Shivers 7 by Richard Chizmar

Author:Richard Chizmar
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Cemetery Dance Publications
Published: 2014-11-19T00:00:00+00:00

Beholder

Graham Masterton

“Once upon a time in a faraway land a princess was born who was so beautiful that nobody was allowed to look at her for fear that they would be so jealous that they would try to harm her.

“She was so beautiful, in fact, that nobody could paint her portrait because the paints would burst into flames as soon as they were applied to the canvas, and no mirrors could be hung in the palace because they would shatter into a thousand thousand pieces if she were to look into them.

“The beautiful princess had many servants, but they were all blinded before they were allowed into her presence by having their eyes spooned out of their sockets.”

Mummy had read Fiona that story so many times that Fiona knew every word of it by heart, and her lips used to move in silent accompaniment whenever Mummy read it. She loved it, because it made sense of her life. She would sit cross-legged on the end of her bed with the windows open, her eyes closed, feeling the sun on her face and listening to the chirruping of sparrows in the garden below. The garden into which she was never allowed to go further than the patio, in case one of the neighbors saw her, and were so envious of her beauty that they climbed over the fence and tried to disfigure her, or even kill her.

Mummy closed the book. It wasn’t a proper printed book, but an exercise book with a purple marbled cover and the story of the beautiful princess had been written by hand. Fiona thought that Mummy was beautiful, although she knew that she herself was even more beautiful. At least Mummy could go out and meet other people, without them shouting at her or chasing her down the street or throwing acid in her face, which Fiona knew would happen to her, if she ventured beyond the front door.

It was a warm morning in the middle of May, and Mummy came into Fiona’s room and said, “Why don’t you take Rapunzel into the garden, Fee-fee? I have to go to the shops and it’s such a nice day.”

Rapunzel was Fiona’s doll, which Mummy had made for her. Rapunzel had a completely blank face, with no eyes or nose or mouth, but she had very long fair hair, like Rapunzel in the fairy-story, who had been locked up in a tower by an evil enchantress. When she had first given Rapunzel to her, Fiona had asked why she didn’t have a face, and Mummy had said, “You don’t need a beautiful face to be beautiful. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

“Who’s The Beholder?” Fiona asked her.

“Anyone who looks at you. Anyone at all. They’re all beholders.”

* * *

Mummy called out, “‘Bye, darling, won’t be long!” and Fiona heard her close the front door behind her.

Fiona picked up Rapunzel from her pillow, where she had been lying between Paddington Bear and Barbie. She went downstairs and out through the kitchen door, onto the York stone patio.

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