A boy

Yesterday was weird for the young Gorgon.

Instead of scaring a bystander, she simply run away without saying a word and hide in the forest. Like HE could see her, of all people! She felt ridiculous. Probably instinct, she thought.

In all her life, she never thought of the possibility of finding someone that couldn't get unaffected by her stare, let alone even talk to her. The more she thought about it, the weirder it sounded.

Then again, she never thought of the possibility of finding a blind boy in her way one day. It was a surprise; disabled humans were a rarity among his kind, as many were abandoned or left to their luck. Seeing his youth, he must have been one of the few whose family took pity on.

He was dangerous. Better to stay away of him.

That's what her common sense was telling her with all this, however her curiosity took the better of her. Someone whom she could actually talk? When was the last time that ever happened? When did it actually happened before? Never. So she returned to the same spot and wait, expecting him to come back again from that same path.

Two days passed by without a notice and once again she was feeling ridiculous. Instead chasing some predator or hunting, she was willingly waiting for the chance of someone appearing in the road. Being hungry on purpose. That never happened before too. What was she doing? the Gorgon wondered. He's probably not even coming back from that road.

Just then, steps were heard and she instinctly cover in the bushes, waiting for the sound to get clearer. Then she saw a figure appearing and the sound of a staff hitting the ground. As the figure became closer, she saw brown hair and a skinny young person holding some small wood in the back. It was him! He came back!

Of course it was him. Why was she so happy to see him again? That was the point of expecting him, right? Plus, he can't see her. For him, it was just a weird girl pranking him. Nothing to think too much about. Now it was her chance to feed her curiosity. Then, why wasn't she moving? Why was she so nervous? There was nothing to be nervous about. Right?

"Are you coming out?"

The young man's voice startled her when he turned his head to the side and talk to the bushes she was hiding in. How was that possible? Wasn't he blind? Maybe she made too much noise? But even so, how could he know it was her? He couldn't. He probably just thought it was her because of the prank yesterday.

"Don't worry, I'm not angry at you" his voice sounded to tranquil and assuring it sounded like he was saying the truth "Come on out, let's talk"

She looked around seeing that he was alone. Maybe he told the locals about her? Then again, they didn't knew about her and noone have any reason to think she was a threat of any kind. She finally decided to get out.

"My name is Yun. What's your name?"

This was getting extra weird. Noone ever asked her name before.

"P-Petra" she was so nervous she stuttered. Why was she still nervous? She was a Gorgon, dammit! The others are the ones who're supposed to be nervous around her! Scared, even! "My name's Petra"

"Petra" he repeated "That's a cute name"

Cute? This guy was a weirdo too.

"I'm not... Cute"

"Right. 'Pretty' is the right word, doesn't it?"

"What?"

"I mean, that's what you asked yesterday"

A real weirdo.

"I'm not pretty either. That was a joke"

"You don't think too highly of yourself, huh"

"I'm being realistic"

"Well, I think you're both. Cute and pretty"

A complete weirdo.

"You're blind"

"True, that's why I'm saying it; I don't judge based on appearances"

"You can't judge beauty at all"

"Sure I can. My grandfather taught me this cool trick I can use to judge people based on their souls. I can perfectly see your soul behind all that meat and flesh of yours"

"Yeah, right" she scoffed

"I'm serious"

"Okay, I'll bite; if you can actually see my soul, then it would be easy for you to know everything about me"

"Maybe not 'everything'. There's always something we keep for ourselves deep down our souls that noone, not even me, can see"

"So it was bluff"

"I didn't say that. I just can know it all, that's it"

"Then tell me something about me. Go on"

"Alright. Just don't get spooked or anything. Plus, this might get uncomfortable quick"

She scoffed again. She didn't get spooked; she spooked the others. And don't talk to het about uncomfortable when she can easily make everyone around her tense.

The boy proceeded to sit in a nearby stump and made it look like he was staring somewhere inside her. All part of the act, she deduced.

"Mm" he pondered "You're alone"

Like that's something new.

"That's pretty obvious"

"I'm not done. You're also sad"

Sad? Ridiculous. She wasn't sad.

"You're alone because you've chosen it. But you're also tired of being alone, so you prank others to feel something"

Wha... What?

"And you're sad because you hate living like this. You want someone near you. Someone to make you feel appreciated, wanted. You want to be needed. To be loved"

That's...

"And every day, and every moment you repeat to yourself..."

It's always better to be alone.
"It's always better to be alone"

What the...?

"Because alone is better than being around those who hurt you for being something you didn't choose to be"

What's this? This was scary. Was he actually able to see her feelings? Or was she that obvious that even a blind boy could see beneath her defenses so easily?

"Oh, no. Please, don't cry"

"I'm not..." But she was. Without realizing it, she had started to cry "H-Huh?" Why? She hasn't cried in her life since... Since she abandoned the nest. And them "This is weird. I don't cry. Why am I...?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry"

"No. No, no! This isn't..." she was desperately trying to wipe the tears away with her hands, to no avail. The tears didn't stop "This is not... I am not..."

Suddenly, the boy tossed away the staff and hugged her "It's okay" he said "You can cry if you want. I stay with you if you're lonely"

The feelings were so overwhelming she didn't fight back. Just the warmth of the embrace was enough to comfort her. To feel something warm after a long time in the dark. This was nice.

Then the thought came to mind. What was she doing?

"W-Wait! Stop!" she tried to pull aside of her "I-I'm not...!"

"I know"

"Are you stupid?! You're hugging a Gorgon! I'm a disgusting horrible monster! You should be afraid of me!"

"I won't be afraid of someone that is making such a sad sound"

"What are you talking about? This isn't..."

"I've told you; I'll stay with you if your lonely"

"Are you stupid? I might bite you and poison you, you know!"

"Are you?"

"You can't trust the word of a monster!"

"Petra, you're not a monster. You're a girl"

"Why are you so insisting in this?!"

"Because I know that feeling. Even with my grandpa, I feel so alone too sometimes. So let me stay with you. I promise I'll come see you regularly, so please"

What the heck. This boy. This boy was... An absolute weirdo.

But that's not so bad.

She thought as she accepted his embrace and share a hug with him as remains of tears slipped from her face.