The Wind and the Woman

Once upon a time in a world far beyond this one there lived a beautiful, young woman. She was full of pure magic and the sun rested within her heart at night so that it could shine bright the next day. Her laughter was a beautiful sound and it carried on the wind to anyone and everything. Her laughter was magic too. It brought a smile to anyone's lips who heard it.

One day while walking in a field the woman saw a dark spot on the horizon.
It was a haunting and scary cave. The girl being who she was bravely set out for her new adventure to explore this desolate place. As she approached a chill crept up her spine at the sudden cold breath that emanated from the mouth of the cave. Her step faltered...but then a voice called, "come in my child".

She wrapped her love around her like a warm cloak and daringly entered the cave. "Who is there?" she called to the vast empty darkness. And then a scurry from the corner led her eyes to a crumpled, old woman. This woman was hunched over low embers with a leer in her eyes.

The crone cackled with laughter that did not make the woman smile as her laughter did for others. This laugh was maniacal and made you want to run. It was high-pitched and cold. There was no warmth, no smile, and her eyes stayed dull. She scooted around her useless embers that surely provided no heat and scuttled closer to the beautiful woman.

"OOhh....you have come to me finally. I have conjured this moment in my mind so many times my dear."

Aghast that the witch had known she would come the beautiful woman stepped back. Faster than thought the witch lashed out and grabbed her hand.

"You can't leave yet. You must hear your fate." And with an unforeseen strength the witch led the beautiful woman towards the red coals.

"Have a seat my child and I shall tell you."

With barely a whisper of a smile the beautiful woman sat and cradled her arms around her for the illusion of any warmth. She was silent and meditative and thought of the warm sun when it slept in her heart at night. These thoughts warmed her just a little from the inside and gave her the courage to speak.

"How do you know me? What of my fate?"

The weak light by their feet formed deep shadows in the lines of her face as the crone whispered, "You shall not find what you seek. There is no hope. Love is lost for you for there is no way to keep it. Your happiness will fade and so will you."

Silence fell and a tear formed in the woman's eye. This crone spoke truth. She had felt the stirrings of this nightmare long before but her love and happiness thus far had kept it at bay.

The woman shrieked in glee and jumped up as sprightly as if she was decades younger. "I shall not have to suffer your laughter and goodness any longer! The world will be dark and I shall be able to snuff out all light forever. No one will smile again and nightmares shall reign"

With her cackling madly behind her the beautiful woman rushed out with a cry. She must find her happiness. She must find the one thing that could save the love of the world.

Time passed and wandering through the world the woman started to become hopeless. She wanted to fight but she couldn't. The sun no longer resided in her heart at night. She could not house such a bright and cheerful thing there anymore. It was becoming weaker and weaker in the sky and the world no longer laughed. She did not smile. She did not love. She did not laugh. There was nothing for the wind to carry to the hearts of man.

The girl suddenly stopped in the middle of a field. Trees were off in the distance swaying mournfully and she realized that the wind is what helped her make the world happy. The wind swirled around her and whipped the tears from her cheeks. Flowers floated around her and it made a smile pop to her lips. All the flowers from the field blurred her vision in a swirl of color as she was engulfed in the smell of nature. A giggle forced its way from her lips.
The wind stopped the flower's dance and picked up water from a nearby pond. It splashed the girl and stunned her that the wind, her dear friend, was here to play. It made her laugh and throw her arms out to engulf such wonderfulness. The world heard the echo of her laugh and brightened just a bit.

She knew she had found what she had been looking for. It had been there the whole time. But now she was sad again. She found her love and her happiness. She found the one thing that could help her brighten the world and make everyone happy, but she could not hold the wind. She could not carry it with her and make sure it never left. She knew of a magic spell that could trap her with the wind, but being trapped was torture for such free spirits such as herself and the wind. She could not do it.

A gentle breeze caressed her cheek. She leaned her head in to the caress and smiled. There was comfort in her friend's touch. She could not see the wind, but she knew it was there and would always be there. It must roam the world, but it always be there with her. The wind threw her hair back and lifted her arms. She closed her eyes at the sensation of flying and her feet then truly left the ground. She was soaring threw the air. It was a wonderful feeling. Never afraid
that her dear friend would drop her she saw the dark cave of the old crone in the distance.

As they approached she felt happiness such that she had never known before. Setting her gently by the mouth of the cave the wind and the woman walked confidently side by side into the depths. As the wind whistled through the cracks and crevices inside an echo formed that called, "This is my love. I am happy to bring her brightness to the world. I am constant and will not falter. Where there is laughter there is hope for love. Where she is so shall I be."

And then the voice was gone with the woman. She had soared out with the wind to give the sun a rest so that it might shine brightly the next day. The crone was driven back to the furthest reaches of the cave where her coldness still lies today in wait for the moment when love has no hope and the world will fall to darkness.