The Tale of the Taxidermist's Stag
In the quaint village of Willow's End, where the fog rolls thick and the air holds the whisper of ancient tales, there lives an old storyteller known by the name of Ewan. On one particularly eerie night, with a waning crescent moon hanging low and the willows swaying mournfully in the wind, Ewan summoned the villagers with a knowing glint in his eye. As the townsfolk gathered in huddles, their eyes reflected the blazing fire, he started.
"In the throes of Willow's End, where shadows grow long and secrets nestle in the roots of the age-old trees, there resided a man of peculiar demeanor, a taxidermist named Harold Roe. His shop, if one dared call it that, was an abode where life and death danced in the stillness, where glass eyes reflected souls long gone. Now gather around and hear how the fate of Harold intertwined with that of our very own village in a way that would churn the blood of the bravest of men."
Everyone leaned in closer to the fire, the flames crackling and popping as if to punctuate the tension that Ewan's words spun into the night air.
"Harold was ever so meticulous with his craft; the townsfolk would often say his creations seemed almost too lifelike. It was as if, they whispered, he breathed life into them himself. It wasn't but a year ago, under the eye of the harvest moon, that a curious incident befell our village."
"Two brothers, young William and Thomas, had ventured into the forest at dusk, a time when the wise would keep to their hearths. Enticed by tales of a legendary stag, boasting antlers that touched the sky, they sought fame and fortune. Yet, by midnight, only Thomas returned, babbling of shadows that whispered and a dread that clung to his very bones. William, his younger sibling, was claimed by the forest."
A shiver ran through the crowd, for it was a tale known to all, a loss that etched a scar upon the heart of the village.
"It was in the wake of such tragedy that Harold announced his most ambitious piece, the great stag, the very spirit of the forest, in honor of young William. But a vile rumor started to spread like a weed, vile and insidious. They said Harold ventured out that same night and witnessed the boy's fate, and in the throes of madness or devilry, struck a deal with the forest itself."
Ewan paused, his voice a mere whisper, "The heart of a boy for the soul of a stag."
One could hear the rustle of leaves outside and the faintest echo of an owl in the distance. The villagers sat rooted to their spots, entranced.
"Weeks turned to months, and the stag was ready to be unveiled. The village tiptoed between dread and anticipation. Harold remained secluded, the door of his shop locked, the windows draped. It was the eve of All Hallows', a time when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest, that Harold emerged. His eyes, hollow and deep, spoke of unspeakable things.
He invited the village to witness his masterpiece. As the hands of the clock aligned at the witching hour, the doors creaked open. There it stood, the majestic stag, its coat a myriad of autumn's palette, eyes like pools of the deepest forest. But something was awry. A hush fell upon the crowd as they circled the creature, for it stood too proud, too fervent. A soft sigh escaped its nostrils, and its sides heaved ever so slightly."
Gasps echoed from the villagers gathered in the circle, hanging on Ewan's every word.
"Harold's laughter sliced through the stillness, deranged and triumphant. 'The great stag lives,' he exclaimed, 'a vessel for young William's heart!'
"Now remember well, my dear kin, for no one saw Harold Roe from that day forth. Some say he was consumed by his grotesque creation, others, that the earth reclaimed him for his treacherous deed."
"Each year, as All Hallows' Eve approaches, the legend of the stag resurfaces. Travelers speak of seeing a creature with antlers scraping the heavens, eyes aglow with human longing. As for the stag in Harold's shop?"
Ewan leaned in, voice taut as a bowstring. "It disappeared without a trace."
"It is said that if one listens closely on a night such as this, with the wind whistling through the willows, a staggering echo of hooves can be heard, and a boy's soft whispering amidst the trees."
The fire sputtered, casting long shadows as the villagers sat in silence. The tale had woven its spell, leaving a thread of unease that would linger through the night and beyond. Ewan had once again affirmed his place, not just as a storyteller, but as a keeper of the village's darkest folklore.
And outside, where the fog caressed the land, an imperceptible rustle stirred in the underbrush, as if the very tale Ewan wove was alive, breathing alongside the mortals who dared remember it.
