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(I'm sorry it's so long)Andrea García
Honey Tears
Story
Once upon a time there lived a sad and tiny girl. She was the most beautiful thing one had the pleasure to behold. Her eyes were the color of green pastures and light honey. She had the most warming smile in all of the kingdom, and her face was prettier than a million stars, but her sadness kept her alone in her poor cottage, so nobody had the honor of seeing her around too much.
Our beautiful girl was called Honey, for, although she was the saddest person on Earth, when she smiled, all of the grim surroundings became sweet and happy.
Her sadness was a great thing indeed, for all of her pureness and beauty were tainted by the tears of her eyes. One drop of her salty tears could poison entire rivers and soils, so she was forced to cry alone in her room, and pour them inside a magic bowl. The bowl was incredibly pretty. It had golden carvings on the rim, and the rest of it was of the most immaculate white, but whenever her tears reached the bottom, its white became the darkest blue. Nobody knew the origin of such sorrow, and whenever someone asked her about it, she cried, and everyone around her cried too. This kept all of the people at bay, and instead of asking her anymore, they enjoyed her small glimpses of happiness.
Honey lived with her father, her oldest brother, and younger sister. They were the most dysfunctional, yet loving family. Honey adored her father, brother and sister, and she always tried to enjoy their times together with brave smiles and hearty songs. Their cottage was located in the midst of a valley. It was surrounded by tall trees, ample pastures, nice flowers and amiable neighbors. Her house was one of the many that adorned the small town, which was only a tiny place compared to the rest of the kingdom.
One day, Honey went for a walk to the nearby forest, for she adored walking and being alone once in a while. She walked slowly and leisurely along the trails of the forest, and after some time, she found a gigantic rock blocking her way. The rock was of great proportions, and it had strange inscriptions on every corner. Honey could only read one phrase, which was located at the very center of the rock. The phrase read, "Only the purest heart can save us, yet the most tainted soul can destroy us." Honey tried to walk around the rock and find a way through, but to no avail. She finally sat on the rich soil and stared at the rock with intense scrutiny. Her natural curiosity was making her think of a way to find out what was behind that rock, but she couldn't come up with anything, so she went back home.
From that day on, Honey went to the forest and sat on the ground in front of the rock. She talked to herself, she wrote on her diary, she sang along with the birds, she danced and played, but the rock was always there, immovable and solemn. Every day passed slowly for her, and with time she became disappointed. After years of going to visit the rock, one day she simply stopped. With the passing of years, she forgot about it, and the impetuous rock became a buried memory.
Honey grew up to become an outstanding woman. She was so beautiful, that there were no eyes which could deny it. She was hard working, smart and sweet, but when she cried, all of it was lost in the night of her bowl. So this was her life; one day equaled the previous one, and her morrows were always the same as her yesterdays.
In the center of the kingdom, a huge castle was the home of powerful King George. He was rich in great measure, he was content with his servants and soldiers, and his joy came in the form of a daughter and son. Prince Adam and Princess Eleanor lived luxuriously inside the castle, but they were always worried about their father. Although King George didn't have a want on Earth, his heart carried a strong sadness, which made his days miserable.
The King tried to deal with his depression as best as he could, but even though he wanted to shed a tear in order to free himself of it, his eyes remained dry. The only thing he wanted was to cry a single tear, and let go of the incredible sadness that tormented him. In a vain attempt to cry, he called all of the citizens of his kingdom who where willing to tell him sad stories, for he had the hope of hearing something so sad that could have the power to soften his unwilling heart.
Every day the king received people from all over the kingdom, but there was not a single story that could help him out. With time, the King became somber, and after several years, he fell ill. Desperate about his father's condition, Prince Adam grabbed his loyal horse and searched incessantly for a cure to the King's illness. He galloped along every street, every path and all towns, but nobody knew about a cure to the King's tearless eyes. The prince would not give up, though, and one glorious day he found an old man who could have the answers to all his prayers.
The old man was sitting in front of his house admiring the wonderful day. When the Prince saw him, he got off his horse and walked towards him. Just as he did to any other person in his kingdom, he asked the man if he knew a cure for tearless eyes. The man nodded and said, "There is only one cure to your father's illness: the tears of Honey, the woman who can make any creature on Earth cry its heart away."
Prince Adam quickly asked the man about the mysterious girl Honey, and then mounted his horse in search of her. His horse had never run so fast, and with its amazing speed, Prince Adam arrived to Honey's cottage promptly.
The first thing he noticed was how precious the house was. It was small, humble and simple, but the flowers, trees and green surroundings made it seem part of a magical world. He reached the house's fence and was received by Honey's father, who was a tall and strong man, with rich and low voice, and noble eyes. Honey's father excused her by telling the Prince she was currently taking a walk, but that she would arrive shortly. The Prince was too impatient to wait, so he thanked the man and went to look for her himself.
He walked for about an hour, but couldn't find her anywhere. He was just going to give up when, suddenly, he heard a voice. Someone was singing the sweetest song he'd ever heard in his life, and it came from inside the woods. The Prince followed the sound of the voice and, hiding behind a tree, observed the woman who gave birth to that melody. He couldn't believe his eyes, for he didn't understand how a woman so angelic as her could exist on Earth. He watched her with an astounded expression, but several minutes later, he relaxed. The only thing that he wanted to know was who that woman was. His curiosity got the best of him, and he approached her cautiously.
Honey was very happy to return to her secret place after so long. This was where she could be herself and enjoy a few moments of peace. She sang a ballad her mother taught her, and started to twirl with joy.
She was having the time of her life until she heard footsteps approach her. She stopped dead and turned to see a handsome figure getting closer. Her immediate response was fear, so she instinctively backed away.
"Who are you?" she exclaimed. "And what do you want?"
"I need you to help me," Prince Adam answered. "My father is ill and only you can save his life."
Honey couldn't think of how she could be able to help any sick person recover, for she didn't know a thing about medicine or healing. "I can't help your father," she responded. "I am not a healer."
"It is not a healer I search for, Miss Honey, but a sword strong enough to break a man's heart."
"A sword!" she said, astonished. "But I own no sword. I am but a simple girl who works hard and lives in a poor cottage."
"That I know, believe me, but it is not a physical sword I speak of. I need your miraculous tears, which can make any man cry its heart away."
"Why would anyone willingly want to cry for no reason?" she inquired. "This burden I carry I wish it not to my worst enemy, and the darkness in my heart shall not be imposed on any honest soul."
"I beg you to reconsider! My father's illness is not something known to any man in this world. His heart is sick with sadness, but no tears will flow from his dry eyes. Imagine yourself feeling a deep and strong sorrow, but not able to get it all out through the rivers of your eyes. Wouldn't it be torture great enough to wish for death to come?"
Honey understood the words of this stranger and felt pity for the man's father. She decided to help him, for, even though her tears only caused grief on her beloved ones, she wouldn't let go the opportunity to use them for doing good. "Take me to your father; I will help him, if I can."
"My father is resting in our home somewhat far away, so we will need to travel to reach him. Are you willing to accompany me on this journey?"
"I am willing," she said with determination.
"Then let's get back to your home, and make preparations."
Both of them went back to Honey's cottage and, when they arrived, the first thing Prince Adam did was talk to her father. He explained the grave situation and offered a generous reward for his contribution. Honey's father kindly refused, but asked him dearly to care for his child. After Honey's father was taken care of, she packed some clothes, and left with Adam.
The journey was a long one, but not long enough to make Honey miss the beauty that surrounded her. The landscapes grew prettier by every mile they traveled, and she felt in peace with herself. The Prince and Honey talked through all the way, and they grew closer by the second. It was very easy to communicate with each other, they laughed at each other's jokes, and they both appreciated the grandeur of nature. After a few days, they arrived at the castle, and Honey was sent immediately to the King's chamber.
When she saw the King's pale face and dry eyes, she grew pale. She couldn't imagine what would happen to her if she couldn't cry, yet she felt she might die in an instant. Her compassion towards the King grew with every passing second, for she understood grief and sadness more than anybody in the world. She grabbed King George's hands and told him to close his eyes. She silently thought about her own sadness, she recalled every tear poured into that magical bowl of hers, she felt angry at destiny for giving her that burden, and she felt her heart swell at the thought of someone else sharing that curse. She felt the tears start to fall, so she bent toward the King's face and let them reach his own eyes. In the blink of an eye, his eyes were healed, and he started to weep like he never wept before. They both stayed there in that manner for some solemn time, and then the King began to laugh. Honey felt something break inside of her, and suddenly she was free of the heavy sadness that was her curse. She was free at last; they were both free at last. Somewhere in the midst of a magical forest, a gigantic rock disappeared from the face of the Earth.
The next day was filled with celebration. The King threw the biggest party ever made in history; he invited everyone in the kingdom to his castle, and filled the dark interior with bright decorations and wonderful music. Honey couldn't stand so much happiness. Prince Adam and Princess Eleanor were treating her like a sister, the King talked to her like a daughter, and she was sure her own family was proud and happy for her. For a moment, she let all of the amazing things be part of her life, and then raised her head to Heaven. She thanked the Lord one and a million times, and realized many things. She didn't understand before why she had to carry with such a terrible thing all of her life, but in that miraculous journey everything became clear. She had to carry with it to save her King that day and make people happy, and that's why she knew everything happened for a reason.
Mod
Mod
Sorry! I'm so done with life right now! I need to come on more often! I miss you!
Mod
1st place goes to Kggelen! Wow!
2nd: Sarah! Amazing!
3rd: Joy! Beautiful!
This was really hard, so many good entries! Thanks to Matt for co-judging!
January's contest will be up within the next couple of days!
Thanks! I didn't think I'd even place. Congrats to you too! You did a really good job! :D I can't wait for the next contest.
Mod
Congratulations to all of the participants and the winners. The winners were wisely chosen, I really loved all of the stories ^^
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Title: What If There Were 40 Hours A Day?
Writing:
Each day,
Twenty fours,
Seven days a week,
Three sixty days a year,
And lets say seventy years a lifetime.
So much time, yet little done,
In a day,
Of twenty four...
What if there were forty?
What when we had time plenty?
Divided as twelve hours of beauty sleep
Eight hours of knowledge school
Four hours of play
Four hours of leisure
Two hours of the norms;
The food and the health...
Left ten hours,
Now we do whatever pleases
Ten hours of freedom, in a day
Now tell me, where is the right way
The way of Life?
Forty hours a day,
Means half the day in sunshine
The rest craving for moonshine...
On another day, we look for the sun at five
Say it goodbye at six,
Hunt for the full moon, since late at eight
See it smiling at dusk,
Glory and bright, the joy
Of the spectacle at the dark hour
With the floating clouds..
Or the twinkling stars
But it would be lost,
If there were forty
Divisions a day
And
That's why, everything has a reason...
(view spoiler)[ Read it here...the last line and all, you'll understand why it's not so polished: http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/3... (hide spoiler)]