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Alex was a very resourceful woman, she tended not to rely on other outside of her parents. This was because she was a blind woman in ancient Greece, and she wasn't about to ask someone for assistance when she knew she'd be taken advantage of.
That very same survival tactic had somehow gotten her in this mess in the first place. A woman, middle aged based on her voice, had offered to walk her home.
Alex had politely declined, her parents did raise her with manners after all, saying she knew her way home and that her cane was plenty of help.
Apparently no wasn't good enough for this woman. She has said some pretty disparaging remarks on how helpless she must be and how concerned she was with Alex's safety. Alex then told her to mind her buisness, not being polite this time since the woman felt the need to be condescending.
Alex has had experience with these type of people, she knew that they wouldn't actually leave her alone and would clumsy follow her home thinking that she wouldn't know they were behind her.
Since this happens so often Alex had developed a second route home, one that took her and her follower through a maze like cave system.
Thats where she was now, leading the poor foolish woman into the system. Alex knew from her parents that the cave was too dark to see in, that paired with Alex's ability to move silently and quickly lead to her stalkers loosing her in the cave. She never heard from them again after that, which she was just fine with.
However this woman was becoming hard to loose, now matter how quickly she walked or how many sudden turns she took, she could always feel the woman somewhere behind her, not close enough to touch. The woman was just barely out of range for Alex to sense, and she stayed there not matter how many times she tried to loose the woman. Eventually Alex decided that she was going to use a path that she had never gone down before, a risk but not one Alex hadn't taken once before when a mam had chased after her.
She felt along the wall, being as silent as even as she walked down the sloping entrance of a less traveled path in the cave.
The woman once again followed her down. As Alex said before she had gone down this path once before, she knew there was a side alcove that she could hide in when the slope of the cave finally became even ground. There must be a pit of snakes in this section of the cave because Alex could hear the hissing and slithering of the snakes.
She assumed that the man who had once chased her had either fallen into the pit or had run away once he saw the snakes and couldn't see Alex anymore. This woman would likely meet the same fate.
Alex once again hides in the opening in the cave wall out of view if the woman. There's a gasps, but the voice is different from the woman, it's definitely younger.
"Get the fuck out!" The words are accompanied by the sound of angry snakes hissing. For a second Alex is terrified of this new person who apparently was in this section of the cave.
The older woman doesn't respond, the snake hissing quited down. Foot steps are heard pattering across the cave floor, the sound stops momentarily and is then joined by the sound of stone scraping against stone along with grunting.
"Hey," the voice that had shouted at Alex's stalker grunts, "mind helping move this?"
Alex doesn't say anything, not directed if the question was directed at her or the stalker.
"I can see you, your not even hiding that well."
"Can you see my eyes as well?" Alex asks in return as she steps out og her hiding spot. The stalker hadn't made a sound for quite some time so she figured she had ran off.
"If your able to navigate the caves your able to help me move this stupid statute." The voice, well Alex should probably stop calling the person a voice.
"Fine," Alex has used their blindness to get out if helping random strangers before but she doubted that would work on this person.
The statue isn't all that heavy, in fact Alex honestly felt like she could carry it by herself if she wanted. Alex though they would be throwing this random statue into the snake pit giving how close the hiss was, but turns out they were just moving to the other side of the opening.
"Thanks," the person said accompanied by the sound of them wiping their hands on themselves, "Name's Morgan by the way."
"Alex," Alex doesn't know why she's giving this girl her name, "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you doing down here? This particular place is pretty dangerous, I know there's a snake pit somewhere around here."
"I forgot you couldn't see me," Morgan laughs, a weird but pretty kind of sound, Alex wouldn't mind hearing it more, "I'm a Gorgon. You know, snakes for hair, scaly skin, can turn people to stone if they meet my gaze?"
Everything falls into place after Morgan's explanation. The woman who had followed Alex to this room had been turned to stone and Alex had just helped Morgan move her victim to the other side of Alex's only escape route.
If Alex were any normal person she would have screamed, ran away, and would probably go tell someone in her small city state of the Great danger that lurked in the cave systems.
Alex, however, was not a normal person, besides why would she endanger the life of the person who killed Alex's stalker for her? Sure the woman had ment well, but she was condescending and it's not like Alex wasn't already leading her to her doom in these caves.
Alex actually joins Morgan in laughter, this was a really strange occurrence so it was hard not to laugh at the obserdity of it all.
"Well thanks for killing my stalker, I was originally planning to lose her in the cave system but she was really good at keeping up." Alex explains.
"She was stalking you? What a fucking creep."
"I know right! She found me in the market place and was really pushy with 'keeping me safe' while I walked home. Then she started following me and went I couldn't shake her I decided to lure her to the snake put down here."
"Are you saying you were gonna kill her?"
"To be honest I've probably killed a lot of people in here, usually when they follow me into these caves I never hear from them again." Alex shrugs, not really caring how deranged she sounds, she was talking to someone who turns people to stone with just a gaze, she doubts she actually has the higher body count.
"That's kind if dark," Morgan comments, but there not a lot of judgement in her voice.
"If they didn't want to die they shouldn't be trying to follow me to my home."
"True, I guess no one would blame you for leaving those poor fool to the Fates."
"Exactly!" Alex was loving the banter between her and Morgan. Morgan just seemed so chill about the casual lack of care towards her fellow humans. Granted she was a gorgon so it probably came naturally.
"Well if you need another creep turned into stone you can probably find your way back."
"Yeah I probably sho to love be getting back home, thanks for the offer, I'll ne sure to take you up on it." Alex's voice came our more flirtatious than she ment to but it's not like she could say much more without ruining her cool exit.
~~~
Alex ended up leading more and more people down into the cave system, not even bothering to try to lose them first. This way she'd get to talk to Morgan as quickly as possible. With each victim the two girls spent more and more time together until Morgan made an offer that Alex just couldn't refute.
"You know I love all the new statues you bring me, but you don't have to lure another poor soul down here just to talk."
"I'd love that," that was all Alex really needed to say before they went back to talking everything they could think of.
~~~
Morgan could heard Alex footsteps as she approached, although it sounded more like stomping then her usual light footsteps, sounds like Alex was about to ran. Morgan loved it when Alex came to her for solutions to her problems or just to rant about her problems that couldn't be fixed with a quick glance from Morgan.
Alex marches right into Morgan's home of sorts, knowing the layout pretty well by now, but somehow still managing to kick Morgan one pillow off the pile of blankets that Morgan called a bed. Morgan made a mental note to think of a way to make he cave easier for Alex to navigate.
"You will not believe what happened at the market today!" Alex practically growls as she sits next to Morgan in the bed, back to her friend so Morgan could braid her hair while she ranted.
Morgan doesn't need to say anything for Alex to continue. She just started to braid while Alex talked about how a boy tried to accuse her if stealing from his stalshe apparently hadn't stolen anything in the first place but had decided to do so after being accused.
"If they're gonna call me a thief, I'm gonna rob them blind." Morgan cackles at Alex's little joke, it was nice spending time with her friend.
~~~
Alex should have know that one day the council of her city state would notice how many people dissapeared and were never seen again, especially given how often those people were seen following her to the cave systems.
When she was brought in for questioning without her parents present, she played the dumb little farm girl act.
"What do you mean they were following me? I didn't hear anyone behind me."
"Why would you even go into those caves, normal people can't even see in there." Alex us really tempted to find and stab that particular council member, Alex wasn't normal but that had nothing to do with her eyesight.
"I might not be able to see but I can feel the my way around in there," Alex fakes a concerned gasp, "they must have lost me in the caves, you can only go so far before you can't find your way out."
Alex tears up, faking her sadness at the loss of those who felt the need to follow the blind girl home. Suddenly the door to the council room is slammed open.
"What in Hades are you doing to my daughter!" It's the voice of Alex's father.
"Papa!" Alex exclaimed, bring her papa's attention to her and her tear streaked face. With in seconds her father is hugging her, do doubt glaring daggers at the council members.
"I can't believe this! You bastards better explain yourselves! Accusing my daughter of murder when those creeps were the ones following a poor blind girl." Alex's father knew all about Alex leading people to their doom in those caves, but he had been complaining to the council about people following Alex so much that he couldn't not take this opertunity to throw it in the council face.
"You have to admit Kenneth, it is strange how they're never heard from again."
"Whats strange is how many people follow her into a cave-"
"They're not stalking-"
"What do you call following a blind girl without letting her know your there!? Besides Alex can't see, how would she kill all those people stalking her? Especially all those boys who try to follow her?" The council goes silent after Alex's father goes off on them. A lot of the council members had lost a loved one in this caves when they followed Alex, but they knew as well as anyone that no one followed another person silently without bad intentions.
The council them let Alex go, deciding that she wasn't a threat and hadn't done anything wrong. Alex was really tempted to prove them wrong, show just how dangerous she is when people underestimated her, but decided that it was better to play innocent to all the death cirounding her.
"Sorry about what I said back there honey. You know I was only trying to get you out of trouble right?" Pa had said as they traveled back to their farm.
"You sure you didn't just want to shame the council for there inaction?" Alex lightly teases.
"They wouldn't be ashamed if they weren't a shameful lot," pa grumbling to himself more than to Alex. "Besides why can't it be both?"
Alex loved her pa, he know how to twist things to his own advantage and use people's perception against them. It was a very useful skill Alex had picked up from him.
~~~
"It's so dark down here honey," Pa complains as Alex leads him to the cave section with Morgan in it.
"Oh you poor thing, it must sick no being able to see," Alex teases her father.
"You really are your mothers daughter," Pa retaliated, reaching his hand out and ruffling Alex's hair.
"Pa! Your messing up my hair!" Alex pouts as she tries to smooth out her hair, she doesn't really want Morgan to think she's a slob.
"I'm sure this Morgan wouldn't mind a few hairs out of place. From what you said she seems like a very nice gal," Alex might be blind by she can hear the cheeky grin in her father's voice.
"We're getting closer, you should cover your eyes Pa, don't want you turning into a statue." Pa gives a sound of agreement before taking out a piece of fabric to cover his eyes.
"Morgan! I brought a visitor," Alex calls as she goes down the slope to Morgan's cave.
Morgan didn't answer back but she might have been sleeping. When there's no answer when they get into the cave, Alex follows the rug Morgan laid down to lead Alex to her bed.
It was nice having a friend who had accommodated her, she was quick to figure out where things are in New places she has been but the different textures rugs made traversing the big open space of the case easier.
She pokes where she thinks Morgan is and ends up poking her in her head. Alex is blind so she couldn't have done it on purpose, that's the excuse shell use if Morgan complains.
Morgan grumble-whines and her snakes give Alex an annoyed hiss before realizing its her. The snakes then reach out to her arm, absorbing the warmth, and getting their daily dose of Alex's attention.
"Umm, hi Alex," Morgan finally says, not bothering to move out from under her many quilts. "Whoes your friend? Need him to be a statue?"
"Nah, that's my Pa." Alex faces the place she knew her Pa was still standing.
"I wanted to meet this Morgan gal my daughter's been talking me and Mas ears off about." Alex feels her face grow warm at her Pa's words. The snakes try and get closer to her face.
"You can take your blindfold off, I've gotten really good at avoiding people's eyes since meeting Alex."
"Why? I can't get turned to stone."
"Yeah I know, but I still didn't want to risk turning you to stone, your my best friend."
"Dude I'm your only friend," Alex says, trying to ignore how red her face must be from Morgan's and her Pa's teasing. Her Pa and Morgan laugh.
Morgan must have sat up because her snakes are not lacking Alex's face.
"Guyss sstop that!" Morgan hiss out to her snakes, they don't really listen to her though.
"But they're so cute Morgan!" Alex giggles as their little tongues reach her ears.
"Yeah real cute," Morgan says sarcastically, "they're just trying to get some of your body heat, so we won't have to go into hibernation."
"What?" Alex is a little distraught at the idea that her best friend might go to sleep for months on end.
"It is getting pretty close to the fall," Pa comments, apparently he had gotten closer to the girls, Alex had just been too enraptured by her friend to notice. Come to think of it, the cave was more colder than usual.
"How long are you gonna be asleep?" Alex prays into not very long.
"Oh I don't really sleep, I just have trouble warming my body up enough to move around." Morgan explains.
"Does that mean I can still come and visit?" Alex's voice is full of hope, she was a patient person who could wait for good things to come but she really wasn't looking forwards to having her friend be asleep for months.
"Of course you can come and visit! You could come even if I was asleep, I trust you not to sneak in to cut my head off." Morgan jokes.
Pa has a sharp intake of breath, gasping at the mental image of Akex cutting off Morgan's head.
"Oh that's a bit of Gorgon humor," Morgan tries to console Pa, "you know Medusas story? We tend to joke about how anticlimactic it was for Perseus to just take her head while she was sleeping."
Alex doubts that made her Pa feel any better.
"Ha, funny," Pa wasn't very convincing, "although not that you mention beheading, I gotta admit there was another reason why I wanted to meet you Morgan."
"Your not here to behead me for corrupting your daughter are you?" Morgan jokes but Alex can sense the edge in her voice when she says behead.
Her Pa bursts into laughter and smacks his knee, "No! If anything your probably kept her from getting any blood on her hands."
"And I'm very grateful for that." Pa stops laughing and his voice takes on a more serious tone, "but the towns folk have noticed people going missing in this cave, Alex escaped any accusations by playing dumb but I think the council is still gonna look into these missing people."
"Oh, well thanks for the warning," Morgan's voice is a little shakey, not doubt she was terrified at the thought of multiple people coming down here, especially so close to her hibernation time.
"I think I might have to Kay low for a while," Morgan is speaking directly to Alex, she can tell from how close her voice is to Alex, "we might not see each other for a while."
The sadness is clear if Morgan's voice, Alex is left speechless. She feels helpless, her friend could die, and it's because of her and her own actions. Alex would have never lead so many people to Morgan if she'd know if might come back to bite Morgan.
"Well laying low is a good start," Pas voice I'm a bit louder now, probably trying to break the tension, "but no doubt they'll find you in this cave. I think the best solution is for you to move-"
"Morgan is not going anywhere!" Alex yells at her Pa. She regrets yelling at him the second she says it, but she couldn't help it, Morgan was really important to Alex, she didn't want to lose her. Morgan lays a hand on Alex should before bringing her in for a hug.
"It's OK Alex, I'm not leaving forever," Alex tears up as the reality of their situation becomes even clearer to Alex.
"By the Gods," her Pa curses, "you young ladies need to learn how to listen! Morgan do you wanna come stay with us at our farm?"
"Pa!" Alex wipes her eyes, she couldn't believe her dad was asking Morgan to hang around the farm! That ment Morgan could be safe. She felt so grateful for her Pa, she should have know he would understand her plight.
"You," Morgan has trouble finding her words, "Are you sure you want a Gorgon in your house?"
"Why not? You seem nice, and we always get a rat problem in our house around this time," Pa laughs at his little joke.
"I'd love to!" The joy in Morgan's voice is contagious, Alex could feel her smile widening at the prospect of having her best friend over for the colder months, she could actually have some fun over the holidays with Morgan.
"Wait!" Alex just realized that her Ma, being the other member of her family with foresight, might not approve of a dangerous monster being in her home, "What about Ma?"
"This was Ma's idea, do you think I just make big decisions without asking her?"
"I never heard you too talk about this," it wasn't a secret that Alex usually easdropped on her parents.
"That's because we talked while you were out with your friend. We figured it be harder to visit them when it got colder so we figured we'd invite her over for the holidays. Just so happened that your friend was gonna need a place to lay low not that the council is on her tail."
"Thank you Pa!" Alex gets up at walks to where she thinks her pa is, she does end up bumping into him quicker than she thought, apparently he was closer than she thought.
Pa embraces Alex, happy to get a hug from his daughter no matter what, "it's nothing honey, now let's get ready to go!"
"I'm gonna go get the wagon, that way we can sneak your friend out without anyone noticing, you gals get Morgan's stuff packed. Don't leave anything behind that you don't wanna lose, council is gonna send someone to search the caves and they aren't gonna respect your property." That last bit was aimed at Morgan. With that said Morgan finally got out from under her quilts.
Akex could hear her running around the room and getting her stuff packed. Alex decided to start folding her quilts, was a bit difficult given how big they were but Alex wanted to help her friend so she tried her best.
Morgan was done packing before Alex was done with the quilts but that was because Morgan didn't have a lot to begin with. All she really cared about was her clothes, stolen from her victims since they didn't need them anymore, and her books. She and Alex had read those books together many times so they were not only the only entertainment Motgan had but were also sentimental.
"Thanks for the help Alex, God's know I'm gonna need those quilts when it starts to really get cold." Morgan uses the last unfolded quilt as a nap sake to make carrying her items easier.
"You could always just share my bed with me, I wouldn't mind," Alex speaks before she can really stop herself.
"Really? Having you as a source of heat would make it easier to move around," Alex could hear a hint of embarrassment in Morgan voice. The two sit in awkward silence, not really knowing whatelse to say after agreeing to share a bed.
"Girls! You ready to go?" Thankfully Pa's arrivel had broken then out of their embarrassment.
"We're coming!" Alex called out, Morgan has her nap sake in one hand and takes Alex hand in her own.
"You ready?" Morgan asks Alex, without answering, Alex tugs Morgan along to where her Pa was at the entrance of the cave.