They called him wolf, for that's what they saw him as. He was solitary and wild, a beast in human form. Being different in Aubusson was the worst crime, and he was as different as he could be.
No one knew where he came from; he'd just shown up one day. The mayor had welcomed him, glad to have an extra hand during the harvest season. The young man did help with the crops, as he continued to do every year, however, he did not fit in with the rest of the villagers as the mayor had expected. He chose not to live within the safety of the town but in a cabin in the nearby woods. That was when the rumors had started. A very young man, perhaps even still a boy, had arrived and was now living in the woods along with the evil creatures and spirits of the world. He was trouble.
His appearance shocked all the visitors but most especially the elders who had spent their lives enforcing certain rules upon the younger generations. The man who had arrived well-kempt soon allowed his hair to grow long and unruly. On occasion he was seen with leaves peeking out of his dark brown hair. He did shave, but he did it so rarely that he was always seen with stubble upon his face. Had he let it grow into a beard, the elders would not have minded, but in the shape he left it, he was considered to be quite uncivilized. He also allowed his clothes to become faded and torn. He'd arrived at the town with a large sum of money, and it baffled the villagers as to why he never used it. The money itself was a topic of many conversations, as the housewives spent hours comparing and discussing their different theories on the origin of the large amount.
The greatest fear of the villagers was their lack of control over him, and they maintained a wariness of any power that he might gain. He was independent of the town, for he grew his own food and cut his own firewood. Whatever he needed was there in the woods, for he was not known to like material objects. His large sum of money was also intimidating to the leaders of the village. The country's economy was sinking, and they hoped they would not have to turn to him for any kind of help. They were also wary of the fact that he was a young man who one day would seek a wife. In spite of his disheveled appearance, it was obvious that he was a handsome man. But he was a man who obviously had no morals! It was every father's worst nightmare. When he came to town they would quickly usher their daughters through the nearest door. If they fell for him, it would be disaster to gain such a man as a son-in-law. The scariest idea, of course, was that he might not even marry a girl whom he became involved with. How they would live in shame to have it known that their daughter had had her honor ruined by a common animal.
And so over the next couple of years, the rumors grew and grew. It was rumored he had gotten his money from a man in the last village he had visited. He had slept with the daughter of a high-ranked official and had been paid off to not say a word. Of course he had a ferocious sexual appetite and waited hungrily in the woods, watching for a girl walking by herself. I had been raised being told all these rumors. When he showed up I was eleven. I learned quickly to never walk alone and to stay inside when there was talk of him coming to town. Some of the girls in the town who had seen him told me how handsome he was, but I refused to listen, for I would never dishonor my family. I loved my father and obeyed everything he said. He would find the right match for me. A match that was nothing like this beast, for any man who was called a wolf had no place in my world. I did not actually know of any girls whom he had trapped, but I did not doubt that he had. Though my friends talked of his looks, they too knew he was dangerous and grew scared when the elders talked of him. It was within this world that I grew up. It wasn't until my seventeenth year that my world shattered, and I was forced to question everything I'd learned.
A/N: Okay, I'm rather bad about writing long chapters so...here's a short one! I've been having a major case of writer's block but this idea just popped into my head. Please tell me what you think...I'd really like not to be flamed but constructive criticism is helpful. Of course compliments are also readily accepted! Danke.
No one knew where he came from; he'd just shown up one day. The mayor had welcomed him, glad to have an extra hand during the harvest season. The young man did help with the crops, as he continued to do every year, however, he did not fit in with the rest of the villagers as the mayor had expected. He chose not to live within the safety of the town but in a cabin in the nearby woods. That was when the rumors had started. A very young man, perhaps even still a boy, had arrived and was now living in the woods along with the evil creatures and spirits of the world. He was trouble.
His appearance shocked all the visitors but most especially the elders who had spent their lives enforcing certain rules upon the younger generations. The man who had arrived well-kempt soon allowed his hair to grow long and unruly. On occasion he was seen with leaves peeking out of his dark brown hair. He did shave, but he did it so rarely that he was always seen with stubble upon his face. Had he let it grow into a beard, the elders would not have minded, but in the shape he left it, he was considered to be quite uncivilized. He also allowed his clothes to become faded and torn. He'd arrived at the town with a large sum of money, and it baffled the villagers as to why he never used it. The money itself was a topic of many conversations, as the housewives spent hours comparing and discussing their different theories on the origin of the large amount.
The greatest fear of the villagers was their lack of control over him, and they maintained a wariness of any power that he might gain. He was independent of the town, for he grew his own food and cut his own firewood. Whatever he needed was there in the woods, for he was not known to like material objects. His large sum of money was also intimidating to the leaders of the village. The country's economy was sinking, and they hoped they would not have to turn to him for any kind of help. They were also wary of the fact that he was a young man who one day would seek a wife. In spite of his disheveled appearance, it was obvious that he was a handsome man. But he was a man who obviously had no morals! It was every father's worst nightmare. When he came to town they would quickly usher their daughters through the nearest door. If they fell for him, it would be disaster to gain such a man as a son-in-law. The scariest idea, of course, was that he might not even marry a girl whom he became involved with. How they would live in shame to have it known that their daughter had had her honor ruined by a common animal.
And so over the next couple of years, the rumors grew and grew. It was rumored he had gotten his money from a man in the last village he had visited. He had slept with the daughter of a high-ranked official and had been paid off to not say a word. Of course he had a ferocious sexual appetite and waited hungrily in the woods, watching for a girl walking by herself. I had been raised being told all these rumors. When he showed up I was eleven. I learned quickly to never walk alone and to stay inside when there was talk of him coming to town. Some of the girls in the town who had seen him told me how handsome he was, but I refused to listen, for I would never dishonor my family. I loved my father and obeyed everything he said. He would find the right match for me. A match that was nothing like this beast, for any man who was called a wolf had no place in my world. I did not actually know of any girls whom he had trapped, but I did not doubt that he had. Though my friends talked of his looks, they too knew he was dangerous and grew scared when the elders talked of him. It was within this world that I grew up. It wasn't until my seventeenth year that my world shattered, and I was forced to question everything I'd learned.
A/N: Okay, I'm rather bad about writing long chapters so...here's a short one! I've been having a major case of writer's block but this idea just popped into my head. Please tell me what you think...I'd really like not to be flamed but constructive criticism is helpful. Of course compliments are also readily accepted! Danke.