The Woodcutter's Kindness

I hugged myself as the wind blew coldly, making me shiver. My feet were bare, having lost my shoes somewhere along the way, and they were covered in scratches. My loose garment was not enough to make me warm, and it was already covered with small holes. I had not come prepared when I had thoughts of leaving that man. Looking around, I found myself deep in the woods. 

Where am I? I wondered. 

The forest was dark and eerie, but the moon shone brightly above the trees. I almost regretted leaving. But no. I had made the right decision in leaving my husband. He was not even worthy to have that title. He had not been the man he was when we married. That man had been kind, caring, and handsome. 

God, why did you put me in this situation? I cried out every day, but I never got an answer. 

I looked down at my arms and saw goosebumps. I also saw dark blue and purple bruises. I could not bear to look at my body. It was too ugly. 

Just then I heard leaves crunching and twigs snapping. 

Perspiration ran down my jaw, and a shiver ran down my spine. But not from the cold. 

God, please. Let him leave me alone. I would rather die than go back to the place that I had once called home.

I wanted to run, but my legs were like stones, and they wouldn’t budge from where I stood. I had only gone a few paces before a hand took hold of my arm. I let out a scream, but a hand clamped over my mouth. 

“Shh, shh. I’m not going to hurt you.” A low, masculine voice whispered in my ear. I did not recognize the voice. His grip on my arm was firm but gentle, and something inside me told me that I could trust this man. He took his hand from my mouth, and he turned me around to face him. 

A small gasp escaped my lips. I could not make out his features well in only the light of the moon, but he was young, and wavy dark hair splayed over his forehead. 

“Are you alright, my lady?” He asked softly.

No words came from my mouth even though I was speaking. 

“Are you mute?”

I shook my head. But could I be? Last night Damon had tried to strangle me, could he have damaged something?

“Can you tell me your name?” He spoke again. 

I tried to speak again, and this time a small squeak came out. “M-Mayleigh.”

“Mayleigh, you are as cold as ice, and you need to get warm as soon as possible. What are you doing outside in the woods, in November?” He looked farther down the wooded lane. “Come, my house is not far from here.” 

As I tried to take a step, darkness covered me. 

. . .

I awoke in a small one room house. I had been laid on a straw bed, and there was a fire crackling in the hearth. It was warm and cozy. I also noticed from the window that the sun was up. How long had I slept? And then the events from the night before hit me in full force. 

But who is he? I thought. I have never seen...

A woman's voice broke through my thoughts. “She is awake, son.” I heard footsteps coming my way, and the man who had come to my rescue loomed over me. I could make out his features now. Dark brown hair, and sea blue eyes looked at me. Without my knowing, a smile came to my lips, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not take it away. He smiled back, and I noticed a dimple in his left cheek, and a dark brown stubble that was coming in.

“Thank you.” I whispered. I suddenly felt self-conscious of how I must look. My blonde hair must be in a huge rat's nest, and strewn all over. I tried to sit up, and my body screamed at me to stay put. I was so sore. But with a gentle hand he pushed me back and I stayed. 

“Stay put, Mayleigh.” He said. “The hypothermia set in just as we were about to head for my home. I am glad I found you when I did.” He said, tilting his head to the side. I then noticed a scar underneath his chin, and I wondered how he had gotten it. 

I suddenly remembered I did not know his name. “What is your name?” 

“It is Eugene.” He smiled again, and showed straight, white teeth. Though one of his front teeth overlapped the other. It gave him a certain charm. 

“May I ask what you were doing in the woods? In the dark?”

Should I tell him? What could it hurt? My mind was swirling with thoughts. I decided that he should know, so that in the future, he would be able to look out for Damon, if ever they crossed paths. 

The smile that had been on my face instantly vanished. “I-I have run away from my-my husband, Damon.” I whispered softly. And I almost thought Eugene had not heard, but his face went like stone, and his gaze locked with mine. 

Then I saw his gaze go to my arms, my neck, and my leg that stuck out from underneath the blanket that showed where a bruise had formed. It was where Damon had kicked me. Hard.

Eugene’s face softened, and then I saw the woman who had spoken earlier come up to his side. It must be Eugene’s mother.

She had a kind face, and her brown hair was streaked with white. “We will help you, my dear girl. There is no need to be afraid any longer.” 

I felt a tear trickle down the side of my face. How could these people be so kind to me? A stranger. 

I could not keep it in. I covered my face and cried. I know not how long I laid there, but I knew Eugene’s mother stayed by my side the entire time. 

I sniffed, and the woman offered me a handkerchief. “I never asked your name.” I said, trying to pull myself together.

“I am Elizabeth. And I am so glad my son found you when he did. You could have died from exposure.” A small smile came to her lips.

“I am too, Elizabeth.” 

“You must be hungry. Let me fix you something.”

“Will you help me sit up?” I asked.

“Of course.”

Elizabeth propped me up against the wall, where I could watch her go about the room. I noticed that Eugene was no longer there.

The kind woman must have read my thoughts as she brought me a plate of bread, cheese and dried fruit. “Eugene has gone to his work now. He is a wood cutter.” 

I smiled at her as I popped a piece of dried apple in my mouth. 

I spent the rest of the day sitting on the straw bed and watching Elizabeth go about her work. She would not let me do a single thing, but I insisted. She then consented and let me shuck some peas. 

I told her a little about my life. “My mother died giving birth to me, so my father raised me; and he was the most loving father. But he died about a year ago, and now I have no family left.” I looked down at the pea that I was shucking, and a tear escaped. “And I have no place to go now. I can never go back to Damon.”

“We don’t expect you to, child. You may stay as long as you like.”

I locked my gaze with hers, and her face was full of compassion, but I sensed sadness too.

The door opened then, and Eugene walked in. Perspiration trickled down his face, and his linen shirt was soaked.

I watched him as he went to wash his face. I needed to stop staring, but before I had time to turn away, he looked at me and it was too late. 

I saw the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile, and I smiled back, bashfully.

He started coming my way, and my stomach went into a tight knot which I thought would never come undone. 

“Would you like some water?” Eugene handed me a cup I had not known he held.

I took it from him, our fingers slightly touching. “Thank you.” I said, looking up at him. I took a sip, and the cold water was refreshing.

Mayleigh! You are still a married woman. You cannot flirt with another man. My mind was screaming, and I knew it was right. I looked away, and cleared my throat, taking another sip of water. I felt heat coming to my cheeks.  

I suddenly had a thought. “Would you mind taking me outside? I'm sure the fresh air would do me good.”

Eugene nodded, and I sat the cup down. He took hold of my arm, and we started for the door.

Outside, the air was cool, and I heard the wind rustling through the trees. I shivered, but didn’t care. It was good to be outside. I breathed in the fresh air and pine.

“How deep in the woods are we, Eugene?” I asked, praying it was far enough away that Damon could not find me.

“We are about two miles in the forest from the town gate.” Eugene replied. 

It didn’t make me feel any better. Damon was still very close, he could be anywhere. 

Eugene turned towards me. He must’ve read my thoughts. “I will not let your husband hurt you if he ever finds you here. Trust me.”

I looked around the wood, there were trees all around. But I noticed a well-worn path that probably led back to town. I heard birds chirping, and I saw a squirrel scurry up a tree. I was happy, and enjoyed both Elizabeth’s and Eugene’s company. 

God, please don’t let Damon find me. Let him think I am dead. Please.

Peace seemed to wash over me. 

. . .

Two weeks had passed. I now had not a single bruise on my body. It was strange to see clear, white skin. I always had some new bruise form somewhere on my body, but now I felt clean. 

I was alone in the small one room house. Eugene was cutting down trees, and Elizabeth had gone to pick some wild berries to make a pie tonight. I was humming a gay tune, and sweeping the dirt from the floor. 

Elizabeth was being very kind, and tried not to work me too hard. There were still some spots where I was sore. But these kind people helped me - wanted me.

I was finally beginning to think I was free of Damon.

God, thank you.

I was just about to lay down for a nap when I heard something outside. Maybe Elizabeth had returned already, or Eugene. 

I walked to the door, a smile on my face. Pulling it open, I said, “I didn’t think you’d be back alrea-” My insides went cold as I locked my gaze with the man I hoped never to see again.

Damon.

He had a bottle of whiskey in his hands. As he walked towards me, he swaggered. The horrible man was drunk. I knew all too well what he could do when he was intoxicated. Lord God, please save me from this man. 

I tried to scream but no sound came out. I tried to run, but my legs were like sand, and I was sinking. His hand came at my throat. I gasped for breath. 

“So this is where you have been?” he said. I heard the anger in his voice rising.

“D-D-Da-mon, p-please.” I said in between breaths.

“I’m going to kill you, Mayleigh!” His whiskey was getting to him, I knew. He always said he’d kill me, but he never did. 

He threw me to the ground, and stood over me. His hands in fists.

“Please Damon. Just leave me be. I promise you’ll never have to see me again.”

“I’m not going to leave until I see you dead in the ground!” Damon yelled. 

I tried to scream again as I saw a fist coming towards my face. I tried to block, but searing pain shot through my chin. Another fist was coming, and I closed my eyes, waiting for the blow. 

But then I heard a grunt from Damon. I opened my eyes and turned to see Damon on the forest floor and Eugene putting multiple blows in the man's face. 

Damon was nothing compared to Eugene. All Damon could do was try to block. But he was too drunk to do even that. 

Eugene would surely kill him. 

I then noticed a shiny object coming out of Damon’s boot. A knife.

I screamed. “Eugene! Look out!” 

He jerked away when Damon tried to thrust the knife at him.

“God, please keep Eugene safe.” I whispered underneath my breath. 

They struggled and fought, and then I saw Damon get a hold of Eugene and he turned him over so that he was on top of Eugene. The blade was pointed towards Eugene’s chest, and I feared that he would kill him. I saw Damon lift himself up, and it looked like he would use all his weight to put the knife into Eugene’s heart. But just as he was about to do so, Eugene got a grip on the knife and pointed it towards Damon. Damon was too late to react, and he fell onto his own knife, and lay still. Eugene shoved Damon’s body off of him, his eyes were wide as he looked towards me.

I ran to Eugene, and fell into his arms. “He is dead, Mayleigh.” 

“Oh, Eugene! You could have been killed.”

“I know.”

I hugged him tightly. 

“But are you alright?” He looked at me with those sea blue eyes that I had come to love.

“I am. He did not hurt me much.”

“I am glad.”

We both heard a twig snap, and he released me from the embrace. It was Elizabeth.

Her eyes widened and a small gasp escaped her lips when she saw Damon on the ground. 

“What has happened here?” She said, shock in her voice. 

I locked gazes with her. “Damon found me, Elizabeth. He tried to kill me, but Eugene came along.” I looked down at the body, hoping that would tell the rest.

“Oh my dear girl. Are you hurt? This is terrible! Come, come into the house and Eugene,” She looked up at her son. “will deal with this man.”

I turned to Eugene, and he nodded. He squeezed my hand as I turned away. Walking into the house, Elizabeth tried to turn my mind to better thoughts, by putting me to work on a berry pie. 

By the time I had put the pie over the fire, Eugene returned. “I have put Damon’s body behind the house and covered him. I will have the sheriff come tomorrow and tell him all that has happened here. I will need you to verify it all.” Coming towards me, he took my hand and led me to the bed and we sat down. 

“Do you mind telling me why this man abused you? So I may understand.”

“Yes, I would like to tell you.” I lowered my head, and focused on his hand in mine. “He was a different man after we were married. It was nice for awhile, but then he just changed. Getting mad at every single thing I did wrong, it was yelling at first, and then it turned to hitting and throwing me around. Damon had told me his own father abused him growing up. And he adamantly told me he would never be like that. But he came to be like his father.” A tear trickled down my cheek, and I wiped it away. I looked up to find tears in Eugene’s eyes as well. “I just couldn’t take it anymore. So I ran away, and I ended up here.”

“Well, you’ll never have to worry about that ever again. My mother and I will take care of you. And I...would like to care for you myself...someday.” He smiled shyly. “But I’ll give you more time to get to know me and trust me.” He kissed my forehead. 

Eugene wrapped me up in his arms. It felt like home, and I knew that this is where I was meant to be.

Thank you, God.

The End