gotten just yesterday. She walked delicately on the path through the
garden, and through an archway to a clearing screened mostly from
view by tall, dark hedges. It was therefore a very private place,
perfect for lovers, as they would be forewarned if someone was
approaching by the clatter of footsteps on loose rocks. It was where
all the girls and boys of the village went, once they turned 11, and
Celia, the richest of them, was no exception. She had, in fact, been
coming here since she was six years old, to spy on the lovers. She
had found a gap in the hedge to watch through, a place where the
stones were set firmly in place, so they never made a sound. But now
that she was 11, she could walk straight into the archway and no one
would object. It was an unwritten rule.
Entering the circle of hedges, she gasped. The usual elegant benches
lined the sides, but in the middle there was something strange.
Celia had never seen the likes of it before. It was a pedestal, with
a curtain on one side, so that she couldn�t see what was upon it.
Taking a few more steps, she stopped, hesitant. Something was
strange about it. Something wrong�very wrong.
The small girl looked up at the pedestal anxiously. It turned, ever
so slowly, and upon it was� nothing. Instead, she heard a voice,
chanting a poem, slowly and thoughtfully. It was a deep voice, one
that seemed to fill every bone in her body and made her shiver.
�Let me tell you the story of one
Who prided herself beyond the sun
A little girl, conceited no doubt
Material her life, couldn�t do without.
A story to tell
A whispering song
A voice to hear
Of right and wrong.
Like you, I used to be
A beauty, lingering fair
A smile, a laugh, a song to sing
Of autumn and yellow hair.
But fate turned its eye from me
One apparently sunny morn
And suddenly I was ugly
And hate my way was born.
Lost, I was, in a world
That seemed to turn upside down
In my mind, only I could hide
From the teases and the frowns.
I wandered, silent and torn
Wondering all the while
If this world was such a great place
Did this happen all the time?
My beauty gone, it left a scar
Long, stinging, and deep
I could not ignore, I had to confront
Yet into my mind I would retreat.
I wanted to know, if I opened my mouth
If anyone heard what I had to say
If I was crying, would anyone notice
Or hear me and turn away?
Real friends I�d never had
Now I know that to be true
But if they were just illusions
Why couldn�t I see through?
I was a little girl, with pride
A material life, just like you
Look closely at the illusion, I say
Make sure you see what I never knew.
I hope you know you�re lucky
That you have been warned
Use your opportunity, use your chances
I don�t want to see your life scorned.�
Celia was frightened. She tried to take a step back, but her
feet wouldn�t obey. Something was holding her. She stood, frozen in
terror, as the voice began to speak again.
�What I have become
You must never be
I will show myself now
Tell me�what do you see?�
What looked like a mass of smoke had suddenly appeared on the
previously empty pedestal. Seconds later, she realized it was a
girl. The girl didn�t look alive, she looked like a corpse. Her skin
was gray and mottled, her eyes sunken, her hair ragged and decaying.
Her eyes were like black, never-ending tunnels. She was wearing what
might have been an elegant dress in its former life, but was hardly
recognizable as anything now. The girl opened her mouth, uttering
another sentence in that bone-chilling voice.
�My name was Alice. Save yourself.� And suddenly, both she and the
pedestal were gone.
Celia stood there, staring at the empty circle, trying to
comprehend what she had just seen and heard. She couldn�t believe
it. She staggered over to a bench and sat down weakly. She had to do
something, but what?
Ten days later, Celia walked down that path again, this time
with very different intentions. She knew from years of spying that
after dinner was when all the girls and boys came. It was considered
to be romantic. But no one was there yet. She walked through the
archway and was relieved to see that the center of the circle was
empty. She needed to prepare herself. She walked to the center, in
the exact spot where the pedestal had been. She took a few deep
breaths and stood there, staring at the entrance.
Soon a few people entered, staring curiously at the
entrance. They sat down on the benches lining the side, and more
followed. Celia glanced over the groups still staring at her. She
stared back, knowing that the all the young people of the small
village were here.
She took another deep breath. �I know you�re all wondering
why I�m here,� she said, her voice ringing out through the
circle. �I know that you�re all staring at me. The reason I�m here
is that I have something to say.� She took a deep breath, preparing
herself for the hardest part. She didn�t want to sound crazy; no one
listened to crazy people. �This is one of the oldest traditions in
the village. I know that; everyone does. But we have other
traditions. I�m sure you all remember Alice. She and her family
lived here a few years ago. One night her house was on fire, and she
was the only one who escaped. She had scars, and lots of them. She
wasn�t pretty anymore. But she was an orphan. And no one would help
her. So she left. That�s another of our traditions�to cast out those
who we don�t want anymore. Some traditions are things we do
purposely, and are proud of. I�m not sure if this town is proud of
casting out Alice. I�m not.� There were mutterings in the crowd
every time Celia mentioned Alice�s name, but she ignored them and
continued.
�And it�s not just Alice. I�ve talked to my parents, and
other elders. It�s happened before, and no one has lifted a finger
to stop this unconscious tradition. I�m willing to, even if it means
me being cast out. Because people who sit back and watch this happen
are just as guilty as the ones who do the deeds.�
Celia took a deep breath and let it out again, then finished
her speech. �If you agree, and want to stop this, we can start now.�
She turned away from the benches and walked through the archway and
out of the garden. I did it, she thought. I tried. And if no one
follows me, I�ll do it on my own. I�ll make sure this town doesn�t
have another Alice.