The winter of 1785 was a particularly brutal one in Hanau, Germany. The season was wrought with sickness, many lives were lost. But midst the suffering and death, there was also life. After the tragic loss of their first child, Philipp and Dorothea Grimm were welcoming their second into the world. Jacob was born strong, healthy, and beautiful. Just as the man with the yellow eyes had promised, for prior to baby Jacob's birth, a deal had been struck...
The loss of a child creates a void that can never be filled and an unrelenting pain that can't be soothed. Philipp watched as his baby girl died in his wife's arms. He had held her little hand until it turned lifeless and cold. Dorothea wept, her crystal tears shimmering on the face of their precious little girl, until she fell unconscious from exhaustion.
What followed in the Grimm household was months of solemness. Dorothea was depressed and Philipp feared to mention the desire he felt to have another child. So he stayed by his wife's side, swearing to care for her, even if it meant abandoning his hopes. And for a while, that's exactly what he did. Then he met the yellow- eyed man.
It was early spring and the flowers Philipp had planted around his daughter's headstone were beginning to bloom. The little bursts of yellow, red, and orange made him smile. So he sat beside the grave and began describing their beauty to his little girl. Then a shadow was cast over him, blocking the golden sun in its cerulean sky. A stranger stood before him, cloaked all in black. He gazed down at Philipp and the grave.
"My apologies for interrupting your lovely conversation," the man's voice was a quiet rasp. Philipp shivered. "I just thought I might be of some help."
Philipp cautiously raised himself from his seat on the grass, his eyes never parting from the stranger's. As he rose to meet them levelly, fear gripped his heart; they were yellow. Philipp had heard legends of men with eyes like that. They preyed on those in dire need of…something. Anything. These men struck deals and made bargains like the sun rises and falls; it came naturally to them, and there was always a price. It was believed that these men were more monster than human and that (according to the legends) they were soldiers to the devil himself. Philipp had never been one to believe in such nonsense, but as he stared into the man's amber eyes, he could think of no other explanation.
"What do you want?" Philipp's voice betrayed him; he was terrified.
"No need to be afraid, Grimm."
"Who are you?"
The man smiled, his eyes grew brighter. "Someone who can help you. I know how much you desire a child. Your wife too, despite her current state.
"Wha-what can you do to help me?"
"Well now, it's more a question of what we can do for each other."
So a deal was struck, and Jacob Grimm was born. Despite the dreary weather outside, Philipp and Dorothea's life together had brightened. For Philipp, the nightmares that began to plague him seemed a small price to pay.
To Be Continued...
A/N: Thanks again to everyone who read/followed/favorited/reviewed; it helps to keep me going! It's taken a while for this chapter to get here, I apologize. I hate when life gets in the way of my fun! Good news is, I've started the next chapter so it should be up within the next couple days.