Jonny waited patiently for Hadji and Jessie in the lobby. He was early because he hadn’t slept at all last night. Dark circles circled his eyes and he looked slightly pale. He wore a dark blue T-shirt with faded black jeans. Jessie and Hadji emerged a few minutes later. They both had dark circles around their eyes and looked tired. Hadji’s lip was swollen where Jonny had hit him the night before and a small part of his cheek was bruised. Jonny felt a slight bit of remorse but it didn’t last. Jonny greeted them and got up. "Where do you want to go?" "Let’s just go down to the beach and take a long walk and talk. It’s too early for it to be crowded," said Hadji. He straightened his white shirt. The three of them headed down to the beach. They walked leisurely on the beach, kicking the soft sand with their bare feet. Their shoes hung from their shoulders. "Jess, Hadj and I decided on this last night. Since we both love you and, you love us both, we decided to let you choose," said Jonny, stopping for a second. "What does that mean?" asked Jessie, looking a little dazed. "It means that you are supposed to choose the one you’re deeper in love with. The other one will have to accept your decision and respect it and not try to sabotage anything," Hadji explained. "So, I’m supposed to choose. Right now?" "No, you have until we go back to Maine to make your final decision. That leaves you with today and tomorrow to make your choice." Jonny said. "How am I supposed to choose?" asked Jessie. "Like thirty-one flavours, I guess," said Jonny with a wry smile. "Consider the pros and cons." "And for the time being, we decided to stay on neutral grounds. That means, we all go back to square one. Best friends," added Hadji. "So, until you make your final decision, we’ll just remain friends and when you have chosen, the rejected one will remain a friend." "Sounds okay to me. Now, can we have breakfast? I’m dying for some caffeine!" Jessie said, a smile on her face. She felt thankful that Jonny and Hadji were being so understanding and not were not making any huge demands. "Me too!" said Hadji. "I hate coffee!" Jonny made his usual breakfast statement. They all laughed and strolled towards the nearby cafeteria. ********************************************************************************** "So, Ben, how was Stheno?" asked Race, raising a forkful of scrambled eggs to his mouth. "Great. We talked about a lot of things and we agreed on a lot of things. And, she happens to know a lot about Greek mythology. Especially about the gorgons!" Benton smiled over his cup of expresso. "The gorgons?" asked Race. "What are they?" "Three daughters of Phorcys and Ceto. They were once beautiful, but they constantly boasted about their beauty. Athena who was jealous of their beauty turned them into three monsters that turned any man who looked into their eyes into stone. They had snakes for hair, huge tusks, tongues that always hung out, bronze claws and gold scales. They also had huge wings." "Okay, okay. I didn’t ask for more questions to ask. You know I don’t know half the stuff you tell me." Race finished his scrambled eggs and pushed the plate away. He wiped his lips with a napkin. "I’m sorry. So how was your date?" Benton drained his cup and set it back on the saucer. "Less informative!" quipped Race. "It was fun. We had dinner, went to the movies, took a long walk on the beach." "By the way, have you seen the kids today?" "Nope. Jessie took off before I was even out of bed." "So did Jonny and Hadji. Maybe they made some plans to wander around the countryside today." Benton signalled for a waiter to bring him the bill. "Maybe. Benton, I thought I saw Jessie kissing Hadji on the beach last night." "How can that be? Jessie is dating Jonny." Benton looked slightly taken aback. "I’m not sure. The moon was pretty much covered by clouds and I only saw them for a second. Maybe I’m mistaken. But I cannot be sure." Race looked troubled. "It has to be a mistake. How can it be?" "Yeah, I guess that’s it. I did drink a bit last night." Benton paid the bill and got up. "What do you want to do today?" "I don’t know. Maybe explore the countryside like the kids. I brought some hiking gear along. Want to join me?" Race offered. "Sure. But, please, let’s go a little slow. I’m not denying my age," said Benton, grinning. "Okay." Race took out the rented car’s keys and headed towards the door. Benton followed behind him. ********************************************************************************** Jonny walked along the beach line, alone. Sunset was drawing near and the beach was nearly deserted. Hadji and Jessie were enjoying a game of tennis in one of the hotel’s courts. He decided to take a walk to sort out his thoughts. His heart ached with every step he took. He loved Jessie with all his heart and that was why he had suggested letting her make her own choice. He wanted her to be happy. He fingered a small heart shaped pendant which dangled from a thin chain around his neck. Jessie had bought it for him for a valentine present. A tear ran down a cheek but he didn’t care to wipe it away. He continued walking, kicking the damp sand as he walked. By the time he stopped walking, he was far away from where he started and the sun was halfway beyond the horizon. The dying light cast many shadows in its red glow. Suddenly, Jonny spotted a hidden cave. It was well hidden behind many rocks. Acting on impulse, Jonny entered the cave. He stumbled around a bend and darkness immediately engulfed him. Jonny reached out and felt for a button on his watch. He pressed it and a narrow beam of light appeared from the watch. The beam fell upon a horrible face contorted in horror. Jonny gasped and took a step back, making a choking sound. As the beam fell up and down the figure, he realised that it was a stone statue. A horribly life-like statue twisted in fear. Jonny shone his torch around the cave and gasped in shock. Stone statues of people and animals littered the place. What really freaked him out was that all the statue had frozen expressions of fear carved on their faces. Jonny weaved around the statues and came to another part of the cave. The cave floor suddenly dipped downwards, forming something like a valley. The lower chamber was huge, with steep walls guarding it on all sides. A steep flight of stairs carved into the cave wall descended spirally into the lower chamber. Jonny tested each step gingerly before resting his entire weight on it. When he was finally satisfied that the steps were all secure and firm, he descended without any worry. All the same, he made as little noise as he could help. When he was halfway down the stairs, he looked down at the lower chamber. He saw hundreds of stone statues standing their ground. Some lay on the ground, slightly damaged from their fall. Jonny shuddered. Whoever carved all these statues must have been some demented psycho. A very talented demented psycho. All the statues were amazingly lifelike and didn’t require a base to stand on. Finally, he reached the end of the stairs and took a look around. To his horror, the statues here not only were much older than the ones above, but they had dozens of snakes slithering all over them. The twisted scaly entwining bodies slithered all around, on the statues and on the ground. Jonny let out a low moan. He hated snakes and there were possibly a hundred or more around him. But, his curiosity got the better of him and he continued walking, slowly, to not disturb the serpents. Any sudden movement could just cause a really painful death. Suddenly, Jonny stopped. Right in front of him was a truly horrifying sight. In a bed of snakes, lay the still body of a gorgon! A real life gorgon! A breathing creature that could turn any mortal into stone with a glance. She stirred a bit, causing the bed of snakes to slither and hiss for a minute. Jonny realised that all the statues were arranged in a semi-circle around the bed. The gorgon, which lay in the nude on the bed of living serpents was everything Jonny had imagined they would be. A hideous creature with golden scales, bronze claws, a head of serpents and huge tusks that resembled a warthog’s. But something else caught Jonny’s attention. A golden necklace. A necklace in the shape of a sceptre with snakes entwining it. There was something familiar about that necklace. Then he remembered. Stheno wore the exact same necklace! Suddenly, Jonny heard a loud hiss. His blood chilled and his heart began to beat faster. Turning around slowly, he came face to face with a cobra. The venomous creature was barely a foot away from him, coiled on the arm of a statue, its hood opened and fangs bared and dripping with thick yellow venom. Jonny edged away slowly, avoiding any statues and snakes. Suddenly, he broke into a run, his sneakers making a slight thudding sound as he sped towards the steps. He kicked at any snakes that slithered in his way and crushed the others. Jonny didn’t stop until he was out of the cave and back on the beach. He panted furiously and his heart drummed so loudly that he could hear it. He broke into sweat. Adrenaline still surged through his blood vessels. A hiss made him look behind him. Jonny let out a loud scream. A small snake was slithering up his shoulder. He ripped off his shirt and threw it on the ground, stomping on it hard. Then, he ran all the way back to the hotel, probably setting a new record for the Olympics. Benton and Hadji were next door, with Race and Jessie so there was no one home. Jonny bolted into the bathroom and turned on the shower, setting the hot water at full blast. Then, he stepped into the steaming shower, still half dressed. Five minutes later, he threw his clothes out of the shower and tugged the shower curtain into place. The scalding water was a comfort. A indication that he was still alive! An indication that he hadn’t joined the stone army in the gorgon cave. Jonny stood hidden in steam for over twenty minutes. Suddenly, Jonny heard a low creak, like someone opening the door. "Anybody there?" he called, over the thundering of the hot shower. No reply. Jonny repeated his question. When he still got no answer, he shut off the shower. He reached for a towel and wrapped it around his slender waist and stepped out of the shower. No one was in the bathroom except for himself. Steam clung everywhere, giving the bathroom a slightly eerie feel. Must be my imagination, thought Jonny, as he wiped the mirror of the medicine cabinet with his hand. His hair was still dripping and rivulets of water ran down his body. Jonny opened the medicine cabinet to grab some aspirin his father kept. His head was throbbing from the pounding of his heart. Jonny took a look into the cabinet and let out a strangled cry. Looking straight at him from the cabinet was a cobra. The coiled serpent coiled itself protectively, raising its head to its maximum height. The patterned hood was open and so was the mouth. Lethal venom glistened from its fearsome fangs. The cobra didn’t move, just stared at Jonny, as though hypnotised. Suddenly, it gave a loud hiss and lunged towards Jonny, jaws stretched to full capacity and fangs poised for striking. A drop of yellow venom dripped onto the basin as the snake made its leap. Jonny screamed in horror as he slammed the medicine cabinet door shut. He slammed the door with all his might and backed away from the basin. He had slammed the door so hard that he had cracked the snake’s vertebrae, killing it instantly. Half the snake’s body hung limply out of the cabinet. Jonny sank to the damp floor, paralysed with fear. He was going through a delayed reaction. He shuddered at the sight of the dead snake that now dangled from the medicine cabinet. A thought suddenly occurred to him. Stheno. She was the gorgon. She wore the exact same necklace as the gorgon in the underground cave. "She saw me. She saw me!" gasped Jonny, breathing heavily. He rocked himself to and from, banging his head gently against the tiled wall. Suddenly the bathroom door banged open and his father, Race, Hadji and Jessie rushed in. "What the hell happ... What the hell is that?" asked Race, pointing at the cobra. Jonny just rocked himself gently, never stopping. "Are you okay, son?" asked Benton, shaking Jonny gently. He looked into his son’s eyes, sensing his fear. "Benton, check to see if he’s been bitten by this reptile. It sure looks like a venomous snake." Race prodded at the snake with a pen. "It’s dead though." "An Indian cobra," said Hadji, looking at the marking behind the snakes hood. A shape like a pair of spectacles was distinct. "But what is it doing here? It’s too far away from home." Benton checked Jonny’s arms and legs and anywhere else the snake might have bitten thoroughly. "No bites," he said at last. He heaved a sigh of relief. "He’s just in shock." Suddenly, Stheno appeared at the doorway. "What happened to him, Benton?" For the first time, Jonny noticed Stheno standing nearby. His eyes widened in terror and he screamed as loudly as he could. His throat burned from the effort and his lungs hurt, but he didn’t care. He thrashed wildly, knocking his father aside as he curled himself into a ball. Suddenly, he felt a prick on his left shoulder. Then, sleepiness overtook him and he went peacefully to sleep. When he finally woke up, Jonny was alone in his room. Darkness surrounded him and the only sound he heard was the air conditioner’s low rumbling. Jonny pulled his naked figure out of bed and got dressed. He checked the digital clock beside his bed. It read one o’clock. Who cares, thought Jonny. He went to his suitcase and from beside it, pulled out his laptop bag. He unzipped the black leather bag and pulled out the laptop. Turning it on, he logged on onto the Internet and prepared to begin his search for information he needed. His father’s version of the Internet, which was similar to Questworld was faster and easier to use compared to the usual servers. "IRIS, begin search. Search for all articles about gorgons," Jonny commanded softly. "Commencing search," IRIS electronic voice replied. There was a soft beep as she searched for the desired information. "Search completed. Thirty-one articles related to gorgon." Jonny pumped his fist silently and began reading the first article. Most of the articles were from various encyclopaedias and provided the usual info, ones which Jonny already knew by heart. Finally, one article caught his eye. For once, it had almost nothing to do with Medusa but rather her two sisters. According to a famous professor and archaeologist, There was a chance that gorgons did exist. He had a new theory based on some ancient scrolls and other articles he had found. It was believed that Stheno, one of the immortal gorgons had aided Athena in several tasks and Athena lifted a part of the curse that she had bestowed upon Stheno and her two other sisters. Stheno could maintain her human form if she turned a man that loved her as she loved him into stone. This was a ritual that took place every century. If Stheno failed to perform the ritual, she was doomed to live with her hideous form for another century. The unholy ritual was to take place on a night with a full moon. However, while resting, she would have to transform back into her gorgon form. However, if she turned the wrong person into stone, she would also have to live as a gorgon for a hundred years. After waiting a hundred years, she would be able to keep her human form during the day and seduce another man. If she turned him into stone, she would keep her human form for the rest of the century. "Radical, but it could make some sense," muttered Jonny. He took a look outside. A full moon hovered above the still surface of the sea. Stheno would have to act soon, Jonny realised. But when? Tomorrow. Jonny continued reading the rest of the articles, learning nothing new. Jonny shut off his laptop, his mind working furiously, thinking of a plan to foil Stheno’s plans. By day break, he already had planned everything. All he had to do was to keep his father away from Stheno at night and keep her away until after midnight. After midnight, Stheno would have to wait again. Jonny knew that tomorrow was the last night with a full moon and he knew if Stheno didn’t carry out her plans tomorrow night, she was doomed for an entire century. Instead of feeling tired like he should, he felt hyped. Energy surged through his body and all signs of shock from the night before had vanished. His father and everyone else was surprised by his almost instant recovery. "Guess what? Stheno invited me to a picnic by the seaside tonight," said Benton, grinning like a twelve year old. "Sort of a going away celebration." Everyone else smiled and told Benton to enjoy himself. Only Jonny knew her true motive and he knew that his father wasn’t going anywhere that night. In fact, everyone except himself was going to sleep through the entire night. Jonny had debated on whether to tell anyone or not, but had finally decided against it. He knew that they would only send him to a shrink or some specialist. ********************************************************************************** Jonny waited all day for dinner to come. At last, seven o’clock came and everyone gathered in Race’s and Jessie’s room. Jonny had gone out to buy take-out. On his way back, he mixed some ground up sleeping pills into the gravy. "That should keep all of you sleeping through the night," he said to himself. A half grin formed on his face. Jonny made sure that everyone had a generous dosage of the drugged gravy. He had bought something dry for himself and he didn’t touch the gravy. Nobody thought that it was suspicious for who had heard of people eating a turkey sandwich with gravy. He complained of lack of appetite when asked why he had bought himself only a sandwich. Jessie was the first to surrender to the drug, falling asleep just after dinner. The rest were beginning to feel the effects and fell asleep a few minutes later. Jonny had overheard his father saying something about the picnic being at about ten o’clock. While waiting impatiently for ten o’clock to come, Jonny disguised himself to look like his father. At last, ten o’clock came and Jonny was on the beach in five minutes. In the distance, he saw Stheno. She waved at him and he waved back. A large knot had formed in the pits of his stomach. This was too dangerous for his liking. A wrong move and he could be turned into stone. He had to admit, from afar, he looked very much like his father. All he needed was a wig and a fake moustache and beard. A touch of make-up here and there and he was a replica of the original Benton. Jessie is going to freak when she sees what I did to her make-up, thought Jonny. I’ll deal with that later. One thing at a time. Deal with Stheno, and then Jessie. "Aren’t we a little early for a nice moonlit picnic?" asked Jonny, deepening his voice. Stalling was crucial and he knew it. Two hours of running wasn’t going to be easy. "No, we’re right on time," Stheno cooed. She ran a hand through Jonny’s wig, caressing his cheek. Jonny wanted to cringe but he managed to stay control. "So, what did you bring?" "You’ll just have to wait. I thought we could take a nice long walk before the picnic," said Stheno. "Yeah, sure." Jonny knew that she meant to lure him far away before turning him into stone. Preferably near her cave. He began walking vaguely towards Stheno’s cave. Stheno hurried next to him, slipping an arm through his. Jonny’s heart was pounding so hard that he was afraid that she could hear it too. This disguise must be pretty good, thought Jonny. He made a mental note to celebrate as soon as this was over. "Isn’t the full moon bright tonight?" asked Stheno, groping for Jonny’s hand. "It’s beautiful. As beautiful as you are." Jonny nearly gagged when he said that. "Benton!" Stheno scolded mockingly. "You don’t mean that." "I do. Actually, you’re right. I don’t mean it. You’re more beautiful that the moon." Jonny still spoke in the deep baritone voice that was uncannily similar to his father’s. Stheno leaned towards Jonny and kissed him gently on the cheek. "You’re even more charming tonight, good doctor." "Do you mean to say that I have been uncouth all this while?" asked Jonny, in mock indignance. "No. Just less charming." Stheno smiled at Jonny. Her clear amber eyes burned his flesh where her gaze fell. How can such a beautiful woman be such a monster? Jonny thought. "Where are we going?" asked Jonny. "Somewhere special. It’s a very special place to me. Tonight, I want to make it your special place too." Sure you do, Jonny said sarcastically to himself. "Sounds nice. Are we going to picnic there?" Maybe," Stheno said in a teasing tone. "We’ll see." By now, the soft sand of the beaches had already been replaced by pebbles and rocks. The harsh terrain reminded Jonny of his last visit to the cave. The area around it had been rocky. Jonny began to worry. How far away had he walked the last time. He had been so lost in thought that he had blindly walked to the cave. Nothing seemed familiar. "How much further, sweet heart?" Jonny asked, faking a pant. He couldn’t be to fit for his father was getting old. There was no denying the fact. He huffed and panted softly as he pretended to keep up with Stheno. "Just a little further. See how far we are from where we started?" "It’s pretty far. The lights from the hotel look like fireflies now." Jonny observed. "It’ll be a nice private place with just us. Nobody else around for miles." Stheno still showed no signs of slowing down. Her pace was steady, never skipping a beat. Her long graceful legs took her smoothly over the rocks. Jonny was beginning to pant for real. He was actually struggling to keep up with Stheno. She wearing me out! Jonny realised. So that I’ll not be able to run away later. "Sorry, Stheno. It just won’t work. And if you catch me, you’ll be turning the wrong person into stone," mumbled Jonny to himself. The thought sent chills shooting through his body. Finally, after nearly an hour of walking, Stheno stopped. "We’re here!" she announced. Jonny sensed a slight tinge of sadness in her voice. Jonny sat down and prepared for the worse. He checked his watch. It was already eleven o’five. Less than an hour of running and hiding. Hope I last that long. Stheno wrapped her silk scarf around her head, and turned towards the sea, as if to breathe the fresh air. Jonny saw a slight wriggling under the scarf and he got up. He knew she was beginning the transformation. Jonny ran away, silently. He climbed a hill and waited in the shadows, watching Stheno from his lookout point. Stheno’s transformation was nearly complete. Her supple skin was replaced by gold scales. Her perfectly manicured nails grew and twisted into long bronze claws. Huge wings sprouted from her back and her mane of ebony hair transformed into a writhing mass of venomous serpents. Her amber eyes grew wider and stared without blinking and her face contorted as two huge tusks protruded from her lower jaw. Her firm bosom drooped, transforming into plastic bags of water. Stheno threw the remains of her shredded dress onto the rough ground, and spun around to meet Benton. Instead, she found no one. Stheno let out a cry of frustration. She spread her wings and leapt into the air. With the wingspan of a vulture, she was the most horrible object to ever fly. She swooped down over the hills, looking for Benton. She missed Jonny’s hiding place by just a matter of inches. Jonny held his breath as he saw the flying gorgon swooping nearby him. She had too much of an advantage in the air, Jonny realised. I have to get her down on terra firma. Unlike the rest of the body, the wings consisted of fine membrane. All Jonny had to do was tear the membrane and Stheno wouldn’t be able to fly anymore. Jonny reached into his pocket and drew out his pen knife. He pulled out the biggest and sharpest blade and took aim. He only had one shot and it would have to be good. As Stheno swooped low again, Jonny threw the knife, several inches ahead of where the gorgon was. As Stheno flew pass, the knife slashed her wings. Stheno let out a cry of pure agony as she crashed towards the rocky ground. "That should keep her still for a while," said Jonny. To his annoyance and horror, Stheno stood up almost instantly, just a little dazed. "Damn!" cursed Jonny. He checked his watch, eleven fifteen. Forty five more minutes to go. Stheno was approaching his current hiding place. Jonny got up quietly and crept higher, keeping in the shadows all the time. A strange rock formation proved useful shelter from Stheno. Jonny made it through the rocks over to the next rise and found a broad ledge, just big enough for him to sit on. The only problem was that the ledge was out in the open. But the shadows from the other hills hid him, engulfing him in their darkness. Jonny could hear the loud hissing from the snakes on Stheno’s head. The odour from her body was intoxicating from where he hid. She was nearby. So nearby that Jonny’s heart threatened to stop. "Where are you, Benton?" rasped Stheno. "Come on out. We were destined to be together." "Oh, how cliched!" muttered Jonny silently. Stheno stood in place for a while, looking all around. Finally, she moved away. But not without leaving a souvenir. An adder lay on the ground, its scaly body sprawled out. Jonny gave a soft moan and felt the ground for a stick. His hand rested on a long branch. Picking it up, Jonny took one good swing and swept the snake of the ledge. "I hate snakes!" mumbled Jonny, curling himself up in a dark corner. He still had slightly over half an hour to wait. Suddenly, he saw a lone figure walking below. He recognised the slender figure immediately. Jessie! "What is she doing here?" Jonny asked himself. "Good question!" a voice rasped back. A darker shadow fell upon him. The shadow of death. Jonny didn’t bother to look back. He leapt up and slid down the rest of the hill. The slope was bumpy but he didn’t care. "Jess! Run away, Jessie!" he yelled, reaching the end of the slope. He grabbed Jessie’s arm and yanked her away, pulling her into a sprint. "Why are we running, Dr. Quest?" asked Jessie, stumbling a bit over the pebbles. Her voice was still slightly groggy. "I’m Jonny. My father is back in the hotel room with the others," Jonny whispered. "Stheno is after us. She’s a gorgon!" "You mean like Medusa?" "Exactly like Medusa. Now run as fast as you can!" commanded Jonny. He could hear Stheno close behind them. We will never make it like this, a voice screamed at him. "Jessie, we’ll have to spilt. I’ll take her as far away as I can. I want you to run home and stay there!" Jonny whispered, in between breaths. He was breathing heavily now and his lungs ached for more air. "You sure?" asked Jessie, running even faster now. "Yes. On the count of three, go. THREE!" Jessie ran straight ahead as Jonny turned towards the hills. Stheno forgot about Jessie and went after Jonny. She saw his fading figure in the distance, climbing a shallow slope. "You’re mine, Benton!" she screeched. Her head of snakes hissed in agreement. Her damaged wings flapped uselessly behind her as she ran. Bright green blood oozed from the wound. Jonny could still hear the hissing of snakes. He didn’t know which he hated more, the snakes or the mistress. His legs ached from the strain and blood was rushing through his head so fast that he could hear the roar. Or was it the passing wind. At the moment, he didn’t care. Pushing aside any foliage that got into his way, he continued running away. **********************************************************************************