Laughing Medusas

She encompassed all shades and hues of black. She inhabited the periphery of existence and most of the time, she remained unnoticed. I saw her first, as a glimmer. I am not sure, even in retrospect what it was that dove out of the darkness, barely beyond my field of vision. I felt that there was something to see, more than I actually saw anything, and turned to face her. I couldn’t see her. Instead, I saw where the black shade of the forest became silky and supple. I saw the iridescent reflection of a scale; knew it was feathery to the touch, simultaneously razor-sharp and I needed to caress it.

She did not move out of the obscurity of shadow, but her silhouette appeared as the shadow retreated in a ripple motion. She had neither scales nor feathers in this light, and I needed to caress her. Creamy, nearly transparent skin was stretched gently over every bone and muscle mass she carried with her. She had eyes the color of every root beer flavored popsicle that had melted down my chin as a child. And without uttering a sound she spoke to me.

In that moment I was hers, because she had chosen me.

~Asherah