Darkest Fairytale Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a kingdom. The kingdom contained the usual things that you'd expect to find in any ole kingdom-there was the king and queen and two little princesses, one with light hair, olive complexion and eyes slightly brown, the other with dark hair, a fair complexion and the greenest of emerald eyes. The youngest, the fairest, was most treasured as she was the most beautiful in the land. The king and queen gave much to the youngest princess and lavished much attention upon her; as such she demanded more attention from the king and queen. The oldest, who was plain and most boring, learned that her lot was one of modesty and abandon and want. She knew almost intuitively that she would have to care for and comfort and befriend herself. Needs were not met, wants became wishes and wishes never came true. One day, while the oldest princess was playing alone in her room, a fairy did chance to wander through her window. Now, not being very familiar with fairies, the child did not know whether this be a good fairy or a mischievous fairy. The fairy floated and bobbed around the room and the head of the child and then said finally, �I will grant you one wish, but only one wish-what will it be?� The girl thought, she thought long and she thought hard for she knew the seriousness of her request. �I wish�, she said slowly, �I wish ... that I would gain some attention from the king and the queen�. The fairy chuckled and bounced around the child's head. �You do not know what you have just requested� and she flew away, a dark black plume following after. The child shivered and immediately regretted her request, which had seemed so innocent just a moment before. The next morning, the eldest princess was awakened by the queen, a lovely meal presented on a beautifully decorated tray with a lovely peace rose resting in one of the best crystal vases. The queen smiled, almost...a twisted kind of smile that had a slightly wicked glean to it. The child sat up, smiled apprehensively and said a meek �thank you my queen�. The queen nodded, left the tray and the child and went away humming mysteriously to herself. The child studied the tray. Eggs, sausage, toast with apple jelly and orange juice with a small dish of grits, all her favorites which she hadn't enjoyed for three years, since the birth of the littlest princess. She took her napkin and her fork and she lifted a bite of the eggs into her mouth. There was an odd taste, yet she was unsure, after all it had been quite awhile since she had had eggs. She tried the sausage, to her surprise the taste was the same; true as well for the toast with the jelly and even the orange juice-an odd taste, most unrecognizable by the child. She was about to put down the tray when in walked the king, completely unannounced and bold as anything. He pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed of his oldest princess and he stared. She stared back, pausing to place the tray aside. After what felt to be immeasurable minutes she moved again, to set the tray aside, the king shook his head. She tilted her head and he said simply, �eat�. She thought of a protest, but he was the king, she had no rights to protest in his kingdom. She ate. When the meal was completely and satisfactorily consumed the king took the tray and set it on the floor by the door, he then came back to the child, his first born, and he sat on her bed and he took her hand in his and he laid it upon his manhood and he bent down and kissed her full on the mouth. He took her, violently and cruelly and as the pain became unbearable, just as she was on the verge of losing consciousness, she looked and saw a black plume, the trail of the fairy. She looked around the room and there, in the far corner, sat the fairy, a wicked grin on its face, a chuckle in its throat. �You asked for attention, you have attention. It will continue until your sixteenth birthday, and then the attention will cease. This is what you requested�. The child shook her head vehemently, �no it isn't� she whispered, �not this�. The fairy laughed and flew close. �I will offer you escape, but the attention will be. Daily will you endure such as this, nightly will you endure such as this; you will be killed and resurrected more times than you will be able to count. The pain you will be forced to endure will be greater than inflicted by the most fierce of the dragons. Your life will not be yours. But I will offer you escape�. The fairy winked and the child was gone, gone from the bed, gone from the room, gone from the king and his violence. She turned, around and around and around. All around her was a darkness. All around her was silence. She spoke loudly, �fairy, fairy where are you?� She heard a chuckle and spun around. �This is your escape child, here you will live. Here is your life. If you want the attention then go back there, go back to him, to that pain. If you want the attention then return to your queen, return to that poisonous heart that would kill you and resurrect innumerable times. Return if you want. But this is your escape�. The princess looked around. �But it's black and it's deep and it's silent�. The fairy just chuckled malevolently. �You can choose which life you want, the attention you requested or the shadow�. The child looked back down upon the king, saw herself on the bed and she winced. She turned back into the darkness. �What can I do here� she asked. �Whatever you imagine� said the fairy and with that it was gone. The princess sat and she thought. She peeked down once more, the king was gone, the body she fled was beaten and bruised and heaving violently. The queen came into the room-medicine it appeared, a small brown bottle and a rather large spoon. What is this thought the child and she jumped from the dark into the body. She hurt, the pain was intense. She was cramping and shaking almost uncontrollably, and cold, oh so cold. The queen tipped back the child's head and poured the foul tasting medicine down her throat. Only minutes passed and the cramping was so intense, she vomited and continued vomiting until well past dusk. Finally, exhausted and raw, the child fled the body and ran into the darkness. She sat, the pain gone, the convulsions passed. She sat-alone in the dark. I can do whatever I imagine, huh, she thought. �I want a tea party�, she said �and I want friends with me� and she sat and she thought and she thought and she thought. Soon six little girls sat in the dark, sipping tea and eating crumpets and giggling and joking and having a grand time. Six little girls, the darkness their home, together forever, for so they belonged. Occasionally the princess would look out of the darkness, sometimes she'd leap into living only to flee yet again. Eventually the six became four as two ventured out. �We're needed for rescue, we're needed for aide; we're needed for restraint and for comfort and strength�. Two left the dark and explored far beyond, lost to the four. One would occasionally come back for a visit and a chat and then off she would go again until that one last time. She came and she said to the princess and friends, �I won't be back to join in the fun and the mirth, I�ll miss you all and think about you every day�. And then she was gone. Four now, just four, sat at the table, sipping their tea and sharing their crumpets. �You know�, said the princess, �she's found an escape, and maybe another fairy has granted her a wish�. The others nodded their agreement, though none truly thought so. �Maybe�, said the princess, �the time had just come for them to go�. They all nodded at this and agreed it was so. They each imagined what life the other two must now enjoy, a life in some sun shining field of green with tall trees and bright flowers. The princess shook her head, �not for me. I won't venture from the dark ever again�. They sat in silence a moment. �What was it the fairy told you, all those many years ago?� The princess thought and she thought, after all it had been so long ago. Hmm, attention 'til what, my sixteenth year had passed? �How old am I quickly�, she said to the others. �Why you're sixteen and one month and two days right now�. The princess stood up and cautiously looked out. The body was dressing and humming a melody, low and unfamiliar. The princess looked at the three, who nodded with glee, and then she leapt down deciding to try. Hmmm�there was no pain in the body, no bleeding or bruising. She looked back toward the darkness, a tear in her eye and then turned toward the door. I'll try.
Copyright © 2003 Monica L Sprague |