The Boy And The Frog
Tall redwood trees draped dark shadows over the trickling stream, making the water seem to shine black and rocks to look as if they were made of silver. The winter air was cool and moist, signalizing that winter was soon to come and that the summer months were nearing an end. The setting sun was almost entirely covered in a thick layer of grey clouds, meaning there was a high chance of rain later in the evening. Not a single sound besides the tree tops busheling in the breeze and water passing by disturbed the tranquility of the clearing.
What could cause someone to be tense in such a relaxing place?
A broken heart, maybe?
The water rippled around his ankle as the lanky blond dipped his bare foot into the narrow creek. He didn't mind the icy water biting at his skin, he was to deep in thought to even notice the cold sting on his foot.
How could he have been so foolish? Trying to woe a such a high class girl, It was preposterous. Why would any women want to wed a poor farmer's boy in the first place? Not to mention the fact that he was practically useless when it came to manual labor. He was about the same size of someone half his age and was about a strong as one too. How could he protect and honor his wife if he himself was weaker then she?
It was obvious a mousy little man like him was not husband material. Estella had made that painfully clear in the market place that morning. The embarrassing incident was still fresh in his memory and still made his blood boil with humiliation.
"My lady," Pip smiled sweetly and offered the fair young maiden a rose. "for you." Estella looked him up and down scornfully with obvious disdain on her face. The other men that stopped and surrounded themselves around the fair daughter of the town's wealthiest family glanced at Pip with disbelief and slight humor. Who was this kid, thinking that he had a shot with such a high quality women?
They all had the same thought on their minds; This boy must have been mad.
But Pip wasn't mad, just madly in love. Estella had to be the most beautiful girl in the whole town, if not the whole world. He could not help but fall head over heels for her. He thought it foolish not to try and woe her. Little did he know that despite her looks, Estella was a viper girl who's temper could scare the Dark One himself. Her beautiful appearance and high social status made her vain and cold to anyone below her. Everyone but Pip knew that this would end badly.
She guffawed before breaking out in a fit of mocking laughter. The men standing by soon joined after. The laughter spread throughout the whole crowd of her admirers until even some oblivious bystanders joined in. Confused, Pip didn't know what to do besides chuckle along with them. He didn't understand that they were all laughing at him.
Estella was the first to stop laughing after she realized that her mocking laughter hadn't sent Pip crying. He really was a dense one, this boy. She decided to make it clearer for him to understand. After she was done he would never try to step out of line again. The poor should learn there place and not to bother the rich with their squabbles, at least that's what she was taught to believe.
"You silly boy," She exclaimed. "did you really think you could impress me? A poor boy like you? I rather marry one of your goats, farm boy." Another wave of laughter came from the bystanders. "After all, who wants a man with no money?"
That had stung deep. Pip knew that he was poor, but that shouldn't matter if you love somebody. Why couldn't Estella see past his poverty and see him as a person instead of a farmer's boy? He was able to look past her wealth to see her for her true beauty, so why couldn't she?
"Oh I see how it is." Pip looked back at her, hoping that she had changed her mind. "Your after my money!"
His heart sank in his chest and he quickly shook his head. "No, no my lady. I would never-"
"Nonsense! Why else would you make this pathetic attempt to charm me?"
"Because I-"
"Because you want to marry me so you could be rich! How else could such a stupid man make a fortune?" She finished for him, folding her arms in front of her chest in triumph. She looks as though she had just won an argument. A sly smirk graced the delicate features of her face. Pip just stared at her in shock. He didn't know what to say to make her believe him.
Then it occurred to him; There was no way of convincing her. Her ego was so large that she believed that everyone below her was scum under her boots. There was no getting through to her. His only option to save whatever amount of dignity she had left him was to run away and hope that this would all be forgotten by morning, like some awful nightmare.
So with a heavy heart and broken pride, Pip turned and ran off.
It seemed so long ago since all that happened, he was already forgetting parts of it. But no matter how hard he tried he could never forget the heartbreak. It had been the most humiliating moment of all his seventeen years. He cursed himself for being born a poor farmer's boy living in poverty and not a rich nobleman's son. But perhaps even then he would not be desired.
Another reason Pip wasn't admired was because of his ungainliness and scrawny physique. Despite working in the yard all day with his father and two brothers, he was lanky and pale with long blond hair tied back in a flowing ponytail. Along with his parents urging him to cut it, his siblings often teased him for his long hair, saying that it made him look like a skinny girl.
His sister, who was like a female version of their long faced father and would never be considered attractive by anyone, was jealous because her own auburn hair would never grow past her shoulders. Though she envied him for his appearance, even she teased him by saying that no women would want to marry a man more feminine then they are.
Pip would never admit why he never cut it. It wasn't so much that he liked having long hair, but it was because it was the only thing that made him stand out. Without it he knew that he would be just another face in the crowd. No one would spare him a second glance if it weren't for his hair.
His parents told him of all the awful things people said about his hair, but he didn't care. He was just happy that people were paying attention to him when he walked by, even if it was all negative.
But then again, maybe his sister was right. Would any woman want to marry him even though he was so girly and weak?
He sighed and laid back in the grass, his foot still in the freezing water. After the incident in the market, instead of going home, Pip came here. He didn't want to face his family at the moment. He knew how they would react, with their knowing eyes and 'I-Told-You-So' smirks. He preferred to sit alone down by the creek near their farm then have them rub his failure in his face.
"I wish I didn't have to live like this." He spoke to no one but the trees and the grass surrounding him, knowing that no one was around to hear him. "I wish people could look past my faults and see the real me. Maybe then some family will take pity on me and promise me their daughter. I don't care how pretty she is I just want someone to love."
"Don't we all?"
Pip's eyes shot open at the sudden voice. He sat up and looked all around for the source. All he could find was a little black frog sitting beside him in the grass. The slimy creature looked up at him with shiny red eyes. Pip blinked at it. "Did- did you just speak?" He asked it stupidly, then shook his head. "No, no. That would be silly. Frog's can't talk."
"No, but I can." Replied the frog. Pip jumped.
"Oh my! You can talk!"
The frog nodded it's tiny head. "Yes, I can." It said. Pip noted that it's voice was obviously male and decided that he should call him as such. "Now that we got that all sorted out, I can grant you your wish."
Pip blinked again. "M-my wish?"
The frog nodded his head once again. "Yes, you wished for someone to love you despite you being a poor farm boy. Now all you have to do is-"
"Wait," Pip cut him off. "How did you know I work in a farm?"
The frog seemed to be getting frustrated with Pip. He hopped up into Pip's lap and looked up at the blond. It's eyes flashed with anger. "You reek of manure and sweat!" Pip's face flushed in embarrassment. Dear god, no wonder Estella rejected him. How embarrassing it must have been for her to be hit on by someone who still carries the stench of the cows he cleans up after.
"Oh dear," He took a fist full of his hair and gave it a tug. "I'm so foolish!"
"Dense is more like it." The frog rolled it's beady red eyes at the blond. Pip glared down at it, then he considered what he had said.
"You said you'd grant me my wish. How could you do that if your just a frog?" He asked the slimy creature. He looked back up at him and his little froggy lips seemed to curl into a frown and his eyes flashed again. Pip thought of it as a simple trick of the light. Frogs can't glare. Then again, frog's can't talk or grant wishes either. Pip wondered if he was going mad from the heartbreak.
"I'm not a frog," He snapped at Pip with a biting tone. His eyes then cast down and his voice softened. "At least I wasn't always a frog."
Pip blinked at the frog. "What do you mean? What were you before you were a frog?"
"I was a prince. Prince of all Demon's."
Pip stared at him silently for a long while, deciding that he truly has gone mad. "You must be joking." He finally said. Once again the frog shook it's head.
"No, I'm afraid not. My father, the Dark One himself, cast a spell on me. He said that if I could get someone to kiss me then I will return back to normal and take over as ruler. So with your help I will become Damien, ruler of all demons and monsters. And in return, I'll give you someone to love." Pip didn't know weather to believe him or not. It all sounded to crazy to be false. Who could make all this up?
And how else could a frog be able to talk?
Pip had to ponder this for a moment or two. It sounded like a good deal. He would help Damien get his crown and he would get someone to love him. He didn't see any danger in agreeing to these terms, besides the risk of growing a wort on his lips. Still, it sounded like too good a deal to pass up. After all, this may be his only shot at love. Finally, after a long moment of thought, Pip smiled and agreed.
The frog seemed to grin at Pip when the blond picked him up and placed a soft kiss on his froggy lips.
Damien, In his true form, seemed to be the same age as Pip, but they opposed in every other way. He was tall and muscular with very fair skin where Pip was short and gaunt with sickeningly pale skin. Upon seeing his razor sharp teeth and twisted red horns, there was no doubt in Pip's mind that Damien was a demon prince.
His excitement suddenly gave into his fear and he got up and stepped away from the newly turned demon. Damien grinned at him and stepped closer. "What's the matter?" He tilted his head. "Your not having second thoughts now, are you?" For every step Damien took closer Pip took one back until he was backed up into a tree. Damien had him cornered.
"You freed me from being a slimy beast so now I must give you what you want." With one hand on either side of the blonds head, Damien leaned in for a kiss. "Someone to love you forever, no matter what." He whispered husky before pressing his lips the cowering blond's.
When the kiss was over Pip turned his head away, his eyes tightly shut. "Y-you tricked me..." He whined. Damien only smirked at him and pulled away.
"No, my dear," As he said this Damien used his powers to summon a dark mist of shadows to circle around them. He leaned in close to whisper in Pip's ear. "I did not trick you. I'm simply giving you what you wanted." With that, the two disappeared into the mist.
A/N: I know it was kinda rushed more towards the end but that's because I was in a hurry to post this already. Anyway, this was my twisted virsion on The princess and the frog. Hope you liked it.