Two Doves

Author's preface: Out of context this story may seem more than a bit unusual. Even in context it may seem that way but for the context see here.

I met two doves the other day at the pond. They said they liked my eyes. I thanked them for the compliment and prepared to head home when one of the doves looked at me and said. "You must marry a rabbit." "Marry a rabbit?" I asked quizzically, puzzled by this strange command. "Yes, a rabbit. You must find a white rabbit and marry it. And you must do so before the sun sets three days hence." it replied in an earnest and serious tone. "And If I do not?" "If you do not, you will die before sunrise the next day." Upon hearing this goosebumps broke out upon my skin all over my body. Or, they would have, had I had any skin remaining. Unfortunately a witch had cursed me many years ago for picking apples from her favorite apple tree, causing my skin to dissolve from the neck down. Thus the goosebumps were confined to my face, but I still felt a cold chill and I knew the dove spoke the truth. Not wishing to die, that same evening I wed a rabbit in holy matrimony. I wore a lovely white transparent flowing gown which accentuated my skeletal features. The rabbit wore only its fur but seemed genuinely happy to have found such a beautiful wife. I was content and thought the dove's warning had been avoided until the very next day when I came upon two black ravens in the woods whilst eating yet another apple. This apple had not come from a witch's tree but instead had come from the grocery store on Elm street where I often purchased produce and meats and sometimes had nightmares featuring a burnt man with steel claws and a striped sweater. He told me his name was Robert and that he was a classicly trained actor who had once auditioned for the role of someone named Han Solo and another person named Luke Skywalker, but that he had not gotten either part. In his dismay he had set himself on fire and now stalked the dreams of local adolescents using his training as a classical actor to frighten them away from any ideas they might have of becoming actors or actresses themselves. "Look what became of me" he would tell them as they gazed upon his horrible visage.

When I told the two black ravens that I had married a rabbit they both mocked me. Quoth one of the ravens "stupidwhore." I was shocked and angered by this foul mouthed abusive bird and stormed off in a huff. Later when I told my friend Edgar about the encounter he looked at me and smiled. "That gives me an idea," he said, then ran off in haste. I quickly put the raven and my friend Edgar out of my mind so that I might focus on preparations for my date that evening with my new husband. We were to attend a neighborhood ball and planned to drink and dance the night away in merriment. Unfortunately when I returned home I found him dead. Rabbits do not live long lives but I had hoped for more than two days and now my date was ruined. Suddenly an idea sparked in my mind. I can still attend the ball with my husband. It was a masquerade and I had yet to decide what mask I would wear. I will simply skin him and use his face as my mask. The ball was everything I had hoped it would be but I tire quickly on account of the lack of skin from the neck down and so only stayed until 9pm whereupon I retired home to sleep. I nestled down for the night with Frog and my two cats, Mynos and Mythos. The two cats adore me and when they had seen me donning a mask for the ball they decided they would do the same had also found masks for themselves. They sure looked silly, but very cute, and kind of freaky. Like scary freaky not sexy freaky.

That night I dreamed that I had become a porcelain doll. In the dream I had fallen asleep while reading a book called The Medal. I had never heard of it yet strangely I knew that it was published twice a year, in Spring and Autumn, and included articles on historical and contemporary medals, book reviews, international news items, and information on medals currently available from the British Art Medal Society. I also knew with great certainty that it was read in Europe, the United States, and around the world, by artists, collectors, art historians, and many others, and is retained for reference. Also that a section of advertisements was included at the back of each edition. It is little wonder I had fallen asleep in my dream as it really sounded dreadfully dull. The sleeping porcelain doll that I dreamed of as myself also dreamed. It dreamed of two witches, one of which was the witch from which I had stolen an apple which had resulted in the loss of my skin, which I very much regretted. She looked at me and in her evil cackely witch voice said. "It is you, the thief. I took your skin with a curse. Now I curse you again. You shall grow to ten feet high and will never fit within your doll house." The dreaming porcelain doll screamed and awoke. Her scream caused me to awaken and both dreams ended. I rose from bed, put my house key upon a chain around my neck. Scooped out my brain and prepared to start another day. A little older, and a lot wiser.

THE END.