Let me tell you a story, child.
It is quite heartbreaking, indeed. It is a story of cruelty and malice. This cruelty, however, is accepted by the people. This place is not safe for your kind. It is not safe for anyone, especially poor Meredith.
Oh, sweet Meredith. How she loved the birds and the trees, the lake and all its creatures. The sunlight that flittered through the trees each morn. Ever since she was a young girl, she loved such scenes in her secret place in the forest. However, she was terribly afraid of monsters. The monsters that shot her glares and bristled as she passed scared her, but not nearly as much as the ones cackling and pointing, or the ones who actually came and pulled on her clothes, her hair, and her books.
The townspeople were her monsters.
Meredith, you see, she was strange. There was a skepticism between her parents about if she was actually their child. They looked upon her with disdain. The maids held their heads high to her, never once stopping to talk to her. Her older brother Eden refused to acknowledge her presence. The rest of Meredith's family was of straight brown hair and blue eyes, while Meredith, with black hair cascading down her back in waves, held eyes of such deep brown, that in a certain light, they looked like brilliant red garnets. Her family was of ruddy complexion, while she was white as milk. Her family was of sturdy frame, and she, she was so small, so thin, so seemingly fragile, her big eyes just making her seem like a mouse. When she was old enough to understand the ways of church, her mother dragged her from her bed and suited her in her best dress.
"Come now, Meredith. You will learn the ways of the Lord."
And so she did. Meredith learned all that the church could teach her, but that did not stop the snickers, the sneers, or the crass comments about how strange she was. And when the other children would mock her, she would merely sit, wide eyed, alone, and afraid.
"Devil child! You should not be able to set foot in church, you heathen!"
"But I love God!" The poor girl would squeak.
"Well, God does not love you!" The other children sneered back.
Around age eight or nine, the other girls from Meredith's school began pulling at her detailed black lace dresses. They took her books and threw them in the well. They threw dirt at her hair. All the while, the girls laughed and pointed, screeching "misfit" and "devil child". The girls left her there, standing alone, covered in dirt and ripped lace. Not a single emotion could be read from her face for a few moments, before slowly, the tears came. Large waterfalls of crystal tears, rolling one after the other. Her favorite book had been thrown in that well. She stood there, watching the girls' retreating backs, until she heard something in the well. Meredith looked over and found the small bucket to be down in the well, the string shaking violently. Grunts were heard, until a hand reached up the rope. Mystified, Meredith dried her tears as best as she could and stepped closer to the well. Another hand clamped itself on the edge of the well, and a boy hoisted himself up. His trousers were soaked, but he payed no mind to Meredith as he worked the well's crank. Meredith observed him, this boy with a white, half buttoned blouse and black trousers, black wispy hair that hung down to his shoulders, and milky white skin.
"Pardon me?" Meredith whispered. The boy never looked up. Instead, he kept pulling the crank of the well until the bucket was at the top, and to Meredith's surprise, all three of her books were inside the barrel. He looked up at her for the first time, revealing his deep garnet-like eyes, and smiled, flashing a brilliant smile as Meredith ran towards him with glee.
"I saw what those mean girls did to you, so I got your books back."
"Oh, thank you, thank you so much! What is your name?"
"My name is Xenos. What is yours?"
"M-Meredith..." Meredith quickly recovered from her happiness and grew shy once more.
"Why are you so shy all of a sudden? How old are you?"
"I-I-I don't know... But nine... I'm nine years old..."
"Ha!" Xenos grinned and ruffled her hair, "I beat you! I'm eleven."
Meredith smiled in amusement, "Walk with me?" she asked, her big eyes pleading.
And walk they did. They walked the length of the town's longest road, right up to the entrance of Meredith's cherished forest. She made him promise not to tell a soul about the wonders within, and he agreed whole-heartedly, following her through the brush and into the clearing where the sparkling lake water peered out of its holding place in the Earth. They sat down on a rock in front of it, where a single, sturdy tree sat beside it, and talked for a very long time.
"I just moved here a week ago..." Xenos sighed.
"You moved? But this town does not take kindly to strangers..."
"Are you a stranger too? Is that why the kids are so rotten to you?"
"...No... I suppose it's just me..." Meredith hung her head and sighed.
"... Well, then we'll stay together and help each other! Always, okay?"
Xenos held out his hand to her, and Meredith took it, smiling, "Okay!"
What happened next, some would say, was to be expected of children. Meredith and Xenos became unseparable. They were the best of friends, the only friends they had. The two would meet each other every day after school and run to their part of the forest. Meredith and Xenos would share stories of their day, and what they liked, wanted to see, wanted to do... They promised each other that they would help one another, should another child ever harass them. And that was exactly what they did, at first. Xenos became what he feared he would, as the two grew into their early teens.
A coward.
He saw Meredith less and less, and managed to make other friends that were not quite so rude as the others. When Meredith was being harassed, he never took the brave stand like he used to, but rather made a feeble attempt to wave her tormentors away, who gradually became more physical in their taunts. Eventually he stopped helping her altogether. Xenos hid when he saw the kids, for fear of the same happening to himself. He despised himself for it, and every day would see the bruises on her face, the weak smile Meredith sent him when their gazes met, and the sneers from her tormentors. It pained him so much, to see the girl he had been so happy with, growing weaker because of him. Even if Meredith had no knowledge of it, Xenos would always steal glances at her wherever he could. He found himself always thinking of her, and tried to push it away, knowing that she was not one he should associate with. But these thoughts only made a strange ache in his heart grow bigger, and bigger, as he saw her. By their late teens, when Xenos was seventeen and Meredith was fifteen, he noticed how much thinner she had gotten. There was not a scrap of fat on her. Xenos' curiosity got the best of him, and he wandered over to her when all of their peers were away after school.
"Meredith, are you okay?"
Something in her eyes snapped, and she smiled at him, "Yes, of course I'm alright. After all, it isn't like our wonderful peers have been bruising me or my parents have been starving me, saying I was not worthy of their food." Her eyes widened with shock, and she spluttered, "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry! I did not mean to say any of that, please forget it-"
Xenos engulfed her in his arms, and Meredith felt the top of her head grow wet as if it were raining, his voice whispering, "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you..."
Silence overtook them both before she whispered, "Where have you been...? I miss you..."
Xenos cried harder, unbearable guilt washing over him. She was suffering, and he was too much of a coward to help. Meredith felt so small in his arms, so perfect, and from then on he knew he was in love. How sweet, wouldn't you agree? Nevertheless, interrupting their moment of bliss, a shout rang out from behind them,
"Hey! Xenos! What are you doing with that thing?"
He grew incredibly angry, "She is not a 'thing', you idiot!" Xenos' words faltered when he turned to see Jeremy, the son of the town's ironworker. He was far more muscular than Xenos was, and when a group of curly blond haired girls giggled behind him, Jeremy snickered,
"I knew you were a devil child just like that thing! Look at her, how could you ever want to be around her unless the devil had taken over?"
He stepped forward, cracking his fingers and eyeing Xenos with amusement. The girls stepped towards Meredith and began hitting her with their parasols, and Meredith could do nothing but make small attempts to wave them off. Xenos stammered,
"I-I don't want to be with her, what are you talking about?"
Like the coward he was, the damn boy lied through his teeth and stung Meredith with his words, causing her to stop trying to fend off the girls and just stare at him, hurt and confused. He looked over and mouthed an "I'm sorry" before dashing off through the school yard and back to his home, where he ran into the barn with his horse, where his sister was. Yes, the idiot boy had a sister, did I forget to mention that? Lamia, was her name. God forgive me, but I wish that horse would have bitten his hair off and taught him a lesson- excuse me... I just get so fired up at that part. Anyway, the next day, the taunting had continued, and this time, when Xenos was walking down an old alley, he saw Meredith in the streets, on the ground, bruised, in the middle of a crowd of girls, all laughing and sneering at her. She looked up at them all, and one proceeded to drive her shoe into her face. As her head careened back, she caught a glimpse of wide-eyed Xenos, hiding in the shadows of the alley. Meredith knew he was not going to offer help, and she perfectly understood.
After all, who would want to be involved in something so awful? Risk having it happen to them?
Xenos ran back down the alley to the other side of town, and proceeded to sit there, thinking to himself, before finally heading home for the night. He tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep, guilt crushing him like stones, anger welling in him. How many times had he asked himself, "Why is it so hard to be brave?" He asked his sister, and all she said was,
"You are a fool, dear brother. Your reputation is more important than the girl you love. I would say you do not love her at all, but then again, we are speaking of you, and you're simply a coward. No matter of motivation would encourage you to help her, the silly rabbit you are. But know that the future looks grim, should you continue on this path."
Goodness, grim it was... I could not even describe the hurt poor Xenos must have felt, the next day, when he received a letter. In it read the most awful thing someone could read,
"Dear Xenos,
You have always been my one only, true, excellent friend. The one who would listen to me when I wanted to scream, the one who would let me lean on their shoulder when I wanted to cry, the one who would laugh with me when we saw rabbits and squirrels chasing each other in the forest... Speaking of the forest, I fear that this will be the last time I see it... And these will be the last few words I have for you... Please know, that I have always loved you, my sweet boy.
Goodbye,
Meredith"
In horror, Xenos fled from the house and dashed into the barn, threw the door of the horse stable open, and jumped on, without even a moment to spare to saddle the creature. He dashed off towards the woods, every moment increasing the fear pitted in his stomach.
As for Meredith... The poor girl stood on top of the rock, holding the familiar loop she had seen used on criminals. In that loop was a log, one that she then dropped to test the tree branch. It held still, and Meredith pulled the loop back up, removed the log, and placed it around her neck. A few tears rolled down her cheeks as she whispered,
"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned..."
She prayed and prayed, for salvation, and inhaled her last breath. Just as she was about to step off the rock, the sound of hooves reached her ears, and a voice shouted out,
"Meredith, NO!!"
She looked back just in time to see Xenos' panicked face, and right then, knew just how much he loved her. She could have died happy right there, on that rock. He had reached the top of the hill, but sadly, Meredith could not keep her footing on the slippery rock when she turned. She fell, and the noose around her neck did its damage, her eyes frozen, her body limp. Xenos cried out, filled with horror and sorrow. He grabbed her body from the noose, and watched the color fade from her skin and the light fade from her eyes. Sobs racked his chest as he held her close and closed her eyes, stroking her hair, sobbing into her neck. He blamed it all on himself. Why shouldn't he be the one to blame? He should have been there for her. But he wasn't.
Xenos was convinced it was all his fault.
Broken, he carried Meredith's body through the clearing, the horse trotting away towards the village. Once he reached the village, the horse was there, being tamed by the townsfolk. They turned and saw him with Meredith in his arms, and fell into a grave silence. He walked through town, towards his barn, and laid her down in the hay as he grabbed a shovel and cloth. Xenos then picked her up again, with the shovel, and carried her out to the field. He dug for hours before making a suitable hole and wrapped her in the cloth, whispereing,
"Meredith, I love you..."
Setting her down in the hole, Xenos removed his rosary and tossed it in the grave with her. He finished burying her, found a suitable stone to mark the area, and walked back into town for the horse, and people began to jeer,
"A suicide!"
"Suicides don't go to Heaven!"
"Not like she was going, anyway!"
Xenos snapped, "SHUT UP!"
Everyone grew silent as Xenos' sobbing was interrupted by his roars, "I LOVED HER! I LOVED THIS GIRL! YOU KILLED HER! YOU ALL KILLED HER!"
The poor lad ran home and locked himself in his room, sitting on his bed and whispering, "I killed her... I killed her too..."
Nights passed, but Xenos did not leave the house. Instead, he drank all of his father's whisky, until one day, he drank too much. Poor thing fell asleep and never woke up. They found him dead in his room, and buried him next to Meredith's grave out in the field. Lamia had told him where he had buried her, for she was in the house when he walked out to the field, watching him.
They say that Xenos' and Meredith's spirits flew forth from the graves, with brilliant white wings, and a large rose bush grew between the two head stones. The townsfolk never once spoke of their name in an ill manner ever again, and since then, the town had a memorial service dedicated to them in the month they died.
Of course, I'm not sure exactly what happened the day Xenos was buried.
After all, my heart couldn't bear to watch the townspeople bury my brother.