The men sing little tunes as they hack away at the stone. They carry the pickaxes and tools effortlessly despite their small and stubby figures.
"The little lady told you
she'd stay the night with yee
but came along with me!"
The hoarse voices harmonize and echo through the tunnels. They work eagerly in bliss, returning to collect stone, iron, coal and salt each day from the early hours to nightfall. At the end of each day the teams commute to the center of the mines by the messenger's calling. He brings them ale and reports on the time as they finish the night's work. But on this day has provided poor findings in every tunnel. Perhaps a couple pockets of salt and a bag or so of iron were the fruits of today's labor. Each team returned to the commuting space one after the other as they became discouraged. Eventually everyone sat around the circle room that connects all the tunnels. There was yet to be a messenger, they cannot see outside the mines to confirm the time of day.
A half hour of sifting and sorting passes when they finally hear footsteps. But they are not from the exit. The room grows gradually quiet as all the miners stop their work and look toward the middle tunnel; the coal mine. Looking around at each other agreeing with a nod that all men are accounted for. All eyes fixed on the passageway. No candlelight flickers as the steps draw near, no one dares to go without at least a match to break the pitch black. Minutes passed excruciatingly.
Then it emerged.
It was six feet tall with caramel skin, three bulging breasts, dark hair down to the ankles of its goat legs. And the eyes, oh, the eyes! Dark as coal crying thick grey tears! It shocked all the workers into stiff gawking. The nude creature stood in darkness visible only by the damning of the candles spread nearby. Creating folds of eerie shadows along the figure. The hands hang at its side, the head cocks to the side with a sudden jolt and nasty crack. It's fluffy dead-white lips open slightly.
The men dare glances at each other. Utterly disturbed and confused. How long have they all been down here? Did they miss the messenger or did he not come? Are they so tired they are sharing a hallucination? The thing exhales slowly; the sound of a smoker's breath.
"You...take everything...everything." The voice was rough like an old man but carried a mother's tone. It chills the bones and kills the white noise around it. "Don't you...you love...me, don't you? Take from...me!" The hands lift to hold it's face, the breasts bob lightly in the motion. The tears roll over cold fingers and freeze there. The hair sways softly as it walks as though in a daze toward them. The miners drop their tools and take a step backward. After six paces it stops, lowers it's hands and then the tears shatter to the ground. Each shard ignites as it hits the stone. The flames overtook the creature. It let out a howling screech and it's eyes dropped out of the head-two coals clattered to the ground. The fire ceased.
Nearly thirty minutes pass. They are all statues rooted in their spots. They finally gathered themselves to discuss the event and came to an agreement. They file out of the cave emerging into the forest. They march silently into town. Some folk smile and wave, others exchange confused glances, some run up to offer food or drink. But they walk on, staring straight ahead, as though they could not see nor hear them. Some swear that they must truly couldn't! They arrive to the tavern at the end of town and fill up his seats, some occupy the stools and some sit at the near tables. Some could only manage to lean against a wall or stand straight as a corn stock.
"Well, you gents are back early. Rough day in the mines, eh? Must've been to be back by midday." He received no answer other than a weak 'Keep 'em comin'...' from one of the men at the stools. He looks around the room, everyone has a cold far away face. He hesitantly complied and began pulling glasses and bottles from shelves behind him. No one said a word after that, someone may hold a gaze for a minute or two then a drink later they'd be crying and still again. Some slept where they sat, some went home to their families without a word. Many couldn't do either.
By sunrise the next morning, they all returned to the mines. They boarded the entrance with planks and delegated one man to pray over it. Then they used small explosives to cause an boulders and rock to fall in front of the cave. They walked away and never spoke of it to anyone, not their friends or wives; not even to each other.