About a nymph and the sun

Once upon a time, in a village called Tenebrae, there was a small creature. Now often, the world small reminds us of innocence, of sweet children, loyal pets. This creature, however, was nothing like that. It was not without a reason that one knew this town as the village of darkness.

A long time ago, before the poor founders of Tenebrae ever even set foot on this cursed ground, a nymph alighted on the highest tree. She had endured heavy weather, and thankfully spread her wings under the burning sun. However tempting, she shouldn’t have done this. Or maybe, had she been only sitting there for a short while. But it was as if the sun hypnotised her, scattering beautiful colours everywhere.

She didn’t stay a little while, nor a bit longer. She stayed forever.

And as the seasons past, the nymph grew paler. The sunbeams nourished her, but this wasn’t enough. And within years, the nymph had lost her beauty, and all left was a dark creature, who had lost her soul. The only feeling she had left, was her love for the sun. And the sun loved her.

When two families arrived at the nymph’s field, wearied by thirst and hunger, the dark fate of this place was sealed. They had left their place of birth, having quarrelled with the others. Sitting at the refreshing brooklet, they saw how one tree, the tallest of all, bathed in sunlight, and decided there was no place better than this. A house was made, two, three. More people came, more babies were born. A new village had arisen.

And all this time, the nymph sat still, seeing nothing but the sun. None had seen her, for the branches were high, and her colour was dark.

A long time, the inhabitants of the small town gathered their food in the woods. But as the population increased, more food was needed, and a little bakery arose. It didn’t take long before the whole village ate the baker’s bread, and he worked for hours. His chimney smoked happily of delight, producing great clouds of dark fume. Who would have thought it was this happy chimney, which they’d curse forever?

In the middle of their village stood the illuminated tree, ever bright. But one day, everything went wrong, and its leaves shone no more. Big clouds were separating the nymph from her beloved sun. Clouds coming from the bakery.

And the sun lost sight of her friend, and wept of deep sorrow. It was as if the sun and her nymph had become one, and as the sun wept, the nymph cried. But soon, their grief became anger, and the nymph grew even darker.

It was then, that the citizens of the small town first noticed the dark creature, sitting high beyond their reach. They had no idea what it was. But they soon found out they hadn’t seen what they should have seen. In all their enthusiasm about the fertile field, no single person had noticed the nymph. It would become their downfall.

Everyone gathered around the tree, curious, intrigued. Then suddenly, a beam of light fell upon the head of the baker. All eyes were upon him, for everything else had gone dark. The nymph, who had not looked elsewhere but up ever since she set her eyes upon the sun, caught the light. Had her sun returned? But turning her head towards the man, she felt jealousy grow within her. Did her sun pick someone else instead? Had she simply been forgotten?

Whoever thinks jealousy can’t kill a man should think twice. With her single ray of light, the sun had awoken so fierce a power that the nymph jumped out of her position, so long before adopted, and struck the man with awful power. He was dead before he reached the ground.

And for the first time, the inhabitants of this poor town heard a nymph talk. As dark as her body had become, as light was her voice. They were to guard her. Her and her sun. The sun was hers, and hers alone. Would ever the sun fall anywhere else but on the nymph’s tree, whoever lived in this town would perish. If ever the nymph and the sun were separated again, her rage would be beyond words. The inhabitants listened with despair to this strange creature, but could do nothing more than to obey.

They never fled. They couldn’t. An oath obligated them to stay, to remain in this village called Tenebrae, the village of darkness. They didn’t get children, to save this great misfortune from them. They died, these families and friends of what once were just two families. How would they have wished to quarrel with their relatives, far away. But it was too late.

And the nymph? She was never seen again, but still, far, far away, a tree waves its leaves, scattering shimmers through the woods. They say it’s never been in shadow, and grows far above any other.

The end

 (Ok, so the ending really sucked, but I'd like some comments anyhow if you have any ^^)