Beauty always has a price
Ever since she was a child, she loved going to the lake. It was the heart and soul of their village. From its water, all fields were being irrigated and fish was plenty. If you were the outsider, you would say that the lake is strange, since the red color of the water was not something you would expect, but for the villagers it was the most beautiful color in the world.
All doors and windows in the village were panted in the color of the lake and all girls and boys that were not married were always wearing clothes in the color of the lake.
She had more than enough suitors and she loved all the attention they gave her. Sometimes her grandmother's words echoed in her head:
"You are the most beautiful girl the village had seen in a long time. But such beauty always has a price" A boy next door was in love with her since they were kids. His father was a blacksmith and he should thank his father for deformation of his face.
When he was a young boy, his father was drunk as usual when he started forging a tool for the local trader. He called his son to fetch him some water so he could clear his head. As the boy was bringing water, the father turned with the burning iron in the thongs and hit his son in the face.
From that point, he was blind in one eye and most of his face was scarred for life, from that point on he has never shown his face in public.
Moons were high in the sky and it was clear, not a single cloud. She was returning home alone from a walk with one of her suitors, holding a rose in her hand and smiling. She loved roses. It was her favorite flower.
"I hope you had a nice night." said the boy.
She jumped "You scared me! Why would you do that!" she yelled "Hiding in the shadows like some animal."
"I am sorry, I was waiting for you. I came to your house to see if you want to go for a walk, but your father told me you were already out."
"And that is the reason to wait in the shadows?"
"No, it is not. I am sorry, hope you had a nice walk. I wish you a good night." said the boy.
"I did, good night to you too." replied the girl.
She knew he loved her since they were kids and if he did not have a ruined face, she would most probably be his wife. But that face... What would people say?
It was time for the village party and all villagers went to the lake to drink, eat and celebrate. He was there, watching her talk to other men, laugh with them. He was angry. She did not say hi to him, she never did when others were present. Nobody said hi to a freak like him.
She could feel him staring at her, she moved move from one place to another, but he would be there watching. She knew his obsession and that it was getting stronger and soon something will have to be done about that.
As party ran, people started to relax and some were already drunk. "You are all lucky, you have children that are beautiful. And what do I have? A freak!" yelled the blacksmith as he pulled the hood from his son's head.
The skin, once smooth, was now mottled flesh, with deep grooves and ridges, one eye was clouded. His lips were mostly destroyed so that most of teeths were exposed. The nose was barely more than a shadow.
People screamed and looked away. He started running to his house, crying all the way, not looking back.
He did not leave the house for days and his father did not return home, what would he do to his father nobody could tell.
One night outside of the house a laughter could be heard, one of the suitors came to take her for a walk. He put his robe on and started following them.
"Something is in the shadows." said the suitor.
"It is just wind. Are you scared, a strong person like you?" she smiled, teasing him.
"Of course not." said the suitor.
They continued the walk to the lake. The hooded shadow stood at the edge of the village watching, deciding if he should follow them or go home. One step forward and the decision was made.
On the shore of the lake, a young couple sat down, talked and laughed holding each other for most of the night. The hooded figure was there watching in slience, gathering courage. As sun started to rise, they saw him standing there with clenched fists.
"What do you want, you freak? Leave before I put you in your place!" yelled the suitor.
A hooded figure ran forward attacking, punching the suitor with anger that was boiling in him for so long. With each punch and scream, a red lake rippled. "She is mine, only mine!" he screamed, not stoping with punches.
In a second, the suitor stopped breathing, he turned towards the girl.
"See - a weak man. He could not protect you. I can, you know that."
Wind started to blow and the lake stopped moving, not a single wave.
"Get away from me!" she screamed, calling for help.
There was nowhere to go but into the lake. She knew he was scared of water, he will not follow and soon someone will start looking for her. The water was cold, but she was safe.
"You killed him, you monster! You will pay for this!"
The wind was getting stronger and she felt it, something was holding her legs, the lake started to ripple one more time.
"Please come back. I am sorry." he yelled and started crying "I did not want to do this. Please!" "Help me, something is holding my legs!"
His fear of water was suppressed by love for her. He was less than a pace from her when something pulled them both. They were screaming, drowning, trying to help each other.
She looked at him one last time "I am sorry." From the lake long tentacles moved, grabbing the suitor body and pulling it into the lake. The wind stoped and the lake was still once again.
In the house, the old grandmother was sitting next to the open window. "Beauty always has its price.". She shed a single tear, got up and closed the window.
All doors and windows in the village were panted in the color of the lake and all girls and boys that were not married were always wearing clothes in the color of the lake.
She had more than enough suitors and she loved all the attention they gave her. Sometimes her grandmother's words echoed in her head:
"You are the most beautiful girl the village had seen in a long time. But such beauty always has a price" A boy next door was in love with her since they were kids. His father was a blacksmith and he should thank his father for deformation of his face.
When he was a young boy, his father was drunk as usual when he started forging a tool for the local trader. He called his son to fetch him some water so he could clear his head. As the boy was bringing water, the father turned with the burning iron in the thongs and hit his son in the face.
From that point, he was blind in one eye and most of his face was scarred for life, from that point on he has never shown his face in public.
Moons were high in the sky and it was clear, not a single cloud. She was returning home alone from a walk with one of her suitors, holding a rose in her hand and smiling. She loved roses. It was her favorite flower.
"I hope you had a nice night." said the boy.
She jumped "You scared me! Why would you do that!" she yelled "Hiding in the shadows like some animal."
"I am sorry, I was waiting for you. I came to your house to see if you want to go for a walk, but your father told me you were already out."
"And that is the reason to wait in the shadows?"
"No, it is not. I am sorry, hope you had a nice walk. I wish you a good night." said the boy.
"I did, good night to you too." replied the girl.
She knew he loved her since they were kids and if he did not have a ruined face, she would most probably be his wife. But that face... What would people say?
It was time for the village party and all villagers went to the lake to drink, eat and celebrate. He was there, watching her talk to other men, laugh with them. He was angry. She did not say hi to him, she never did when others were present. Nobody said hi to a freak like him.
She could feel him staring at her, she moved move from one place to another, but he would be there watching. She knew his obsession and that it was getting stronger and soon something will have to be done about that.
As party ran, people started to relax and some were already drunk. "You are all lucky, you have children that are beautiful. And what do I have? A freak!" yelled the blacksmith as he pulled the hood from his son's head.
The skin, once smooth, was now mottled flesh, with deep grooves and ridges, one eye was clouded. His lips were mostly destroyed so that most of teeths were exposed. The nose was barely more than a shadow.
People screamed and looked away. He started running to his house, crying all the way, not looking back.
He did not leave the house for days and his father did not return home, what would he do to his father nobody could tell.
One night outside of the house a laughter could be heard, one of the suitors came to take her for a walk. He put his robe on and started following them.
"Something is in the shadows." said the suitor.
"It is just wind. Are you scared, a strong person like you?" she smiled, teasing him.
"Of course not." said the suitor.
They continued the walk to the lake. The hooded shadow stood at the edge of the village watching, deciding if he should follow them or go home. One step forward and the decision was made.
On the shore of the lake, a young couple sat down, talked and laughed holding each other for most of the night. The hooded figure was there watching in slience, gathering courage. As sun started to rise, they saw him standing there with clenched fists.
"What do you want, you freak? Leave before I put you in your place!" yelled the suitor.
A hooded figure ran forward attacking, punching the suitor with anger that was boiling in him for so long. With each punch and scream, a red lake rippled. "She is mine, only mine!" he screamed, not stoping with punches.
In a second, the suitor stopped breathing, he turned towards the girl.
"See - a weak man. He could not protect you. I can, you know that."
Wind started to blow and the lake stopped moving, not a single wave.
"Get away from me!" she screamed, calling for help.
There was nowhere to go but into the lake. She knew he was scared of water, he will not follow and soon someone will start looking for her. The water was cold, but she was safe.
"You killed him, you monster! You will pay for this!"
The wind was getting stronger and she felt it, something was holding her legs, the lake started to ripple one more time.
"Please come back. I am sorry." he yelled and started crying "I did not want to do this. Please!" "Help me, something is holding my legs!"
His fear of water was suppressed by love for her. He was less than a pace from her when something pulled them both. They were screaming, drowning, trying to help each other.
She looked at him one last time "I am sorry." From the lake long tentacles moved, grabbing the suitor body and pulling it into the lake. The wind stoped and the lake was still once again.
In the house, the old grandmother was sitting next to the open window. "Beauty always has its price.". She shed a single tear, got up and closed the window.
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