changes

The storm lasted for three days and in that time the girl had set out to re-enforce her makeshift home. Barricading the broken windows with bits of old furniture using a rock as a hammer, and hanging blankets over the holes in the roof to do their best to keep the rain out.

She gathered wood for the fireplace and in time made a not so shabby home for herself amid the ruins of the town. But after three days of work and no food she was weak and terribly hungry.

The sun never shone on the village, there was only grey skies and black nights. There was no food to be found and the well was black and thick, rain water was all there was to drink. She sat and pouted, fretting about how hungry she was until finally she decided that there was only one thing she could do, so she gathered her belongings and headed for the castle.

The ogre sat by a window overlooking the village. For three days he watched as the girl busied herself in the rain repairing the house she had taken over. He was curious about the lass, where she came from, where she was going. He tried to remember her face and yet all he could fix on were her grey eyes.

He had known a grey eyed lady before. The thought of her drove him into a wild depression. Grey eyes brought nothing to him but trouble and trouble was something he did not need.

Still, this girl was different somehow. Her auburn hair, even in the gloom seemed to burn like fire, bringing a little light to his town. What would it matter? He was an ogre, unlovable, miserable scabby lump of twisted flesh incapable of being loved…

Loved? He thought to himself. When did anyone say anything about being loved? The curse had made it clear that love no longer had a place in his life, his eternal life, his dismal life of solitude. Where did love come into the equation? Love… hogwash!

His thoughts began to clear as he watched the girl coming towards the castle. The hair on the back of his neck stood and a chill ran down his spine. What could possibly bring her to his front door? Why would she even be so bold as to try? It seemed that it was time to ogre up as it were.

The castle loomed in front of her imposing, wretched, it smelled of rotting things and we dirt. She could not understand how anything could live in a place like that. It was uncivilized. Even the circling crows seemed to dislike the place, they didn’t land on it, hey just circled the place.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door to the castle burst open. The ogre stepped out in front of her snarling, threatening, snarling.

“What do you want?” He bellowed.

“I’m hungry. Do you have any food?” he gasped shaking of the start the ogre had given her.

“Food?” he seemed stunned by the question and taken quite off his guard.

“Yes, food.” She repeated.

The ogre stumped to the ground in front of her rubbing his head. It was, as it seemed, difficult for the ogre to get his head around the question.

“You mean like biscuits and meat and stuff…”

“Yes… that would be food.” She sighed.

“Don’t have any of that here. Ogres don’t eat.” He said flatly.

“You don’t eat.” She scoffed at him.

“No. Ogres are eternal creatures. We live forever, there’s no need for food.”

“Three days ago you said you would lick my legs like a lollypop and roast my ass for dinner if I weren’t so scrawny.” She barked.

“Look, you have to stop all the talk of me eating you. It lends a sexual tone that does not further the plot. Its going to lead to letters to the editor and that’s just more stuff I don’t need.”

She began to laugh, it was a snicker at first, and then an out loud belly laugh that sounded quite child like as it fell on his ear. She walked over to a rock, sat down and wiped the tears of joy from her eyes.

“I must admit, I did not expect humor from an ogre!” She chuckled gathering herself.

“I’m… well… When are you leaving?” The ogre asked gruffly.

“I’m hungry. I don’t have the strength to go anywhere really.”

The ogre stood and looked to the crows circling his home. He let out a loud barking sound and the crows came rushing down, landing on him. One of the crows landed on his shoulder close to his head and the ogre whispered something to it. When he was done the crow growled a little and the entire murder leapt into the sky and disappeared. She watched as they flew off into the distance not to be seen.

“What did you do?” She asked.

“I sent them off for food.”

“You can talk to birds?” She asked mystified.

“I am fluent in fowl language, yes.” He huffed, trying to show off.

“You understand what you just said right?” She smirked.

“Yes, fowl language. I am also versed in horse language, fish language and cow language.” He snorted.

“Cow language? Ho does that sound?” she asked with wide bright eyes.

“Moo.” He said flatly.

She once again, burst into laughter. Her mirth rang like chimes throughout the entire village. As she laughed the ogre looked to the skies above and saw that the clouds were thinning just a little bit.

He looked down at the girl who sat on her stone smiling up at him. He saw in her eyes joy, not fear. He looked into her grey eyes that shown just a little green.

Something stirred in him. Something ancient and forgotten, something old from a time before, from a time when his home was lush and green and it filled him with dread. He was not allowed to feel. It was forbidden. The curse defined his life, how it must be and there was no room for anything like joy.

He looked down at the girl with a terrible sneer. She was not to be trusted this, girl with auburn hair. She was there to take what was left of his life from him. She was dangerous.

“You need to go.” He barked.

“You need to leave. As soon as the crows return with your food, eat, pack and go.”

“What did I do?” she asked.

“I am sorry if I offended.”

“You’re here to take from me what is left. You are here to disrupt and dismantle my home.” He said choking on his words and falling to his knees.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just passing through. I would have been gone if not for the rain.”

The ogre stood, his hands clinched, his eyes filled with a horrible resolve. He was a monster and a monster he would remain.

“When the crows return, you will have three days to be gone.” He turned and started walking back into his home.

“I am Elisabeth. My name is Elisabeth.” She shouted.

The ogre stopped, stood stock still.

“So?” he said.

“When the three days are up, you can call to me and let me know its time to leave.” She said in a soothing tone.

He stood, sighed and dropped his head little.

“What may I call you? So that I may say goodbye.”

For what seemed like forever the ogre stood stiff as a stone. One would think he was a statue, he stood so still. And then slowly he turned his head to look over his shoulder, his eyes fixed on the horizon.

“Justyn, Justyn Tyme.”

With that he left the girl setting on her rock and disappeared into the darkness of his home, slamming the door behind him.

“Well Justyn. It was good to meet you, no matter how rude you are.” She said as she picked herself up and made her way back to the hovel she had fashioned for herself.

The ogre sat peering out his window, watching the girl make her way to the crippled little shack. The girl with auburn hair and grey eyes, his thoughts bent on her face.

He grabbed his arm, it tingled for just a moment, the feeling was strange to him, almost painful.

“Elisabeth.” He sighed.