Maya's Promise

MAYA’S PROMISE

Once upon a time, a long long time ago…… there was a damsel in distress, and in her pain and anguish she made a promise to a wicked witch……

But let us start from the beginning. Our story happened in dark times, a time when evil reigned supreme and the law of the jungle suited those who were hungry for power.

Lord Rubus ruled with an iron hand and a heavy sword over the land of Gorota, where our story takes place. He was the absolute ruler and whatever he desired became his. No one stood up to him for those who dared were cruelly put to death.

The tiny village of Tello was on the border of Gorota, very close to the Dark Forest. On the outskirts of Tello stood a lonely cottage that backed right onto the trees of the Dark Forest. No one went too far into the Dark Forest for most of those who did never came back. The few that did make it back came out talking gibberish and never led normal lives again.

So it was understandable that no one went to this lonely cottage unless they had to, which meant that hardly anyone went there at all.

In this cottage a man lived with his bitter memories for it was in this cottage that his wife had died sixteen years before, a long, drawn-out death caused by a dreaded illness. Morlag had no friends, for his wife had been his one true friend and lover and he had never wished for anyone else.

With Morlag lived his daughter Maya who had been just a baby when her mother died. She barely remembered her mother, just a vague idea of a beautiful face with sad eyes. Maya was brought up by her father who loved her so much that he would willingly die for his daughter, which he nearly did when Maya was eight years old and was attacked by a huge wild bear that ventured out of the forest. Morlag wrestled the bear for hours on end and what a horrible fight it was. Morlag managed to kill the bear at last but at what terrible cost. He was mangled almost to death and was nursed back to health by the young Maya. He was never the same again as he gained a limp, lost an eye, and his face did not look like a human face any more.

Then there was the time when an angry troll had come out of the forest and had tried to grab Maya who, though only twelve years old was already a beautiful sight. Her beauty proved to be enough to mesmerise the troll and gave her father a chance to arm himself and inflict a heavy blow to the head which would have killed an ordinary man on the spot. As it was, the troll was badly dazed and instead of going back into the forest wandered down to the village where a terrible battle ensued to the detriment of a number of villagers. The troll was eventually driven off back into the forest but as always, the place was avoided by all except the most adventurous.

This is the place where Maya grew up and as she gained in wisdom and age so did she gain in beauty, and it was lucky for her that she lived in such an isolated place. Some of the young men from the village ventured out to her cottage as her beauty attracted them to her like honey to a bee. But her father was always watchful and his badly scarred face was more than enough to scare away but the stoutest of hearts.

Maya was not interested in these young men. Her life consisted of looking after her father and when she had a spare moment she would walk amongst the trees on the edge of the Dark Forest. She was not afraid of the forest, as there were as many good and wonderful things in there as there were bad.

Thus starts our story as one day Maya was walking slowly amongst the trees, thinking of how to make her father happy as he seemed to be going through a very sad period on the anniversary of his wife’s death.

Maya was lost in thought and did not notice that she was wandering deep into the forest. She came to her senses with a start and when she looked around her she knew that she had gone too far inside the forest to be safe. As she turned to go back she heard a noise and stopped to listen intently. The forest was much darker in here and in the half-shadow she could not see clearly at all. She heard the noise again and after a moment’s hesitation decided to investigate.

Maya walked slowly on in the direction of the noises and as she got closer realised that it was somebody crying. Somebody was crying from deep within their very being, as the sound of despair and hopelessness in the cries signified. She came to a clearing and there by a small stream she saw a half human, half animal creature which was even uglier than her father. She watched the creature cry from behind a tree and felt a great pity for it, as only great pain could instil such distress.

The creature raised its head as it realised that it was being watched and Maya couldn’t help but wonder what kind of creature it was as it stood up nobly and proudly, and looked in her direction.

‘Are you not afraid of seeing such ugliness as this?’ said the creature as it pointed towards its face and body.

‘You can actually talk?’ asked Maya in surprise, and she walked slowly into the clearing.

The creature watched Maya enviously and looked with wonder at her beauty as her pale face shone white against the long, black hair that hung halfway down her back.

‘Of course I can talk,’ said the creature. ‘I am not really as you see me.’

Maya did not understand.



‘I am really Prince Olof from the kingdom of Palamos, which lies on the other side of the forest. I have been turned into this creature by a wicked witch and have been banished from my kingdom. I am so ugly that everybody who saw me tried to kill me, so I had to take refuge in the Dark Forest where no one likes to go.

But I have a dream. My dream is to return to my kingdom, save my mother and father who are prisoners in the dungeons and then destroy the wicked witch who has taken control of our kingdom.’

Maya listened in awe. She was a simple girl who had hardly seen any people in her life and here was this prince who talked about his huge castle which served as the palace, the beautiful immaculate gardens, the balls held every so often where hundreds of guests came, the dancing, the fun and enjoyment of life. She talked about her father, the loss of her mother, the fauna and the flora at the edge of the forest which she had come to know.

It was a wrench to have to leave, but leave she must, or her father would go berserk. But they promised to meet again and many a time Maya would sneak off to the clearing to meet the creature prince and they would talk, or go for walks. The prince showed her some wonderful places, such as the waterfall deep in the forest where everything stood still, the beautiful lake where swans glided majestically through the still water, the clearing where thousands of flowers bloomed, their beauty only seen by a lucky few.

Without realising how it happened the two fell in love, and what a sight they made. This was truly a story about a beauty and a beast, and the tragic circumstances that would have such heavy impacts on both their lives. But they were young, and they were in love. They lived for the moment, content with each other’s company. They did not think too much about what the future held for them.

It was at the lake that it happened. One minute they were talking in hushed whispers and watching a proud swan leading her cygnets across the water for the first time, and the next minute they were in each other’s arms, kissing each other tenderly as if the end of the world was coming.

And then the pleasure of their first kiss turned into agony for Maya. The creature prince clutched his chest and with a despairing groan fell to the ground in a heap. Maya screamed with fear and with a disapproving look the swan beat a hasty getaway, ushering her brood ahead of her. The creature prince slowly changed in front of an incredulous Maya, and after a moment or two, a handsome prince stood up.

He looked at Maya and lovingly said, ‘Your kiss has broken the spell. I am me again.’ And they kissed and hugged again.

‘I am free at last from that ugly creature,’ said the prince. ‘Now I have to do what I must do. I have to go back and reclaim my kingdom.’

Maya was dismayed but Olof was strong-willed, and even though it meant parting from his beloved Maya, he had to go and try.

So the day came when Maya and Olof bade a teary farewell and the world seemed to come to an end for Maya.

‘I promise to come back for you when I have defeated the wicked witch,’ said Olof gently. ‘You do know I love you but I have to go.’ Tenderly Olof kissed Maya goodbye and Maya watched him tearfully until he disappeared from her sight.

For the first time in her life Maya felt sad and lonely. She wandered around in the cottage, doing her chores absentmindedly, lost in thoughts of what had been and what could have been. How had she managed to live her life before she had met Olof? Back then she had been happy, not knowing any better. But now that she had no Olof to talk to, the days seemed long and barren.

She tried to go for walks where she had gone with Olof before, but the creatures in the forest seemed to realize the absence of Olof, and where they had shied away from a confrontation with him, they now came back out in full cry. Maya had a very lucky escape when something large slithered and scrambled after her during one of her walks. Grunts of rage and frustration followed her closely as she blindly ran out of the Dark Forest. She did not go for any more walks after that.

One day a terrible sadness came over her, and she had a funny feeling that something had happened to Olof. Her father found her crying her eyes out and demanded to know who had caused her such distress.

‘Let me know who it is,’ said Morlag. ‘And I will make the scoundrel pay.’

Maya looked at her father lovingly and said through her tears. ‘Father, it is not like that.’ And on an impulse she told her father all about Olof.

Morlag was very upset when he found out what Maya had kept from him. ‘Here I am looking after you, doing everything I can to protect you and keep you safe,’ he said angrily, ‘and you betray me. You betray my love. You will leave me for some creature that pretends to be a prince.’

‘Father,’ pleaded Maya. ‘Please listen to me. I have always loved you, and I will always love you and there’s nothing I would do to hurt you. By loving Olof I do not love you any less.’

But it was useless. Morlag would not listen any more. Maya had been sad at losing Olof but she was even sadder now, for she seemed to be losing her father too. He was always brooding, would not talk to her and even started to shout at her and in the end ignored her completely. Maya’s heart was breaking and there was nothing she could do about it.

Then one day her father went out as usual but did not come back. By nightfall Maya was frantic. She did not know what to do. She had no one to turn to. She paced around the cottage listlessly all night long.


At first light she set off to look for her father and found him unconscious not that far away from the cottage. He seemed unhurt but he was hot with fever. She did not know how she managed to half drag, half carry her father to the cottage and lay him on his bed. She tried her best but he was very ill. In a lucid moment he told her that it seemed to be like the dreaded illness that had killed his wife years earlier. He would be joining his beloved wife in the afterlife soon. Maya nursed him day and night but slowly her father became weaker and weaker and she knew deep in her heart that it was only a matter of time before her father died.

One night Maya was dozing on the chair beside her father’s bed. Tiredness overwhelmed her and she fell into a troubled slumber. In her sleep she had a vivid dream which was to stay with her forever.

Prince Olof arrived back in Palamos and as he advanced towards the palace he put together an army of men who were willing to help him destroy the wicked witch. With their help he attacked the castle but the witch was too powerful, her spells too strong. She turned his own men against him and without any warning they overpowered him and took him as a prisoner to the witch. The witch was very angry with Olof and she put him in the dungeon with his parents, who still hadn’t told the witch where their treasure was hidden.

The witch had a brilliant idea and she cunningly told the king and queen that she would kill their son if they kept their mouths shut. After listening to Olof’s cries of pain as the bestial witch had him tortured, the king and queen could not take any more. In return for the prince’s life they told and showed the witch the secret site of their treasure trove. The witch was so happy that she kept her promise and did not kill the prince, but instead turned him back into the ugly creature.

Before she released him she took the prince to the dungeons and killed his parents in front of him. Mad with anger the prince attacked the witch and laughing at his stupidity she put him under a spell. Thus she controlled him and had him taken to the Bottomless Lake in the Dark Forest where he was thrown in. Her servants watched him sink into the murky depths of the black lake until he disappeared from view.

Maya woke up with a shudder and realized she had been dreaming. But deep down she knew that her dream was more of a vision and that it had really happened; it was all true. Her prince was gone, her father was going, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Can anyone imagine to what depths of despair poor Maya sunk? Her father’s failing strength was all that kept her sane, as she struggled to nurse him through his last days. She watched over him ceaselessly as his strength slowly ebbed away.

One morning a visitor came to the cottage. When Maya opened the door she saw an elderly lady who had a veil across her face and a shawl wrapped around her body.

‘I have heard that a very ill person is fighting for his life in this cottage,’ enquired the old lady. ‘Is this correct?’

‘Why do you want to know this?’ asked Maya, swaying on her feet.

‘I know a lot about old medicine, and I might be able to help,’ replied the old lady.

At these words Maya let the woman in and took her to her father’s side. The old lady looked at Morlag and slowly shook her head.

‘He is very far gone,’ she whispered. ‘If he hadn’t been so strong he would have gone a long time ago. And yet…’ she paused and looked slyly at Maya. ‘And yet there might be something to be done.’

Maya’s eyes lighted up. Could her father’s life be saved after all? She grabbed the old lady’s arm and said, ‘Can you make him better? Can you save him?’

‘Yes, I think I can. But it will require a huge sacrifice from you.’

‘I will do anything, anything at all. I will give up my life for my father,’ said Maya breathlessly.

‘You don’t have to go that far,’ promised the old lady. ‘All I want in return for your father’s life is your beauty. That is all. It is up to you. But you must decide quickly, for he hasn’t got long to go.’

Maya recoiled at these words but after a moment’s hesitation she said, ‘I agree. My father’s life is more important than beauty. You can have it.’

In her pain and anguish Maya made a promise to a wicked witch, for that was who the old lady was.

The witch came to find out who had saved the prince from the creature state. When she saw Maya and her unparalleled beauty she became very jealous and wanted that beauty for herself. For you see, the witch was very ugly and her red eyes gleamed with anger each time she made a spell to endow beauty on herself and the spell did not work. The spell would last until midnight at the latest, but never beyond, and the witch always woke up to see her ugliness staring at her out of the mirror.

Maya did not know that in reality the old woman was the wicked witch in disguise. She watched as the old woman entered the forest. When she came back the next day, the old woman gave Maya a jar of a powerful potion that she had prepared after collecting plants and other mysterious ingredients from the forest. Maya used the potion on her father as instructed and every hour she smeared it all over his body and watched him closely.

Maya was overjoyed as her father’s strength slowly returned and in a few days he was able to move around. In a week he was as strong as he had been before being struck down by the illness.

Maya waited in dread for the old woman to come and collect her price for the potion and sure enough, one day there was a knock on the door and when Maya opened it the old woman walked in.

‘My part is done,’ she said wickedly. ‘Now it is your turn. You have to do your part. You made me a promise and I want what’s mine.’

Maya pleaded with her but the old woman held her to her promise. With a heavy heart and a terrible fear Maya caved in. A promise was a promise. It had to be upheld. She gave herself over to the old woman and as the powerful spell was cast Maya realised who the old woman really was. It was too late. She had been tricked and now she had to suffer the consequences. The witch took over Maya’s beautiful face and Maya screamed as the witch’s face etched itself over her features. The witch cackled with laughter as she left the cottage wearing Maya’s face. Maya looked at the ugly face looking at her in the mirror. This was going to be her face from this moment on.

When Morlag came back later in the day he was surprised to hear Maya crying bitterly. He grew angry when she would not talk to him or even look at him. She had covered her face but Morlag snatched her veil away and stared aghast at Maya’s new face. He listened patiently to Maya’s story and when she had finished he gave her a huge hug that nearly snapped her in half.

‘Leave it to me, daughter of mine,’ he told her gently. ‘I will go and find this witch and bargain with her to give you your face back.’

He would not listen to Maya’s pleas to leave the witch alone, that she was dangerous and very powerful. He covered her mouth with his forefinger and after kissing Maya on her forehead he set off into the Dark Forest after the witch. Eventually he caught up with her and confronted her. He asked for Maya’s face to be returned to its proper place, but it was of no use. The witch liked her new face and she would not part with it. In the end Morlag became very angry and when the witch laughed in his face he lost control and in his rage tried to attack her. With a contemptuous snarl the witch turned Morlag into a tree, and a huge strong oak tree he became.

When Morlag did not come back, Maya knew that the witch had overpowered him. She too went into the forest looking for the witch and for her father but she only found the witch. She told Maya that she had had no choice, her father had been very stupid and she had put him in his place. The witch gazed at Maya’s ugly face and with a laugh she disappeared and went back to Palamos to rule over the kingdom she had seized.

And Maya. Maya roamed all over the Deep Forest, too ashamed of her ugliness to leave and go back to her cottage. She made her home under a huge oak tree that towered over her and whose strong branches stretched out to protect her from all nature’s ills.

Until one day……………….
Something happened that you would not believe…………….