Half Responsible

I look so stupid

The sea could not be restrained. Sally knew something was wrong the moment the sky darkened, and a storm brewed. She turned on the radio, which had an emergency broadcast. A sudden hurricane coming in from the Atlantic, it said.

Poseidon, Sally pleaded. What's happening?

She paced the common room of the cabin, thinking of all the possibilities. Could it be? Could it be that Zeus found out?

Or were they just arguing?

Sally settled on reading a collection of Greek myths that Poseidon had left behind. She didn't know why he read it when he lived through it, but surely it was hard to remember three thousand years of your own history.

The book sprung open to the page on Medusa. Medusa, being beheaded by Perseus in one myth. Medusa, being...

She trailed off.

Sally had to remind herself that Ovid was a Roman writer about Greek myths, and Ovid was extremely anti-Greek. But she had no idea how much of it was true. She could ask him, but what good would that do if it might mean that he would put himself in a good light.

Would he?

She looked in the glossary, looking up Amphitrite and the story behind her, then following through to the page on their marriage. It wasn't a good idea.

She wondered if anyone asked Medusa how she felt. Medusa did nothing but love only to be beheaded in her sleep, but her head was more potent in death. She wondered what was true – was Medusa already born with snakes in her hair or had that been Athena's curse? Or did they all exist at once?

The storm picked up a lot more, and Poseidon didn't return. Night fell, and when she went to sleep she hoped he would be there in the morning, but he didn't. The storm didn't loosen up at all.

A day went by.

Then two. It continued to rain.

Sally felt her heart break into numerous pieces. She should have known it wouldn't last, that he would leave at night and never return. She had a good run, didn't she? A lovely summer and whatever summer love story that her friends – if they were still her friends – could talk about in the future because in the future, it would hurt less.

She called the cabin's owner, saying that she would be leaving the cabin for New York that evening.

"Do you want a refund?" the cabin owner asks. "I mean, I'd gladly keep it but the IRS would be on my case if I did."

Sally was flabbergasted to find out how much Poseidon offered the cabin owner. But she didn't protest. With the extra money, Sally used her own money to pay off Uncle Rich's debt, and used Poseidon's money to get a new apartment. It would be enough for now, and she could even attend night classes and perhaps community college.

She got a job at Sweet On America by Grand Central Station. From there, she could walk out and see the Empire State Building towering over her on the way back home. Hopefully, he was watching. It comforted her a little bit because she had no photos of him to remember him by. She felt calmer now that she was no longer on constant edge from the environment she worked in. No debt to worry about, just her life.

And all because of her love for Poseidon. He left her, but he was still everywhere and taking care of her. It could have been worse, she could have been cursed by whatever fates were out there.

It was winter when she next saw Poseidon. A blanket of snow lay over New York, the pure-driven snow turning dirty as the cars ploughed the streets. She had a day off and lay around in her pyjamas, flipping through the pages of Jane Eyre as it was the reading for her literature class tomorrow. The copy was falling apart as it was, and now it just looked well-loved.

There was a knock at her door.

She looked up. It must be the abuela from across the hall. Abuela often ran out of sugar from baking a lot, but in return, she'd often share her food with Sally.

"Abuela," Sally called out. "At this point I will have a cupboard full of sugar for you –"

She faltered. It was not abuela.

Poseidon stood before her, looking anxious. He wore his Bermuda shorts in this weather and a Hawaiian shirt.

She was ready to close the door on him but could not bring herself too. She held onto the door frame tightly.

"Poseidon," she said.

"Sally," there it was. Said like he had let go of a long breath, and she didn't doubt that he could hold his breath for a tremendous amount of time. "I came as soon as I could."

"I figured," she looked outside. "The weather has been bad since the Solstice. Today is the first time."
"I knew you'd figure it out."

"But you didn't send word," Sally accused. "Not a single word. You could have at least said something, another sign."

"That... would be on me."

Sally stood to the decide, letting him come in. She looked down the hall, left and right, before shutting the door. Hopefully, there won't be any gossip.

Poseidon explained everything. The prophecy, the pact, and what it meant. How Zeus was afraid, despite him breaking it already, and that Poseidon was finally free from his hawk-like watch because he was doing the exact same thing that Poseidon was doing now.

Seeing his mortal lover.

"Poseidon, I can't be your little secret," Sally ran a hand through her hair. "It makes me feel... feel like I'm in the wrong."

"No, no, no," Poseidon assured her. He held his hands up, ready to cup her face in his hands, but hesitated. Sally nodded, allowing him. "You are not wrong, you're not... you're not a dirty secret. You're a queen amongst mortals, and I've never met anyone like you."

"What makes you say that?" Sally felt a weight gather in her heart. "Why do say that?"

"You can see through the mist, you've treated me as an equal from the moment I met you and you never once shied away from criticizing my world. You've worked so hard, so hard, and deserve more than all of this but chose to make your own path."

"You helped a little bit," Sally added.

"You were already there, I just made it happen faster."

She scoffed and took his hand away. Should she really do this, take Poseidon back, only for him to leave again.

"You can't stay anymore, can you?" there was a reason why he was here.

He rested his forehead on hers. It was a silent answer.

"I could and would build you a castle under water and give you immortality if it meant you'd stay," he muttered. "But you would oh so hate that."

Sally smiled and kissed him. She kissed him, and any thought of wanting to write her novel was thrown out of the window, knowing that tonight might be the last night she may see him.

In that split second, she knew that they were being careless. She should have thought a lot more about it, but the moment Poseidon caressed her sternum, any thoughts she had diminished.

Poseidon allowed himself one last night with Sally. And in return, the Fates played their part.