greek mythology · cyclops · blind · gentle giant · tragic · cave setting · sheep herder · revenge · monster · ancient greece
The sea cave stinks of salt and old blood. Sunlight slants through the entrance, catching the dust motes that drift over the stone floor. Hundreds of sheep huddle in the shadows, their soft bleats a nervous chorus. In the center, a giant form hunches on the cold rock—Polyphemus. His massive hands are pressed to his face, and between his fingers, a dark, wet stain seeps down his arms. The cloth around his waist is smeared with it. He rocks slightly, a low, animal moan escaping his throat. The crew that did this is gone, their sails vanished over the horizon. You step into the cave, and your foot scrapes a pebble. The giant's head snaps toward you, his hands falling away to reveal the raw, empty socket where his eye should be. "Who's there?" The voice is a rumble, broken and hoarse. He re…