Lies belong to the Liar

 Lies belong to the Liar

By: Flow & Tucy Lu

“Have you ever heard the story of Betty Rose? No? Good… Follow me and I’ll tell you a tale.”

***

Betty Rose was a little girl who moved to the village of Middleton with her parents and two siblings. She was a sweet little thing as cute as could be, who always wore a red ribbon in her hair and had a story to share. But Betty Rose had a bad habit of stretching the truth. Soon enough the children of Middleton doubted everything she proclaimed to be true. Some began to quickly dismiss anything she said and dubbed her Fibber. 

When a neighbor’s flower bed was trampled and Betty Rose was approached she declared her innocence despite the mud on her boots sprinkled with flower petals. The next day she told her friends about a dream she had.
”There was a man with two mouths in my dream and he said…” her voice became a growl, “Lies belong to the Liar.”

Everyone laughed at Betty Rose’s new tall tale and refused to be scared by her dreams. The children decided to play a game and asked Betty Rose to join under one condition, “No Fibs.”
On a rainy afternoon Betty Rose met with her neighbors Kitty and Ryan and she tried to tell them one of her stories but they instead began to splash in puddles. She joined them until her mother called her inside. When she was asked what happened to her clothes and why they were wet. She simply shrugged and said, “I fell in a puddle.”

That very night Betty Rose tossed and turned as dreams of an autumn breeze and rustling trees filled her night, with a whisper that lingered on her lips when she woke in the morning. 

“Lies belong to the Liar and if you continue you will too.”
Betty Rose didn’t dare share her dream when she was with her friends, however when Kitty and Ryan announced they were getting a puppy…
“I’m getting two,” Betty Rose proclaimed. “Roxi and Lucci.”
“No fibs, Fibber,” Kitty said and everyone who heard her started to laugh. That day no one played with her at the park. She tried to tell them a story but no one wanted to hear. When she got home there were two beautiful puppies and her bad day melted away. She fell to her knees and snuggled with the pups and told them she loved them. When her mom asked her about her day Betty Rose told a story that was far from the truth. 

“Momma,” Betty Rose called out after being tucked in bed with her back to the door, “Do you think I’m a fibber?”
“I know my little girl has an imagination bigger than anyone else I know,” her mother blew her a kiss and said, “Good night and I love you,” before closing the door.

“Lies belong to the Liar,” Betty Rose said with a tear in her eye as the light of the corridor faded to black.

The morning sun brought with it a beautiful new day with not a cloud in the sky. When the sun reached the point that it’s rays peeked through the curtains, Betty Rose’s mother entered the room with a pep in her step as she sang her morning tune. She tossed back the curtains and was mortified to find a mound of Red Maple leaves in the shape of her child. Betty Rose was gone. They couldn’t find her anywhere. The only thing that was ever found was her ribbon tied to the tallest branch on Middleton’s oldest Red Maple tree.

“They say Betty Rose’s story is a cautionary tale for children who walk the path of the Liar. The Liar took Betty Rose and if you lie, his favorite little helper Betty Rose will take you. 

“First lie, she’ll come to you in your dream. 

“Second lie, you’ll wake to a ribbon tied around your toe. 

“Third lie, you’ll disappear and the only thing they will find of you will be a pile of red maple leaves and something of yours tied to the tallest red maple tree in the vicinity.” 

“How’d you know about my dream?” Joey gulped and asked, “You didn’t tie this around my toe last night?”

“I didn’t,” Erin simply answered keeping an even tone when he showed her the red ribbon. “I was just sharing with you an old family legend because I know you lied to me.”
 Joey’s color drained from his face and he looked out of the window at the massive red maple tree that was the centerpiece of the family’s backyard. He turned back to his older cousin Erin and started to tell her the truth. 

***

“Lies belong to the Liar, mind your words and respond with truth or Betty Rose will surely come for you.”