She woke up under water. Surrounded in darkness, she flailed to what she hoped was the surface. It was so dark. She didn't know which way was up. Which way was down? Her face broke the surface.
As she gasped for breath, the girl looked around, the night sky alight with the harsh glow of fire. There was no moon, only death. Screams echoed across the water. It was a few moments before her mind registered the bodies. Hundreds of them.
Choking down a sob, the girl swam desperately for the shore. Her town seemed to shriek as it was slaughtered. All the women of her City. All the gorgons. Dead. Except her.
Soldiers ran through the streets, along the beach, tucked away on ships, scanning for survivors they might have missed. Shots rang out as they fired on her people. More bodies dropped. The girl tried not to look as she made her way to shore, crawling onto the sand.
She had to get out of here. Away from the carnage. Away from the soldiers. Away from the death. Stumbling to her feet, the girl sprinted for the trees. Her heart pounded in her chest, rattling against her ribcage as she flew across the earth. Her bare feet barely touched the ground as she raced towards the protection of the forest.
A shot pierced the sky. Metal meeting flesh sent the girl tumbling to the ground, scraping her face against the jagged rocks of the earth. Her abdomen throbbed and her body ached. Thick green liquid coated her hands, slid down her face as she sobbed. The girl tried to drag herself towards the tree line but a boot came down on her.
Her skull smacked the ground, sending her head spinning. The man drew a sword from his belt, prepared to cut off the youngling's head. The only way to kill a Gorgon completely. Iron could take them down, cause them a slow death, stunting their magical healing, causing them to bleed out and die like any mortal. But beheading ended it. He raised his blade atop his head, but before he could bring it down, the emerald green vipers atop her head hissed at her attacker, spitting venom.
He let out a scream as the venom burned his skin, tearing away at his flesh. As he clawed at his face, he managed to kick the girl again. She spit up blood, tears falling. The pain was almost unbearable, she could feel herself start to slip into unconsciousness. Into darkness.
Someone tried to grab her. Tried to pull her to her feet. She didn't give them a chance. Blinding rage, unlike any she'd ever experienced before, took hold. Shimmering green scales coated her skin, talons grew from her fingers. The girl's eyes clouded and turned white, the snakes atop her head bared their fangs, ready for blood. The girl's own fangs appeared from her gums, her canines elongating, venom at the ready.
She slashed out with her talons, ripping skin from bone. She fell back to the earth with a thud. With a wild scream she glared at the pitiful soldiers around her. They froze. Turning to stone instantly.
They were stuck in time. Two soldiers wounded for eternity, forced to watch the world around them as they remained frozen in stone.
With a sigh, relieving her rage, the girl's monstrous form transformed back into features of a young girl, the only thing remaining were the snakes.
She let out a groan as she rose to her feet, legs unsteady. Clutching her wound, the girl made her way towards the forest. There were still soldiers in the city. They were still looking for her.
Darkness welcomed her. Beckoned her into the safety of the trees. They called her. She broke through the thicket, the branches pulling her into their embrace. The bullets were made of iron, halting her healing. She needed to get the bullet out.
Her vision blurred and black spots danced across the world. The earth spun, causing her to lose her footing and fall to the ground. Buried in the brush, her blood pooled around her, coating the plants. Unable to rise, the girl looked up at the sky, tears falling from her eyes and sliding down her face.
She had failed them all. Her city was dead. All the gorgons were dead. She hoped some had escaped. They had to have escaped. Branches broke under the weight of someone approaching, but the girl was too tired to see who it was. She didn't have the energy to fight her attackers any longer. She closed her eyes, waiting for the blade to come down.
She faded into the black.