Once Upon A Big Fat Liar

Once Upon A Bit Fat Liar

Words - 10k.

Story contains – made-up magical rules & stuff, violence, cursing, mentions of drugs (briefly)

Also, you might find commas in the middle of sentences. I assure you, I edited it very carefully, the commas are there as, I guess, dramatic pauses. Hopefully it still reads pretty smooth. And the bold font is for emphasis.

TWENTY-THREE YEARS BEFORE

Once upon a time, in a land far-far away, a shepherd and a seamstress had a baby girl. They named her Orna*, the little green one, for she had the greenest eyes of all. She grew up happily for a few years – running with the sheep around their enclosure, playing with her mother's scrap fabric, laughing all day long – but everything changed when, aged ten, she accompanied her parents to the town for the first time. She had never left the farm before, had never met anyone except for her parents and the healer who came to their house sometimes. Her very first reaction was amazement. So many people! So many buildings! There were horses and boats and merchants the likes of which she had never even imagined! But quickly, the amazement vanished. Why had she never imagined them? Because she had never had any of these. All she had were dresses her mother had made and food she had helped grow herself. The amazement was replaced with jealousy. She wanted all of these, she wanted them for herself. On the way back to the farm that night, she swore to herself that she would get everything she ever wanted, always.

For years, nothing changed – every day, Orna would help with the sheep, with the garden, with the sewing, while every night, she dreamt of more – until finally, a young man came knocking at the door. His skin glowed beautifully in the sun, his eyes were the colour of melted honey. He was a blacksmith, he said. He quite fancied the shepherd's daughter, he said. He could pay a dowry! he said. Would the shepherd please let him marry his daughter? The shepherd was uncertain. His baby girl was only sixteen, after all, and he could certainly use her help around the farm! He told the young man to come back a week later, and he would receive his answer. For seven days, at each dawn and twilight, the girl would beg her Father to let her go to the town with the young blacksmith. She made promises aplenty – she would visit every week, she would come help at the farm as much as she could, she would write every day, and wouldn't it be nice to have a few grandchildren that could help him as well?

The eighth day came, and with it the young blacksmith. The shepherd, looking at his daughter's pleading face, granted him her hand. His daughter thanked him every day for a month, right up until she was married. That day, she left the farm with her new blacksmith of a husband and moved into town, never to talk to her parents again. The first few days, Orna smiled so wide her cheeks ached. But slowly, her smile dimmed and her heart was the one aching. They lived in a small apartment above the shop of the blacksmith master. Her husband was a simple apprentice. They could afford food, but she had to make their own clothes, like her mother had. Every day at dawn, her husband would leave for work, and every day at twilight, he would come home. Every day in between those times, she would cook, clean, sew, and look out the window. Oh how she wished for more. The people on the streets would go to the merchants and buy so many beautiful things! They were so well dressed! They looked so rested, so healthy, so very lazy! How she wished she could be lazy! She had thought she had worked so hard as a shepherd's daughter, but being in charge of an household, small as hers was, was so much harder than life on the farm had ever been.

But things all stayed the very same for years, still, until finally, an old woman came knocking at the door. She had a proposal for her, she said. She had seen her around town, so very tired, so very sad, she said. She could make her life better! she said. Would she exchange her youth for the chance at everything she had ever wanted? Orna was uncertain. She was only twenty, after all, and she could certainly use her youthful energy around the house! She told the old woman to come back a week later, and she would receive her answer. For seven days, at each dawn and twilight, the young woman would take care of her husband and the rest of the time, she would take care of their small apartment. She had chores aplenty – she would clean, cook, sew, and shop. She had no children to help her, and so many dreams going un-chased. Then, the news came – the shepherd had a new baby, a son, and oh were he and his wife happy.