The Unicorn

One sunny morning, I heard what sounded like the silent song of a Unicorn. Intrigued, I followed the melody to the meadows at the bottom of my garden.

And there she stood; a Unicorn, powerful and beautiful and majestic with a big golden horn and a body that glittered with moon dust.

"Could this be really be a unicorn?" I thought.

I was transfixed. I knew it would be dangerous but I just had to be sure. So I stepped a bit closer and shouted, 

"Hello"

"Hello" she said and smiled.

With my heart racing, I smiled back. Slowly, I took another step. 

"May I stroke your mane?" I asked.

"No, but you can touch my tail" she replied as she flicked her tail out far behind her towards me. 

My heart jumped again. I stretched out and touched her tail. Sprinkles of moon dust danced around my eyes and there and then I fell in love. I wanted to get closer, maybe stroke it again, but the Unicorn sensed my thoughts and pulled her tail away with a powerful movement that hurt my hand. 

"Sorry" she said," but I can only be friends with a fair virgin maiden and I will hurt anyone that tries to come near. My maiden has gone away but will be back to be with me soon."

A sharp pain filled my heart for I am not a fair virgin maiden and the Unicorn already had a friend. I went away sad with a scar on my hand. 

Time passed but the moon dust still sparkled on my fingers and my ears rang with the silent calling song of the Unicorn. 

So sunrise after sunrise, I followed the melody down to the meadow at the bottom of my garden. Sometimes the Unicorn was there and sometimes she wasn't. Sometimes we would laugh and sing and dance, and sometimes, for what felt like an eternity, the Unicorn would turn her head and pretend not to notice me while she wept for her fair virgin maiden. Everyday I would leave with a new scar, each one deeper and more painful than the last. Often, I vowed never to go back, but the calling song would grow louder and stronger until I was weak and had to return. The moon dust was spreading around me, it sparkled brightly, urging me to go on. 

I had read that befriending a Unicorn was no easy task. I read that unless you were a fair virgin maiden, if you got too close, they would use their tails to toss you high into the sky & then pierce you in the heart with their horns as you came crashing down.

But my Unicorn never did this to me, instead she sang her silent calling song, and let me stroke her tail.  

"No-one can befriend a Unicorn better than me" I thought. "I'll be the best friend she's ever had".

Things were going well & there was no sign of the fair virgin maiden. The Unicorn stopped weeping & even promised to try not to hurt me when we played. I saw my scars as the price I'd have to pay to get my Unicorn and accepted them without complaining. Besides, the moon dust, (that now covered my whole body), and her silent song seemed to soothe the pain. 

Then one day, when I went as usual to the meadow at the bottom of the garden, the Unicorn wasn't there. And I knew that the fair virgin maiden had come back. 

I sat in the meadow and waited, maybe I was wrong and the Unicorn was in danger? Frightened, I called out to the Unicorn and I heard her gentle silent song call back, so I waited some more. Twenty moons passed like this and then she came.

'It is true' she said, 'my fair virgin maiden has come back and I no longer have time to laugh and sing and dance with you. I am sorry but you can never be my friend for you are not a fair virgin maiden.' 

With those last words I tried to run away, but she turned and flicked her tail to get me to stop. It lashed me so hard that I spun around and as she bent her head to look at me, she pierced my heart with her horn. 

I could see she was sad, but she said nothing for that is what Unicorns do. 

Her fair virgin called out so she quickly galloped off to laugh and sing and dance with her. The moon dust flittered away like the butterflies leaving me with only my scars and a pain in my heart.

Sometimes, I still hear the silent calling song of the Unicorn and my scars start to ache, especially the one on my heart. But this time I know to stay away. You cannot be friends with a Unicorn, unless you are a fair virgin maiden.

Peace & Love

xx

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