Beautiful Lady

JOHN WAS A HANDSOME YOUNG FELLOW, HE WAS 19 YEARS OF AGE, A FINE LOOKING GENTLEMAN, AND SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION FOR YOUNG GIRLS OF THE COUNTRY. PEOPLE SAY THAT HE GOT HIS CHARMS FROM HIS MOTHER ‘CAROLINE’ WHO WAS CONSIDERED TO BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN OF HER TIME, BUT UNFORTUNATELY JOHN HAD NEVER SEEN HIS MOTHER, SHE DIED GIVING BIRTH TO HIM. JOHN’S FATHER ‘RAYMOND’ WAS VERY KIND GENTLEMAN, HE RAISED JOHN TO BE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A GENTLEMAN. RAYMOND HAD DEDICATED A BETTER PART OF HIS LIFE STUDYING MEDICINES AND HUMAN ANATOMY, WHICH EARN HIM THE NICK NAME OF “DR. RAY”. RAYMOND PREFERS THE COMPANY OF NOBLEMEN AND SO DOES JOHN. MOST OF JOHN’S FRIENDS WERE CHILDREN OF HIS FATHER’S NOBLE ACQUAINTANCES. JOHN WAS A SHEER ADMIRER OF BEAUTY. HE SAW BEAUTY IN EVERY STRANGE THING AND LOVE TO WRITE ABOUT THEM, BUT THE BEAUTY HE LIKED THE MOST, WAS NATURE. HE TAKES SOLACE SURROUNDED BY MOTHER-NATURE. MANY A TIMES HE TOOK HIS HORSE AND WENT RIDING INTO HILLSIDE AND SPENDING HOURS THERE AND CAME BACK WITH SOME STRANGE KIND OF GLEAM IN HIS EYES, AND WITH A VERY HAPPY AND ENERGETIC SPIRIT.

It was autumn of 1836, John’s friends ‘Richard’ and ‘Michel’ had planned a hunting trip in the mountain of South-West. It was a place far from home. They have to travel for two days to reach there, but they all were ready and went aboard.

The next day they all load their provisions, weapons and ration supplies and set out for the trip. They started their journey early and by noon they had come a long way. By then they had left the town way behind them and were in the open fields with forest ahead. They travelled the entire day, the sun was above them, but being autumn the sun was not harsh as it would be in summer. By noon they came across a pond, the water was glittering by sun shine and there was a shady area under neighboring trees. “We must take some rest here” said Richard and they agreed. They watered their horses, eat some food and rest for a while in the shades. After a considerable time they resumed their journey. By that time the sun was not that shining as it was before the stop. The time of noon was almost over, the weather began to change as well as the landscape around them. For a better part of the day they rode through open fields of grass and small hills but by now they were closing towards the forest. It was not a very big forest just a patch of unkempt trees extending over few miles. On the other side of that so called forest, there was a village.

It was about sunset when they reached the forest, the sky was orange, a very dark shade of orange, the setting sun was looking very beautiful, the birds were returning to their nests and the trees in forest were crowded by the local residents, who were being so noisy.

The forest was beautiful and the open fields of grass were just behind them. They can still see the fields from where they stood. They made their camp there to spend the night and to rest before resuming their journey the following day.

It was a full moon night, the sky seems beautiful with stars adding a glamour to it. They tied up their horses, made a camp, took supper, build a fire outside the camp and went to sleep. The night was mostly silent except for occasional sounds of some animals or birds.

They wake up early next morning with the break of first light. The morning was cold, there was little mist present in the atmosphere, the grass and leafs were covered with tiny droplets of water, the forest smells very pleasant. They broke their fast and continued on the path. The forest was not so dense so it hardly took them few hours to reach the village on the other side. It was a very small village populated with a handful of people, mostly farmers. It was going to be their last stop prior to their destination as the mountains of South-West were not far. This village was basically located at the foot of the South-West mountain range. Michel told John, “we should stop at the village’s inn and take some refreshment and then continue our journey, they made some good ale”. John and Richard agreed to him. They visited the village’s inn and sat in the common room. John ordered some drinks. The inn was pretty much vacant and the people who were there were all villagers. At this time of the year this village remains free of any visitors, so the presence of John and his friends had attracted the attention of quite a lot of people. Many villagers inquired them about their business in the village at that time of the year. Richard explained them all about their hunting trip. The people were seemed somewhat disturbed by their presence and plan, and Michel had noticed that more than once, he told John & Richard, “these people are acting all strange since they had heard about our trip to the South-West, there must be something going on with them and we ought to find that out”. They decided to confront the people and find out what that fuss was all about.

John approached the villagers and made queries regarding their queer behavior. John asked them politely “ever since we told you about our plan you all seem rather suspicious, would you tell us what is your concern?”, he got a response that he would have never anticipated, from them. When he finished asking the questions, an elderly man from the group stood up and said “Dear young man, the villagers doesn’t have any problem with you and your fellow travelers, we are rather worried about your safety”. John became puzzled over his response. “look young man” the elderly man began to speak again “we people have a legend about these South-West Mountains” he added, Richard & Michel turned their glance towards the elderly man on the mention of ‘legend’, and the elderly man continues “the legend goes as when autumn about to done and winter starts, the mountain of South-West became a completely different place, some people say ‘Haunted’.” He said in a very soft voice “The legend had rooted too deep in the mind of villagers that none of them ever go to South-West Mountain’s forest after mid-autumn. And this was the time of late-autumn, and winter was about to break. This was very intense time to visit South-West Mountain’s forest”. All the other villagers seems to agree with the elderly man.

No matter how much that warning applied to the villagers, John and his friends were remain untouched by elderly man’s warning. They don’t believe in legends and tall tales, and will not let a legend ruin their perfect plan.

They wanted to leave that place as soon as possible but mother-nature had plans otherwise. They were all set to leave the inn when it started raining. It rained heavily and for a better part of day. It seems like more than two hours had passed when the rain stops. It was almost noon and John and his friends were already behind their schedule. They ought to be long way from there by then but the rain had gravely disturb their plans. Nonetheless, as soon as rain stopped, they all went out and were back on their course.

Despite the problems created by rain, they had managed to keep a good pace, and before long they had left the village behind them and entered the forest. At this time of the year, the forest seemed completely isolated. They hardly had heard voice of any animal let alone encounter one. The forest seems a mystical place. It was all silent and raindrops on grass and small plants were looking like millions of small crystals in the sunlight, thus giving the forest a magnificent look. Thought the light of sun was not much bright but it still does its job.

The air was full of autumn smell, the smell of decaying leafs under their feet was everywhere and the recent rain had added a dampness to the environment. By the passage of time the temperature was dropping and everything was becoming colder. They found a narrow brook running through the tall trees and followed it deeper into the forest. It was about time for sunset when they reached a rather strange place, it was an open patch of land, surrounded by tall trees from every side. They decided to make their camp there, as it was getting colder and colder with passing of time and after sunset it was going to be complete dark. John & Richard made the camp and Michel went to find kindling for fire. Once the camp was set and fire was lit, they fed their horses, took supper and went to sleep.

It was morning and John find himself amidst a strange place near a lake. The surrounding were quite with not any sound from animals or birds. The weather was much colder than he remember from the previous night. He didn’t remember how he got there, but now he was all alone. There he could not find Michel and Richard. He looked around him to get a better look of the place when he saw a strange figure wandering in the wilderness. He approached that strange looking person, he just wanted to know what that place was and what was he doing there. When he came closer to that figure of a man, he saw something that he had not anticipated. When he looked at his face he couldn’t make anything of his facial features, that man was hollow and pale, cold as ice without any face. A shiver ran through John’s body by the sight of this man. The cold had pierced his soul and he felt a terrible shock by which he wakes up from his dream. On waking up he found himself sweating but he was in the same tent as he was in the night before, lying next to Richard. Michel and Richard both were still asleep. Everything seems normal but for the cold. The cold had increased remarkably. The tent was a bit dark and John was confused because of his dream decided not to trouble Richard & Michel and went out of the tent.

Outside, it was time of dawn, the light was emerging in the sky devouring night’s darkness. The fire they had lit had gone out, a cold breeze was blowing gently, and making leafs to create a rustling sound. John was not able to see for too far because of the mist. There was a layer of mist that had surrounded the place, it was a thick layer. He saw his horse tied near the camp and went towards it. He saddled the horse and untied it, and hopped on its back, he was gazing towards the other end of the open patch of land where the large trees stood, and it all seems too mystical to be true. John was completely awestruck by the surrounding and was still confused from his dream. His mind was clouded by the mist as was the atmosphere, he started moving his horse forward and went into the wilderness, behind him everything was lost in the mist and he kept moving forward.

He was riding in the forest not knowing his destination when his glance fell upon something which seems like a human. He moved towards it and it was indeed a lady, a very ‘Beautiful Lady’, she was standing there, smiling. For John she was like the most beautiful lady that he had ever seen, (and if truth be told she was the most beautiful lady in the entire world).

She was standing between trees, the sunlight was dim there because of the thick layer of fog, yet John could see her as clearly as he could. She was tall, had skin as white as milk. The mild breeze had scattered her hair which were black as the night sky without any stars. Her eyes were pure black, having depth those of oceans and shine that belong to stars in them. She had a sharp pointed nose and her thin red lips were there just to enhance her beauty. Her smile was so charming that it cannot be compared to anything in this world. Amidst the fog she strike resemblance to that of an angel in her blue dress.

John was mesmerized by her beauty, went straight to her. On reaching close enough, he greeted her, “Good morning, gracious lady. I am John, came here for a hunting trip. I suppose you don’t live here, madam, what is your name?” She replied to John in a language he didn’t understand,

Except for one thing, her name was “Valarie”. Her voice was the most pleasant thing John had ever heard. She sound like her voice was coated with the sweetest honey and coming from world’s most sophisticated musical instrument. Her voice was so soothing to the ears that it was impossible to describe its pleasure in words.

John by gesturing, asked her to join him on the ride, and she agreed. He was very happy and so was she, for she was humming a very happy tone as they were moving into the forest. Not long after they reached a place which was filled with beautiful wild flowers, with a sweet fragrance. John made a halt there and descended from his steed, he plucked those wild flowers and made a garland and a crown for her, and with them he confesses his love for her. He offered her those flowers and said “the most beautiful flowers for the most beautiful lady that had ever walked on this Earth, and to the lady who I love so dearly that I will do anything to be with her”. She accepted them as well as his love, she replied to him in the strange language, but by the looks of it John knew that she meant “I love you too”. He placed the flowers on her, the garland and crown made up of winter blue flowers added to her blue dress had added a supernatural persona to her.

After that, they went back on the horse and continued their riding. The fragrance of those flowers had added a tinge to her natural fragrant. Her skin, which was as soft as the clouds in the sky, was now seem to be glowing. She sang in mysterious language as they rode. A while later they made another stop but this time it was her, she went off the horse and fetch some wild flowers and roots, John had never tasted something as good as them in his entire life. After that, they rode for almost the entire day and John was so lost in her charms by then, that he had noticed nothing but for her the whole ride.

It was about evening when they reached a cave. She took him inside, from the looks of interior it doesn’t seems to be a cave, rather, a very elegant house. But as soon as they reached in there, John noticed something very strange. The Lady went into a corner and start crying. John became worried and tried to make her stop, but he was unable to. He tried whatever he could and then he held her by her shoulders and started kissing her eyes. After several kissed she finally stop crying and took John to her bed. John lie-down on the bed and she sat beside him, she started to sing some kind of lullaby which sent John into his final dream.

In his dream John saw many people, some of them were princess, some knights, and some even kings, all looking pale with a hollowness in their soul. They said in unison, “She caught you in her charms, and now you are going to be trapped here for eternity”. The pale lips of those pale kings were moving together, making John to run away from there, and in that moment he woke up. The pale faces were gone, but he found himself in the forest by the side of a lake, it was all quite, not a single sound of any animal or of a bird. He felt so hollow like someone had sucked life out of him. His skin became pale as that of people he saw in his final dream. There was no warmth of blood left in him, and the worst was his face, he realized all his facial features were gone and he became a hollow figure of nothingness.

The pale faces from his dreams were right. That ‘Beautiful Lady’ had sucked his blood and his life. Now he had nowhere to go but to wander there for eternity, but deep down he still hope, that one day he will be reunited with that mistress of his, and together they will spend their eternal life.

“But until then, he had to wander in that endless wilderness”.