Life Curse: Taber Blood I

Chapter 1

The naive child stood before the hand-painted tree presenting the names of his ancestors. Its canvas, a cream-colored wall stretched twenty feet upward for a massive display of artistic brilliance. The letters were painted black, highlighted with strokes of luminous green. Eight-year-old Jared Taber turned to his mother, unaware of the branches hovering over him like eager fingers sensing his Taber blood. "I want to learn all the names, mom." 

Macey, the child's mother, paced from one side of the library to the other while eyeing the mural. It's been a decade since she's seen the mysterious painting. The tree's branches swayed as she moved position—a display made possible by light shimmering off each highlighted letter. 

"You'll have plenty of time for that," Macey said without looking away from the tree. 

There was truth to her words since living at the mansion was the condition of the will left by Elijah Taber, her estranged and now dead father-in-law. Though, it was she and her late husband, Paul, who were estranged. True, Elijah kept his distance from everyone in town and his son. But, it was Paul who decided to flee the mansion after Macey told him that she was pregnant. His face paled, words fumbled as he paced in a circle. Macey had never seen him that scared. At first, she thought he was anything but happy about her carrying his child. In disbelief, she stood before him, arms wrapped around her midsection, about to puke. Paul rambled to the point of her thinking to run out of the mansion and never return. But then Paul said, "We must leave."

They fled the mansion and Fredericksburg, Virginia. Thinking back, Paul never discussed the real reason they ran. Macey wasn't sure she wanted the mystery revealed since she's returned to the mansion without him.  On the other hand, it would behoove her to identify the source of Paul's fear since the Taber mansion is Jared's inheritance. 

"Mom?"

Macey looked down at her son and smiled, "Sweetie, look at the top of the tree."

"It's too far. I can't see the names."

"Joseph Taber married Elizabeth Tillinghast, 1640 in England. They migrated to the Americas in 1680 and brought with them five sons, William, Issac, John, Edward, and Joseph Jr." Macey couldn't remember or recite the Declaration of Independence in grade school. Yet, she knew Jared's ancestors' name, birth, and death dates on the hand-painted family tree. All three-hundred and twenty-seven entries.

Macey wished she knew more about Jared's family history to share. Though, she did know one story she'd reveal when he's older. A massive storm killed all the Taber's except the infamous Joseph Jr. and his brother Edward. Joseph Jr. had his brother, Edward, admitted to the asylum, thus inheriting the family fortune earning him the notorious status. Edward escaped the asylum a few years later. Afterward, people feared he'd return half-crazed and ready to claim his fortune. According to Elijah, staff spotted Edward on the grounds, but he never caused trouble nor spoke to his family again. Edward Taber's name appears on the tree without birth or death dates.  Macey always thought it looked like a broken branch against a clouded sky with no wife or children to display. She couldn't imagine how he felt discarded like an unwanted possession.  What kind of man does that to his brother? Macey had no trouble understanding where Elijah got his ruthless spirit from, and it was none other than Joseph Jr. 

"How do you see the words?" Jared said with squinted eyes.

"I don't see it. I remember all the names," Macey said as she scanned the rest of the tree. Working her way down until she saw Elijahs and Paul's names at the trunk of the tree. "That's impossible." Right she was. Elijah could have painted Paul's name because he died first, but who painted Elijah's?

"Ma'am."

Both Macey and Jared flinched.

"Daniel, you scared me," Macey said.