Damien's Story

The sun shone brightly across the crystal clear sky that day as a tall dark figure looked over the landscape at his love….his life.  Though she did not know it yet….nor would she ever as he would never….could never….tell her of his feelings towards her.  For he was a monster…no one would ever love him….they barely looked at him.  They all feared and despised the very ground he walked on.  1

Damien had jet black hair, and was very very tall.  He was very handsome and from a distance people tended to wonder why everyone steered clear of him….then they got closer…and that was their mistake.  Because as soon as they got near him…..and he looked up….they screamed in fear, calling him a devil….a mutant…and then they ran.  For the only thing people ran from…were his eyes.  Dark red rubies set in a sea of midnight black.  For that…he was cast out of his town when he was younger….and for that he had no friends….was feared by all…..except her.  As she had not seen him yet….she neither feared or hated him….and that one thought was what kept him going….was what kept him alive…the only thing that kept him alive.2

He watched her….everyday.  She came to the exact same spot to play.  She couldn’t have been more than 16 years.  That made him smile.  She was so young…so beautiful and had the carefree spirit of a child as she frolicked through the meadows and the spring that ran along the banks of the lush green grass she played in.  At times…Damien had thought she must be an angel….or a nymph…or something that would disappear in a few mere seconds upon feeling eyes staring at her.  But she never had….though she’d never looked up to see him staring either.  3

She always came to this particular spot….he could watch her clearly from his perch high atop the hill he lived on…..at noon everyday and everyday she played and played making small flower crowns for her delicate head or flower jewelry for her arms and neck.  After a few hours of playing then, someone would come to collect her for something or other and then she left and he was cast into shadows once more until the next day when she happened by again. 4

And so it went…everyday she was his only ray of sunshine in the cold dark world he lived in and everyday she frolicked and played unaware that she was someone’s only joy of living.5

“Master you must come inside now, you know how the day air affects you.”  A cold feminine voice announced from behind the dark shadow staring out over the grounds.  6

The man nodded.  “Of course, mustn’t be seen.”  He muttered to himself as he turned and headed to the mansion, never once giving glance to the servant who’d came to collect him from his dreams.7

The servant, Magalia, shook her head as she watched the master walk quietly, head down, eyes cast to the ground, back into the castle.  As if he were ashamed of how he looked.  She didn’t blame him of course, he was an abomination….but she would never tell him that.  Let some of the other more stupid servants tell him such a thing, but not her.  8

For Magalia was one of the oldest remaining servants in the mansion…only because she had bit her tongue and kept quiet.  She hated the job yes, but it did put food on the table for her three youngest daughters, Alisa, Erica, and Celesta, who were all beautiful in their own ways.  Alisa had beautiful long black raven hair, Erica had bright blue eyes, and Celesta….well Celesta was the maiden that worried Magalia the most…for she was almost an exact replica of the girl the master watched every day….and she was coming of society age when all young girls must be put out on display for the young men to choose over and as Celesta was the oldest and Magalia’s pride and joy, she was hesitant to give her up.  But she’d seen how the master had looked at the young maiden playing in the fields…how he’d watched her everyday…and she knew…she knew it wouldn’t be long until he looked at her daughter and saw the same characteristics, the same smile, the same eyes, same hair…and then he’d come to his own conclusions…and actions.  Something she dreaded with her whole heart and soul.  So if marrying off her eldest daughter was what it took to get her out of the mansion and away from the frightening demon that lived within…..she would live with it, deal with it as she saw fit…knowing that her daughter was safe and unharmed and away from the man with the blood red eyes.9

“Papa!  I’m home papa!”  Elizabeth yelled out as she opened the door to her cozy cottage and stepped insides, slinging her various purchases this way and that, cluttering the floor with more mess for her father to clean up behind her.  10

“Hello love, did you have a good time in the market?” 11

“Oh yes papa, a marvelous time was dealt to me today.  I picked up on the good bargains and look….I even brought you back a farthing for your crop sells.”  12

Her father smiled and shook his head.  “that’s my girl.”  he said with a chuckle as he then went back to working on some new furniture and things for the house.13

Elizabeth smirked and tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she pulled the diamond embedded clippings out of it.  Her father always was the gullible one and could very easily be made to do something and think it was his idea, that is how Elizabeth got away from chores every day. 14

She sighed boredly as she looked out of the window of her room and looked at the surroundings.  Beautiful rolling hills, blue sky’s and an almost sun kissed town that everyone loved.  However the days were so “perfect “  it made Elizabeth sick.  After all, nothing could be as beautiful as her and anything that was….well…it just couldn’t be in her eyes.15

She looked over at her father and shook her head.  “oh father couldn’t you do that somewhere else?”  16

“Do what somewhere else?”17

“Your woodworking….it’s peasant work.”  She said rolling her eyes as she huffed, like the spoiled brat she was, and went to her room to do more important things, like pout.  18

The house they had wasn’t relatively small either.  In fact, they were about as rich as you could get without being considered royalty and the fact that Elizabeth would call her father a peasant, well…that was a rather big insult to him but he let it roll from his shoulders as he looked around the interior of the home.  Rich hickory wood surrounded them and kept them warm, the floor was shined with wood workings and all around them were an assortment of richly carved and designed furniture pieces that her father had made by hand.  And really that’s what he did as far as money went.  He made furniture for others and sold it at insane prices that he knew only rich people could afford and by making his own furniture….well that insured they needn’t spend money on such things.19

Meanwhile, as the sky turned from blue and gray to an impossible shade of midnight blue, Damien was getting ready to sit down to dinner.  The chef of the mansion being an excellent cook but for Damien, he never ate what was placed in front of him and most always was forced to choke down bread and old meat for not eating when he should.  He sighed softly and shook his head as he turned and headed for the window of his study, looking out onto the world with a despairing look in his eyes.  It wasn’t long before his attentions turned to thoughts of what could have been if he hadn’t been cursed with such eyes.  How he would go to the town and demand to see the beautiful woman.  How he would sweep her off her feet as soon as she was presented before him.  How they would make love beneath the moonlight only after announcing love for one another.  He even went so far as to envision their first child….their marriage.  He could picture it all so well and yet….the dream would never be…and he knew as much.  Despairing, he was about to turn his eyes away from the world that caused him such pain and anguish when he noticed a slight movement down below one of the old chestnut trees.  Curiously he leaned his head further against the window to get a better look and his heart broke.  20

Magalia was standing there….two of her children with her as she loaded up what looked to be bundles of clothing and belongings into one of the wagons.  Damien watched carefully as they all hugged and Magalia looked to be crying as she handed them a few farthings to get them along for the moment wishing them both the best of luck and hoping that they found good men to keep them happy.  Damien then saw them turn to look and for a moment he thought they were looking at him, but when none of them looked him directly in the eyes, he knew they were probably just looking at the house and then suddenly realization dawned on him as he looked at the trio standing there.  Magalia had been planning on shipping them off…was still doing so in fact….because she was afraid of their safety….because she was afraid that he would go after them.  21

He turned from the window, tears in his eyes as his heart hurt with the pain of being distrusted once again and he shook his head.  “I’m sorry.”  He said to the walls and the silence surrounding him.  “I’m sorry for being such a burden.”  22

“DEMON!!!!!”  A lady yelled as she stared at the little child with red eyes who was merely asking for something to eat.  “YOU HEATHEN!  SHOO!  AWAY WITH YOU!”  She yelled as she started beating him with a broom and trying to make him leave the door of her home, even as tears poured from his eyes.  23

“Please ma’am….”  He begged just as the man of the home came out and took a belt after him, immediately making him run as fast as he could away.  24

Yes this was Damien’s childhood, some of the first times he’d been called a demon, been shunned from his own life.  This particular moment was embedded in his brain mainly because it had been the first time he’d been beaten….but it would prove not to be the last.  As Damien grew up, the beatings got worse…the torture and taunting grew more.  Th e other boys could be seen coming from their lessons and teachings and Damien would watch from his little dark alleyway, wishing he had friends to play with and wishing he was as smart as the other boys.  He would watch every day as a certain group of young men would come from school, and after finding his alleyway that was their past time, coming to beat him.  And he let them…..as they were the only people to show him attention.25

Other than those boys, there was one friend Damien had that he could talk to in the whole world.  The one person that would never torture, tease, or taunt him.  His imaginary friend.  Nameless of course, as Damien didn’t have a wide selection of names he could choose through.  So he only called the made up being his “friend”  and left it at that.  People who would walk by and hear him talking would think he was talking to his master, or a great demon of some description and he would have to run in fear of being staked and burnt for “witchcraft”.26

His teenage years were no better.  As he grew older, the other boys got older, others like them would join in on the beatings and Damien would end up left in the streets for dead, many times he had just passed out from pain.  His ribs had been broken so many times that he could not even count the times and his face and body had been bruised so many times that it seemed as if to add to his monstrous looks, a black and blue face would be added.27

He had a few love interests, a few women he would watch from his hole of a life and wish for but….of course those wishes never came true.  In fact, he was forced to watch as each crush he had, would be taken away and either married or moved off with the boys that had beaten and called him names.28

However sometimes….people would come not to taunt him….but to get their kicks.  Men and women alike would come and bring groups of people with them.  Of course Damien tried to run….but it was to no avail.  The men and women and their groups of friends would grab him and force him down and pin him to the ground or tie him up and they would strip him down and beat him first and then rape him…or vice versa it just depended on who the person was and what mood they were in that day.  Damien tried to move away and find different spots to hide, but in the end…they always found him and always beat him for running.  29

Now that he was a young man….adult in every sense of the word as his virginity had been taken many, many years before, things had changed, but only slightly.  Now that he lived alone and in the quiet, he didn’t get beaten as much and he could look upon the woman he cared so deeply for, even without knowing her, and be left in peace.  Just as he strayed to thoughts of how his adult life had progressed since he’d moved into the “prison”  he was now in, he felt a sharp sting on his back followed by someone grabbing the hair of his head and pulling hard.  So hard in fact that he was forced to his knees with an anguished scream.30

“How dare you stare at my children and how dare you try to force yourself upon my daughter, Celeste!”  Magalia’s enraged voice cried out, followed by a loud crack as her hand hit the side of his head, causing him to wince in pain as he opened one eye and looked up at her.  31

“Magalia…I did not touch Celeste….I swear to it.”  He pleaded as he looked down at the ground, master now being forced to look to the ground as the servant took the upper hand.32

“LIES!”  She yelled at him as she looked to the man who was still holding Damien by the hair of the head.  “Take him to his room, we’ll deal with him properly there.”  She said angrily as she walked off and Damien was drug to his main room, tears stinging his eyes as his scalp burned with the tugs he was receiving from Magalia’s helper.  33

Not only was he hurting, he was also really confused.  When did this come about and how could it have happened?  He had not touched Celeste, nor had he been watching the other two daughters for more than an instant and his thoughts had surely not strayed to perverted ones.  He tried to struggle and get away but that only rewarded him with a sharp smack of a whip on his shoulders and he had to bite his lip to keep from screaming out in pain.  “please…I have done nothing…..”34

“QUIET YOU PATHETIC DEMON!”  The man growled angrily at him.35

Damien grew silent, his eyes wide from fear as every bad thing that had happened in his life quickly floated to the surface and his skin went paler than ever before as he let tears stream down his cheeks as the servant stopped in his room, in front of Magalia.  “Yes, you are remorseful I suppose.”  Magalia said angrily.  “That will not help you now.”  She said bitterly as she told the servant to hold him, which he did and she stripped him of his shirt and all of the dignity he had had, which had been very little and she cracked the whip hard against his back, over and over, right on old wounds and scars of previous beatings, reopening some of the unhealed wounds and watching as the blood ran down his back.  Every whimper of pain and every cry of anguish from him that she got, only made her continue.  Made her want to beat the living tar out of him.  When he finally gave a strangled cry of pain that was loud enough to echo over the walls of the house and when his back was nothing but a sheet of blood, she stopped and handed the whip to the servant as he threw Damien to the ground and left the room, Magalia following not long after.  36

She stopped at the door before she left however, and looked back at the huddling mass of blood and she shook her head.  “It is no wonder no one loves you….you are after all….a monster.”  She said quietly as she left the room, slamming the door behind her.  As she walked down the hall, a smile covered her face.  He really had not gone after anyone….she’d only said such a thing so that she’d have a reason to beat him and make him feel like the scum at the bottom of the chamber pots.  Thoroughly happy with the job she’d accomplished, Magalia retired for bed.37

It took a while for Damien to recover enough to get up and make his way over to his stash of clothing and money and he quickly started gathering it up and putting it into a small bundle as thoughts raced through his mind.  He’d have to run…again, there was no question in that.  And this time, he would leave the town for good.  He waited till everyone had went to bed and then he stole off into the night, carrying with him only a change of clothing and some money to get him where he needed to go.  38

On his way through the shadows, out of town, he happened to look over and see the clearing he’d seen the young woman playing in so many times before and he shook his head and sighed as he walked over to it, beyond his better judgment and he stood out in the moonlight in the middle of the clearing, closed his eyes, tilted his head up and began to pray.  He didn’t know why he looked like this…all he knew was that…it wasn’t fair, to him or anyone else for him to have eyes that condemned him to a life such as the one he’d had.  He sighed softly and shook his head, looking back over the quiet clearing, wishing that he could just get a trace of her perfume or be lucky enough to find something of hers laying on the ground, but just as he was getting to looking around a bit, the grass shifted under foot behind him and he stopped as he heard someone clearing their throat.  39

“Excuse me?  Sir?  Are you alright?  Is something wrong?”  A sweet, almost angelic voice asked and immediately Damien’s eyes widened.  Could it be?40

The young woman, Elizabeth, smiled as she looked upon the handsome backside of the stranger.  “Sir?  Are you alright?”41

Damien shook his head and cleared his throat, scared to death that she would see him and become frightened, so he never turned around.  “yes ma’am.  I’m fine….I just…stopped to….look at the beautiful night.” 42

Elizabeth smiled.  “I am glad someone likes the night.  Personally I despise it….it can get so lonely.”  she said as she looked around and spied her scarf lying off to the side and she quickly went over and picked it up.43

“If you don’t mind me asking….why did you venture out tonight if you do not like it?”  Damien asked quietly.  “there are a lot of bad things out…..you could get hurt.”44

Elizabeth smiled.  “I just came back for my scarf….but honestly I do not think you would let anything hurt me would you?”  She asked with a giggle.  “After all, a big strong man such as yourself surely could fend off even the worst demons.”  She said.45

Damien winced at the name and shook his head.  “No ma’am.  I would do my best to protect you.”  He said softly.46

“Would you turn around?  I’d rather like to see what my knight in shining armor looks like.”  She said with a nod of her head.47

Damien’s eyes widened slightly.  “I’m afraid you might be frightened of my looks miss.”  He said quietly.48

Elizabeth smiled.  “I do not think so.  Everyone has something likable about them.”  She said.49

Damien winced and shook his head.  “No ma’am….I can’t.”50

Elizabeth, getting exasperated right about then walked over, grabbed his arm and turned him around quickly, having strength for such a petite girl.  “Now then you look……”  And she stopped as her eyes stopped at his.51

Damien winced, he knew what was coming….and sure enough, a loud scream emitted from her lips as she backed up.  “please….please don’t hurt me…..”  She pleaded as she backed up even more only to back up into a pair of strong arms and she screamed again and tried to run but the man shushed her.  “Darling…it’s alright….I am here now….what seems to be the trouble?  Is this man hurting you?”  the young man asked and immediately Elizabeth looked up and her eyes widened as she wrapped her arms around Gion….her betrothed.  52

“THIS THING, this thing from hell…this creature of darkness….this MONSTER….he, he tried to take advantage of me!”  She busted into “tears”  and held tightly to Gion as he looked over at the thing and shook his head.  “You demon.”  He said angrily as he went to walk forward but Elizabeth wouldn’t let him and he sighed.  “You stay away from us you filthy creature…”53

“But I….I didn’t….I swear it…..”54

“SHUT UP!  Your opinion matters not!”  Gion yelled angrily as he tried to shush and soothe Elizabeth as she told him all about how the monster had tried to rape her and force himself upon her just moments before.  Gion listened quietly, not saying anything, knowing she had to get it all out.  For the most part, Gion was a sweet and kind man who had never hurt anyone unless they went after him first.  And now that he had Elizabeth to protect, if anyone tried to hurt her, he’d go after them as well.   55

They had met as young teenagers and instantly had fallen for one another.  However Gion was pushed into work and had therefore had to be pulled from his home to another town because of the trade he was in.  He had just recently come back to be with her for a while, as he had been missing her company.  Although that might have been different had he known that Elizabeth didn’t want anything but his money…but since she never showed that sighed of herself in public…he assumed she was in love with him just as much as he was with her.  And it was hard not to like Gion’s handsome looks.  What with his bright green eyes and brown hair and the charismatic smile he held on his face all the time, he was easy to find yourself infatuated with.56

As Damien watched the two embracing and saw what he had not known about, the thoughts of the few women he’d had crushes on back as a teenager came to mind and he shook his head, hurting once again and cursing himself for even  thinking she would have understood.  He turned his back to leave, deciding on going back to the mansion tired of the anguish he felt in his heart.  As he left, the couple finally looked up from where they had been so wrapped up in one another and noticed that the thing was gone, glad to be alone once again.  57

As Damien left, he heard the young man call out the woman’s name and he sighed hearing her name and he opened his lips and spoke the word.  “Elizabeth…..”  He said quietly as he walked.  “No name could be better for an angel such as she.”  He said softly, choosing not to believe what his eyes had saw in her….the liar that she had been and instead choosing to see her as the sweet and gentle young woman he had portrayed in his mind and had so many beautiful fantasies of.58

Tears fell from his eyes as he got to the mansion and climbed the stone steps to his room.  Once in there, he shut the door and sat down in a corner of the room, right where the window was that looked down upon the clearing he’d watched for so many days at a time.  Thought after thought of his past came into focus for him and he shook his head, tears leaking down his cheeks.  “I’m sorry for disgracing the world with myself.  I wish things could have been different.”  He whispered.  “I only hope that anyone I have offended…..that they should forget me.  Especially Elizabeth, her thoughts need not be marred by my monstrous being.”  he said, speaking with himself as he looked out the window, never noticing the door as it slowly creaked open.  Nor did he notice the young woman walk in, even as he was placing a dagger to his wrist.59

Celeste saw this and her eyes widened.  “NO Master Damien!”  She said softly as she ran over and dropped to her knees on the floor beside of him.  “You mustn’t.”  She said putting her hand over his wrist and stopping himself from delivering the final blow that would take him from this world of heartache and pain.  60

Damien looked over at the Elizabeth look alike and he shook his head.  “Celeste…you shouldn’t be in here.  Your mother will be worried.’  He said softly, his eyes bright with sadness.  61

Celeste shook her head.  “I could not sleep the night away without telling you that I am sorry for my mother’s actions today.  I heard her talking it over with one of the guards.  I am truly sorry.’  She said touching his cheek with her hand.  62

Damien winced and shook his head, not used to the human contact of someone so gentle as her.  “It is alright Celeste…it is not your fault.  It is my own, I am a monster and as such should be treated that way.”  He said quietly.  “now leave me.”63

Celeste shook her head.  “I can’t….I’m worried for you.”64

Damien shook his head.  “I am a monster incapable of love and undeserving of love.  I should be beaten and called a monster.  I deserve the life I’ve had…..”  He said quietly.65

Celeste shook her head and reached out and held his hand.  “I think you are very capable of love.  You have a wonderful heart…if only someone would let you open it up and let it show.  And I don’t think you look like a monster.”  she said softly.  “In fact, your eyes….they’ve always intrigued me.  They aren’t ugly….merely a part of your handsome looks.”  She said softly touching his cheek again.  “I think they are lovely.”  She said.  “Please don’t try something like this.’ S he gestured to his dagger.  “The mansion would be so lonely without you in it.”  She said.  66

Damien gave her his first true smile.  “Thank you Celeste….your words have warmed my heart.  And I thank you for making my final memories…happy ones.”  He said softly as he kissed her hand and then pulled himself away from her and slowly drug the cold steel over his wrists, making the blood rise and flow down his hand, slowly….trickling at first and then going faster and faster, flowing down his hands and making small puddles on the floor.    “I only ask….”  He said quietly as he leaned against the wall, but she pulled him into an embrace as tears poured down her face and his eyes widened but if he was shocked, he did not say anything.  “I only ask that you forgive me….forgive me for making your life a nightmare….forgive me for anything wrong I have done to you and forgive me for hurting your family.”  he said softly, his voice going quieter and quieter.67

“You are so beautiful Celeste….you will make someone very happy one day.  Thank you for all that you have done for me and thank you for giving me the first and last true happy moment in my life.  Thank you for making me feel special…even for a moment.  I appreciate it.  Not even the woman I loved could do that for me.”  He whispered as he kissed her cheek and then slowly his grip loosened on her and his breathing stopped and as he passed from the world, one small tear lingered on his cheek, the last tear he would ever cry, the last bit of pain he‘d ever feel.  And as Celeste held him she cried for him, her sobs echoing off the walls as his blood puddled upon the cold stone floor.68