Tale 32- The Deceitful Plant

 The Traveler reached a new town, one much bigger than the previous ones she’d visited. Finding herself by a well, she stopped for a moment to take a rest, dipping her hands into the cool water and washing her face. She probably looked awful, considering she’d been avoiding sleep since that awful nightmare, but getting clean wouldn’t hurt. Washing her hands, she imagined she was wiping the sinful touches of others away, and felt her heart relax a little in her chest. Clean hands, clean mind. She checked her sleeve- the bruises were finally fading. Writing had become significantly easier too, as long as she wasn’t panicking. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly heard a crash and turned. A boy had tripped over a nearby bucket and skinned his knee, but he didn’t seem to care. In fact, he looked incredibly depressed. Nobody moved to help him, so the Traveler approached, offering her hand. The boy accepted and stood with her help, the Traveler leading him over to the well and cleaning his cut. “Thank you miss. Is there anything I can do to repay you?” he asked, the Traveler immediately nodding. “Can you tell me a story?” she asked, the boy thinking for a moment, before reluctantly nodding. “It’s a secret, though, so please don’t tell anyone.” He whispered, the Traveler immediately nodding. She knew how to keep secrets all too well. The boy sat down on the edge of the well, telling the tale of ‘the Deceitful Plant’.

‘Once there were two schoolboys, best friends, who spent hours playing together each day after school. One afternoon, they discovered some strange plants growing in the forest, and dared each other to try them. Surprisingly, to each boy, the leaves tasted different, to one they tasted like fresh fruit, while to the other they tasted like the sweetest candies. The two would return each day to that area and would eat one or two leaves, enjoying the small things that brought them so much joy. However, one afternoon, the second boy decided he wanted more than just the usual amount of leaves, and ate as many as he could, even eating the first boy’s fill. Enjoying all the different flavours he loved so much, the second boy was happy and filled, while the first was angry. The two fought, and left on bad terms, unfortunately. The next day, the second boy wasn’t at school, so the first went to check on him, and to apologize for their argument the day before. Sadly, the second boy had actually died, due to the leaves holding poison inside which was fatal if one consumed too many at once. Since that day, the first boy has refused to eat any plants, and sorely misses his best friend.’

The Traveler finished writing, before staring down at the small schoolboy, who quietly wiped his tears. Sitting next to him, she gently gave him a pat on the back, and he leaned into her, which surprised her. For a moment, she tensed, but then remembered how Richard would do the same when he was young and annoyed. Giving the small boy a final pat on the back, she realized she had to leave and waved him goodbye, but felt the warmth of the embrace long after she’d left the town.