FREE ESSAY ON A FAIRY TALE

A FAIRY TALE

A fairy tale.
Ruby Red, a tale of deceit 
By Robyn Smith
The winter in Argroutsmere had always set on early. It was October, all hallows eve and
winter was already here, infact one of the coldest that this small quaint kingdom had
ever seen. 
The trees turned to glass, their branches heavy in a frozen ache, layer upon layer of
feather light crystals had gracefully drifted and floated from the heavens, to make this
land as pure and white as above. 
The bear tracks below filling in slowly, the owner long passed. 
A blanket of fleece covered the earth, a barrier between warmth below and harsh cold
above. The lake was of crystal, jewels hidden in the bushes, Sharp daggers of ice, hung
from the overhangs over time growing in size, bars imprisoning the occupants.
As freezing dusk closed and the winter's sun set, a wondrous ghost like silence descended
and awesomely deceptive beauty enveloped the land as far as the eye could see. This grand
castle and its small village were put under a spell as an evil haze enshrouded all. 
Something hung in the air, foulness perhaps like a bad smell, but no one knew quite what
it was.
A doctor from the village, hurrying along, cheeks rosy red, panting puffs of hot breath,
slipped and fell on the icy path; a pack of ravenous wolves, saliva dripping from razor
sharp teeth, their eyes crimson, savaged and ripped their meal to pieces.
The fear and pleading in his eyes ignored, unable to call out, his throat a fountain of
warm scarlet life, soon to be depleted, was dragged into the forest by the villains of
the night. Leaving a once warm, now frozen trail leading into the depths of mist and
evil.
Contrast, the white serene innocence of the snow, the black intensity of the night, the
strange beauty of the bloody carmine coloured trail.
A shadow cast over the scene, went from being wolf like, rugged and on all fours to
standing on it's two hind legs, tall muscular and streamlined. He grunted cleared his
throat and stopped to admire his handy work, he picked up the doctor's bag and wiped the
blood off, something inside him made him want to lick his hand. Oh and where his manners?
He muttered wiped himself down and out of thin air appeared his clothes. He started
walking quickly, picking meat out of his teeth wishing he had not eaten so much, his
stomach was not used to raw meat.
He was here, the right place; he had a strong feeling. Confidence in his stride, he
carried on walking up to the gate as if he could just pass straight through it,
effortlessly it swung open before him, an invisible hand had rendered the cast iron latch
broken, the bolt had bent unable to force a path through the cobble drive. He walked up
the garden, his footsteps should have been accompanied by the crunch of snow, yet there
was silence and he had indeed left no footprints at all. He stopped at the huge front
door and rung the doorbell.
The door swung open, before him stood a small, middle aged woman.
"Oh! Hello are you doctor Sanguine?"
"Er, no I'm afraid that he could not make tonight's appointment, I think he had some
trouble with dinner."
"Well I hope he's alright then. Please doctor, come this way we're so glad you're here" 
She led him up the huge staircase dominating the warmly decorated entrance hall, 
As they neared the top, He could hear piercing screams of agony.
He was led through the door into the bedroom where the queen was in labour,
She was clearly in a lot of pain even though it was her second child.
The king, who was frantic and clearly bemused by the whole situation, greeted him while
wiping beads of sweat off his brow.
"Where's Doctor Sanguine?" Demanded the king, as if the stranger was not there.
"I'm afraid he couldn't make it, I'm his replacement, Doctor …Doctor Heinous, and
if you don't mind could you leave now, please?"
He said, forcing the king out of the room.
"Well if that's the right thing to do I'll leave you to it then, she will be ok, won't
she?"
His question was unanswered; the door had just slammed in his face.
The doctor set about work, he filled a needle and emptied the bag. He leaned to the queen
and told her that if she should survive, it would be a miracle, and he did not believe in
miracles. Only God did miracles, and he was on the other side. 
She looked through frightened eyes, her heart started beating faster. He injected a
yellow solution into her arm. She felt powerless and limp. The contraction stopped,
suddenly. She felt immense pain in her stomach, she realized that the doctor had put his
hands into her stomach, he was pulling her baby out, straight out of a hole, that he had
made himself, with his own bare hands. 
The room started swirling, black and red, the sight of all her blood, why wasn't her baby
crying, then blackness. 
The baby was straining, trying to cry, but then for some reason it was over come with
contentment. The doctor examined the child, he found what he was looking for, a small
mark on her chest, the symbols meant holy child, she was the divine immaculate chosen
one, and evil had her, in it's clutches, there was absolutely know way that heaven would
win now. 
Slowly the mucky goo and blood cleaned it self-up. The baby seemed comfortable and
sleepy, he had often found that he had that effect on people. He wrapped up the child in
a blanket, and placed her in the bag. The hole in the queen's stomach sewed it self up,
the blood was no longer there. The bed sheet moved up to cover her body. 
He walked out of the room, he consoled the king, wishing his deepest sympathy for the
death of his wife and child, he was sorry that there was nothing that he could do to save
them. He told them that his child was still born, and that she was wrapped up on the bed.

In the dark room behind him the blanket on the bed swelled up to a baby shape, as if
obeying his command, then he changed his mind. It deflated, he wanted to leave more of a
bad impression and memory and due to this mission being low key he could not make a
spectacular exit in case it caused a stir. 
And with that he was gone, leaving the king a widower to bring up his son alone and the
boy an only child. He was pleased with him self, phase two completed, and all in one
night. The precious bundle began to stir in the bag as he moved quickly through the
forest.
He came apon a cottage, deep in the dank murky recesses of the forest; he greeted the
seven occupants like old friends, as they were. He handed over the bag, they had all been
given instructions from 'The leader' ('O Great Master of Evil, Satan, King of Darkness,
Beelzebub, Lucifer the Dragon, Slayer of Heaven, Serpent of Eden, Devil of hell', or what
ever every one was calling him today). 
The baby was to be brought up in the forest; she should stay hidden from all. She was to
have no contact with witches, humans, good fairies or elves; above all she was to be
brought up evil or at least tainted, and be included in their satanic worship. She was
also never to learn about her fate, and no one was to be told her whereabouts, as this
could clearly ruin evil's plan. 
Heinous said farewell, and reminded them that he would be back, on the girls sixteenth
birthday, on all hallows eve for the sacrificing. He seemed to disappear into absolute
darkness. The seven men all had a look at the baby, the dopiest one of them cooed that
she was cute, he got a clout from the short fat one. They all hoped that she would grow
up ugly. 
They did not get what they hoped for. 
Ruby Red, as they named her (after the stones they mined for a living) was in her
fifteenth year. It was summer and she was in the forest making her way towards the stream
to bathe, as it was a hot day. 
She was tall and had an attractive build. She had a waterfall of long dark wavy hair, as
black as night and so intense that it looked to have its own dimension within, it
cascaded down her back and contrasted against her skin which was as soft as a peach and
as pale and pure white as snow. It seemed to not only reflect back the soft dappled light
of the forest but have its own luminosity like radiance about it. She had large turquoise
green eyes, like pools of deep azure water, a perfect nose, her cheeks a healthy blush
and cupids bow lips, which were carmine or a dark scarlet, as red as blood on snow at
night.
After bathing she dried and made her way back to the cottage, passing through some tall
grass she stopped to pick the shoulder high pink daisies, in the distance she heard an
unfamiliar noise. Galloping towards her was a horse; she was scared so hid into the
grass. The horse came to a halt. Its rider dismounted and introduced himself. 
"Hello, I am Prince Philip savereigntily of Argroutsmere." 
The prince extended a hand. "H…Hello" She said, standing up, but keeping her head
down and not daring to look at him. His hand wavered, she did not shake it, so he put it
down. " And why is such a fair maiden, walking unprotected and unaccompanied in the
woods?" He got no response. Ruby remembered what she had been told to do if she was seen
and confronted. She said that she was all right and did not need help. Her fear must have
been evident in her speech as the prince gave her a questioning look. "Aren't you aware
of the stories of evil dwarfs?"
She raised head and her eyes to meet his, silenced he realised her true beauty, he was in
awe, surely she must have been an angel. 
She blushed as she noticed her was staring so intensely at her. He was so handsome she
thought, and such a beautiful horse, he couldn't mean any harm. She soon forgot all her
guardians had said about humans. They fell in love on first sight. She had to leave; they
parted and arranged to meet again. 
Ruby arrived back at the cottage in a daydream with butterflies in her stomach and her
head in the clouds. 
She set to work on cleaning and making dinner. From the hills came the song of merry men
retiring from work that evening. The table was set for eight
There was a hearty casserole in the middle and fresh baked bread, the smell carried for
miles.
They all washed up and sat down for dinner. 
"Dose daisies is bootiful" said dozy, "Dey rewly is lovlay, makes de cottage look nyce"
Dozy was the smallest and most feminine, not a dwarf but vertically challenged with six
fingers on each hand. 
"Wasssup wiv youse?" said Grawly, the goblin, looking up between mouth fulls and pointing
a knobbly finger at Ruby.
"Yaehse, youse is lookin funny." agreed Dementia the taller lankier hobblethwait of the
group.
"I'm fine." ruby red replied. 
"Leave her alones, she's just happy, das all." Astute piped up from the other end of the
table. He was one of the only dwarfs among them and had second best language skills. The
other dwarf was Tacit and he did not say much, but when he did, he spoke most eloquently,
he and Ruby Red had the closest bond. 
The other hobblethwait, Vice, the slow dopey one said how nice the daisies made the
cottage look. A chorus of "duh" followed. The short fat one, Tubs clipped him on the
head.
The next day she awoke early to find that the dwarfs had already left with out eating
breakfast. She thought this strange as she ate alone at the empty table. She cleaned the
cottage and the worship room in very little time, she was anticipating her meeting with
the prince again that evening. 
The dwarfs returned home at the usual time for supper, yet made their excuses and left
for work again. Her instructions were to stay in. she did not note this strange behavior
as she was blinded by lust and it gave her the perfect opportunity to sneak away.
She met the prince at the stream, he persuaded her to walk further on to a lake.
They watched the still water turn yellow and pink under the sky as the sun set.
They talked, and for some reason she found it easy to relax in his company as if they had
briefly known before. When asked about her family and where she lived, she said she was
born in the forest and lived with her mother. To her this was part of the truth that she
believed as this is what the dwarfs had told her. 
He told her that he did not have a mother as she had died in childbirth and his sister
had been stolen when he was only three. She asked him how old he was, he said he was
eighteen. He joked that she, being fifteen was old enough to be married and start a
family.
They talked until it was dark, he walked her back to the stream, and she ran home in a
panic in case they dwarfs where home already. She got home relived, they returned much
later. They seemed hostile and cold. She had the sense not to ask where they had been. 
The next few weeks went the same way, the dwarfs were too preoccupied and so was Ruby so
no one noticed any thing strange. Until one evening