The Beautiful Witch

I was once beautiful."

"You're the most beautiful creature I have seen," I cried, in disbelief.

She turned from the window, looking at me in the eyes.

I drew in a breath, feeling my heart beat faster then before. I felt beads of sweat appearing on my forehead.

It was true.

The woman before me was the most beautiful creature I had eyes on. She was tall, with milky, white skin, which seem to glow under the sunlight. Her long, golden, hair was braided down her back, daises and tulips intertwined in the braid. Her eyes were the color of the ocean, but as cold as ice. Her face was small and round, a touch of pink coloring her cheeks. Her lips were red, as if they were painted by blood. The woman was dressed in a plain, white, dress that came to her feet.

"What do you want young man?" the woman asked, her eyes flashing.

I gripped the sword in my hand, shaking out my thoughtfulness. The council had warned me about her beauty. They had warned me about the enchantment that she could place upon a man with a single look. I would not let myself fall into the woman's trap, like my other fallen brothers.

I raised my sword.

The woman's eyes glimmered with amusement but she didn't move or even attempted to speak. She just stood by the window, the sunlight dancing around her. Her eyes looked into mine, the coldness dying away, replaced by annoyance.

"If you're going to kill me young man, you better do it," the woman said.

I stared at the woman in disbelief. Did she know why I had come? The look in her eyes appeared that she welcomed death. I clutched my sword harder, taking a step forward.

The woman did nothing.

"Why don't you fight," I shouted.

"I am tired," the woman answered.

I felt as if my feet had planted into the ground and would not move. The sword seem to grow heavy in my hand, a minute later falling to the ground. I tried to reach down, but it appeared that I was stuck. I lifted my eyes to the woman.

The woman turned from the window and began walking slowly towards me. She came to stand before me, leaning down and grabbing my sword. She turned and walked back over to the window. With a thrust of her arm, she swung the sword out of the window, into the forest the lay beyond.

Fear grappled at me. I shook in fear, for the woman turned around and looked me dead in the eyes. Her eyes were cold and barren, holding no emotion.

"Sit," she commanded.

I found that I was unstuck from my position and stumbled back upon a chair.

The woman came forward and sat in the chair opposite of me, placing her hands on the table.

"You will be the last one I tell my story to," she said. "So, you better listen."

I was confused. How many years had this woman plagued our land with her curses and spells? How many good, young, men had come to defeat her, only to die by her hands?

"I never wanted to be a witch," the woman said. "My mother told me that every hundred of years the gods would come down and set a blessing upon a child. A blessing of fruitful life, beauty beyond compare, and powers beyond imagination."

I stared at the woman. Her tone was full of sadness, her eyes filling with tears. Where was the monster that everyone spoke of?

"For some cursed reason, the gods chose me the woman went on. From birth I held so much beauty and as I grew so did my beauty. However, my mother was afraid for me. My powers were growing.

"How so?" I asked.

"When I was little I was able to grow things in the garden like flowers and vegetables," the woman replied. "When I grew older, my powers began to consist of healing. I could heal any ailment except death of course. When I would go to school with the other children of the village, I would stop to grow flowers. The other children began to notice . There was a spread of talk throughout what I was doing.

"They must have loved you," I said, not understanding.

"For a time," the woman said, as if she were distance, remembering a time long ago.

"What happened?" I asked.

I grew up and I met a good man the woman continued. Yet as he grew older, I continued to be the same. Even as we were blessed with children, soon my children were passing me in age."

"I am sorry," I said, bowing my head.

"The village knew of how the gods blessed one child," the woman went on. They knew I was the blessed child. Yet one night everything changed."

"What?" I asked, lifting my head.

"My husband had fallen ill and I was trying to cure him," the woman said, quietly. I grew angry for my powers weren't working and stormed out of the house, into the garden. In my anger I thrust my arms to the sky, but fire sprinted out of my fingers a fire sprouting. The fire roared like a lion and was soon upon the house All three of my children and husband were still inside. In minutes the house had caved in and everything was gone."

I sat there silent, watching the woman, tears sliding down her face in anguish and heartbroken.

"Once they heard what happened," the woman said, they turned against me. They labeled me as a witch who only craved the blood of others. They have forgotten how I had healed their families bringing them to full health. They forgotten that I was the blessed child of the gods. It spread that I was the beautiful witch, who enchanted young men to their deaths."

"If you're so good, why the curses and spells," I demanded.

"I've been craving death," the woman cried. "For years I've been trying to find ways to bring death upon me! They must had gotten into the lands. I am sorry for that."

"Why can't you just kill yourself?" I asked.

"I heal myself," the woman spat. "Only a mortal can kill me. Do you know how many young men I have asked to do so but they end up turning their swords upon themselves. They rather died with honor then kill a woman like me."

I stared at the woman. She was full of pain. A creature that was supposed to be blessed but end up being cursed. A creature who tried to fit in but was casted out by a single mistake. I stood up and went over to the woman, placing a hand upon her shoulder.

"Give me my sword and I will do what you have asked," I said.

The woman turned her head to me, cupping my face in her hands. She stared at me for awhile, her eyes becoming soft.

"I am sorry for the pain I have caused your village," she said. "I have spent, so many years trying to find a way to end this suffering."

I closed my eyes remembering the illness, famine, and dryness that we had to endure for the past ten years.

There was no one else besides me that could kill the woman. The council had blessed me as I went on my way. I was glad, an honorable solider but now I felt a a pain that went so much deeper then the honor. I reopened my eyes.

The woman took her hands from my face, stood up, and in minutes she was holding my sword once more. She held out the sword, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"I have lived, hundred of years," she said. "It is time for me to go home."

She spread her arms, staring at me, with a soft smile.

I took the sword and held it tightly, feeling frighten as when I first marched into the house. I licked my lips and took a deep breath, looking the woman in the eyes. Her eyes were pleading with me to do it.

She had been suffering long enough.

I walked up to her, the sword quivering in my grasp. The woman cupped my face once more, leaned down and placed a kiss upon my cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered.

I smiled and without another thought, plunged my sword into her heart.

With a soft gasp, the woman fell to the floor. Her eyes were still on me and she was still smiling. She drew in a one more breath before she lay still and silent.

I dropped to my knees, the sword falling out of my hands. I drew the dead woman into my arms and began to weep.

I wept for the life that the gods cursed her. I wept for the life that she had to leave. I wept for how she died by my own hands.

The sunlight was fading and darkness was creeping forward.

I buried the woman in the garden behind her house, where the tulips and daises grew, under a oak tree. As I stood beside her grave, a faint shimmer seem to shine around the grave.

"I promise when I return I will only tell of your good deeds," I said.

With that, I turned and headed back to the village where I would speak of the beautiful witch.