New Fairy Tales

y a stone staircase. Therewas nowhere else to go butup.“Come on!” Tommy said,and he began to climbcarefully up the old worn-outsteps. Ryder followed behind.They climbed up thesteps, and climbed, andclimbed. On the outside, thetower did not look this tall,but to the boys, whose legshad begun to ache withfatigue, it felt as though theywere climbing to the stars.Finally, after whatseemed like hours later, thestairs ended, and they foundthemselves at the very top ofthe tower, in a dusty roomwith little light. In the centreof the room there stood acrimson chaise longue andthere, lying neatly in themiddle of it, was the mostbeautiful young woman thetwo had ever seen. She layquite still, dressed in silksembroidered with gold; herlong, flowing honey-colouredhair framing her heartshapedface. Her skin wasthe colour of ivory, and hercheeks and lips were flushed.Her body was untouched bythe dust and damp in theroom, and seemed to glow inthe dim light. She wasasleep, breathing shallowbreaths, yet her lashes didnot stir. The air in the roomwas still, and smelt of must.Both boys were in awe.Tommy crept closer.“Don’t, you’ll wake her!”Ryder whispered, standingback against the wall.Tommy turned and smiled tohis brother. “What’s shedoing, asleep up hereanyway? And look, herclothes are ancient.”Ryder still kept hisdistance. “I don’t want to getinto trouble,” he said.Tommy had an idea. “It’slike in a story, remember,where the girl is put under aspell, and can only be wokenup with a kiss. I’m going towake her.”“You’re going to kissher?” Ryder, being theyounger of the brothers, wasrevolted.Tommy gave his brothera thumb’s up, and edgedcloser to the sleeping figure.He imagined he could smellflowers in the air around heras he moved closer. She trulywas beautiful, he thought,beautiful in a way he did notquite understand. He gulped,and leaned over the sleepinggirl.As he placed his lips ontohers, the odour of flowerswas replaced by the odour ofsomething older, somethingalmost sour and rotten.Before he knew it there was abang, and he felt a joltthrough his entire body.Ryder ran over to hisbrother, who had beenthrown backwards, as ifelectrocuted. The boy lookedstunned, and for a fewminutes was so dazed andconfused that he could notspeak.The girl on the chaiselounge, however, remainedjust as still, just as obliviousas ever, her chest gentlyfalling and rising, her perfectbody perfectly still.“Come on, let’s gohome,” Ryder said, in afrightened whisper. The air inthe room had turned cold,and he was suddenly awareof how long they had beengone for. He helped hisbrother to his feet. Tommystill looked shocked, andcould barely walk straight.Ryder put his arm around hiswaist and helped him downthe stairs. This time, thejourney seemed shorter, andsoon they were back outside,once more in the lateafternoonsun, and Ryderpicked up both of their bikes,and helped his brother backto the dirt path. Tommy didIssue 1 www.newfairytales.co.uk 9