The Woman With Eyes of Fire

Once a young woman went to the market to buy some bread. But the bread seller would not sell to her because he said her eyes shifted like flame, and it would be an ill omen to barter with one so dangerous. Another day, she went to the apothecary for herbs to aid her frazzled mind. Yet, the apothecary refused her gold, for he said he could see her soul through her eyes and it was too fierce. In the same week, the young woman visited the book binder, in hopes of preserving texts long used. The book binder glanced up from his work and shuddered, then waved her away, for he said her eyes were portents too unreasonable for the logic of books.

    The young woman hung her head then, and hid her eyes in the days that followed, her body caved and hollowed in fear that others would turn her away for what they saw.

    She hung her head so much that her spine grew curved. She took to wearing a cloak to cover her curved spine. And so her days passed, bent and cloaked, and fearful lest someone should see the fire burning in her eyes.

    Until the day a young woman passed her by with fire in her eyes. By chance the cloaked now aged woman looked up and saw the flame. It was only a moment's consideration before she threw off her cloak and raced ahead of the young woman as fast as her hunched body could carry her.

    For she knew then that another life need not be wasted, if only she used her own eyes to blaze the path ahead.

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