Cyclops Scene - Odyssey Rewrite

Just a heads up, if you've never read the Cyclops scene of the Odyssey, the events of the rewrite might be a bit weird for you. I also tried to make it as factually correct as I could, both looking back at the student's paper and the Odyssey text itself. I tried to stay true to the student's rewrite of the story, just adding in a lot more detail.

Above is a short video my teacher showed us.

Enjoy, fellas!

I awoke in excruciating agony, my eye seeming to burn and bubble. My eye had been dug into, and when I reached a hand up I felt a large stick protruding from my eye. Around me I could sense the presence of those horrible, ignorant men. It was then that I realised why they had offered me their drink; they were trying to get me to crash so they could blind me. I had hoped they had finally decided to bring peace between us, as the refreshment they offered me was much too delicious to give to someone you despise. It was as sweet as cake, and surprisingly dry for being a liquid. I could only imagine how they managed to achieve that. I stood up and went to the mouth of the cave, gripping the large stone and moving it aside. Hopefully my brothers would help me, as they still had their eyes. “No-man! No-man has hurt me! No-man is in here! Oh, someone tell my father! No-man has blinded me!” I cried out, hoping my calls for help would be heard. The only thing on my mind after that was getting my revenge on No-man and his friends. They had to pay for what they had done. 

The thought of living without my sight for the rest of my life had me bitter and heartbroken. I couldn’t do much of anything. It would be harder to care for my sheep, let alone milking them and making my cheese. I could only rely on the sounds around me and the feeling in my fingers. I felt something nudge against my leg and immediately reached down to attack one of the men. Only after grabbing the animal and feeling the soft, cloud-like fleece did I realise it was one of my many sheep. “Oh, sheep! If only you could talk and advise me where to feel for those Greeks’ location.” I thought to myself. “They’re going to feel my pain tenfold!” I then fell down to my knees and released the sheep, instead hoping to grasp onto one of the men. I knew that below me, my sheep were leaving out the door to feed in their pasture. I counted them by hand - the only way I could with my newfound blindness - and let them go off after determining that there were no men attempting to sneak off on a sheep. After that I could just tell that the cave was empty of all but me. I felt cheated. I allowed them to take refuge in my home, yet they blind me and leave me. I heard running behind me and turned around, believing it to be No-man, and at first all I could hear was nature’s voice. Until No-man’s voice joined in, sounding far away and echoed. “If anyone asks you who dug out your eye, say that it was Odysseus, son of Laertes, King of Ithaca!” He yelled. 

So, it was all a farce. He presented me with a false name and delicious wine, all in a trick to leave me blind and helpless in my cave! This new piece of information enraged me to the point I had almost no control over myself. I bellowed out to the skies above, “Hear me, Poseidon! Let Odysseus never go home, and if he does make it, let it take him a long time. Should he arrive safely, may he never see his home in peace!” In the distance I heard faint laughing, knowing they were making fun of me and my request. They had no right to laugh at me after all they did! I felt around for the nearest boulder in my range of grasp, and once I had one that felt hefty enough, I threw it in the direction of their laughter. For a split second I believed I had succeeded in bringing them down, but then they started laughing again. This time, at my failure to hit them. From then on, I knew that their laughter would haunt me forever.