by Yume
15. The Tree’s Secrets
Margorie
He seemed to have woken up from a long lost dream when he opened his eyes again. The sun was shining right on him. He sat up calmly, trying to recall his memory.
He glanced around to see his beloved woman sitting beside him on this moors. He prayed everything was just part of a nightmare.
But…it wasn’t.
She was not the girl he once knew.
She was not even a human now.
“Margorie?” So he muttered, reaching out for her.
This time, she miraculously permitted his touch. She turned and her patsy beautiful face seemed to glitter under the light.
Something was wrong, of which he was sure.
Wait…why was he here?
A fragment of memories flashed in his brain. It was a bloody scene. He was in the church, along with everyone else. When one of the peasants was almost shot, he shoved him away to save him. He was shot instead. He could remember himself bleeding endlessly, whimpering in agony and crying out for her name.
Instantly, he looked down at his chest. The wound where the bullet once struck was as smooth as could be. Remained was the blood that stained his shirt.
“Hanzel,” Margorie grinned. “Do you know the evilest thing that could ever exist in this world?”
Gazing at her pale white face, he shook his head silently.
“It’s not devils or demons.” She replied. “Not any kinds of cults or witchcraft.”
“What’s it?”
She blinked her eyes several time and mumbled. “Human mind.”
“Human mind…” He repeated her answer.
“Remember the days we used to race on this moors?” She turned to him and grinned. “It is, undoubtlessly the happiest time of my life.”
“Really?” Hanzel couldn’t believe what he heard. He had made her happy, even though she rarely smiled while she was with him.
“Hanzel,” Margorie held his hand. Her skin was warm and soft. There was not a single trace that could supported she was dead.
“I will tell you everything.”
Her eyes scanned around and focused on the enormous willow tree ahead.
His eyes followed the same direction and glared at the plant. He, indeed, would never forget this tree for his entire life. When she was burnt tied to the stake, he was the one who witnessed the whole process weeping non-stop. When her torn corpse was thrown away from the stage, he couldn’t wait to rush forward and held it into his arms. Until then, his eyes were swollen with tears. Her ruined body was finally in his hands. Yet, it was too late. No matter how much he shouted and sobbed, she would not wake up.
Carrying her remains, he climbed up the hills they used to venture in. Across the moors he ran, stopping at this tree in the end. He stared at the tree for a very long time. Whenever the wind blew by, the tree seemed to moan like his heart did. He decided to bury her here. Every day, he would come up to see her. What amazed him was that the willow tree grew much bigger with Margorie’s corpse down below. Flowers blossomed for all seasons surrounding the tree. It was the best reassurance he could get after her death.
“I don’t remember exactly what crime I have committed.” Margorie started. “But I was exiled from where I used to live.”
“It’s heaven, right?”
Margorie nodded. “I must have caused someone pain and sorrow because my smile was forever forfeited as a result of my sin. I was never allowed to smile again.”
“That’s why you…”
“As a punishment, I had to live a life of a human.” Margorie went on. “I would become the only human that could sense all kinds of emotions but could never express one, witness all kinds of sins but could never help change a thing and suffer all kinds of pain and sorrow but could never cause others any.
“Only love can help me retain my feelings and redeem my sins. I was sent here to feel and to seek the love of a human.”
When he heard this, Hanzel couldn’t help frowning in grief.
“I found one.” Margorie said. “You love me, I know. Hanzel, you are good to me. You were the only one that could make me smile. Yet…
“Yet… accidents do happen sometimes. Things might not go the way you want them to. I wouldn’t blame anyone for my death. It just happened to give me a better view of something God couldn’t achieve or prevent sometimes. So I vowed to seek a more promising way out.”
“You made a contract with the demon?” Hanzel said.
“Yes,” Margorie said calmly. “It’s a contract that saves my soul. You have no idea how painful it is to have your soul torn on the edge of dying. When I was tied to the stake and burnt, the pain my body took was nothing compared to the burning of my soul.”
“But…how could you lose faith in God?” Hanzel frowned, hardly believing Margorie.
“Sometimes, faith takes your whole life.” Margorie said. “And you never know what you are doing this for. From the day I was expelled from God’s sides, I should have reckoned it. It takes too much to redeem my fault. I just want to save my soul. Is it too much to ask for?”
Hanzel didn’t say anything. He had no idea why God didn’t or couldn’t help Margorie. He knew she didn’t want things to be the way they were now, but she was left with no choice. She was forced to take the evil side to continue living. She had betrayed her own faith in God and traded her soul with demons.
“Why did you save me then?” Hanzel interrogated. “You’re a demon. You take lives. You want my soul, don’t you?”
“No, Hanzel.” Margorie shook her head. “You’re getting it wrong. I signed a contract with demons but it doesn’t mean I have to work for them only.”
“Huh?”
“I only work for myself.” Margorie grinned. “Somehow and someday, I would find my way back to heaven.”
“But…why?”
“There’s one thing that couldn’t possibly be taken away from my soul.” Margorie said. “The demons can have everything they want. My faith and my grudge but… my love.”
“How?”
“I never thought of it before. When I was summoned by Earl Beaumont, all I had on my mind after returning to this world was to carry on with my mission. I was sent here to fetch certain people back to hell. Until one day, something else crossed my mind. It was because of you, who have been making my heart bleed even after it has stopped beating. I began to seek for an aim. I decided not to just watch as someone dies but might as well do something for justice. I would kill according to my own will, to punish the bad and to save the good. I would send those devils in human form back to hell, serving my God at the same time. It was the first time in my life that I could see the reason to return to heaven.”
And then he understood. She was certain she would meet him in the heaven. That’s why she was now betraying the demons and finding ways back to God’s sides.
“You will surely be there.” Margorie said. “But I might not.”
“Margorie,” Hanzel said. “I don’t care whether you are an angel or a demon; I just want to be with you.”
“It takes more than you think it’d cost.” She warned. “Sometimes, men are just the greatest murderers of all. Love kills, Hanzel. You know that.”
“Yes, but I’m ready to take the risk.”
“You have already taken the risk.” Margorie reminded him.
“They knew what I’m doing.”
“Who?”
“The demons.” Margorie said. “Some demons just take in human forms and I kill them despite not being on the list.”
“What…will they do?”
“I don’t know.” Margorie shrugged. “They are pretty furious because I didn’t do as told.”
“I won’t let them get you.”
Margorie laughed.
“They are demons and more powerful than you think.” She said. “Once, I trusted God so much that I really thought he could punish all the evils and save all the goods. But that’s not true. Every day, there are good people going in
to hell and evil ones continuing their sins. Until one day, I have made up my mind to be a judge myself. I would rather provoke both sides just to maintain such justice of life. I would kill the evils with my own powers and save the goods.”
“You are selling your soul to demons while doing good deeds.”
“Yes.” Margorie said. “I never thought it would be possible but it did work.”
“You healed my wound, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“What about the villagers?”
“Don’t worry about them.” Margorie said. “They are safe. So is Father Moore”
“Margorie,” Hanzel gripped her hand as though she would drift away from him any moment. “Is there a way I could be with you? Forever?”
Margorie stared at him emotionlessly and paused.
After a long silence, she nodded slightly.
“Yes,” She replied. “But as I said, you might not be able to afford the cost.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” The boy said firmly.
“Good.” Margorie smiled.
And so, it was the last time the two were ever seen in that town. Some people claimed to see them in other regions and countries. Apparently, they flew from place to place. Each day, some would pay for their crimes and died while some would be saved and freed from anguish. Children all knew about them, so they learnt to be good and decent. On a fine beautiful day, a bunch of kids would always been found singing on the moors. The ballad revealed the untold story of this extraordinary couple. And it always reminded everyone of their presence. Wherever they were, so was justice.
Epilogue
Close File
The manuscript ended by mentioning the ballad and nothing more. After numerous research and investigation, the professor discovered a ballad which was once very popular among the children in England during 19th century. It was highly suspected to be the one stated at the end of the story. The lyrics of the ballad went as following.
Once upon a long ago
Banished was a bad angel
From the heaven she fled
To the human world she lived
Forfeited was the smile
Life only lasted for awhile
Burnt was the poor child
Who was once faithful and mild
Traded was a torn rotten soul
Abandoned would be faith
As the little girl turned foul
Here she would write
An ending of her fate
Entrusted with evil task
She battled in the dark
Lingering with the hidden mask
Concealed was the anguishing bark
And yet the lover made a vow
Devoted was his unrequited love
Changed was the demonic girl
From then on a sequence followed
The evils would be damned
The goods would be saved
In the world beyond what God could give
Only the chosen ones would live
As for the existence of Margorie Walker and Hanzel Nelson, the two’s names were found in the record. Yet, there was no such evidence that could prove any of the unexplained deaths were their doing. Either was there any trace of them after they vanished mysteriously in 1821. The manuscript caused a period of heated debate on demon’s existence and fallen angels. However, scholars insisted that the two might be an ordinary couple who happened to elope. At that time, eloping was often considered as an inappropriate and unforgivable action. Disgusted, some of their haters must have used their names in such made-up horror stories, attempting to put the blame of deaths on them. Still, no exact and precise answer could be given to explain the relationship between the actual incidents in 1920 and the contents of the manuscript. The writer of the manuscript was also yet unknown.
~The End~