By Kari Shuey and Emily Christiansen
Once upon a time not so long ago, there lived a very old very rich man on a very large island. Now, the extraordinary thing about this wealthy man was not how much money, property, or expensive “toys” he owned, but his very lovely daughter. She was the most beautiful woman for miles around, and was very much sought after. With eyes like sapphires and long, sleek hair, the color of ebony, it was no surprise that even the dead found her irresistible.
However there seemed to be a problem, for as suitor after suitor (or as the daughter would say “hotties”) was turned away, the people of the neighboring islands began to wonder if all the talk of her attractiveness might have been some kind of rumor. Though it injured the pride of all the charming young suitors to be turned away, not one of them could deny just how stunning she really was. Plus, since she was beyond their reach, it made her all the more enticing. (wink) The rejected suitor’s main complaint was the pickiness of her old father. She being his only child presented problems for the aged man. She was his only heir, thus the entire fortune would fall to her husband. The beauty’s father had come up with a plan. He would ask each suitor a question to determine if a young man was worthy of his daughter, So far not one had been able to answer to his satisfaction which in turn aggravated the daughter as well.
“Gosh dad! I just want to get married to one of these hotties! Who cares about your stupid question as long as I have a husband!” Every time she would voice her opinion, her father would return with a rebuttal. “Oh, but darling, you know I just want to be sure he loves you for you and not for the fortune.” The argument always ended there, for the daughter could only sigh.
Months went by and young man after young man came and went. The woman soon grew weary of her father’s attempts to find a man truly in love with her. As time passed, she declined to see any of the suitors at all. The old man was worried for he saw his daughter’s unhappiness. The people of the islands were losing hope of someone ever satisfactorily answering the question. Eventually, everyone lost hope of the daughter ever getting married.
Meanwhile in one neighboring island, there was talk of a magnificent suitor, with wealth beyond that of the old man. The suitor was determined to win over the hand of the infamous beauty, and take her away with him to live out their days on his island.
The suitor arrived just as the stars were appearing in the sky. Surrounded by his numerous family, friends, and servants, this young man made quite an impression. Astounded at the amount of people present, the old man ran to fetch his daughter. “This is the one my dear. The one that you are going to marry… I can just feel it…” He was interrupted by the loud hammering of the knocker. In his excitement the old man left his daughter behind and raced down the stairs. A little too rotund to move very fast, he would trip down a few steps, gain his balance and tumble down a few more. Never in his life had that grand staircase seemed so long.
Red of face and out of breath, the old man got to the door and swung it open. Standing before him was a tall slender silhouette of a young man; his back was turned as he spoke to someone out in the dark. Slowly the stranger turned around and the old man came face to face (well not quite, for the old man was a good foot shorter and wider than the young suitor himself) as I was saying… came face to face with a mysterious, dark-eyed stranger.
“Good Evening good sir! How goes it this fine night?”
“Well… quite well in fact. I have heard of your daughter and her beauty. They say her exquisiteness outshines the stars and is far brighter than the moon itself.” The suitor’s voice seemed somewhat hollow, but as he flowed over the words so smoothly it was easily passed off as an accent.
“Well yes, some have said that very thing my good man… but it isn’t her beauty that really matters is it.”
“Quite true. Let’s get down to business. May I be so bold as to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage?”
“Well sir, if you can answer me one question correctly, I would happily let you wed tonight.”
The stranger just stared at the old man from beneath his black, wide-brimmed hat. Faltering for a minute at the suitor’s silence, the old man hesitated for the stranger didn’t seem at all exuberant. Quickly getting over his uncertainty, the old man posed the question. Taking a deep breath the suitor gave his answer.
Raising his eyebrows, the old man was astonished that the answer was exactly what he was looking for. Slowly he smiled and extended his hand, taking the suitor’s cold hard hand in his, they sealed the deal. For the first time the stranger smiled, as his bride to be had entered the room. Ignoring the old man, the suitor made his way toward the girl.
“M’lady, would you care to go for a walk around the grounds with me this evening?”
“Well, of course I want to. Has anyone ever told you that you have mysterious eyes?... I like them a lot.” Then with a giggle, the beauteous creature took his cool hand in hers and they went for their walk. That evening they were wed. After partying for a couple hours, the assembly of people headed home, to the island from where they had come. The group then had a few more drinks, dances, and fun until the newlyweds were so exhausted they decided to go to bed.
The beauty was happy for she was finally married. As she fell asleep to the sounds of laughter and fun loving excitement, she happily dreamt of her new life. The next morning the light from outside penetrated her closed eyelids. She laid with her eyes still closed, waiting to hear the noises of the guests from the night before. There were no sounds, no joyous playing or celebration. The eerie silence made her heart beat a little faster and slowly she opened her eyes. “EWWW!”
Now, waking up to a new spouse for the first time, you have to be prepared for the fact that your partner might not be the most handsome creature in the morning. But waking up to find your husband’s skeleton resting on your arm… lets just say this young woman had every right to be second-guessing her marriage. There were empty sockets where his dark mysterious eyes had been… vacantly staring at her. she ran form the bridal chamber only to be met with a more horrid sight. All around her were bones. The bones of the many people (now ghosts) she had entertained the night before. Their lavish clothing was gone, the spacious mansion was in long neglected decay, and the beautiful bed with silk linens was now full of holes and moth-eaten. The only object that hadn’t lost its grandeur was her gown. The air smelled of death and the want of sound spoke of lifelessness. All the woman wanted to do was get away from the nightmare her father had married her into. What answer could this ghost have possibly given to her father’s question that spoke of true love?
The beauty lifted her skirts and tip-toed between the bones, fearing to disturb the sight around her, lest she be cursed. Soon the bones became too numerous. No longer caring, she needed to push her way through them to reach the outdoor. As she got to the shore, she tried to set sail on one of the docked boats. But as she pushed each boat into the ocean, it sank. Discouraged and beyond hope, the beauty fell to her knees and wept. There was only one boat left to try, and seeing as it wasn’t too worse for the wear, so she pushed the boat into the water… surprisingly it didn’t sink. She quickly set sail.
The woman arrived home soon after; the island of death had only been a few miles from home. She ran inside to her father and told him everything. Near hysterics, the daughter broke down in her father’s arms. Grief stricken he assured her that she was safe, and admitted he had heard of a strange land where the dead “lived”. He apologized for the pain he had caused his daughter and continued to comfort her. As soon as the tears stopped flowing, he sighed. “Honey, if you don’t leave today, you know he will be back for you.” So together they prepared for her departure.
“Be safe dear. Be strong. I love you.” the father gave his daughter one last hug and watched her depart for a country across the world where his sister lived. Comforted only for the knowledge of her safety, the old man returned to his empty home.
Not even a week had passed since he sent his daughter to safety when the old man started hearing noises. First it sounded like a grand party, like the night his daughter was married. Then the noises turned to pitiful howling, like the weeping of a heart-broken man. Once the old man swore he saw the mysterious stranger, his once dark eyes red in rage.
On one of the nights that he saw the lone ghost, the old man demanded of him. “WHY!?!... Why do you haunt me like this?!?”
“I answered the question. I proved I loved her. Tell me where she is.”
“You can’t love, you’re dead, and the dead can not marry the living, it just isn’t done.”
“True love knows no bounds. I answered the question correctly. The pain you have caused will be repaid. I will make you pay for it every night of your life… unless you tell me where she is.”
Heart pounding, the old man didn’t know what to say. He knew the ghost spoke the truth. If only he had seen through the dark eyes and cold exterior his daughter would still be with him. But there was no changing the past. He had to live with the consequences of his mistake. He ha
d to sacrifice his happiness, even his sanity for the happiness of his daughter. She was safe now and that was all that mattered. He looked up at the ghost, resigning himself to the wrath he knew we would receive for defying the ghost’s command. “Do what you will.”
The ghost’s word’s echoed in his head… “True love knows no bounds.” Until the day he died, the old man was haunted by that heart-broken ghost. Who had proven his love though no one had accepted it for what it was.
Now, the question you ask?... Would you die for my daughter? The answer… No sir, I would live for her.
John Me Becca and Jarod
Jarod doing a hand-stand - I just noticed the Batman Belt Buckle
Me with an East-coast license plate
Jarod with a 'sunflower'
Me and Becca
