A Heart for a Heart
(Note From the Author: This will be a relatively short story, just a few chapters long. I've had it in my head for a while now. I hope you enjoy it. Leave comments please. Thank you.)
Chapter 1
When I was a little girl, my father would recite an old tale for me. It was a far more chilling story than those fairy tales that most parents tell their children as they tuck them into their warm and comfy beds. But like every good fairy tale, it began with three simple words…Once upon a time.
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a very naïve young man. He was a carpenter by trade. He loved to work with his hands. He could craft beautiful furniture, like a chair, a table, a cradle for the tender babe, he even helped to build homes for the village newlyweds. He enjoyed making others happy, and yet he was not happy himself. why was he so miserable?
As he built these splendid homes, he could not help but feel a pang of hateful jealousy for the lovers. You see, the carpenter was over thirty now and had never wed. There was but one woman who he truly loved, but she was unattainable. Her name was Lady Claudia, the wife of Duke Lorington. Lady Claudia was extremely beautiful. Her catlike eyes were colored an olive green, her skin was a supple milky white, her cheeks were always rosy, and her hair burned a ruby red. As the wife of such a powerful man, there was little the carpenter could do, but admire her from afar. He'd stand in the doorway of his shop and watch as her carriage passed through the village streets, just so he could meet her eyes when she graced him with a glance and an alluring smile.
For a while, this was enough for him, but as time passed, and he grew older, his patience waned. His misery rooted itself in the carpenter's heart, turning him cold and filling his head with evil thoughts. He became thin and pale. He'd always been a god fearing man, but slowly his resolve had been eaten away.
One night, he awoke, having reached an epiphany in his slumber. "What is the purpose in living, if there is no joy in life?" He asked himself. He could think of no good reason. Without even pulling on his trousers or shoes, he ran from his small, humble home. He stumbled through the black forest, the full moon still high in the night sky, his night shirt stained with mud and sweat, his bare feet scratched and bleeding. His breath came in wild gasps, his heart thudded wildly, and his mind raced with dismal thoughts.
Finally, he reached the shier cliff. The place called "Dead Man's Drop". It was where all unfortunate souls, such as his, went to relieve themselves of their pain. This was a strange place, for once you went over, you'd never be seen again. No body had ever been recovered from the violent tides below. Some said that the bodies were all torn to shreds on the rocks, others say the powerful tides pulled them out to sea, or that they were all eaten by sharks, still others claimed that this place was a portal to hell itself, that the victims of Dead Man's Drop were simply dragged away by evil spirits to the world of eternal pain and sorrow. The carpenter didn't know what to believe, but he'd find out soon enough. He stood at the edge of the cliff, his toes curled over the jagged edge. He stared with wide eyes at the sharp rocks and thrashing waves below. He sucked in a final deep breath and slowly exhaled as he raised his arms. He closed his eyes and bid farewell to this wicked world and the love he'd never known. Inch by dreadful inch, the carpenter pitched his body forward.
"What are you doing, John?" asked a man's voice.
Startled, the carpenter whirled around to meet the man who stood behind him. He stared at the man in shock and aw. He looked very strange. His skin was as pale as that of the dead and his eyes were a crimson red. The iris of his eyes swirled like pools of blood. His long black hair was wild and unkept. His fingernails were long and sharp. His mouth was too wide, and his teeth were filed into points, like those of wild beast. He wore all black. His clothes were dirty and torn, his coat and tangled hair writhed as if they were caught in a strong wind, but the air was still, stagnant, with no wind at all.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" the carpenter asked, his voice thick with fear at the sight of this odd man. Where had he come from? He was out in the middle of nowhere. There were no homes near by and he didn't recognize him from the village. He hadn't even heard the man approach.
"I have no name. You do. It just so happens that I know it. In fact I know a great deal about you, John." The man said, his strange eyes alight, glowing, reflecting the light of the brilliant moon.
John's eyes narrowed. "I don't understand. Certainly you must have a name and how can you know about me? We've never met."
"Oh but we have met. I've been with you for a very long time, watching and waiting for you to give in to your weakness and call upon my aid." The man replied, his mouth widening grotesquely to show his animalistic smile, crowded with many sharp teeth.
"Call upon your aid? What for?" John asked, his mind still muddled with confusion.
"You have long longed for a certain woman, have you not?" The man inquired, laying his gnarled hand on John's shoulder.
John lowered his head, his despair once again tightening it's grip on his heart. "It doesn't matter now. She's as unreachable as the stars."
"What if I told you that I can help you win the lady's heart?" The odd man whispered in John's ear. His breath was hot and rancid.
This perked John's interest. "How? She's already married to Duke Lorington."
The man let out a cackle. "I am a being not of this world. I am capable of things your frail human mind cannot comprehend." His eyes sharpened. "I will give you Lady Claudia's heart …for a price."
"A price?" John repeated questioningly.
The man's torn coat and wild hair began to whip around even more violently in the invisible wind, that seemed to only surround him. "Nothing is free. Everything has a price." He said.
John backed away from the cliff. There was hope after all? "What is it? I'll give you anything you like."
"I will give you Claudia's heart, but in exchange you must give me your first born daughter." The being replied, baring his teeth at John in a gleeful smile. John had little doubt that there was truth in this man's claim of an otherworldly origin. His expression reminded him very much of a grinning wolf, eagerly anticipating his next meal.
"W-why do you want my daughter? What purpose do you have in store for her?" John asked, uneasily.
"That doesn't matter. She will be my payment for all my hard work. I will do with her as I please." The man in black spat, seemingly annoyed that John had dared to ask such a question.
John thought long and hard as he stared at the terrifying man before him, who watched him with a predatory gleam in his eyes, like that of a vulture waiting in the wings as a man or beast lay dying below his perch.
The man extended his dirty hand. "Do we have a deal?"
John lifted his own hand and edged it cautiously towards that of the man's.
"Are you sure?" The man prodded, stopping John's hand in midair. "A deal made with me is forever. What is done cannot be undone. You must not go back on your word. I despise being cheated. If you fail to keep up your end of the bargain, I will take back everything that I have give you. You have been warned, carpenter."
There's no guarantee that I will even have a daughter. I could have all sons. I may not even have children. Thought John, slyly. He took the creature's hand and shook it. "You have a deal, sir. I will give you my first born daughter in exchange for Claudia's heart."
As the man and the beast shook hands, the monster began to roar in laughter. "You may call on me, whenever you need me, human." He said with a deep bow, as he began to fade away.
"What shall I call you, creature?" John asked in a yell, in an effort to be heard over the roar of the wind that had suddenly kicked up around them.
"I am the being without a name. I have no beginning…and no end…I feel nor fear nothing…I am what I am, but am nothing. Call me what you will, boy. It makes no difference to me." He replied darkly.
"Very well then." John began, his belly falling to his feet, as he watched the creature unleash it's dark power. "I shall call you, Nothing. I can think of no better name for you."
"Then Nothing it shall be." The being cackled. Finally he disappeared in a puff of black smoke, disappearing into the bleak black night.
John stood there on the cliff, his eyes wide and unblinking as he stared out at the ocean. What had he just done?
Another Note from the Author: This is sort of my take on a fable. A fable is a story that teaches a lesson. The moral of this story is: When making a deal, you should be prepared to pay the price. Hope you liked me! Let me know what you think. :)