Modern Beauty

Preface

  It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for – and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool – for love – for your dreams – for the adventure of being alive.  - Oriah Mountain Dreamer 

Clutching the lantern harder, I walked up the path to the abandoned cobblestone cottage.  The towns people refused to come onto the land.  For they felt that there was black magic there, or so the legend goes.  

Placing the lantern down by my feet, I reached out with my trembling fingers to check to see if the door was locked.  Pushing it gently, both doors opened.  Hearing the sound of a twig snap, I grabbed the lantern and quickly shined the light behind me.  I saw no one, it must have been my imagination.

Sighing to myself, there was no turning back now.

You can do this, Belle.

Taking one large step, I was in the cottage.  Both doors had swung closed behind me.  It was just the wind I told myself.

Looking around the cottage, it was simply one large round room.  There wasn't any furniture to be seen.  Only two shelves lined the back walls, that had half a dozen books, and a few jars on it. Looking at the title of the books, they were all in Latin.  

Turning to my right, I saw a large fireplace that took up half the wall with a cauldron perched next to it.  Peeking in the cauldron, I saw something at the bottom.  Bringing my lantern closer it was a glass rose.

  The glass rose looked to have been hand crafted, with a long thin glass green stem, and the top made out of curved ruby red crystals. It looked elegant with the hint of gold wrapped around the stem. Nothing like I had ever seen before.  Next to the glass rose, was a rolled up piece of parchment.  

Carefully, I read the elegant script inside. 

Do not touch the rose.  For if you do, black magic will cast over the land.  You will be subjected to consequences.  Be forewarned.

I carefully rolled it back up and placed the parchment in the back pocket of my jeans.  The obvious answer is that someone in the village did this as a hoax.  Do you believe it's a hoax though? Something inside me asked myself.

Biting my lip I eyed the rose.  The words of the scroll echoed in my mind.  What really were the consequences of holding a glass rose?

I took a deep trembling breath and snatched the glass rose from within the cauldron.  Nothing had happened at first but then a warm feeling spread through the rose.  I felt the warmness become a burning sensation on my wrist.  

Gasping I placed the glass object back in the cauldron clutching my wrist.  I saw a flash of gold on my wrist leaving a tattoo like pattern.  Then darkness swept over me until I fell into a deep sleep.