Woah!

I’ve got some EXCELLENT news for all you Create Or Die fans out there. For the next two weeks, I’ll be doing a solo version of Create Or Die with a focus on Storytelling.  I hope you’re excited!

So, without further ado, I present to you the first installment of Create or Die 2014: The Flower Gem.  This is a short story based on and emulating the structure of Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

 

The Flower Gem

A Fairy Tale

 

Once upon a time there was a poor farmer who lived tucked away in the remote countryside of a vast and rich kingdom.  The farmer was an honest, hardworking man, who toiled in the fields every day from dusk until dawn to provide for his wife and five children.  But each night, after a long day’s work, even though he was weary as could be, he always came home with a joyous smile on his face.  For a time, the family lived in simple happiness.

Then, one day, his wife, seeing how hard the farmer was working, said to him: “you always work so hard for us.  You deserve help!  You should go into town to hire hands to work in the field with you.”

The man smiled and shook his head.  “But I love working for you and the family.  It’s a blessing! Besides, we have so little.  We have no money to pay for workers.”

But, with a smile, the wife produced a small box and handed it to a farmer.  As he opened it, the twinkling candlelight revealed a beautiful flower-shaped gem, more exquisite than any other gem in the world.  “Where did this come from?” he asked, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

The wife explained that it was a family heirloom.  “This should fetch enough to pay for several seasons of work.”  But the man shook his head.  She was right, but he wouldn’t sell her family heirloom, he protested.  But it was no use.  She was adamant, and it was decided: he would travel to the market on the following morning.

 

The next day, the farmer arrived in town to sell the gem.  A busy market was already established for all kinds of rare and valuable goods, but the farmer knew that the gem was special.  He quickly found a dealer and unveiled the gem.  The dealer was smitten: he had never seen such a gem before in his life, and soon the whole town was buzzing about the strange and beautiful flower gem.

It wasn’t long before word of the gem reached the King, who also resided in the town.  Once a great explorer, the King had amassed a great treasure which he used to help the kingdom flourish.  But, in his later years, he had become vain, greedy, and possessive of his wealth.

He had never before beheld a treasure as unique as the flower gem.  Of course he would acquire it.  But just having the gem, he decided, wasn’t enough.  He needed to know where the gem came from.

Immediately, he commissioned a regiment to go to the farmer’s home, and, by any means necessary, discover the origin of the gem.

 

At this time, the poor farmer found himself at the center of the marketplace, auctioning the gem.  “I won’t be poor for long!” he thought, “with the money from this gem, I’ll be able to provide for my family for the rest of my life!”

His thoughts were interrupted by a deafening trumpet blare from the castle.  He hurried to the gates just in time to see the cavalry regiment come galloping through.  There, he noticed a man who was an advisor to the king.  “what’s the occasion?” he implored.  The advisor told the farmer of the King’s intentions with the gem.  In a panic, the farmer scrambled to gather his belongings and follow the cavalry back to his home.

 

He arrived at his farm to a ghastly sight.  The cavalry had already come and gone. The farmhouse and the barn were set aflame, the crops and the fields were trampled and destroyed, and worst of all, his family was nowhere to be found.  They had been kidnapped by the King’s forces.

In his rage, the farmer cursed the gem, which had brought him such a terrible fortune.  He threw it onto the ground and stomped on it until it was nothing but dust.  He vowed he would not rest until his wife and children were freed and the king had provided recompense.

Having no other option, he relocated to the town, where he took refuge in a broken-down cart in a murky alleyway.  Each day, between foraging for food scraps, he took to the town square, where he decried his fortune.  He criticized the townsfolk for their greed for the gem, he condemned the cavalry for their actions, but most of all he denounced the King and demanded justice for his family.

But few folks paid heed, and those that stopped to listen for a moment were quick to hurry away.  Many of the townsfolk were horrified that the farmer had destroyed the gem and refused to attend altogether.  But he persisted, preaching from the square from dusk until dawn.

 

One day, after a particularly vigorous speech, the farmer was surprised to see that, there, listening intently, was a small man in a dark cloak.  When the farmer approached him, the fellow was hesitant at first, but finally spoke.

“I have been listening to you speak for many days.  The King’s deeds are indeed unacceptable.”

“Finally!” the farmer exclaimed.  “Someone understands!”

“Yes, the King must be punished.”

The farmer nodded again.

“Of course, you agree that he must pay,” went on the small man, “with his life.”

The farmer hesitated for a moment.  Did the King deserve to perish?  No, he didn’t think so.  But this could be his only chance at retribution.  He thought of his children and his wife.  And with a deep gulp, he nodded.

The cloaked fellow led the farmer through the town, into a weather-worn house on the edge of town.  Inside were about a dozen men, all in similar cloaks.  Their leader spoke to the farmer.

“Your tale has convinced us that the King has overstepped and must be removed.  It is our responsibility to remove him.  And, once he is gone, this town—and all its greed—must be destroyed as well.”

The leader then shared the plan, which would be executed that night.  While the King was feasting, the leader and the farmer would sneak into the King’s chamber and poison the King’s wine.  Then, with the leadership in chaos, the rebels would sack the town.

The farmer couldn’t believe his ears.  What had he done?  Was the salvation of his family worth the annihilation of the whole town, and everyone in it?  He thought of his own vitriolic speeches deriding the King.  This was his own fault!

But there was no way to back out now.  So, that night, he found himself inside the King’s quarters, the leader at his side.  A bottle of fine red wine sat by the King’s bedside.  It was well known that the King always had a glass of wine before sleeping.

“I’ve got the poison here,” insisted the leader. “Open the wine, now!”

The farmer was desperate.  He couldn’t go through with it.  And the King would be back any minute.  He decided then and there that something had to be done.  As he tugged at the wine, an idea came to his mind.

“I can’t get it open,” he feigned.   “It’s stuck!”

“Try harder!  They’ll be here any minute!”

The farmer pretended to pull again on the cork.  “Nothing!”

“Give it to me!”

“Wait!” the farmer almost yelled.  “No, give me your dagger.  I’ll pry it out!”

What happened next, well, it all happened so fast!  As the leader turned to grab his dagger, the farmer swung the bottle, with all his strength, at the leader.  At that very moment, the door to the bedroom opened, and in stepped the King and his attendants, just in time for them to see the wine bottle shatter across the leader’s back.  As the leader collapsed to the ground, both his dagger and the poison flew out of his hands, landing, as it were, directly at the feet of the King.

For an instant, no one spoke.

Then, as the farmer opened his mouth the explain, the King cried out,

“YOU!”

The farmer shrunk down.

“You have just saved me from a terrible fate!”

The farmer was in shock.  But as he saw the leader on the ground, he realized the King had been saved!

 

In thanks, the King freed the farmer’s wife and children.  Without a moment’s pause, they together left the kingdom for good and lived happily for the rest of their days.

And as for the rebels and their leader?  Well, in true fairy tale style, they suffered torture and death in far more gruesome ways than can be described here.