Have you ever had a collection? One so prized that you would hide it away from the world? Or are you immune to such a thing? Perhaps you would share you're prized collection, and let the world marvel and awe at its uniqueness. To be envied and praised with lavish gifts just to have a mere glimpse at your collection.
If you are perhaps the ladder, you will be very much like our friend, Parker Watts.
A man of wealth from the moment he was born, sought out all kinds of glorious or sometimes horrific oddities. He collected rare things, be it gems, art, clothes, jewelry, or any object that could be found with some significance, Parker Watts would be there to claim it.
Unlike most, Parker loved to show off the many oddities he has collected over the years, with a small fee of course. He would woo the crowd with regaling stories about his many ventures to collect all these marvelous oddities, and many people clamored at the opportunity to be invited to one of his many showings. However, he was a difficult man to satisfy.
Although his collection had grown exponentially over the years, he had yet to find his 'crown jewel'. Meaning, he had yet to find an object worthy enough to be his prized possession. He had searched the continent over and followed any rumor he could but to no avail. He was lackluster over it. Spending hours wondering if there was anything in this world that he could make his crown jewel.
To his surprise, he at last found a rumor that piqued his interest, and from none other than his close friend James Noter.
James Noter was a fellow Parker had met some time ago in a small village. James had been away seeking his fortune in the East when he heard a particular rumor and thought of the man who collected many things, Parker Watts.
"Well, if it isn't my rather absent friend James Watts! What a pleasure it is to see that mug of yours!" Parker couldn't help but tease James, as many years had passed since the two were under the same roof again.
"Now now, it's not just me running off all the time is it dear fellow? Someone tends to be absent from home much more often than I" James hugged Parker and the two shared a much-needed laugh over the whole ordeal. However, the pleasantries can only last so long.
"There is a reason I come to you now my friend, and with great urgency, I might add, for I am unsure how long this rumor will be creditable." James pulled a map of the Continent from his satchel and placed it on the table along with a notebook.
"What is all this James? What rumor are you speaking of?"
"Not too long ago, a ship docked in my town in the East, the sailors were all spooked telling stories of the Moons Jewel." Parker's eyes widened, he had heard of this jewel, but there was such little information that the trail went cold after too long. "I couldn't resist wanting to know more, so I talked to the captain of the ship and he told me this,"
'Aye, the Moon Jewel is real alright, just down the coast in the south cape there's a small coastal town named Lux, that there is where the Jewel resides, but be warned, that Jewel will consume you the moment it has the chance!'
James paused in his speech, pulling out a magnifying glass to show Parker the town the captain spoke of.
"This nowhere of a townhouses the Moon Jewel? That's preposterous James, even I wouldn't be so easily fooled by a superstitious captain."
"Parker, wait. I went there myself." James had a look of distraught on his face, almost puzzlement at his findings. As if he wasn't sure what to believe either.
"And?"
"Well, it looks like the captain wasn't lying, but I didn't find the Jewel. I tried but those locals are very tight-lipped about it for some reason, I couldn't get them to answer a single question!" Parker was intrigued. A famous Jewel no one had seen and now a town no one had heard of trying to keep it a secret? To Parker, something didn't quite add up. James' frustration aside, it seemed unlikely no one would answer the dear fellow's questions, especially about a mythical Jewel that may or may not exist.
"Alright James, you convinced me. It seems I will have to look into the mystery myself." James smiled slightly, the corners of his mouth twitching with anticipation.
"Great, then it's settled, my friend! When shall you depart?" James smiled rather innocently.
"Oh? You won't be accompanying me to Lux?"
"No, my apologies Parker but I must head back East. My business here as concluded." With that, the two departed separately and without hesitation. Parker rode to the South Cape where Lux was said to be and James, well, he went his direction.
A week had passed, and Parker had finally arrived in Lux. It was well hidden to his surprise, with no main roads in or out, and surrounded by dense forest on one side and cliffs on the seaside. There was a small beach that stretched in the front of the town housing its ports where ships of all sizes were stationed here and there.
The townspeople were busy at work, buying and selling trinkets and foods, families farming or collecting materials, and children running amok playing silly games of tag or hide and seek. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Parker found himself wondering how such a town was lost to the rest of the world with barely a presence on an average map.
'Actually' Parker thought for a moment, 'How did James get a map with Lux on it? I couldn't buy one anywhere...'
"Woah, watch out!" A small child of maybe seven ran into Parker.
"Are you okay miss?" Parker smiled down at the little girl and reached a hand out to help her up. The older boy who called out to the girl before ran up and slapped Parker's hand away. With a glare in Parker's direction, he pulled the little girl up and they hurried away. At this point, Parker was surprised, to say the least. He had never had his hand so rudely smacked away and by a child at that had him very puzzled indeed. As Parker looked around he noticed many eyes watching him suspiciously. Faint whispers roamed around the field and its people. Feeling an uneasiness he hadn't felt before, he hurried along to find the nearest Inn the town had.
It didn't take long for Parker to find an Inn and rent a room, but the feeling he had earlier about the town not being thrilled by his presence was more noticeable than ever. Eyes followed him with each step he took and each purchase he made. None of the towns folk would talk to him unless they had to and each interaction was more rude than the last. James had it right, this town was unwilling to answer any questions, regardless of what they may be.
Parker, feeling exhausted after three days of searching and asking around decided to get away from the prying eyes for a while and go to the beach. At this point, the journey felt like a waste. Despite his interest being piqued he wasn't getting anywhere with the townsfolk.
"Well, it looks like I'll head back empty-handed after all." He sighed heavily at the thought of the Moon Jewel being lost to rumor once again. "At this rate, I will be long gone by the time someone gets the Moon Jewel." He probably didn't realize he spoke aloud, or if he did he assumed that he was alone. However, a small little voice spoke back to his surprise.
"I know that jewel." A little boy, maybe six popped up from behind Parker startling him a great deal.
"Y-You know about the Moons Jewel!?" Parker, still shocked by the child was more shocked that this very child had knowledge others refused to share.
"I do, mama told me allllll about that thing!" Parker clasped his hands around the child's hands, he was desperate to have any kind of information even from the mouth of a child.
"Do you think you could tell me what your mama told you, my lad?" The boy nodded with vigor and began his tale.
"Mama said, awhile ago a man fell in love with a mermaid, and they had a baby together from their love. The baby was born during a full moon and the moon blessed the baby with his light. The baby's hair turned white and her eyes red. But the town thought the union between man and mermaid was unholy so they chased away the mermaid and locked the little girl away on the cliffside." The little boy's voice grew softer as he began to look around nervously, he whispered, "they say the little girl grew up, and now she lures men to her cliff and eats them!"
Parker wasn't sure how to react, if this boy was telling the truth then the Moon Jewel was a person, and not only a person but a hybrid between a human and mermaid. That all seemed very unlikely.
Parker began to laugh, as if coming all this way and being outcasted wasn't enough but now a child dares to tell lies to his face. This rudeness had been quite enough for Parker's taste.
"Nevermind child, be gone." Parker turned his back to the boy unwilling to play along any further.
"I'm tellin' the truth!" The boy stomped his foot on the sand with a look of anger piercing his eyes. "Mama said never lie! I don't lie Mr!"
Parker examined the boy's face, it was true that during his story Parker couldn't find a trace of fraud, he had seen and dealt with many people, enough to know when someone was lying. Yet that wasn't enough,
"You may not be a lair child, but it seems that fact doesn't extend to your mother." This comment made the boy erupt with anger.
"My mama ain't no lair either Mr! I can even prove it!" The boy huffed in anger but Parker was surprised, how could this child prove his mother's words weren't a lie?
"Then prove it boy, show me your mother is worthy of your trust." The small child took Parker's hand and led him to the opposite side of the beach. A large cliff blocked their path any further. "Well this isn't much proof child-"
"Shhh- she will hear you..." the boy's voice was low and he was looking up at the edge of the cliff. Parker too arched his head forward to see the edge only to be surprised by a woman sitting on the edge. She was a true sight to behold, snow white hair, skin as pale as fresh milk, and eyes red as rubies, this was a true gem in Parker's eyes. To say the least, he was smitten.
The sun began to sink below the horizon and the small boy began to panic.
"We need to go Mr, it'll be dark soon." Parker wasn't so oblivious that he couldn't see the distress in the child's face, however, the urge to watch the woman was a strong one.
"Go child, I think I shall stay awhile longer..."
"No! Mr, you really can't stay longer. Once the moon comes out you'll be in big trouble!" The boy was frantic, pulling Parker's coat tails in an attempt to make him leave.
"What is it that makes the night so dangerous child? Is this simply not a woman basking in the moonlight?" Parker was sure something was up, first, the town refused to talk about anything and now the child was frantic at the thought of the moon rising. "Just what exactly is going on here?"
The boy looked down not meeting Parker's eyes. He bit his lower lip as if the truth was about to burst out of his mouth at any moment. "Just tell me, child, what is it that happens at night?"
"She sings!" The truth burst from his mouth loudly, perhaps more so than he anticipated.
Parker was stunned, "She....sings?"
"Yes! She sings the devil's songs and lures men to the cliff's edge to eat them up!" The boy's eyes flickered with fear as he looked up at the cliffside once more. Parker couldn't tell if this was just a childish fear or not but he could tell from looking at the boy that the fear was real.
"Okay, let's go." Parker stood from their position and started down the beach. He noted the child's relief and figured he could come back later without the boy to see if there was credit to this outrageous rumor.
Parker took the child back to where they had first met and the two departed to the separate dwellings. Parker retired to his room and began to write a letter to his dear friend James.
"Dear James,
It is quite a surprise to say that I think I have found the origin of the rumors surrounding the Mooms Jewel.
It was rather difficult I must say, as not a single villager would confess any details regarding the rumor, that is until I met a young boy. He told me an interesting tale of love and loss. Superstition-driven rumors it seems.
I will regale my full tale to you once I have discovered the truth behind this origin.
Sincerely,
P. Watts"
He quickly sent the letter to the local office to be delivered before climbing into bed and revising his new plan to find the truth.
The next evening Parker set out for the cliff.
It should be said that Parker Watts was not a superstitious man. He believed in logic, reason, and fact. He did believe there was some truth to the old wives' tale the boy had told him, however, mermaids and cannibalism seemed far from the truth. This woman was albino, which in itself was a rarity. It was no surprise to Parker that this backwoods town would come up with such superstitious ideas about the albino girl.
Parker was now crouched beneath the cliffside where he had first seen the woman. The moon had just peaked into the night sky and as it began basking the land in its ghostly hue the albino woman appeared beneath it. She looked more radiant than Parker originally remembered. Her snow-white hair looked ghostly flowing around her in the night breeze, her pale skin reflected the moonlight making her look luminescent, and even her ruby red eyes seemed deeper and brighter than before.
Parker was utterly mesmerized by her beauty. He had seen albino before but not like the woman. As he watched her with great intensity, she began to sing. Her melody was unlike anything Parker ever experienced. Her tune was so sad and full of loneliness, it almost felt like a secret prayer to the moon itself, a tune only the gods could truly understand. As her song progressed, she began to dance. She swayed her body from side to side in step with the melody she sang. Her hair twisted and unnaturally floated around her. Parker felt his chest ache, he wanted to save this woman from her sorrows so badly he found himself emerging from his hidden spot to seek out the woman's attention. However, just as he did she jumped from the cliffside into the cold dark sea below.
Parker was beside himself with worry, so much so that he too plunged into the dark depths after the mysterious woman. He wadded out till he couldn't touch the ground beneath him with his eyes solely fixated on the spot where she landed. As he got closer her melody could be heard but suppressed under the water. He could barely make out her brilliant white hair as he came upon her. His heart beat wildly in his chest as the woman emerged from the dark depths and met his gaze. The moment their eyes met he fell deeply under her spell, unable to move or speak to her, only gazing into her deep red eyes. The woman smiled softly wrapping her arms around Parker's neck. She began singing her tune again swaying both her and Parker gently in the water. Parker felt euphoric, he felt like for the first time in his life he was where he needed to be. Just as the feeling was at its peak the woman embraced Parker tight and pulled him under the dark waters. All was silent as the two disappeared into the night without a single witness to what had transpired.
The next morning, the young boy who had helped Parker wandered the beach. His mother and some other villagers were gathered near the bottom of the cliff. He rushed over to see what was going on. As he reached them his heart dropped. The man he had met the other day was laying in the sand. His shirt was torn open and his insides pulled out. The boy trembled at the sight of it all. He had warned him, but the man didn't listen.
"Pour fellow, another tragedy." The baker of the town shook his head in disappointment.
"I told you this would happen, every time someone comes here poking their nose around another dead body washes up!" An older woman huffed.
"We need to just get rid of that wretched girl!" Someone from the crowd belted, and others agreed.
"Wasn't there another fellow though? One a few months back who came here but didn't die?" A sailor scratched his head as he spoke, "You know? That lively fellow, James something?"
"Oh! Sir James Noter! What a fine lad he was." The Innkeeper laughed as the group retreated away from Parker's body. The boy had pulled himself away from Parker too, sitting on the rock where he first met the man. The boy thought to himself that something was rather strange about all this. His meeting Parker wasn't a coincidence if he thought about it a friendly man a few months ago told him that his friend would be coming in search of the Jewel. He told the boy that he should help his friend if he ran into him.
"His name is Parker, I'm sure you could help him out a lot, right Damien?" James smiled at the little boy who didn't know any better.
"Of course! If they are your friend Sir James I will definitely help them!"
James Noter smiled at the child, "I'm sure you will lad, I'm sure you will."
Two weeks later:
James sat in the manor that once belonged to his friend. He was going over the ledgers of Parker's wealth with a grin on his face.
"My word Parker, had I known you were this wealthy I would have taken action much sooner."
James and Parker met a long time ago, Parker had concluded that despite their differences in social class he and James were the best of friends. A declaration made by Parker but not felt by James. James despised Parker. Parker was too carefree and without a single trouble in the world, whereas James had to fight just to survive from day one. As they grew, James' hatred grew. His friend didn't have to work or beg on the streets instead Parker got to roam around buying up oddities or whatever caught his fancy. James had moved far away from Parker on the prospect of finding his fortune, but the reality was he couldn't stand being around someone so oblivious to others.
He had been trying to devise a plan to be rid of Parker for some time but it wasn't until he heard from a captain about the Moons Jewel did he finally came up with a plan. He visited Lux beforehand and spent months befriending the villagers. He found out all about the albino woman and tested her abilities with other wanders who came into Lux. He was amazed that the rumors were true, but it also meant his sinister plan was perfect. He lured Parker to Lux and with Parker's departure from his home, James came in and began writing documents for Parker's will. He left everything to himself upon Parker's death, his wealth, status, and his oddities.
When he received Parker's note of investigation, he knew his friend's coffin was all but sealed.
James lived on in Parker's place, only occasionally thinking about his dearly departed friend from time to time. Parker's body was buried in his family's grave and the Moon Jewel once again became nothing but rumor and legend.