based on the Italian fairy tale "Bella Venezia" by Italo Calvino

In the little country of Umbria, there lived a woman named Lorna Cattaneo, who owned a little inn on the poor side of town. Lorna's husband died many years ago and her son Benny moved away. Lorna saw her son a few times, but always kept her feelings to herself.

Lorna was innkeeper. She saw people come and go everyday. Costumers reported that Lorna was kindest woman they've ever met.

However, Lorna was nothing like that.

Ever since her husband died and her son Benny left, Lorna became a cruel and envious woman. She feared that someday, her beauty would be surpassed by someone else.

So, Lorna asked every costumer at the shop counter if they had seen anyone more beautiful than her. If the costumer says they've seen no one, Lorna cuts their price in half. But, if they say they've seen someone else, their price will be doubled.

Lorna did this to ensure that she was the most beautiful in the land.

~

Many years later, Lorna continued to be the shop clerk at her inn. During her morning shift, Lorna's son Benny came to see his mother.

When Lorna saw him, she was very happy.

"My son, you've come back."

"I moved back home, mother. There's no need to be far away."

Lorna had an idea.

"Well, Benny, since you are at home, you will work for me."

Benny knew he didn't have a choice. He knew of his mother's ruthlessness and he couldn't refuse. Benny accepted his mother's offer and became her kitchen boy. It was a job that he grew to despise.

As time went on, Lorna was content. Every costumer continued to tell her that she was the most beautiful woman in the land.

But all that changed on a very unfortunate day.

Benny finished his shift in the kitchens and decided to go out with a friend he met in town. His friend was an 18 year old boy named Tyler Joseph, whose family owned a seaming business.

As Benny brought Tyler into his mother's inn, Lorna was checking out a woman with her young son.

"Where have you both come from?" Lorna asked.

"Naples." The mother said. "We are traveling by."

"Have you seen anyone more beautiful than me?"

The mother was going to tell Lorna that she had not, but her son answered first.

"That boy over there, mother!" The son said. "He is beautiful!"

The young son was pointing directly at Tyler, who is Lorna's son's best friend.

"Yes, he is!" The mother said.

When Lorna heard this, she immediately demanded a high price, which the mother could barely afford. She had no choice but to pay the rest of her wages in order to stay in the inn.

After the two left, Lorna looked over at Benny and Tyler. When she did, her eyes met with hatred and envious jealousy. Lorna believed Tyler had stolen her beauty and she was determined to take it back.

That evening, Lorna ordered Benny to bring Tyler before her. Benny feared his mother and had no choice but to comply.

When Lorna met Tyler, she was furious.

"Tyler Joseph, you are no longer welcome in Umbria. You will be locked in the tower and you'll never see your family again."

Tyler didn't understand why Lorna would do this to him, but he was a gentle soul and did not refuse.

Benny personally locked Tyler in the tower, but he promised that he would return everyday to bring him food and water.

The next day, Benny tried to reason with his mother.

"Why would you lock up Tyler?" He didn't do anything wrong."

"Tyler is trying to conspire against me." Lorna said. "He will pay for spending his days in solitude."

"That's not fair! You steal money from people because you're bitter!"

Lorna struck his son and threatened him.

"Disobey me, and you will disappear for good!"

Benny was helpless, but he hoped his mother would change her mind and set Tyler free.

As Tyler was locked away, he began to sing from the tower. Onlookers saw him and were intrigued by his beautiful voice. One of the onlookers went into Lorna's inn and reported to her on what he saw. As usual, Lorna doubled his price.

At that moment, Lorna realized that Tyler cannot be kept alive. She decided to have him killed.

~

That night, Lorna brought her son Benny before her.

"Tyler has to go." She said. "I can't deal with him anymore."

Benny was delighted. He believed his mother was letting Tyler out of the tower to go home to his family.

But, he was wrong.

"If you wish to continue to work for me, you must get rid of your wretched friend. Take him into the woods and kill him, and bring back his eyes and a bottle of blood to prove that he is dead."

When Benny heard his mother's command, he was horrified. He never thought that Lorna would do anything this evil.

Benny agreed to let Tyler out of the tower, he did not want to kill him. Instead, he took Tyler into the woods and left him there. He promised he would come back and save him.

Meanwhile, Tyler was alone in the woods. Fearing he would die, he began to cry. Every tear he cried left a trail which led to a little hut.

Inside the hut, there was a living room with a kitchen, a table with food, and 12 sets of white beds. Tyler was so hungry from being in the woods, he ate food from each plate and went to bed.

That evening, the owners of the hut came home. They were 12 robbers who steal money and possessions from abandoned houses. When they returned home, the robbers found that their house had been ransacked.

"Someone is in our house!" One of the robbers cried.

"Where is the person who stole from us?" Another robber asked. "We need to find out who he is!"

The lead robber, Josh, quickly calms his friends.

"We will find the person who did this, but we must stand guard. One of us will stay tomorrow and keep watch."

The next day, Josh's assistant robber, Jack, volunteers to stay and watch the hut while his brothers are away. When Jack steps outside to relieve himself, Tyler comes out of hiding and cooks supper for the robbers.

When the robbers come home, Tyler goes back into hiding and watches the men eat their food. They believed Jack was the one who cooked their supper.

"This food is delicious, Jack!" Said Luigi, one of the robbers.

Jack was confused. He did not cook the food. He instantly thought of the stranger who snuck into their hut.

Jack stood up from his chair.

"The stranger cooked our food!"

In response, Josh stood up from his chair.

"Hear us, stranger! If you come out of hiding, we will do no harm!"

Tyler was scared. He knew that the robbers suspected of him, but he believed Josh's announcement and came out from hiding.

When Josh saw Tyler for the first time, he was intrigued by how beautiful he was. Even the robbers were amazed.

"Why have you come here?" Josh asked.

"I was banished from the village. A woman named Lorna from the inn wants me dead. His son spared my life and I am waiting for his return."

Josh was sympathetic to young Tyler and he knew he needed to protect him.

"You can stay with us, and we will keep you safe and treat you as our family."

Tyler was happy. He was with a group that cared about him and he was safe.

As Tyler lived with the robbers, he grew close with Josh. The two began to fall in love, but Tyler still held on to hope that Benny would come back and rescue him.

~

Back in the village, Benny believed he fooled his mother into thinking Tyler is dead. This went on for several weeks, until a passerby came into the inn for a weekend stay.

Lorna worked as the clerk that day.

"Where are you from?" Lorna asked.

"West." Said the stranger. "I've come from the woods."

"Have you seen anyone more beautiful than me?"

"Yes, I have. A young boy lives in the woods with a group of men. He has the most beautiful singing voice."

When Lorna heard this, she was enraged. She stole all the money from the stranger and made him her servant. After that, her anger turned to her son, who lied to her about Tyler's demise.

As Lorna fumed in rage, an old beggar woman walked into the inn. This woman was secretly a witch who begged and pleaded to be led into the inn.

"Please, ma'am." Said the old woman. "Let me in, and I will pay anything I have to stay."

When Lorna heard this, she got an idea.

"I'll let you into the inn, but you must do something for me."

Lorna approached the old woman; holding out something to her.

"If you find and kill Tyler, the boy who lives in the woods with a group of men, I will give you my inn."

And thus, the old woman agreed. She slipped into the woods at night in search of Tyler and the little hut.

In the morning, the robbers set out to find abandoned houses in search for valuables. Tyler stayed behind and cooked and cleaned.

As he worked, Tyler began to sing, which caught the attention of the old woman, who finds the little hut and knocks on the door.

"Who is there?" Tyler asked.

"I am an old woman wishing for something to eat."

Tyler looks out the window and sees the old woman sitting on the doorstep. He felt pity for her and came outside to give her some bread.

"Thank you, my dear." Said the old woman.

"Of course." Tyler replied.

The old woman pulled out her basket and placed it on her lap.

"I want to give you a gift for your kindness."

"Oh, you don't have to. I merely gave you some bread."

"Please, my dear. I insist."

The old woman opens her basket and pulls out a hairpin. When Tyler saw it, he was interested.

"That's a beautiful hairpin."

"Wouldn't it look nice in your lovely hair?" The old woman asked.

When Tyler lowers his head, the old woman sticks the hairpin into his curls. As soon as the pin digs into his scalp, Tyler collapses.

The hairpin is poisoned.

With her task completed, the old woman returns to the inn and reports to Lorna on what she had done. Lorna gives her wages and the inn to the old woman.

When Benny learns of this, he fears something happened to Tyler, so he runs away to find him.

He doesn't know that his friend is dead.

~

When the robbers returned home, they found Tyler lying on the doorstep of the hut. They were unable to revive him.

They created a wooden coffin and placed Tyler inside. They decorated Tyler's body with flowers and jewels. After they were done, they buried the coffin under a hallow tree. Josh was so grief stricken, he sat by Tyler's grave and lamented over the loss of the boy he had grown to love.

A few days later, as rain fell over the woods, Josh continued to sit and grieve. As he cried, he saw a young man coming his way. Josh moved in front of Tyler's grave to protect it.

The young man was Benny, who came to save his long lost friend. When he saw Josh and where he was, he became concerned.

"Who are you?" Josh asked.

"My name is Benny. I've come for Tyler. He is living in the woods and I promised I would come back for him."

When Josh heard this, he lowered his head in sadness. Benny looked and Josh and knew what had happened.

"He's dead, isn't he?"

Josh nodded.

"Yes."

"What happened to him?"

"We found him on our doorstep. We don't know what caused his death."

"I think I know what happened." Benny said. "My mother, Lorna Cattaneo, was the one who did it."

"How do you know?" Josh asked.

"My mother told an old woman to do it."

Josh sighed in sadness.

"If only I had been here to stop her."

Benny was filled with sorrow. His best friend was dead and now he was alone.

"Where is he?"

Josh moved away from the hallow tree and revealed Tyler's grave.

"We buried him here."

Benny kneeled down and touched the dirt that covered Tyler's grave.

"Let me see him."

"Benny, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Please, sir. Let me see my best friend."

Josh pitied Benny. He fought so hard to see Tyler again that he agreed to grant his wish.

Together, the two boys exhumed the wooden coffin and lifted it from the ground. After opening it, Benny looked down upon Tyler, who was lifeless.

When Benny saw him, he was devastated, but only for a short time.

"Josh, I don't think Tyler is dead."

"Who do you mean?" Josh asked; standing next to Benny.

"I just don't think he's dead. Look at him. He looks like he's sleeping."

When Josh took a closer look, he noticed that Tyler still had color on his cheeks and appeared as a living person. Based on his findings, Josh believed Benny.

"If Tyler is sleeping, how do we wake him up?" Josh asked.

"I don't know." Said Benny. "This might be the work of a magic spell."

"Magic?"

"Yes. My mother tasked the old woman with magic, and I remember seeing her give her a hairpin."

"A hairpin?"

"Yes."

Josh and Benny raised Tyler into a sitting position and started searching for the hairpin. After digging around, Josh found the hairpin trapped in Tyler's scalp.

When Benny saw it, he was relieved. All he had to do was pull it out and Tyler would come back to life. However, he had a change of heart.

"Josh, I can't pull it out. I think it should be you."

"Why not?" Josh asked. "You're Tyler's best friend. He waited for a long time for you to come back."

"I know. But I can see that you love him. Pull out the hairpin. Save his life."

Josh agreed.

As he held Tyler, Josh reached in and gently pulled the hairpin from Tyler's scalp. As soon as it came out, Tyler opened his eyes and started breathing again.

"He's alive!" Benny cried.

Tyler felt himself in Josh's embrace and reached up and touched his face.

"Josh, it's you."

Josh pulled Tyler into his arms.

"Thank God you're alive!"

After letting go for a moment, Tyler turned to Benny and hugged him as well.

"I knew you'd come back for me."

Benny was so happy that tears fell from his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry my mother did this to you. She will never hurt you again."

"What happened to your mother?" Josh asked.

"She gave away the inn. She won't have the power to manipulate people anymore."

Benny took Tyler's hands.

"You can come home."

When Tyler heard this, he was very happy, but he thought of Josh and did not want to leave him. Despite waiting for Benny to return, Tyler was in love with Josh.

"Come home with me." Tyler said. "Bring your brothers, and we'll all live together."

When Josh heard the boy he loved ask him to come home, he kissed him. Tyler kissed him back and joined hands with him.

~

Benny and the robbers joined Tyler and Josh and returned to the village. Benny wanted to control Lorna for everything she did, but when he walked into the inn, he found his mother sitting against the wall; ragged and oblivious.

Lorna saw her son and stared at him with rage.

"You disgrace me!"

"You disgraced yourself when you sent Tyler to die in the woods!"

"He stole my beauty!"

Benny looked down upon his evil mother.

"You brought that upon yourself."

With his words, Benny left and never saw his mother again. Lorna was stripped of her power and her inn and was forced to wonder the village as punishment for her wickedness.

Tyler reunited with his family and declared his love for Josh. A wedding was held in declaration of their love and they lived happily together forever.

~

hey everyone! its hannah! thank you so much for reading my first oneshot! i really hope you enjoyed it!

im took inspiration from old fairytales in the type 709 category, which is what inspired snow white by the brothers grimm. i highly
recommend checking it out!

if you know of a type 709 tale and you want me to add into this book, let me know! i will make sure to credit you for it!

for my life update, i have been in treatment for a week and ive been doing great! ive learned a lot and im getting better! i have 3 weeks left and im anxious to get well and get back to my family!

thank you so much! i love yall! <3