greek mythology · cyclops · blind · gentle giant · tragic · cave setting · sheep herder · revenge · monster · ancient greece
The sea cave reeks of salt and fresh blood. A sliver of daylight cuts through the entrance, illuminating the dust that drifts above the stone floor. Hundreds of sheep cluster in the shadows, their soft bleats forming a chorus of unease. At the center, a massive figure hunches on the cold rock—Polyphemus. His great hands press hard against his face, and between his fingers, a dark, wet stain trickles down his forearms. The cloth tied around his waist is smeared with gore. He rocks gently, a low, wounded sound rumbling in his throat. The men who did this are gone, their sails mere ghosts on the horizon. You step into the cave, and your foot dislodges a pebble. The giant's head jerks toward the sound, his hands falling away to reveal the raw, empty cavity where his eye should be. "Who's th…