A Stranger's Gift

Once upon a time, there lived a rich king. Although he lived in a beautiful castle with sandstone columns, flying buttresses, stained-glass windows and patterned floors; although he wore gold jewellery and robes of the rarest blue velvet; although his kingdom was signified by a plush crown, the bravest knights and a gilded standard on every wall, he was alone with no heir, and he was getting old.

One night, a knock came upon the palace door. In came a mysterious stranger in a pointed hat and long black robes. It was a witch! She held out an oddly shaped box that seemed to glow inside. Like her clothes, it was marked with butterflies, and she promised transformation: She told the king it was a gift that would make him young and immortal. He could be king forever! What a promise! But what was in the box, and could she be trusted?

My entry is a tribute to fairytales and cliffhanger endings.