapprove of the attention Meddy has attracted. Oppressed by the silence of the priestesses, Meddy heads to the shore to clear her head. Poseidon appears by her side, claiming that Meddy came to the shore seeking him. Meddy shares her troubles with Poseidon. He comforts her, calling the other priestesses fools for misunderstanding her. Poseidon tells Meddy that she is destined for greatness and kisses her, showering her with attention. Meddy feels worthy to merit the approval of such a powerful Olympian. Poseidon walks Meddy back to the Acropolis.

To pacify the priestesses, Meddy doubles up on her chores for the next few days. The priestesses thaw towards their youngest counterpart, praising Athena for her wise choice in anointing Meddy. However, matters take a turn for the worse again when a crowd gathers at the gate of the temple, shouting for Medusa to intercede with Athena. A displeased Euphraxia tells the crowd that any priestess can pray to the goddess on their behalf, but the people only want Meddy. As Medusa arrives at the gate, the people tell her that the child she blessed has healed fully. A farmer for whom Medusa also prayed says his crops miraculously revived. Medusa asks the people to form a line, and prays with them.

When Meddy returns to the temple, she runs into an incensed Athena. Athena accuses Meddy of playing god, despite being an ordinary mortal. Meddy cries that she never claimed to have power, categorically telling the people that she could only pray with them to Athena. It is Athena the people love, whom they credit for the miracles. Athena softens and tells Meddy never to forget her place.

A troubled Meddy visits the shore in the evening. She calls out to Poseidon and the god appears before her. Meddy asks Poseidon the reasons for his interest in her. Poseidon tells Meddy that he likes her because she is beautiful and smart, determined to make her own destiny. Meddy also wants to know about Poseidon’s tryst with the nymph. Poseidon replies that the tryst is long over; he only sought out the nymph because he is in a loveless arranged marriage with Amphitrite. Meddy feels terrible for the god, stuck in a bad marriage.

As the conversation turns to Meddy’s troubles, Poseidon reveals that he knows about the healed child and the revived crops. He confesses that he has been working miracles on Meddy’s behalf to help her out. One part of Meddy is filled with foreboding at Poseidon’s deceit: Just as he initially appeared to her in the guise of the young boy, Poseidon has once again kept Meddy in the dark. However, Meddy quells the warning voice in her head.

Poseidon claims he has never felt as intensely for any other woman as he does for Meddy. He begins to make sexual advances towards Meddy. Meddy responds, but then remembers her vow of chastity. She tells Poseidon that she cannot be intimate with him as she is a priestess. The god’s manner instantly grows chilly. He leaves the shore, bidding Meddy a curt goodbye.

Meddy visits the shore again and again, calling to Poseidon, but the god refuses to appear. Meddy feels guilty about spurning the person who helped her out. Her sense of alienation is compounded by the renewed coldness of the other priestesses. Thus, Meddy is happy to visit her island for the autumn feast, noting that this time the invitation arrives via a note, rather than Athena herself.

Back at the island, Stheno and Euryale work Meddy’s locs into a beautiful hairdo. The palace is done up exceptionally in anticipation of the arrival of the Olympians. At the feast, Meddy and her sisters observe gods such as Zeus, Hera, Dionysius, and Artemis. Athena and Poseidon are notably missing from the banquet. Stheno offers Meddy Olympian wine, brewed by Dionysius himself. The sisters drink and dance, the wine making everything appear more vivid. Meddy feels her troubles melt away.

Theo calls her aside to apologize for their last argument. Meddy reconciles with Theo, calling him her best friend. Just then, her head begins to spin. Theo goes to get her some water.

Alone, Meddy is accosted by Poseidon. Poseidon asks her to show him the gardens. Wanting to be a good host, Meddy agrees.

In the gardens, Poseidon and Medusa sit on the grass. Poseidon tells Medusa he misses her. He couldn’t come to see her earlier as he has been busy with family affairs. Meddy feels foolish for ever having doubted Poseidon. Moved by Poseidon’s beauty and ardor, Meddy tells him she cares for him deeply. Poseidon kisses Meddy, pulling her down to the grass. He touches her intimately. Meddy notices an owl’s eyes watching them and is reminded of Athena and her vows. She tells Poseidon to wait and tries to break free from his grip, but the god does not stop. He rapes Meddy. Afterwards, Meddy feels a sense of disgust.

To Meddy’s horror, Athena appears in the garden, reprimanding Poseidon for his indiscretion. When Athena realizes that the woman with Poseidon is Meddy, the goddess blanches with anger. She slaps Poseidon for touching one of “her” girls. In retaliation, Poseidon grabs Athena’s arm and forces her to the ground, threatening to rape her if she ever strikes him again. Meddy feels sick to see even a great goddess like Athena thwarted by a man. After Poseidon leaves, Athena directs her anger against Meddy, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her toward the banquet hall.

Athena brings Meddy before Zeus, claiming she has dishonored her by fornicating with Poseidon. For the crime of “damaging” her priestess, Athena wants Poseidon punished. A disoriented, panic-stricken Meddy watches her parents and sisters cower in fear, as Poseidon walks up nonchalantly to Zeus. Poseidon tells Zeus that he is blameless, claiming it was a drunk Meddy who begged him to have sex with her. Zeus asks Meddy if this is the truth. Meddy stumbles over her words and Poseidon uses her confusion to claim that she is untrustworthy. Poseidon also twists the story of his meetings with Meddy to suggest that she is a wanton maiden who has secretly courted him several times.

Zeus’s cross-examination of Meddy boils down to a single question: Did she say “no” to Poseidon during their encounter? Meddy explains that though she asked Poseidon to wait, Poseidon did not stop. However, in the eyes of Zeus and the other gods, Meddy is the one who is to blame for the incident. Zeus tells Athena she can punish Meddy in whatever way she sees fit. Castigating Meddy for disappointing and dishonoring her, Athena tells her that the very beauty Meddy weaponized will now become her curse. She touches Meddy’s scalp. At once, Meddy’s head begins to burn, her beautiful locs falling off. Meddy’s head begins to feel oddly heavy. Just then, Theo pushes through the crowd, promising help to Meddy. Meddy looks at him in gratitude, but Theo turns to stone before her horrified eyes.

As people begin to avert their gazes from Meddy, she runs to find a mirror. Her reflection shows her Athena has turned her into a “monster”: Instead of her locs are coiling, hissing snakes and her eyes have turned yellow, with slitted pupils. An instinct tells Meddy to run out of the hall.