He and his sixteen-year-old sister lost their mother when the woman died of mysterious circumstances.
A bashed in skull and a broken jaw weren’t mishaps that occurred on their own.
Yet it was easier to burn the body and the questions that rose with the stench of the decaying flesh. The woman had been found in the afternoon heat floating in a swamp outside the village.
Even the police locked their lips, shook their heads, and left without investigating further.
Their eyes warned the dead woman’s husband – Clean up this mess!
Silence filled the woman’s place and the gaps between those remaining grew wider.
No eyes shed tears, but two pairs searched their father’s face for answers.
‘Forget about your mother. She’s not coming back.’
A weary man’s consolation to his children.
And on they went with their routines, nothing changed except the air felt lighter. The darkness weakened and the light grew stronger.
It wasn’t only one home, but the other homes experienced it too.
It was a feeling of being born again without symptoms of pain and fear. What had hung upon aching heads and limp necks was now gone.
The weight of the curses.
The culprit, the witch, the dead woman, her sorcery the reason for all suffering, eliminated after years of enduring. It had been decided one moonless night after months of planning – she must be killed.
Her curses will die with her.
And they did.
The villagers rejoiced behind closed doors and shed their dread and inhibitions. They opened themselves to a new way of life, no eyes watched them, no lips chanted spells, no longer were they victims of madness and jealousy.
Then one morning they found a dead cow and at noon an unborn child died in the womb, by evening it was clear that the curses had returned.
But who was responsible?
The sixteen-year-old daughter of a dead witch appeared to be a befitting successor. Why else would the girl always dress in black?
‘Maybe it’s her favorite color.’
The boy chuckled at his words as he added chili powder, dung, and nail clippings to the fire. His mother’s spell book lay open on his lap. He sat by the swamp in the dark of the night.
The stupid villagers would eliminate his sister and he would put a curse on his own father. Soon there would be no one to hide from in his own home.
He would be smarter than his mother. Her death had proved that evil is immortal. It simply changed shape.
He wasn’t the last, there would be more after him.
Believe it or not…the curse always comes back.
Eerie, creepy, and great.
Thank you so much, Stephen. I appreciate it. 🙂
I love these stories of yours. Your gift always comes back.
That’s really sweet of you, Geoff. Deeply appreciated. 🙂
I knew it Terv – voodoo……did they check in the cupboard for broomstick?
Haha. You’re right, Don. And I believe the broomstick may be looking for a new mistress. Witches need only apply. 🙂
Yep. my stick has a worn-out broom. Send me an application form. Am ready for face-face interview if suitable……
I can’t wait to see you dress for the role to attend the interview.
Have to dig deep in my wardrobe…..
Lol.
Gosh!! 🙂
Thank you, Anand. That is the perfect exclamation. 🙂
Male witches and returning curses. What could be better, Terveen? I think this young man has a future. Great storytelling.
Haha. Yes, I believe the boy knows what he wants and is out to get it. No ifs or buts about it. Thank you so much, Davy. 🙂
Resourceful fellow, but in all the wrong ways. Curses upon curses in that house and village. Good story! 🙂
A wrong example of realizing one’s potential. Haha. Seems like some don’t need to be told what to do. Evil just leads them on. Thanks so much. 🙂
Oooooh, good one, Terveen. Eerie and creepy and simply great. Just out of interest… can we have a glimpse at that spell book?
Lol. I’d like a glimpse of that too. Maybe it’ll come to me in a dream. Could be a reason for Part 2. Thanks so much, Britta. 🙂
Part 2? Now you’ve got me hooked. Part 2!!!
wow ! ghoulish and cunningly told; I never suspected the boy —
Thanks so much, John. I suppose the female gender fits the witch slot better. Ouch. Haha. 🙂
Ah that typical twist of yours! The boy! Smartly done Terveen. Good one.
Thanks so much, Vignesh! May the twist never go out of fashion. 🙂
Welcome. It won’t I am sure 🙂
The curses always come back with a vengeance, hauntingly, Terveen. Witchery and sorcery and a good story:)
Thanks so much, Shobana. I suppose this can apply to the many evils of life that somehow never cease to exist. 🙂
True, they keep coming round and round, Terveen. haha.
I adore the end, with the boy continuing to carry the curse. Watch out people. 😅 Awesome write, Terveen.
Thanks so much, Jeff. A child carries forth a legacy. Yikes! 🙂
Actually I heard several cases of villagers taking justice into their own hands and executing one villager for one reason or another. The police arrives, but can do nothing since nobody is talking.
Yes, superstition and rivalry are often two things that never have a decent ending. And often in remote and smaller areas there is no justice at all. Thanks for sharing this, Haoyan. An important point.
Gosh, that was a creepy story. Great twist at the end! I thought the father had been the sorcerer all along, haha! Brilliantly written.
Thanks so much, Deepthy! I guess children are the last to be suspected. Gives them an evil edge. Appreciate it. 🙂
There is much underlined wisdoms in this post at which to marvel.
Thank you so much, Tamara. Fiction is always some altered reality. I hope you’re well. 🙂
Sometimes I get confused between the meaning of fiction as opposed to non-fiction. So I just looked it up.
I believe a fine line divides the two. It probably depends upon the perception at a particular point in time. Thanks Tamara. 🙂
Good point! 😊
Wow! Great writing. (Are you in a dark mood lately?) 😉
Haha! Thank you. I suppose I am.
Andhere ke bina, roshni ka kya mazaa. (Without darkness, there is no pleasure of light.)
Be well. 🙂
True. Some say War is the condition or prelude to Peace, that there can be no Peace without War first… Though I sometimes wish we could skip the War part… 😉
🤗
How creepy! Makes you wonder how the villagers treated the mother for her to become mad… Interesting story, really surprised me!
Spells, curses, and evil have an alluring factor to them. That darkness that is forbidden but still beckons one to know more. Thank you so much. 🙂