The Cursed Heart

Chapter 1: The Tears That Ignite The Fire

“The world is so cruel. It gives so many ‘walls’ that are so impossible to climb over.”

“What pretty butterflies.” the now sixteen-year-old girl said. She looked outside the window she was sitting beside, watching the small white-winged butterflies flutter about, then turned her head back to the book on her lap, which she had been reading. The book had an image of a spectacular large blue-winged butterfly. “Not found in this forest, huh. That’s a shame.”

The girl stood up from the chair and closed the book, placing it back into the bookshelf across the chair she had been sitting on. She looked through the many books in the bookshelf, wondering what to read next. She could not go out. She didn’t want to. All she knew about the outside world were two things: its cruelness and the things she read about from the books.

She sighed and turned around. She didn’t feel like reading anymore books for the day, so she just went to her bed and lied down, trying to take a nap.

She had not spoken to anyone in eight years. Eight long years of isolation. Eight long years of success in ‘sealing’ the curse. But as she had expected, she had not felt any happiness as well, in those eight long years. Sometimes people would pass through the forest, but in cases like those, she would just run away from them upon sight. If they were from the village, knowing about the incident eight years ago, they certainly wouldn’t approach her house. If there was an outsider who got lost and knocked on her door, she would wait until they’d get tired and leave. The same process of running away from people, isolation, all these years.

The only person she could ever talk to was her dead mother. She would go to her grave and talk to her, about anything and everything, even if she couldn’t respond. Right now, she had nothing to talk about, but she decided to try and go visit her mother’s grave.

She closed the curtains and the lights, getting ready to leave the house. As she opened the door, however, she spotted something—a hand.

“Ah.” a boy about her age said, whose hand was raised up in a position ready to knock. The girl panicked. She was actually face-to-face with a person, something that has not happened in a long while. She had successfully isolated herself for a long, long time. But now, she wasn’t sure what to do. She knew she had to do something, but she didn’t know what.

The boy interrupted her panicking thoughts. “Hi!”

“Um… h-hi…” the girl responded, not sure why. The boy didn’t seem hostile, like all the other people she had met so far. Perhaps he was an outsider that was lost?

“Um, I’m from the village somewhere near here…” he began.

Oh.

“But I kind of lost my way…” he scratched his head. “Could you show me the way back?”

He’s from the village? That’s impossible. The girl thought. Everyone from the village should be aware of the incident eight years ago. Why would he approach me?

She decided not to act suspicious, and to bring the boy to the village. If it were a trap to lure her to the village, she planned to leave right before they reach near the village. Though she didn’t know why they would suddenly try to trap her after all these years.

“Okay.” the girl finally said.

“Really? Thanks!” the boy smiled. “I’m Drew.”

“Um…” the girl said, not sure whether to introduce herself, but went along anyways. “Mari.”

“Mari.” the boy smiled. “Nice to meet you, and thanks for your time!”

The way back was a silent one, Mari did not dare speak. Starting a conversation, no matter how happy the atmosphere, was not good. It could eventually lead to negative emotions, and she knew what that meant.