There was once a belle of great beauty, with lips of ruby-red and hair of golden spun silk. She was the most stunning maiden in the land, and once you laid eyes on her, you'd never forget that image, ingrained in your mind forever. But make no mistake; she was not vain, unlike all of the other, less pretty girls in the village. Remember this, because this detail will be greatly important in contributing to the ending of this tale.
Raven seethed as she saw Cecile walking to the orchard to pick up some apples for her family. How could a wench like her outshine Raven, one of the richest ladies in Clarion? Well, she would definitely put a stop to that. And she knew just the person. Black hair flying behind her sharp shoulders like the sail of a boat, she stomped into the forest, stumbling upon hills and hills, until she finally found the one that held the little shack that you'd miss in an instant if you blinked. Luckily, Raven wasn't much of a blinker.
Inside the shack was a curse-seller, of sorts. She was able to sell or place all kinds of curses on the person or object of your choice, for a not-so-reasonable price. Raven grinned, a glint sparkling in her speckled emerald eyes. She made sure to knock on the door twice, with a short pause, and then twice again. The old hag wouldn't answer unless you did it right, and the only way you would have had access to the information was by knowing someone. Raven's older sister, Nightingale, had once been an apprentice of the woman, before mysterious consequences happened to befell her. There were rumors that a spell she had tried to hex upon someone else had backfired, and happened to her instead. And by the looks of things, the outcome wasn't well.
After a few moments of waiting, the door finally creaked open. Raven didn't expect the lady to be there, she never was. It was more of a test of character - some would get so frightened at the sight of skulls and things that they would run out of the shack like it was on fire. The seller found this quite amusing. Making sure to step lightly on certain decaying floorboards, Raven gaped at the wonders of the dilapidated house. Potions of all sorts glittered like gemstones on precarious shelves, just waiting to be used in the most sinister way possible. Raven didn't waste much time, though. She quickened her pace, quickly entering a room about the size of a pantry. Without slowing, she opened what looked like an oddly-structured cabinet, and was subsequently deposited into an archaic lair, where the hag was sitting against a wall, reading a book with words even Raven couldn't decipher. As she entered, the woman looked up, not looking the least bit surprised. It was easy to tell from the hatred that spewed from Raven's vibe that she wasn't there for a kindhearted visit.
"I come in request of your services," Raven said briskly, crossing over to where the seller sat. "I have brought the finest coins I own."
The woman smiled, a horrible one at that. Her teeth were stained, tinted a light green with grime and filth. "Well Miss Raven, you know there are other forms of payment. I still need a . . . tester for my latest project." Her voice was scratchy, like sandpaper rubbing against wood. Raven knew well enough exactly what would happen to her if she allowed herself to become a "test subject" for the seller's experiments.
"No. Now, I require a spell that will take away all of the beauty of a person that I believe is not deserving of it."
The hag nodded, proceeding to enter yet another hidden back room. Moments later, she came back, a single sheet of yellowed paper in her hand. Pushing her glasses up on her hooked nose, she read in that scratchy voice of hers, "'You are of no use to me, so a tick tock beauty you shall be.' Those are the words you need to complete the curse. But be warned - spells can be known to backfire, at the most random of times."
Raven barely nodded, consumed in her rage as she snatched the paper away. Plunging her hand into her pocket, she pulled out a few gold coins and dropped them on the floor in front of the hag. "Your payment."
"Raven, just remember one thing. This spell captures the inner ugliness inside of the person you use it on. Be sure that they do have that certain rot inside of them, or the spell will not work in the way you think it will."
But Raven was already out the door, sprinting towards the village where she could discover Cecile's whereabouts, and take her down in whatever way she could.
Raven wasted no time in her plan. She quickly exited the little cottage, deliberately skipping her afternoon studies in favor of tracking down Cecile.
"Is Cecile nearby?" She asked Arianna, one of Cecile's close friends.
"No she's gone gathering for more berries. They only grow once, you know, and you have to be really lucky to find them."
Without another word, Raven pivoted on her heel and strode off towards the forest. Oh, she resolved, I will make Cecile so hideous, no one will ever want to see her face again! Tree brush batted at her face like claws as she pushed through the woods, heading for the perfect sunny spot in which only rose berries grew. As she arrived, a sudden memory gripped her, and no matter how hard she blinked, it wouldn't go away.
"Cecile! Where are you?" Raven's bright eyes shone as she looked around the woods for her best friend, where they were supposed to meet that afternoon to have lunch and play games. After a while, she gave up, having not found her. As she was walking away, a shaking branch triggered her attention. Walking backwards, she moved a tree branch out of her way, taking a peek into a small area of abandoned tree stumps and dead grass. However, it wasn't as abandoned as she thought. There was little twelve year-old Cecile, whispering to a boy that looked exactly like Jack, the object of Raven's affections. Raven's mouth dropped open as she watched them pull towards each other, sharing a delicate kiss that Raven could have only hoped to experience. Anger soon began to set in. Suddenly all she could see was red, and as she tried to walk away, she ended up staggering around, her face scratched and bloody from thorns. She could hear a distant, soft voice in the back of her head that sounded almost exactly like Cecile's. But she ignored it, continuing on blindly until she finally made her way home.
Raven suddenly opened her eyes, and she found herself standing back in the forest. Within an instant, she remembered what she was doing. At long last, after wandering for over an hour, she reached forward, grabbing a handful of the girl's lovely hair. Cecile spun around, surprised, looking like a delicate china doll as a blush dotted her cheeks.
"Oh, I'm sorry...I really didn't mean to skip studies, but I do love rose berries," Cecile said, looking down guiltily. "You understand, right? You're welcome to have some if you'd like."
Raven seethed. She even looked gorgeous when embarrassed. She quickly pulled herself together, though, throwing back her dark locks and giving Cecile a big smile. She would make sure that this curse was as sweet as rose berries, and tart as a lemon. A betrayal from a false friend would be all the more satisfying. "Oh, thank you, dear." She took some berries, placing a few on her tongue. The sugary sweetness made her want to gag, but she swallowed it with a smile anyway. "These are delicious! Where did you find them, Cecile?"
"Westwards, down by the river," she replied with a sincere smile. Raven grinned maliciously. Stupid girl, she thought. After you're gone, I'll be able to take all those berries you've hidden, and feed the whole village for months! I'll be a hero, and you'll be spoken of as a traitor, once you disappear.
"Would you like to go make daisy chains? I'm sure Ms. Sparling won't miss us too much," said Raven. Cecile winked and linked her arm through Raven's, and off they went towards the meadow. Cecile didn't even hear Raven mutter the words, "You are of no use to me, so a tick-tock beauty you shall be."
