To Sing the Tortured to Sleep

XIV. The Spell

Authors Note: Like last chapter, the first part of this chapter is from the perspective of a mystery character (don't worry, you'll find out who it is later if you haven't already figured it out). The second part is in Isabelle's perspective.

“A love spell?” I asked myself, trying my hardest to read the faint words scrolled onto the piece of dusty paper before me. I’d found an old spell book hidden on one of the back shelves of my father’s library and had decided to look through them. Most of them had been silly, such as one to turn mud into fish. This love spell though, was the first I’d seen that really made sense, and I could think of one person in particular I’d use it on.

The instructions were simple, but the circumstances were particular. The spell could only be used on the night of a full moon at midnight. All I had to do was whisper a few foreign words and she would be mine. There was a beware sign at the bottom of the page, notifying me of possible unwanted results if the spell was left incomplete, but I didn’t worry. I would simply finish the spell and I’d have my Isabelle, there was nothing to it.

On the night of the full moon I tore out the page with the love potion and set out to Isabelle’s home. With only a few minutes to spare, I climbed the tree outside Isabelle’s window and sat with the page on my lap, staring at my beautiful love. In only a few short moments, she would be mine.

When I heard the clocks inside Isabelle’s home ring twelve times, I began the spell. The words were difficult to pronounce but I tried the best I could. Only now did I realize that I should have practiced the spell once or twice, as I was quickly running out of time. I had to finish the spell before the minute was over and the words were so large and unfamiliar, I was having trouble. Finally, I reached the last sentence of words. The page was ripped mid sentence, the spell couldn’t be finished.

My eyes widened in horror, what had I done? What unexpected results would my futile attempt for love torture me with? Would Isabelle die? Would she go mute or blind? The most terrifying part was waiting. I crawled into my bed at home, expecting to wake to a horrible punishment. What I received was worse.

At first it was a day without Isabelle. There was no sign of her anywhere, not even with Kain. Kain seemed upset, as he hadn’t heard anything from Isabelle or why she was away. Next, a week passed, with no sign. A month passed and I found out the Richardson family had moved away. After a year, I still couldn’t find out where they had gone. A few years later, word got out that she’d died, nursing a soldier in battle.

My punishment was that I was to never see Isabelle again, and I never had.

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“No... Please... Stop!” I exclaimed. My throat was closing, I couldn’t breath. I was being chased by a foreign man, yelling strange words of a language I didn’t recognize.

“Isa, wake up. It’s me, Kain,” Kain whispered, shaking me softly.

My eyes shot open, but the moment I noticed Kain I settled down. I was still a bit shaken up though, I’d been having the same nightmare for the past week. The same strange foreign man, peeking into my dreams and trying to kill me. I was afraid, as if this was a part of my past that I simply couldn't remember. Although I knew it was just a dream.

“Is there something wrong?” Kain asked, wrapping his arms around me and comforting me.

“I don’t know. I just can’t get that dream out of my head.”

“I’m sure it will be easier to forget about once you remember everything,” Kain explained, running his fingers through my hair gently.

“What if I never do?” I asked, clearly Kain wasn’t prepared for that question as he kept silent.

“Don’t worry Isa, I’m here for you. You’ll get your memory back, you just have to be patient.”

Still, I was doubtful. We’d tried so many things to jog my memory. Kain and Raven had practically told me everything that we’d done as children. We’d even re enacted a bit of it to see if it would help, but it didn’t. I was completely unfamiliar with my childhood. Completely unfamiliar with my past. Everything was strange to me. I couldn’t feel comfortable in a place with no one I recognized.

Still, I tried to sleep, at least for now. I’d asked Kain to stay with me tonight so that hopefully, I could get some sleep. I slept for a few hours, but I found myself waking up in the early hours of the morning due to the creak of a floorboard outside my door. I was a light sleeper. I slipped out of my bed as I saw a shadow disappear down the hallway, intending to follow it. Kain was still sleeping, nothing would stop me.

I slipped through the slight opening of the door and saw the back of a teenage boy rounding the corner. I chased after him. He started running the moment he heard me. The boy looked back for a split second, and I caught a glimpse of his face. I stopped running and froze. I knew who he was.

Why was he spying on me?