Found this note in my phone. It was late April when I said that even a sweet scene could be made darker — and someone asked me to try. I thought it was worth translating.

His horns branched like antlers, his eyes flared crimson, and the charming smile twisted into a dreadful snarl. The upper fangs were so long that they reached past his chin, like the saber-toothed tigers Lucy had once seen in an encyclopedia on her uncle’s desk.

The scream of the royal scout knight broke off before it even began, replaced by the crunch of bones and the screech of metal. For some reason, Lucy thought the sounds reminded her of ice cracking on the river when spring arrived.

“Mr. Tumnus?” she called softly, taking a hesitant step toward the creature bent over the scarlet snow — the creature that had smiled at her so kindly just moments before and invited her for tea. “Are you all right?”

The creature straightened sharply, leaping to the nearest fir tree in two bounds; snow fell from the branches in heavy clumps.

“Mr. Tumnus?”

The forest suddenly felt frightening and unwelcoming; the magic turned into sorcery.

“Miss Lucy, please look away — look only at me,” the faun stepped out from behind the fir, wiping the last drops of blood from his face with his crimson scarf. “A young lady should not witness such things… Perhaps, I’ll add a few custard tarts to the tea to brighten your mood. Do you like custard cream, Miss Lucy?”

He offered her his hand as gentlemanly as he had before the knight had so rudely interrupted their delightful, courteous conversation.

“Miss Lucy, you must understand — I had to protect you… From the very first moments of our acquaintance, I told you that with me you would be safe. How unfortunate that I had to prove my words so soon…”

His quiet voice, his guilty smile, his charming little horns… Lucy returned a polite smile, as a true lady would, and allowed him to lead her deeper into the woods.

"Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny."