The Man in the Woods (Part Eight: The Full Moon Ends)
by Aidenn A. Spelling
VIII. The Full Moon Ends
To find love’s true meaning
One has to make a sacrifice
And so the prince approaches the girl
And tells her he’s sorry for her demise
“My time is short little doll
Soon I will return to this hideous thing
A curse that I planned on breaking
When I smelled that lavender you were carrying
I need only to mix it with oil
And sap from my lovely tree bark
And do one act of kindness
To any creature who’s not afraid of the dark
But now I can’t do it
For I feel a ton of guilt
It was I who led the witch here
And caused you to wilt
But when I heard your plea
Something changed in my heart
And wish I had done differently
Wish I had not asked for witch’s smarts
So who is the real wicked one?
Who is the real monster?
It is I who has no heart
It is I who has only anger
But now before the last hour is over
I shall offer you the witch’s spell
I shall make the potion that’s meant for me
And give it to you so you can escape this hell.”
So the prince tells her to relax
And begs her to stop crying
He mixes his potion using a wooden bowl
While he chants and tries to sing
Then smears the healing concoction
All over the raggedy doll with no hesitation
The prince cries with tears of sadness
For he knew his chance has reached fruition
As the light from the moon fades
A curious thing begins to take place
Bones begin to form anew
The doll begins to stretch from legs to face
Hair grows, and skin once made of wool
Has now become flesh and bone
The doll she once was has faded
While the prince cries and moans
The little girl thanks the prince
And sheds a tear for his act of kindness
“Go now and leave!” he says
“And never come back to this place!”
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Epilogue
Many years shall pass
And all of this will become legend
And all memories of a dark being
Will cease to exist in the entire land
But one day in the near future
A garden will be discovered
Within the forbidden forest
By a girl with looks so tender
Two lives will intersect once more–
One who creates beauty out of water and soil
And one who seeks beauty from within
Now full of hope, now full of soul
THE END
Aidenn's Journey 