Tower Challenge Fifth Submission!

Hey all! Here is the fifth submission for my challenge, which officially ended yesterday but if you still want to get your submission to me then please, please send it to me or post it to your blog or other social networking site and send me the link. I'd be happy to spend the rest of the month posting last-minute submissions. ;) This submission is by a lovely young lady over at the Fairytale Novels Forum and she's obviously a good writer and very creative.




Tower of Tears by elf Ranger Sulwen The sun felt warm on my face. The wind played with my hair as it danced past. The scent of wild violets and forget-me-nots drifted up to me and filled my soul with content. It was a beautiful day.

I opened my eyes and gazed around the flower-strewn hill. I yearned to take just one step in that soft grass and to meet one of those flowers face to face. It was such a beautiful day, but I was here, and here I would remain.

Here was a tower, the only home I’d ever known. It was high on a hill above a far village, with only small bushes, wild flowers, and lots of green grass. Rabbits, birds, and sometimes a stray pony inhabited the fruitful area and provided me with some entertainment.

I turned away from the wide open window I had been sitting at and back into the tower itself. It was simple, really. It had a small, square fireplace in the center for during the cold winter. A rough table with two chairs sat near it. There was a bookshelf crammed with books. My bed, shaped like a half-moon to fit into the curving wall, was tucked near the opposite window. Near it was a wardrobe and mirror.
To my left was the spiraling stairs that led down to the door. The door I had never stepped through, though it had been opened many times before.

‘Why?’ I thought to myself, though I knew the answer. ‘Why is it that others get to walk free in the world and I have to stay up here?’
The sound of cheerful whistling brought me out of my brooding and back to the window. I leaned out and looked down at the footpath, knowing already who it would be.

A mop of brown hair with a tint of red was making its way up the path to the tower. I smiled brightly when I saw it.

“Dan!” I called to him.

He looked up and waved. I waved back and flew down the tower steps.

I reached the door just as the key turned in the lock. The door opened, and I had that familiar fleeting moment when I was staring out at the sun-kissed world with the wide, free sky and wild things. My heart was gripped with over-powering desire to run into it and never look back. Then Dan stepped inside and closed the door, and the feeling was gone, the thought dying as quickly as it had come alive.

Dan smiled. “It’s a nice day, isn’t it?”

I nodded. “Yes, absolutely gorgeous.” I felt my resentment at having to enjoy it from inside well up inside me and I quickly turned and went up the stairs to hide my feelings. Dan followed.

“Sit down,” I offered, motioning to a chair.

“Thanks,” he said, placing his basket on the table and taking a seat.

The basket was why he was here. It was my week’s supply of food. He always brought it to me. There were other villagers who had the responsibility to bring me things, but he was the only one who was comfortable around me. The others usually made tense conversation or simply left the basket inside the door before quickly retreating down to the village again.

So although Dan was only supposed to bring me food, he often volunteered to bring me my other supplies as well. As a result, we were very good friends.

And yet I always felt a distance between us. He couldn’t quite think of me as just another person he knew. My life was so strange, in his mind I was placed in a special category. I hated it, but I was resigned to it. After all, who could blame him? I was different, boarding on weird.

I silently cursed the neighboring kingdom, the whole reason why I was here. I was told years ago that my parents, rich royalty with a large army, had been at war with the country my tower was now in. A brave soldier had snuck into the castle grounds, stole me as I was out playing, and had brought me back to this tower, where I was to stay until a ransom was paid and a truce signed. My parents had agreed, and I had been watched over in the tower, expecting to be reclaimed in a few weeks. But the weeks had dragged to months, and finally a year. They tried to make contact with my parents, but every messenger was turned away at the border despite every attempt. Finally it came out that my kingdom had been overrun and my parents had fled, disappearing into the wilderness. I would never be ransomed; I was to be forever unclaimed.

I broke out of these thoughts and smiled at Dan again. I prepared us both tea and sat in the other chair. We chatted without thought to the time and to me there was nothing else in the room but his flashing smile and deep green eyes. I was so filled with joy at his presence I forgot all about my troubles and desires. There was only one dream I was thinking of.

Then Dan looked around and said, “Oh goodness, it’s six o’clock already! I should be home; mother will have dinner on the table.”
I stood and faked a smile as he pulled on his cape and started down the stairs. I followed him down, each step seeming to weigh my heart down heavier. I watched with a frozen expression as he took the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He opened it and took a step out before stopping and saying good-bye. I numbly said good-bye to him.

“I’ll try to get away tomorrow and come and see you,” he said.

Now my smile was real, and I tried to hide the flush in my face and tears in my eyes. He didn’t know how much I depended on him saying that and how moved I was that he cared enough to say it.

“Thank you,” I said, not allowing my voice to quiver. I wanted to cry. But instead I smiled bravely and brightly. “I hope so, but don’t go out of your way just for me.” Inside I thought, ‘Please go out of your way!’

He smiled again and stepped out. Again that fleeting moment came as I stared out into the dusk at the beautiful freedom staring me back in the face. Then the door closed and locked, leaving me again in darkness. But the physical darkness was nothing compared to the darkness filling my soul.

I slowly dragged myself back up the stairs and looked out the window. Dan’s bright head was just disappearing into the trees around the town. Soon he would be with his family inside a warm house with warm food and he would forget all about me. But I would be here all alone, thinking only of him. I stared out into the sunset sinking below the distant hills and mountains. Through my tears, I looked up at the first stars shining far above me.

Then I sank down into the window seat and looked out at the twilight. I watched the world for a long time. I watched it transform into night and slowly go to sleep. The moon came out and turned my black hair into silver. Every wild flower, every tree, every hill, every blade of grass was outlined with moonlight. It was beautiful, but it could not mend my broken heart. I stayed awake for hours, until finally I cried myself to sleep.