Editing A Story of the Silent One

''by Noah Pendly''


Introduction 1:

Supposedly Dorgan though it is what was written at the beginning her original diary, and he swears this is not what he wrote.

There is one who has never been known to speak, she is more legend than truth though entirely real. She was born to a witch, who branded her and cursed her, when born, to never talk and never learn to write, but only be freed if thanked for an act of kindness. Her mother would name, and except her the day she was thanked, but no one ever has.

Most of the time the mark on her forehead alone kept people from talking to her, but even when it didn’t, they were never kind, and even less so when she didn’t answer. When she tries to help all, they see is one who has been cursed messing with their things, which to even the least superstitious is an obvious bad omen, and could bring the witch who cursed her down on them. So, time and time again she is screamed at, kicked out, and even attacked in trying to be helpful and kind, but only turned out in one way or another in the end.


Introduction 2: Tricialyn

My name is Trycialyn, this is the story of my life. I am sharing it because we need to unite and not allow witches, curses, and disabilities separate us, or indeed anything even if those aren’t in this story. I have been cursed, as you prolly read above where Dorgan wrote in his introduction to my story. I am only now able to write this or communicate in any way because he freed me of the curse and taught me to write.

Well, I could write before, but people could not read my writing, I was cursed to only write in dead languages. So, I am now translating my journal from a variety of dead languages to the common tongue.

Day 1: Tricialyn (it will remain so until otherwise specified)

I am pretty excited, I finally got something to write with. So, I have decided that I will keep a journal if only to keep myself sane, though only I, myself, will be able to read it.  Not much else other than mine finding this book happened today though, so bye!!!

Day 2:

So, reading the first and only entry not from me in the diary I learned about my curse, which explains why I have never been understood and everyone seems to hate me. I still don’t understand why they should hate me though it does make more sense. So here marks the start of my quest, I must get someone to thank me, whatever they may be thanking me for.

Day 3:

So….today I went to the market thinking surely there would be someone there who would need help with something, but I regress, it was not worthwhile, I was screamed at, kicked, punched, thrown out, and cursed in eight languages, yet no one said a kind word. So now I just hope I think of something better tomorrow.

Day 4:

Well, I tried the tavern today, but I was rejected very strongly and only just came out of my stupor from the beating I got in being ejected. Today was not better.

Day 5:

Today I tried a more subtle approach, I went to a farmer’s house and collected his hen’s eggs, I was going to put them by the back door, but the maid came in as I was collecting them, and I got a bucket to the head for my efforts.

Day 6:

I went back to that farmers house, but this time I was more watchful, and decided the coup was too enclosed and I needed something I could do while having a way out if someone came along, so this time I decided to milk their cows. But it turns out that it is much harder than it looks to milk a cow, all I succeeded in doing was irritating that cow. (It turned out later to not be a milk cow but that’s beside the point)

Day 7: 

So…I went back yet again, now knowing that they keep the milk cows somewhere else I tried again there. I was successful in milking the cows, but when the maid found the milk on the porch she started cursing about how they aren’t supposed to be milked on Tuesdays, so I must have made a mistake.

Message: Still Tricialyn 

I am going to skip over most of the next the next 200 0r so entries in the next year spent journaling about the days spent failing to break my curse, but I will just pop in a few eventful ones then get on with the story.

Day 32:

Today I took a big step tward freedom, but then, sadly, freedom took a huge leap away from me. I woke up early today and picked three dozen apples and left them on the doorstep of that poor family on Linger Road, then I hid in the brush and waited til they came out and found them. Their young daughter was the first to come out, and she ran back in and brought her mother out. Then when her mother came out she saw them and began to pray thanking the lord. Sadly this didn’t count as I am not the lord.

Day 64:

The guy under the well wrote a message in the bucket thanking me for the food I leave for him, but it seems my curse doesn’t accept a written thank you as freedom.

Day 83:

Today was unfruitful as before, but it gave me inspiration. I realized that I could cover my forehead and not be as easily recognized as accursed.

Sidenote: Tricialyn

Covering my face allowed me to avoid as much violence in my confrontations, but it sadly also made me more conspicuous in addition to my not speaking, it unsettled most people, and few would even glance at me.

Day 142:

I swept the porch of the sheriff’s office, but he asked my name then got distracted by someone walking by and didn’t get back to it because I couldn’t get his attention. Then the person talking to them said I was cursed and the conversation ended...

Day 182:

Today my bandanna fell over my eyes and I stumbled into someone’s table. But they didn’t curse me or even push me away, they just apologized. But I still couldn’t say anything so I ended up leaving, but I am going to look for that guy again.

Side note: Dorgan

I was that guy, I was quite surprised when I saw that she was marked, but I thought: who knows who made the mark, and it could have been for any reason. So why should I avoid them and treat them badly? I then decided that I wouldn’t but would wait to see if she showed reason to be cursed.

Day 216:

His house!! I found it!!! He lives on Norbert Street in the third right building down the street from Main. Tomorrow I will think about how I can help.

Side note: Tricialyn

He was the first person I met who didn’t instantly attack or diss me. So, don’t blame me for being excited.

Day 217: 

So today I spent my time trying to figure out how what I could do that this guy might appreciate, in the end the only thing I came to was cooking dinner, everything in his house was pristine, and there wasn’t much to do…

Side note: Dorgan

I did notice that she was hanging around my house…but I couldn’t think of what to do or say to her about it…so I just left it…

Day 218: Tricialyn

So today while he was out for the afternoon I snuck into his house and made a big dinner, but then when he came back he had two other people with him, who appeared to be his parents, so I snuck out the back door.

Day 218: Dorgan

When I came in today, I expected to find an empty house, but I got there to find my parents sitting on the porch…so I brought them in despite being completely unprepared for their arrival. But when I came in, I found a hot meal on the table, though I swear it was not there when I left and I have no idea how it got there. I didn’t know what to do with it though, so I pretended to my parents that it was expected though it really baffled me.

Day 219: Tricialyn

So, I got up my courage today…and I went and knocked on his door…He must have made the connection when I did because he asked if I was the one who made his dinner the other day. I nodded my head because that’s as much communication as I am able to make. AND HE THANKED ME!!!! NOWWWW I AMMMM FRREEEEEEEE!!!!! I tried to thank him..but my throat wouldn’t form the words after 15 years of making none. So I ended up sleeping on the couch that night still having not got a sensible word out yet.

Day 219: Dorgan

This morning when I found that girl on my doorstep…I really didn’t know what to think, but then I thought about the food yesterday and realized it must have been her. So I asked her, I was a little surprised she didn’t answer out loud but I thanked her anyway. (Which apparently freed her from a curse.) She didn’t say much but had racking coughs and tried to speak but couldn’t so I brought her in and got her water. She wasn’t able to say anything understandable but she tried, eventually I offered her the couch and went to bed.

Day 220: Tricialyn

I woke up the next morning, and though my voice was croaky it did work, and I was able to explain in part how I ended up in my predicament. I don’t know how much he believed but I think he at least listened. Afterwards he offered to teach me to write, which I gladly accepted.

Day 220: Dorgan

In the morning her voice worked, I was at least able to understand most of what she said. Though it was beyond my comprehension how it could possibly be real. When she finished I decided to humor her and offer to teach her to write. She quickly agreed, and wanted to do it as quickly as possible. So I planned to teach her the next day.

Afterword: Tricialyn

So that is how I learned to write and started to translate my journal. From here I hope to write more.
[[Category:Short Stories]]