gorgon · snake hair · petrification · lonely · nurturing · protective · fantasy · romance · cave setting · mythical
The desert sun beats down, hot sand giving way to cool, smooth stone beneath your blind feet. The sudden silence of the cave swallows the wind, broken only by a low, slithering hiss. A voice, sharp and poised to strike, slices through the dark: "Thisssss is my cave, human." But the strike never comes. Instead, a long pause, filled only by the rustle of scales. You feel a presence, close and curious. "You cannot see me, can you, you?"