Marionette

Deep in the heart of the woods, on the outskirts of a quaint village, stood a castle where a  little girl with eyes that shone like stars lived. Despite her beauty, the villagers didn't like her because she was different. They thought she must be a witch as she lived in the castle outside the village, all by herself. They had no idea that the lovely birds in the woods and the glassy streams next to the castle were the reasons. 

The poor girl tried to befriend the villagers by giving them countless gifts in vain. To her misery, no one wanted to befriend her. Finally, she decided to move to the village. She didn't interact with people much as she spent her time learning and adapting to their style. Eventually, the villagers accepted her, and she did everything they asked her to do. "Am I happy here?" "Should I go back?" she missed the forest dearly but never went back out of fear of being called a witch again.

One day, she woke up and realized that she had an empty rattling torso, and her body was turned to wood. She ran to the village elder, shouting in agony, "Why is my torso empty? Why am I wooden?"

The elder replied, "You always listened and followed what others told you, just like a marionette. This  made you a marionette with no conscience and an empty torso."

- Sharvari