Hi! Okay, so this is my first contest entry for YWS. You can find the contest details here: http://www.youngwriterssociety.com/topic70773.html So, here it is! This is actually meant to be read in the order it's wrote, but read it either way as it can get a bit confusing!
Long ago in the land of Persia....
A young woman stood at a lonely bus stop.
there was a handsome young merchant
It was completely dark except for the cellphone light that was only slightly muffled by the womans hair as she bent over it to text.
He was rich as well. Enough so for every young woman's father to offer their daughter's to be the merchant's bride.
She was unaware of the eyes watching her from the shadows.
But the young merchant refused them all.
She heard a low growl behind her.
For he had a secret...
She turned her head, straining her eyes to see into the dark alley.
he had made a deal with a sorceress.
She saw nothing. But not quite satisfied, she took a few steps closer.
The merchant had wished for the riches of a dragon,
She sucked in a sharp breath as a pair of glowing blue eyes appeared out of the shadows.
the beauty of a lion,
The eyes watched her with a steady gaze, urging her forward.
The mysterious allure of a bat,
Her feet moved without her command.
And lastly... the deadly power of a scorpion.
"W-who's there?" She called, willing herself to stop.
The sorceress granted the young merchant these things, but with a price.
There was no answer, just the strange blue eyes holding her own.
The sorceress warned the young merchant that if he ever professed his love to a woman in any way, his gift would multiply tenfold.
Suddenly the eyes melted away, and the young woman was overcome with an odd desperation.
At first, the merchant was overjoyed by this news, but then the sorceress continued:
"You already had all you needed, and you wished for more. Because of your greed, you may never tell your feelings to a woman. If you do so, your gift will multiply tenfold. In a way you will regret. Forever.
"Wait!" She called, running into the alley, using her cellphone for her light.
So to protect himself, the young merchant refused to speak with any woman and spent his time using his gifts to attract customers and add to his already large fortune. He used his power to impress many of Persia's high class residents.
A chill came over her, and she pulled her jacket tight against her body.
But one day, a beautiful young woman stopped at his stall. Immediately, he was entranced.
The young woman walked down the alley, scanning the area.
Everyday, she would come in the ruse of wishing to buy something, and each day they talked for hours on end.
Soon the young woman reached the end of the alley. Seeing nothing, she turned.
Soon the young man began to fall for the woman.
She froze at the sound of flapping wings.
The merchant was filled with horror at this realization, and pleaded with the woman to stop coming to see him.
The sense of wonder and enchantment that had originally held her fled to be replaced with terror.
But the beautiful woman asked why, and when the young man refused to tell her, she refused to stop coming.
The young woman's heart began to beat against her chest, and she turned to run.
Because of this, the woman returned each day, and wrapped the young merchant's heart tighter around her finger each day.
Suddenly, she was pushed back by an unknown force. She sailed through the air and slammed against the alley wall.
One day, the beautiful woman didn't make an appearance.
She crumpled into a heap at the bottom of the wall, the air crushed from her lungs.
At first, the merchant was relieved. But as the day wore on he grew more and more worried.
Finally able to catch her breath, the young woman stood on shaky legs.
Unable to wait any longer, the merchant ordered his assistant to watch the stall.
She bent down and searched for her phone, intent on calling for help.
The merchant walked up and down the streets, questioning people about a lovely young woman. But none had seen her before.
Sensing something wrong, the young woman lifted her head too late. She screamed as a sharp blade dug itself into her lower back.
Confused, the young merchant continued asking until he reached an elderly man.
The young woman collapsed to the ground, her blood dripping down the sides of her back, warm and sticky.
The elderly man nodded and told him where to find her. With his heart in his throat, he followed the old man's directions.
The young woman lay flat on her stomach, her breathing shallow.
The young merchant stopped in front of an old, run down shack.
She struggled to a sitting position just as her phone began ringing, lighting the alley in a ghostly blue glow.
The young merchant knocked hesitantly on the door and waited. Moments later, the beautiful woman's face appeared in the doorway.
The young woman crawled slowly to the phone. Picking it up, she heard her father's voice. Immediately tears began to roll down her face as she explained to her father what was happening.
His face split into a huge grin and he pulled his love into a hug.
"Daddy...I'm scared." She said. Suddenly a wave of nausea rolled over her, and she grabbed her stomach, gasping.
The young man's face suddenly contorted in pain. He pulled the woman away, and his eyes widened.
She hung up the phone with the promise he would be there as soon as possible with the police.
The sorceress stood before him, a wicked grin on her face.
Slowly, she crawled toward the street,her sweat and tears intertwining and flowing down her face. Her body shook, and her heart beat wildly. Suddenly she was crushed into the ground, blades digging into her back.
The merchant pushed her back in shock. Suddenly he felt a terrible pain in his back. He fell to his knees with a gasp.Very faintly, he heard the sorceress's voice.
The young woman screamed as her blood washed over her, squeezing past the blades. In the distance, she heard the sound of sirens.
"The feet of a dragon..." She said, as scales covered his hands, and they grew huge.
She struggled against the fog that had began to cloud her mind, as her blood pooled around her, reaching her hands.
"...the body of a lion," fur sprouted over the young mans body, and he watched as the ground fell away from him.
Red and blue blobs filled her vision as she felt the blood stop suddenly, and new blades rip the flesh away from her back.
"the wings of a bat..." The young merchant roared as a huge splitting pain centered around two areas in his back. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the looming black wings.
Fatigue washed over the woman, and she closed her eyes, the pain suddenly seeming distant.
"and finally...the deadly, poisonous tail of a scorpion!" The sorceress cackled as a huge tail sprouted from the young merchant's lower back.
She felt a calm warmness wash over her, and she let the fingers of sleep pull her in.
The pain stopped, and the young merchant looked down at the sorceress. He gave a low growl and lifted his paw. The sorceress lifted her hand and he froze. "My newest creation. My young manticore. You shall live forever in this state." She smiled at him, and smoke curled around her body. She was gone. And the young merchant was trapped in the beasts body.
The manticore licked his chops and looked at the flashing lights. He saw bright yellow lights coming his way. Quickly, he unfurled his huge wings and flew out of the alley, leaving the bits that were left of the woman behind for the police.
The townspeople that were left screamed at the sight of this newly transformed creature and ran. The manticore growled, the sight of the running people enticing him. He roared and ran after the closest one.
The manticore landed in front of a large cave. He stepped in and curled himself into a small ball. He lay there on the cold cave floor until sleep took him back into his dreams, back to the land of Persia.
Thank you for reading! Please review below!
