The Garden of Vanity
I got a fucking C+ on my writing portfolio, my prof complains that I overstuff my writing so much with imagery that it is unclear, and I use fantasy allusions that nobody has ever heard of. She says while my writing is excellent, it is not what they were looking for in this course. Well sorry! Just when I thought I was taking something I'd be good at
Here is my short story assignment, it is not as good as my usual writing, it has no mythological references, but I had to conform to the the bullshit rules to get a decent mark.
A tiny coffin of gilded silver imbedded with obsidian pearls reflects the sorrow dancing upon her milky white cheeks in streams of gleaming sapphires. “Rowenna, please forgive me, I would give anything to cradle you in my arms again” she whispers softly caressing a boutique of violet embalmed glass roses that crowned the lid of the casket. Trudging across the emerald rolling glades sprinkled in gold dust, the silk clad lady gazed upon her lavish garden of trinkets, searching for meaning. “Why cannot all these jewels, silks, and gold bring even half the joy of my daughter’s mischievous smiles, the laughter that once lighted her eyes”? Twirling a strand of golden hair embellished with ruby dust in serpentine curls, she glances towards the diamond crafted urns glittering an ivory plated field at her feet, the urns contained the ashes of hordes of foolish men who succumbed to her charms, their beauty marred only by a single word scribed in blood “VANITY”. Angrily she stamped upon a pond of sapphires that pooled from her tears, “That must be the essence of my grief, only simpletons could have such gracious ornaments stained with a vile substance”. Puckering her icy azure lips, she prepared to bestow her deathly kiss, obstinately thinking the blood would vanish with it, just as the men contained in the urns did; when she caught glimpse of a thin frail looking young man clad in the worn garments of a peasant gazing upon her. Squinting in his direction, she scowls bitterly “What is this arrogance? He is small and simple, how can he believe he is worthy of my wooing?”. Again she glances upon the urns of her victims remembering the lavish chariots drawn by snow fleeced horses upon which they had arrived to their doom.
He just stood there gasping awestruck upon the unfathomable wealth emanating from the heart of the garden, bedazzled by the shimmering rivers meandering finely polished sapphires laden with gold. Then shaking off his swoon, the frail words of his ill mother hit him like a slap in the face “Alexander, no man has returned alive, do not succumb to this folly, it is God’s punishment for the greedy”. Of all the treasures that dotted the emerald glades flitting distant vales none enamoured him like the milky skinned lady clad in rouge satin with her cat like eyes crafted of topaz gemstone fixated in a sinister glare upon him. “Her beauty is beyond human…Perhaps she is a succubus…Stand your guard Alexander”…Perhaps also his lowly stature had saved him from certain death, as she just stood and glared haughtily as ruffled dust lathered chestnut locks clung against his sweat ridden neck .
Radiating a piercing scorn into his icy gray eyes she mutters “I would die before I caress that foolish simpleton, but how dare he defile the glory of my sanctuary…of all the mortal idiots who have ventured into my garden, this one is the most deserving of death”
Lacing his work frayed boots Alexander anxiously wrested at the allurement overshadowing his mind, “Damn you seductress!”. Now what was his purpose again? Why had he put his life at stake? The jaded image of his dying mother, skin ghostly pale, torrents of sweat heaving from a violent cough that spurt vile green pus grazed in blood. “All the gold I need to satiate the healer’s fees and much more lie right at my feet. This succubus will not stop me. Hang in there mother”.
Greedily stuffing his pockets with diamonds and gold dust, praying that the hole infested garments would still hold them, just as he is set to dart off a paralyzing chill creeps up his spine, a pair of fair delicate yet glacial hands grip his shoulders piercing into them like razor sharp icicles, a tingling numbness spurts his blood, freezing every limb.
She stands before him, an awe inspiring pulchritude of enchantment in a trance of glitz, sapphire tears slathering over her lovely snow porcelain cheeks glisten like an iced lake’s reflection of stars on a wintry eve. Alexander was overtaken with a sense of grief and unfulfilled desires.
“Fair lady, why are you weeping?”
She froze in shock, no man has asked her this before.
“What is such a rich and beautiful woman like yourself doing all alone in this garden?”
“Why does it matter to you?”
“Certainly no man could bear to see the tears of one so lovely as yourself”
“I do not know....I know I had a name once...I know I was happy once...it is all so strange”
“This garden is a dreary mausoleum, what are all these urns, and sepulchers? Has everyone you have ever loved fallen to tragedy?”
Alexander gasps as her eyes mute to a ghastly white and gleaming ebon tears fall like shattered obsidian.
Turning her face, she buries it into in her delicate hands murmuring under her breath “I cannot charm this rustic thieving plebeian to his untimely end, he has been so kind to me, but...”; a warm solace embraces her as she feels the caress of his broad gentle hand over her shoulder.
“You filthy thieving urchin, how dare you?”
“Forgive me, I am a man of great empathy and compassion”
“I do not believe in such things”
“Succubus, in all my lowliness, why have you still tempted me? Held me spellbound?”
“I...I do not know...it is my life...unwary men come here and my only purpose is to charm them to their death...I do not know why?...Each time I kill, I am bestowed with most beautiful urn finely cut and polished of diamonds...but I feel no joy, only grief...but for what?”
“Those diamond urns have “VANITY” smeared in blood, and vanity is the only life you know”
Her dainty hands crumple into callous fists, scrunching her face violet with fury and baring teeth carved from onyx chalcedony, she throws herself unto him screaming “I GAVE MY ONLY CHILD FOR THIS LIFE YOU CALL VANITY!! MY DARLING ROWENNA! HOW DARE YOU THE DEATH OF MY DAUGHTER WAS IN VAIN!”
Pinned to the ground by one he deemed fragile as a tiny bird swaying helplessly on the ruthless winds of an autumn night, he maintains a smile of kindness, not daring to twitch fearing this deadly seductress would yet shatter like a crystalline vase.
“So you remember now?”
As her cheeks drain from a blotchy crimson back to the essence of winter she tears herself away and whimpers
“I am sorry...yes I remember, and what’s more, I can confide in someone as kind as you”
“Tell me the whole story”
“I was a simple miserable widow called Lilith, I lived with my daughter Rowenna in a filthy hovel. This smooth snow starred face you see was wrinkled with weariness, and scorched tan from exposure. These soft hands were worked rough and scaly. I constantly dreamed of being rich and carefree. One night a hooded sorcerer awoke me, he offered me unfathomable beauty and a garden of riches in exchange for Rowenna’s life...Foolishly I accepted”
“Was seducing men to their doom part of the deal”
“Not that I can recall...I am sorry, I do not remember everything...I still don’t remember my name”
He pulls her head toward his bosom as she began to weep again wondering what to do, he did not want to leave her alone and devoid of joy in this garden of vanity.
“I cannot stay much longer my mother is gravely ill, I only came here to gather enough riches to pay the fees of a healer, but I could never leave you. Could I take you home?”
Lifting her head, her eye fume dark sanguine as she glowers at him
“Leave this lovely garden for a filthy hovel? Never!...Stay here, frolic carelessly with me for the rest of your days”
Though mortified by her razor tongue he stands firm
“I would gravely regret sacrificing my mother for this garden as you have sacrificed your child”
As the tattered serf turns away Lilith’s spirit shatters and tears fall like shards of glass, she trudges after Alexander like a child afraid of being abandoned.
“I am so sorry for insulting you, you have brought me joy I have not known in aeons, take me with you, I beg you”
A spring breeze chimes a serenade as Lilith envelopes into Alexander’s warm embrace, and hand in hand they frivolously stroll from the Garden of Vanity.
A rough and treacherous path lapped in the waters of a lagoon, Lilith groans as swamp flies swarm her face as if she were a putrefying corpse, and rosy blemishes mar the snow of her cheeks.
“I am sorry Lilith, there is no easier way”
Grazing her palm over the bites she sighs
“No, this is wonderful, I can feel the curse is lifting, I may soon be flesh and blood again, and taste the warmth of your lips without fear of bringing your final cessation”
She furiously tears at the thorny vines that block their way, blood oozing in gouts across her forearms
“Lilith no, allow me, I could not see those sleek velvety arms scratched up”
“Never, this is a task only I must perform and alone...a soothing light beckons me, we are closer to the end”
Alexander laughs softly as he pulls suckling leeches from his shins “I would not count on it, we have just left the garden, this dangerous journey took me weeks”
Lilith gasps in horror “Would your mother still be alive?”
Alexander freezes, rapidly turning his face as it began to tremble
“For that I can only pray”
********
The wall of vines falls defeated by the bare hands of a seductress now bereft of her charms, her hands scabrous and abraded, her silks tattered and tousled, the air hangs in a thick fog of saffron overshadowed by vermillion haze.
“My love, it is time”
“But,....for what?”
“Kiss me, and the curse will die”
Alexander place one hand across her waist and digs the other into her rich serpentine golden curls, carefully drawing her head towards him, he relishes her glacial lips for a moment as they tingle warm with the passion of lifeblood.
Lilith swoons in vertigo then falls limp as she is drained of immortality and became flesh again.
The mists clear and a sage cowled in ebon robes races his lavish chariot towards them
“Lilith have you learned the cost of vanity?” he thunders
“Your wizardry, I have, please return my Rowenna” she pleads
A tiny child with copper auburn tresses darts from chariot and leaps into Lilith’s arms screaming “MAMA!”. Tears of joy stream in rivulets as Lilith laughs and covers the girl’s face in kisses.
The sage then turns to Alexander and declares in a solemn monotone “As for you, your bravery and kindness destroying the garden of vanity by bringing peace to the succubus that slept there shall certainly not go unrewarded...Come into the chariot everyone”
*******
The sage returned Alexander with his new wife and step child to the hovel just in time to save Alexander’s mother, then he moved the family to a sunny cottage with a plot of land with enough to provide for them so the pangs of hunger, poverty and illness were relieved. The garden of vanity was destroyed, the urns of the many princes of succumbed to it’s charms were returned to their families, with “VANITY” still scribed in blood, lest the consequences be forgotten.
Here is my short story assignment, it is not as good as my usual writing, it has no mythological references, but I had to conform to the the bullshit rules to get a decent mark.
A tiny coffin of gilded silver imbedded with obsidian pearls reflects the sorrow dancing upon her milky white cheeks in streams of gleaming sapphires. “Rowenna, please forgive me, I would give anything to cradle you in my arms again” she whispers softly caressing a boutique of violet embalmed glass roses that crowned the lid of the casket. Trudging across the emerald rolling glades sprinkled in gold dust, the silk clad lady gazed upon her lavish garden of trinkets, searching for meaning. “Why cannot all these jewels, silks, and gold bring even half the joy of my daughter’s mischievous smiles, the laughter that once lighted her eyes”? Twirling a strand of golden hair embellished with ruby dust in serpentine curls, she glances towards the diamond crafted urns glittering an ivory plated field at her feet, the urns contained the ashes of hordes of foolish men who succumbed to her charms, their beauty marred only by a single word scribed in blood “VANITY”. Angrily she stamped upon a pond of sapphires that pooled from her tears, “That must be the essence of my grief, only simpletons could have such gracious ornaments stained with a vile substance”. Puckering her icy azure lips, she prepared to bestow her deathly kiss, obstinately thinking the blood would vanish with it, just as the men contained in the urns did; when she caught glimpse of a thin frail looking young man clad in the worn garments of a peasant gazing upon her. Squinting in his direction, she scowls bitterly “What is this arrogance? He is small and simple, how can he believe he is worthy of my wooing?”. Again she glances upon the urns of her victims remembering the lavish chariots drawn by snow fleeced horses upon which they had arrived to their doom.
He just stood there gasping awestruck upon the unfathomable wealth emanating from the heart of the garden, bedazzled by the shimmering rivers meandering finely polished sapphires laden with gold. Then shaking off his swoon, the frail words of his ill mother hit him like a slap in the face “Alexander, no man has returned alive, do not succumb to this folly, it is God’s punishment for the greedy”. Of all the treasures that dotted the emerald glades flitting distant vales none enamoured him like the milky skinned lady clad in rouge satin with her cat like eyes crafted of topaz gemstone fixated in a sinister glare upon him. “Her beauty is beyond human…Perhaps she is a succubus…Stand your guard Alexander”…Perhaps also his lowly stature had saved him from certain death, as she just stood and glared haughtily as ruffled dust lathered chestnut locks clung against his sweat ridden neck .
Radiating a piercing scorn into his icy gray eyes she mutters “I would die before I caress that foolish simpleton, but how dare he defile the glory of my sanctuary…of all the mortal idiots who have ventured into my garden, this one is the most deserving of death”
Lacing his work frayed boots Alexander anxiously wrested at the allurement overshadowing his mind, “Damn you seductress!”. Now what was his purpose again? Why had he put his life at stake? The jaded image of his dying mother, skin ghostly pale, torrents of sweat heaving from a violent cough that spurt vile green pus grazed in blood. “All the gold I need to satiate the healer’s fees and much more lie right at my feet. This succubus will not stop me. Hang in there mother”.
Greedily stuffing his pockets with diamonds and gold dust, praying that the hole infested garments would still hold them, just as he is set to dart off a paralyzing chill creeps up his spine, a pair of fair delicate yet glacial hands grip his shoulders piercing into them like razor sharp icicles, a tingling numbness spurts his blood, freezing every limb.
She stands before him, an awe inspiring pulchritude of enchantment in a trance of glitz, sapphire tears slathering over her lovely snow porcelain cheeks glisten like an iced lake’s reflection of stars on a wintry eve. Alexander was overtaken with a sense of grief and unfulfilled desires.
“Fair lady, why are you weeping?”
She froze in shock, no man has asked her this before.
“What is such a rich and beautiful woman like yourself doing all alone in this garden?”
“Why does it matter to you?”
“Certainly no man could bear to see the tears of one so lovely as yourself”
“I do not know....I know I had a name once...I know I was happy once...it is all so strange”
“This garden is a dreary mausoleum, what are all these urns, and sepulchers? Has everyone you have ever loved fallen to tragedy?”
Alexander gasps as her eyes mute to a ghastly white and gleaming ebon tears fall like shattered obsidian.
Turning her face, she buries it into in her delicate hands murmuring under her breath “I cannot charm this rustic thieving plebeian to his untimely end, he has been so kind to me, but...”; a warm solace embraces her as she feels the caress of his broad gentle hand over her shoulder.
“You filthy thieving urchin, how dare you?”
“Forgive me, I am a man of great empathy and compassion”
“I do not believe in such things”
“Succubus, in all my lowliness, why have you still tempted me? Held me spellbound?”
“I...I do not know...it is my life...unwary men come here and my only purpose is to charm them to their death...I do not know why?...Each time I kill, I am bestowed with most beautiful urn finely cut and polished of diamonds...but I feel no joy, only grief...but for what?”
“Those diamond urns have “VANITY” smeared in blood, and vanity is the only life you know”
Her dainty hands crumple into callous fists, scrunching her face violet with fury and baring teeth carved from onyx chalcedony, she throws herself unto him screaming “I GAVE MY ONLY CHILD FOR THIS LIFE YOU CALL VANITY!! MY DARLING ROWENNA! HOW DARE YOU THE DEATH OF MY DAUGHTER WAS IN VAIN!”
Pinned to the ground by one he deemed fragile as a tiny bird swaying helplessly on the ruthless winds of an autumn night, he maintains a smile of kindness, not daring to twitch fearing this deadly seductress would yet shatter like a crystalline vase.
“So you remember now?”
As her cheeks drain from a blotchy crimson back to the essence of winter she tears herself away and whimpers
“I am sorry...yes I remember, and what’s more, I can confide in someone as kind as you”
“Tell me the whole story”
“I was a simple miserable widow called Lilith, I lived with my daughter Rowenna in a filthy hovel. This smooth snow starred face you see was wrinkled with weariness, and scorched tan from exposure. These soft hands were worked rough and scaly. I constantly dreamed of being rich and carefree. One night a hooded sorcerer awoke me, he offered me unfathomable beauty and a garden of riches in exchange for Rowenna’s life...Foolishly I accepted”
“Was seducing men to their doom part of the deal”
“Not that I can recall...I am sorry, I do not remember everything...I still don’t remember my name”
He pulls her head toward his bosom as she began to weep again wondering what to do, he did not want to leave her alone and devoid of joy in this garden of vanity.
“I cannot stay much longer my mother is gravely ill, I only came here to gather enough riches to pay the fees of a healer, but I could never leave you. Could I take you home?”
Lifting her head, her eye fume dark sanguine as she glowers at him
“Leave this lovely garden for a filthy hovel? Never!...Stay here, frolic carelessly with me for the rest of your days”
Though mortified by her razor tongue he stands firm
“I would gravely regret sacrificing my mother for this garden as you have sacrificed your child”
As the tattered serf turns away Lilith’s spirit shatters and tears fall like shards of glass, she trudges after Alexander like a child afraid of being abandoned.
“I am so sorry for insulting you, you have brought me joy I have not known in aeons, take me with you, I beg you”
A spring breeze chimes a serenade as Lilith envelopes into Alexander’s warm embrace, and hand in hand they frivolously stroll from the Garden of Vanity.
A rough and treacherous path lapped in the waters of a lagoon, Lilith groans as swamp flies swarm her face as if she were a putrefying corpse, and rosy blemishes mar the snow of her cheeks.
“I am sorry Lilith, there is no easier way”
Grazing her palm over the bites she sighs
“No, this is wonderful, I can feel the curse is lifting, I may soon be flesh and blood again, and taste the warmth of your lips without fear of bringing your final cessation”
She furiously tears at the thorny vines that block their way, blood oozing in gouts across her forearms
“Lilith no, allow me, I could not see those sleek velvety arms scratched up”
“Never, this is a task only I must perform and alone...a soothing light beckons me, we are closer to the end”
Alexander laughs softly as he pulls suckling leeches from his shins “I would not count on it, we have just left the garden, this dangerous journey took me weeks”
Lilith gasps in horror “Would your mother still be alive?”
Alexander freezes, rapidly turning his face as it began to tremble
“For that I can only pray”
********
The wall of vines falls defeated by the bare hands of a seductress now bereft of her charms, her hands scabrous and abraded, her silks tattered and tousled, the air hangs in a thick fog of saffron overshadowed by vermillion haze.
“My love, it is time”
“But,....for what?”
“Kiss me, and the curse will die”
Alexander place one hand across her waist and digs the other into her rich serpentine golden curls, carefully drawing her head towards him, he relishes her glacial lips for a moment as they tingle warm with the passion of lifeblood.
Lilith swoons in vertigo then falls limp as she is drained of immortality and became flesh again.
The mists clear and a sage cowled in ebon robes races his lavish chariot towards them
“Lilith have you learned the cost of vanity?” he thunders
“Your wizardry, I have, please return my Rowenna” she pleads
A tiny child with copper auburn tresses darts from chariot and leaps into Lilith’s arms screaming “MAMA!”. Tears of joy stream in rivulets as Lilith laughs and covers the girl’s face in kisses.
The sage then turns to Alexander and declares in a solemn monotone “As for you, your bravery and kindness destroying the garden of vanity by bringing peace to the succubus that slept there shall certainly not go unrewarded...Come into the chariot everyone”
*******
The sage returned Alexander with his new wife and step child to the hovel just in time to save Alexander’s mother, then he moved the family to a sunny cottage with a plot of land with enough to provide for them so the pangs of hunger, poverty and illness were relieved. The garden of vanity was destroyed, the urns of the many princes of succumbed to it’s charms were returned to their families, with “VANITY” still scribed in blood, lest the consequences be forgotten.