The Green Arm

Aurora didn’t want to go back to the kingdom. She wanted to stay in her little woodland cottage and play with all the animals that loved her. She held a hunk of bread with her left hand and fed a rabbit with the right. “There you go, little guy.” A common squirrel crept towards her and sniffed at the hunk of bread. “I sure do wonder why all of these animals love me so much.” She lifted up her right hand and pranced in a self-satisfied way towards a log to rest her feet.

Back at the cottage her three caretakers wove their magical wands and prepared for Aurora’s 16^th birthday by making her a birthday cake.

“She doesn’t like pink,” said the blue fairy.

“You wouldn’t know what she liked if it hit you on the head,” the pink fairy said.

“I just know she will be most beautiful and talented girl in the entire kingdom,” said the green fairy. “Everybody loves her.”

            Aurora burst through the front door. “My wonderful fairies! You did this for me?”

            They smiled at her and wished her a happy birthday. Still smiling, the fairies took her hands and led her towards the table. They ate the cake noisily and without conversation.

Finally Aurora exclaimed, “Why do I need to go to the kingdom tomorrow?”

“Because you are the princess,” said the blue fairy.

            Satisfied with this response, Aurora continued to eat the cake.

            The next day the fairies and the princess left for the castle. On the way there, Aurora’s stomach ached and she vomited up the entirety of last night’s meal. Her beautiful face became sallow and sticky. Quickly, the fairies cleaned up the mess and rushed her towards the castle.

            Aurora’s parents gleefully welcomed their perfectly beautiful daughter. Enveloping her in hugs and kisses, they yelled at a servant to make her bed. Aurora kissed both parents on the cheek and quickly ran to her room where she vomited the remainder of her stomach contents.

            In the middle of the night Aurora heard a slight ringing in her ear. Startled, she sat up. A green orb floated by the foot of her bed. It slowly began to make its way towards her bedroom door. Without knowing why, she automatically lifted herself out of bed and followed it.

            Aurora followed the orb up a long and winding staircase to the attic. In the middle of the cramped room sat a black spindle with a long and sharp needle. As if in a stupor, Aurora approached the object. With a quick gesture she poked the needle. Immediately, a shooting pain ran up her arm.  She looked down and noticed a green infection spread across her skin.

            Suddenly, a hideous woman arose from a cloud of smoke. On top of her grossly large head sat long and crooked horns that seemed to have broken their way out of her very skull. She threw back her head in a demonic cackle that sent a chill through Aurora’s spine.

“You will never leave this attic’s walls. By God above I curse you to rot here until the day you die. Because of your parents’ oppressive rule over this kingdom you will lay here asleep forever. The only thing that can awaken you is true love’s kiss.”

            And so it was, the king and queen were so disgusted by Aurora’s growing deformity that they locked her in the attic where she and they waited for a man to free her from this curse. But, every suitor ran away from the site of her grotesque arm, and she lay there forever.