1 Built on Lies

Erin was the only child of a poor wood carver family living on the outskirts of town. Though they were poor, her parents loved her dearly; and always made sure she was fed, warm, and happy. From a young age, Erin was praised for her beauty; most of all, for her luscious blonde waves which made her truly stand out in a crowd. No matter the weather, her hair always shone like it was magic. She was not only fair in appearance, but was also blessed with high intelligence. At the age of 7, she was offered a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school near the city. Though it was a teary farewell, her parents told her they were extremely proud of her and she promised them she would come back as much as possible to visit. However, before she left her parents stopped her and told her they had something to tell her: she was adopted. They had found her as a baby abandoned in the dumpsters and decided to take her in. To say she was shocked was an understatement. They had kept that from her for so long? After the shock faded, anger filled her. Accusingly, she pointed a finger at them and called them liars. They tried to explain, to calm her down but she didn't want to listen. She told them she hated them and without turning back, she boarded the train.

Arriving at the school after a long trip, Erin found herself at a loss at the grand building. As she approached, a group of well dressed girls walked up to her, their chins slightly tilted in arrogance.

"You look lost, peasants do not belong here." One of the girls said, causing all the others to giggle.

"I'm a student here." Erin replied boldly, causing the girl who spoke to stare at her in disbelief.

"Oh really?" the girl scoffed. "You must have gotten in via one of those charity scholarships" The girls started giggle again. "No I didn't!"

"So, does your dad sell expensive jewelry for a living like mine?"

Erin opened her mouth to reply but found herself unable to. How could she admit that her father was a wood carver? Seeing her unease, the girls smirked.

"My dad makes fine suits, what about yours?"

Overwhelmed, Erin blurted out the first thing she could think of. "My dad's in Paris!"

When the girls paused, she quickly spoke again. "On business. He's always traveling around the world."

Erin could tell they didn't believe her so she continued. "Just last month, he was in-" she wracked her brain for places she knew. "Milan! And he brought me back a silky scarf from one of the fashion shows there." As she continued, she saw interest in the eyes of the girls and silently congratulated herself on a job well done. That was her first lie.

As time passed, Erin stopped thinking of her adoptive parents and instead started daydreaming of her real parents. She imagined them to be extremely wealthy, showering her with gifts as a newborn. She used those fantasies as the basis for her exponential lies. Years passed, and soon her seventeenth birthday was upon her. In the midst of a party thrown by her friends, the headmaster announced that she had visitors. Surprised, Erin made her way to the office alongside a few of her friends.

To her surprise, she saw her adoptive parents standing there. She noticed how pale and ragged her mother looked and how much older her father had gotten. They smiled when they saw her, pride and affection shining in their eyes.

"Happy birthday, darling." Her mother said in a weak voice, holding her arms out as they walked towards her. Time had dulled Erin's anger towards them, and she was going to step towards them when the voices of her friends stopped her.

"Are they Erin's parents?"

"I thought she said her parents were wealthy. These two look like they live in the dumpsters."

Erin panicked, worried her lies were about to be found out, and she took a step back away from her adoptive parents. "I don't know you." She told them coldly. "Please leave."

"Baby girl, it's me. Your papa bear. Look, I-I even made your favorite whale." He held out a whale figurine towards her.

"We just came to apologize sweetheart." Her mother spoke. "And to tell you we love you."

But like the whispers of the devil, the voices of her friends pulled her away.

"You are NOT my father." She told him sharply and with a swipe of her hand, sent the figurine flying out of her father's hands onto the floor, smashing it to bits. Without another look at either of them, she turned and walked away.

That night, as Erin was telling her friends another made-up story, one of her friends suddenly gasped and pointed to her hair. Looking down, Erin was surprised to see a strand of her hair had turned to thread - rough-feeling, straw-like thread. Shocked, Erin quickly excused herself to go to the bathroom and locked the door. Then, she tried to pull out the piece of hair but to no avail. Trembling, she noticed her right index finger, which was completely wooden and immobile.

"What is happening to me?" She cried out, not expecting an answer.

"You're turning into wood."

She turned to see a witch leaning against the wall, playing with her nails.

"What?"

"More specifically, you're turning into a puppet."

"You did this?!"

"I may have cursed you but this is your own doing."

"Turn me back, you witch!"

"No can do." The witch said, turning cold eyes to Erin. "Consider this a lesson."

The witch turned to leave but Erin quickly stopped her. "But how do I undo this curse?!"

"Crumble the three towers you have erected out of lies: one for those close, one for those you love, and one for the mirror. Only then can you be set free." And then, the witch disappeared.

*-*-*-*-*-

The crowded train rumbled along and the couple sat cramped, holding hands tightly, the male rubbing the woman's shaking shoulders.

"She'll come around, I'm sure she will."

The woman didn't reply as she sat shivering. When their stop came, the male stood up, supporting the female through the throng of people and out the doors. As they walked down the street in the cold, dark winter night, the female's legs gave way. However, before she could fall, the male caught her.

"Beatrice! Beatrice!"

He called her name but she did not answer. There were tears falling from her closed eyes which never stopped, even when they go to the hospital. When the doctor shook his head, the man just knew.

"Tell her, I love her. Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her…"

The eyes had opened as she spoke, but they soon closed and never opened again. Even as her body stilled and her skin went cold and pale, he sat beside her bed, holding her hand. Soon, he let go only to take out a block of wood in his pocket. With shaking hands and a blurry vision full of tears, he meticulously chipped away at the wood. She loved whales. Their daughter loved whales. So a whale he would make. He would make one every day. Till the day she returns.