The Curse

Part 4

“The witch comes back at midnight tomorrow.” Daniel stated, folding his arms.

Lorraine, Daniel and I stood in the middle of the living room of the cottage. I had hardly been in this room before, and I wondered how its splendour had been hidden from the rest of the house. A large hearth was spitting in the corner, sending tiny glowing embers flying. Daniel’s face was lit by the glow, the curtains were drawn closed and Loraine and I sat next to each other, curling near the blaze.

I had stayed up all last night, pondering over what Daniel had said. I just wanted to collapse in my mother’s arms and forget all about what was happening. Nevertheless I couldn’t do that, I couldn’t lose Daniel. There had to be another way to break the curse. I knew that we would not even bother giving the witch another girl to sacrifice for her own means, but we still had to decide how we would stop her from killing Loraine or me.

Daniel had discovered a way to go back to the village – there was a small ambiguity in the enchanted border. I wanted to use it, I needed to go back to see my mother, and I needed to see how the village was fairing. I would sneak in at night, just to check but not to interfere.

Loraine grasped my hand with hers. Last night when I had told her of our fate she burst into tears. I still thought she was in a state of denial, but something in her golden eyes told me she had accepted what was to become of us. I returned her touch with a small hug, whispering in her ear that no matter what happened to us the witch would not win. The words did the job, and slowly, her ribcage stopped heaving and her back straightened.

As Daniel bent down to poke the fire he said, “That means that she will plan on performing the ritual tomorrow. We have to do something before then but I don’t know what. It is impossible, the witch has powers beyond our imagination – how can we compete with that?”

We sat there for a minute, the only sound the crackling of the fire.

“We are doomed.” Loraine spoke silently, revealing the thought that was drifting through all of our minds.

Daniel started to nod in agreement, when suddenly he raised his head and declared, “No. Neither of you will die, the witch will not get what she wants. She cannot. We will escape; we will run across the countryside, away from Irastichot, away from the curse. We can take our families with us – we can save the village without the witch’s interloping.”

Perfect, we could run; escape our fate, deny our destiny. Yet some small trivial part of me quivered – something nagged at the back of my mind, whispering to me that it would not work.

As soon as the moon was at centre point in the dark sky, I crept out my window and out onto the frosty ground. If not for the bright stars to lead my path, I would have never been able to dare what I was about to do. Daniel had described to us where the break in the enchantment was, where there was a gap in the wall which we could go through. Apparently it was behind an apple shaped rock, although in the darkness I couldn’t possibly make out the shape in the sea of decrepit ruins. Hitherto I had been moving swiftly but a large gust of wind knocked my legs from underneath my body, its cold fingers groping at my dress.

I pushed myself up and then saw it, the apple. I ran and stumbled, eager for my freedom. I moved clockwise around the large stone until I noticed the gap; a tiny shimmer in the forest wall. I bolted towards it. I came to a stop and tentatively moved my pale fingers towards it. A fingernail touched the flickering air and abruptly I was pulled through, grabbed by some invisible force. Wind flew past my body, sending shivers all throughout me. Colours blurred and sparkled as I passed through. Finally, I landed with a dull thud on the grass, just on a hill above our village. Home.

I nearly cried.

As soon as I ran softly down the hill to my village, I saw disaster. It lurked around every corner, nook and cranny. Houses were burnt, their thatched roofs blackened and dry. People near me groaned on the floor, bodies caked in mud and faces gaunt. They started to reach out towards me, and one lady grabbed at my garment, tugging it. I screamed and she let go. I fastened my pace and came towards the centre of the town. The platform which once stood high and mighty had decayed, bereft of its glamour. There was no light on the street, and if you listened closely, you could hear the shrieks of the people.