Anis

The night fell as silently as she crept. It was her time. The only time she could escape the confines of her daytime world was when the sun descended below the horizon and the sounds of the night beckoned to her. She had been cursed with a beauty that was so intoxicating that any man to lay eyes upon her would instantly try to possess her. Men had died while fighting for that sole right. Neighbour pitted against neighbour, brother against brother. The village could not survive as long as she was allowed to roam free. Finally, one fateful event led to this horrid bondage and hell that she lived. She recounted the story to herself every night. There would never be respite for her soul. Not ever.

That summer had been wonderful. The weather had been warm enough to swim in the Lake.  She loved the Lake. It was so deep you couldn’t see the bottom which made the water look black even though it was clear and fresh.  It was bordered by tall, lush evergreen trees and jutting quartz that glistened in the sun.  The sound of cicadas and a variety of wild birds echoed like a symphony within the confines of the evergreens. She often went there alone to lie in the sun or swim in the cool water that felt like silk against her skin.  

It was during one of these visits to the Lake that she met Lawrence. It was a happenstance, a chance meeting that only the stars could arrange.  She had been swimming in the Lake, floating on her back with her eyes closed to the rays of the sun.  Her clothes hung on a branch near the shore. She didn’t hear the approach of footsteps on the path; it was covered in old pine needles and as soft as a rug. She did hear the inhalation and gasp from a few meters to her left. It startled her and she splashed as she turned toward the sound. Standing amongst the branches was a young man. She thought he was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. From the glisten in his eyes it was apparent he thought the same of her. 

The sound of a whistle woke her from her short reverie and she turned away to swim quickly toward her clothes. She recognized her father’s whistle, the one that called the children for dinner and to come in for the night. As she reached for her clothes she looked back to see if the young man was watching her but he had vanished. She dressed quickly and ran home through the darkening forest.   

Her family’s farm bordered on the forest and she emerged into the cornfield that looked as though it would yield a wonderful crop this year. She saw her sister in the distance and waved to let her know that she was on her way; no one ever wanted to be late for dinner or late for anything for that matter.  Her father was a hard man with little patience for whim or play. He would only tolerate tardiness if it was because of work that needed completion.  Her mother had died three years prior from an illness that had gripped the community and taken the souls of almost one-third of the village…many of them children and elderly. Since then, her elder sister had taken the role of matriarchal duties and supervised the household. Since her other two siblings were boys there was not a place for her at the farm. Her sister was fiercely controlling and did not delegate any duties to her, which was fine since she had no interest in the mundane. Since she was a girl, her father and brothers had no interest in what she thought or did and so she was left to herself to dream her days away and live the life of a divine nymph to run wild in the woods and pastures.  She had no friends because of her beauty and sweet demeanour.  The young women from the village hated it when she came to the market with her sister because all of the young men would have eyes only for her.  She seemed oblivious to the men’s lust and longing or the women’s jealously and venomous words. She smiled sweetly at everyone, regardless of how they looked at her, because that was her nature. It was unfathomable to her that anyone would hurt another by design.  She was accustomed to nature and animals and therefore to a natural order of co-operation. She was aware of competition among animals for mates, food, and habitat but it didn’t occur to her that people would be cruel simply out of petty jealously or lust. 

The following five days were just the same, except for the visit from the young man. She had hoped he would show again but he never did so she continued to do as she always had and explored the woods, shore, and pastures. On the sixth day, as she was absent-mindedly picking wildflowers and positioning them in her long golden curls she saw a figure approaching.  She could tell it was a man but she could not see his face with the sun in her eyes. He seemed to be nothing but a shadow. His gait was long and confident. It wasn’t long until he was close enough for her to see his face. She didn’t recognize him from the village although he looked vaguely familiar. His hair was dark, thick, and curly tied back forming a short tail down the nape of his neck. He wore a white shirt that was open enough for her to see his broad chest.  The sleeves were rolled up, displaying strong forearms that ended at large hands that looked like they could carry three maidens her size. 

As she gazed up from the ground she noticed his eyes were green with a touch of brown in them.  They were looking at her in such an intense fashion that she suddenly felt very uncomfortable.  She struggled to her feet so quickly that she almost tumbled over but he reached out and steadied her by holding her arm. It was a gentle grasp but it startled her nonetheless. She could not remember ever being touched by a man before and it occurred to her that she liked it.  Blushing, she pulled away and thanked him.  He looked down upon her and asked her name to which she replied “Anis”. He introduced himself as Charles and told her that his family had recently purchased the estate upon which she was now sitting. She began to apologize for trespassing but he interrupted her and told her that she could pick wildflowers in the pasture anytime she pleased. Anis smiled and offered him a small bouquet of what she had picked. As he took it from her their hands brushed and she felt a sliver of electricity run through her. It was an unfamiliar feeling but a very pleasant one that she craved as quickly as it dissipated.  

He offered to walk her home but she declined. She wasn’t sure how her father would react if he saw her with a stranger. She knew how her sister would react. Her sister had often warned her about men and that they could not be trusted. Anis did not believe this but she was still cautious and did not want to spoil this wonderful new feeling by being chastised endlessly during dinner.  Charles bowed ceremoniously and she giggled. He smiled and she felt her heart skip a beat. She wished she knew what was happening to her but she had no one with whom to discuss it; she certainly couldn’t ask anyone in her family. She whirled around and gracefully sprinted for home as Charles looked on. 

When she arrived home her father noticed that her face looked flush. He examined her face carefully   as she sat at the table and asked if she felt ill. Anis said she felt well. When asked about her flushed complexion she said she had been running through the fields and the fresh air must have been responsible. This seemed to appease her father but not her sister who looked at her suspiciously.  The family ate silently and when dinner was finished, Anis rose from the table and began clearing it immediately. When her sister tried to engage her in conversation she simply started talking about her day in such a fast pace that her sister had no chance to intervene. With a sigh of relief Anis put the last of the clean dinner dishes away and excused herself for the night. As she lay in bed she found herself thinking of the young man she had met earlier. She felt a tingling sensation in parts of her body she had not felt before. It was a long time before she finally fell asleep. 

The next morning her sister informed her that she needed Anis to accompany her to the Parish to attend to a pressing matter. Anis agreed and they set off along the narrow dirt road that was dry and dusty after so many dry days. Anis hoped that her sister would not try to talk to her and was relieved when her sister maintained her silence all the way to the Parish. They arrived when the sun was nearly directly above them and beating down with a relentless brightness and heat. It was a relief to open the big wooden doors and enter the cool interior.  The Parish was made entirely of stone with small windows along each wall. It was dark and it took a few minutes for their eyes to adjust to the shadows. Anis had not inquired as to the nature of the pressing matter but now that they had arrived she became curious.  She turned to her sister but her sister was walking quickly toward the altar and a dark doorway beyond it. Anis followed quietly and began to feel a twinge of annoyance.  She had agreed to come along and the least her sister could do was share information with her. 

As both young women entered the doorway a tall, thin figure in a sand-coloured robe appeared. Anis recognized him as Brother Gregoire, the Keeper of the Parish. He nodded at her sister, who then quickly retreated to the back of the Parish. Anis was visibly confused as Brother Gregoire motioned her to follow him to his ante-chamber. Once in the room he pulled a chair from the corner and invited her to sit down. He began to tell Anis that her sister had come to him several months earlier when she noticed the villagers paying inappropriate attention to Anis. Anis asked what he meant by inappropriate but he continued as though she hadn’t spoken. He explained that girls that were as attractive as Anis could fall victim to the wickedness of the flesh and that she must avoid this at all cost. Anis was completely confused; she had no idea what he was trying to tell her. He went on to say that Anis should not be in the presence of any men without the presence of a chaperone. At this point he stood in front of her and said a blessing in Latin. Anis got the impression that it was the end of the sermon and rose. As she left the room and returned to her sister she was frowning. Her sister asked if the discussion had gone well and Anis looked at her angrily, accusing her of trickery and dishonesty to get her to the Parish.  Her sister was taken aback. Anis had never responded to anyone with such a tone and in fact had hardly ever shown anger at all for a very long time. This feeling of betrayal was new to Anis and she felt as though a door had been opened that would never again be closed.  She brushed past her sister and flew down the path toward the Lake instead of the road home. Her sister called after her but to no avail. 

When Anis arrived at the Lake she sat down on a moss-covered rock and cried lightly. She didn’t know why she was crying nor did she understand any of the feelings swirling inside of her. What she did know was that she felt as though she had done something wrong and terrible and sinful to incur a sermon from Brother Gregoire. She was also angry that no one would explain anything to her but expected her to follow some sort of new rule. For years she had been left to herself with no supervision or rules and suddenly she felt as though a net had been thrown over her.

As she sat there quietly crying a shadow emerged ahead of her from behind a tree. She wiped her face and looked up to see the young man who had been watching her the day she was swimming in the Lake. She could see his hair was fair and his eyes a very dark brown. His features looked familiar and it dawned on her that the man she had met in the pasture looked very similar. The young man walked tentatively toward her and knelt down in front of her. He took both of her hands in his and gently kissed each hand. When he looked up and into her eyes she felt an incredible warmth rush through her. He rose slowly, carefully pulling her up and closer to him. She gasped as he put one arm around her waist and the other under her chin, tilting her face slightly upward. Her heart began to race and she felt breathless as he pulled her in even closer. He leaned in and their lips touched. It was a light touch, like the touch of a feather. She trembled slightly and this seemed to make the young man very happy. He kissed her again but this time he lingered and his lips pressed on hers harder. Anis felt a quiver run up her spine and was suddenly afraid. She didn’t know why she was afraid but she tried to push him away. He held on even tighter and his kiss became more passionate as he parted her lips with his tongue and touched the tip of hers. She wanted him to stop but at the same time her body responded to everything he did as though she had no control. As he pressed her into him she could feel the muscles in his chest and the strength of his arms. She felt excited at his fervor and cherished the thought of being able to control him by her reactions. She kissed him back and she suddenly felt another hardness pressing into her. This hardness caused another ripple of excitement to run through her. As they fell to the ground he reached down and pulled up her skirt. She felt his hand exploring her and she felt wave after wave of ecstasy. She cried out but not in pain; all she knew was that she never wanted it to end. Before she realized it he had positioned himself on top of her and she felt him penetrate her. With every thrust she cried out and held him tighter. His breathing became faster and heavier as he continued to make love to her. 

When it was over he kissed her forehead and held her. Anis had never known such pleasure. She was so lost in the moment that it didn’t even occur to her that the sermon had been about this exact situation. It didn’t occur to her that the timing of it all was oddly synchronistic. They lay entwined for a very long time until the cicadas started and she realized how late it had become. She realized suddenly that when she got home she would be subjected to a very long night of lectures and possible punishing chores. She didn’t care, though. It would be worth it after what she had just experienced. She did know well enough that she could not tell anyone what had just happened. She would simply tell them that she had cried herself to exhaustion and fell asleep. This may even appease her father and if her sister felt any remorse at all about deceiving Anis perhaps she would also let her alone. 

Anis looked into the eyes of the young man who looked back into hers with such emotion that Anis was brought to tears once again. He wiped them away and kissed her cheeks. For the first time, he spoke and told her everything would be alright. He said he would come to her soon. She smiled and they embraced one last time before she rose and began for home. When she reached her farm she found her father pacing madly on the front porch and her sister sitting on a stool crying. As she approached, both looked up and ran toward her. Rather than chastise her they both embraced her. Anis had underestimated how worried they would be. She felt a stab of guilt lying to them about falling asleep but they were more interested in her safe return than the reason for her absence. When she finally crawled into bed she was exhausted. She fell asleep with the face of the young man on her mind. 

The next morning everyone was awakened by cries and yells from the yard. As the family filed out of the house, her father in the lead, Anis could see almost a dozen villagers in the yard and they looked very angry. One of them, the Elder of the village, the only one left after the illness took all the others, came forward and spoke to her father. She could see her father’s face turn ashen. Fear started to run through her as though her bones were brittle and ice. She looked at her siblings and could see that same fear in them. Her father turned and looked at her with such a look that Anis thought she would faint. His eyes looked dark and stormy and suddenly she was afraid. He rushed toward her and grabbed both of her arms and shook her so violently that her brothers had to restrain him. He fell to his knees and began to sob.

As the story spilled from his trembling lips Anis also fell to the ground feeling such a deep sorrow that she had never felt before, not even when her mother had died. The two young men she had met recently were brothers. Unbeknownst to her, the dark-haired one, Charles, had been the eldest and the fair-haired one (Lawrence, as she learned) had been a bit younger. They had both wanted her and had fought over her since the day Charles told Lawrence of their chance meeting in the pasture. This had prompted Lawrence to move faster than he had intended in order to make his claim upon Anis. When Charles heard what had happened from Lawrence he became enraged. Lawrence had told him he intended to ask Anis’ hand in marriage the next morning. The brothers started to fight vehemently. They’re mother was unable to stop them and had run into the village to request assistance. When she returned with a few of the men they came upon a terrible sight. One of the brothers was impaled upon a sharp branch that was protruding from the woodpile. His face was swollen and bloody. The other brother lay upon the ground not far away, clutching at his throat which looked as though it had been cut. A large, bloody knife was on the ground between them. Both brothers were lifeless. They had killed each other for the love of Anis. 

Upon hearing this, Anis began sobbing uncontrollably. She pulled away from her family and began running toward the Lake. The villagers wanted her punished, believing her responsible for their deaths and calling her a murderess. Her sister was crying and trying to tell them it wasn’t the fault of Anis that she didn’t realize the power she had over men. As the villagers chased her, Anis ran ever faster toward the Lake. She reached a point where she could remember jumping in the water with her siblings. She looked back and while she didn’t see them she could hear the men and women from the village approaching. She started to back up and slipped on the embankment. Losing her footing she fell several feet, hit her head on a rock, and slipped under the dark water.  When the villagers arrived they could not find her. They searched the bank thinking that she was hiding. They watched the water to see if she had gone in but she did not surface. 

After a thorough search the villagers abandoned the shore and went back to the farm. Several of the men stayed there for three nights to see if she would return but she did not. Her father aged very quickly after her disappearance and the shame of the family resulted in her siblings having to take her father away where nobody would know of their story. The farm fell into ruin as the roof to the house collapsed and weeds and vines began to dominate the structure.

Now Anis emerges from the Lake every night to walk the woods and the quiet, lonely streets of the village. Her cries can be heard from afar and it sends chills through all who hear them. Occasionally a villager goes missing and witnesses have said they saw the man walking toward the Lake with a beautiful woman with flowing golden hair and a figure so sweet that no man could resist. They say she is a Banshee and when they hear her cries they know that someone will die that night. 

Anis is no longer lonely or sad. She has the souls of the men who worship and follow her to keep her company in her deep, cold domain.