The Curse

July 5th, 1686

I stay hidden in the shadows of the Gravedon home, the screams from my former lady ring through the house. She has gone into labor with her second child, I cling in my hand the ruby amulet that once belonged to my precious little girl. They shall pay for her death, a loud cry fills my ears. “It’s a beautiful baby girl my lady!” The new midwife exclaimed happily. I grimace in disgust, that wench doesn’t deserve a daughter. A sob of happiness and grief rings in my ears, I focus in more closely. “Her name shall be Alica...Alica Rose Gravedon.” My lady’s weak voice filled my ears. My grip on the silver chain tightens, how dare she name that wretched child after my daughter. A strong hand rips me from the shadows, I am now face to face with that wretched snake of a man. “Hello Carrington,” I say smugly. His green eyes harden into a deep glare.

“What are you doing in my home witch?” He says through gritted teeth. I give him an innocent smile and hold up the ruby amulet for him to see. “I just came to retrieve my daughters necklace, this was hers not your wife’s.” Seeing his glare deepen sends joy into my heart. “Alica returned it to Katherine the day before her execution, it should have been you on that tree hanging not her.” It was now my turn to glare. How dare he put my daughter’s death on my hands, it was his fault that she was hanged. “You’re the one who turned her out, you turned your own daughter to the curb, and for what? A marriage that was already dead?” I reply harshly as I push the man I once loved back. Carrington’s eyes soften for a moment, “Lianna...we both know that Alica was not my child, we all know that she belongs to ol’ Peter Bartley.” I refuse to listen to him. He is wrong, I know who my child’s father is. “You will pay, Carrington. I swear it upon our daughter’s grave.”

August 29th, 2014

I sit up with a start, my breaths come out short and quick. My body is sticky with a cold sweat, I look over to my alarm clock and groan. It was only three o’clock in the morning, “I need some sleep dang it,” I mutter as I rub my face. I lay back down and put my pillow over my face, slowly something began to push my pillow further down onto my face. Startled, I rip the pillow off my face and hurl it at the wall. I sit up and look around the dark room, no one was in there but me. I grab my glasses from my nightstand and put them on, I look over and grab my phone. I punch in my dad’s number and wait silently, after the third ring he picks up. “Callum? Are you okay?” He sounds worried. Uninvited tears spring into my eyes, I didn’t know how good it would feel to hear my dad’s gruff voice. “I-I’m okay dad, how have you been?” I ask softly.

“I’ve been okay son...your mother and I miss you.” He says. Slowly my tears begin to slip from my eyes, “I-I miss you guys too dad. It’s not so bad being back here...though...s-somethings have been happening.” I didn’t realize what I had said until it was too late. Before my dad could ask what, I quickly say it was just Adeline and me arguing. We talk for a little while longer, before we finally decide to hang up. Some of the weight on my shoulders was lifted, but the rest was still there. The next morning I was feeling sluggish, I barely had enough energy to get out of bed. Aunt Lucinda thought I was sick, but I just told her that I couldn’t sleep last night. I throw on a long sleeve black shirt, and a pair of blue jeans for today. I’m just too tired to care about my appearance, I walk down the sidewalk with my hands in my pockets. I got this strange feeling of someone staring at me, I take a quick look around to check, but no one is near me. “Being here has made me so freaking paranoid I swear.” I mumble.

The feeling grows stronger, my shoulders become tense. I try to ignore it, I begin to walk faster. “Run, young master. She is coming.” Alica’s sweet voice whispers in my ear again. I feel my heartbeat speed up with fear, I break into a sprint. It sounds like footsteps are pounding after me, I force my legs to go faster. “CALLUM! WHY ARE YOU RUNNING!? IT’S ME!” Adeline’s voice reaches my ears. I force myself to stop and turn around, I pant hard and squint. She’s running behind me trying to catch up, I bend over and try to slow my breathing. When she finally reaches me, she asks me why I was running again, but I can barely hear the question. “Cal? Are you alright?” She asks worriedly. I take a deep breath through my nose and let it slowly through my mouth, I do this a couple more times until my breath finally calms. “I-I’m okay, I just got freaked out for a little.” I finally reply. I don’t know if I should tell her about what Alica said, in the end I decide not to tell her.

Adeline and I walk in silence to the museum, the tension between us is so thick. I can barely breathe because of it, “Cal...are you sure you’re alright? You seem pale man.” Adeline finally breaks the silence. I think her question over, now that I think about it, I do feel a little off. “I’m...just tired Addie, I didn’t get that much sleep last night.” I mumble as I rub my eyes. Adeline stops me from walking, she spins me around so that I face her. She whistles, “Yep, you look like crap. We can always go to the museum tomorrow Cal.” She says. I shake my head and turn back around, I start walking again. Adeline drops the matter and continues to walk with me, when we get to the museum we are greeted by a man wearing a pilgrim outfit. He is holding a makeshift pitchfork in one hand, and a stack pamphlets in the other. He gives a smile as he hands us both a pamphlet, “Welcome to the Witch Hunt Museum.”

We thank him and return his smile, we walk around the museum in hopes of finding another worker. “Cal, tall guy at nine o’clock.” Adeline whispers as she points in the direction of a fairly tall man with medium length brown hair, and lanky build like me. He is wearing a museum uniform, Adeline walks over to him. I follow her and rub my eyes, the man looks at us with a bored expression. “Welcome to the Witch Hunt Museum, my name is Lucian. How may I help this fine morning?” His tone was thick with sarcasm. I frown at the guy, he seems like he really hates his job. Adeline puts on a fake smile, “We were wondering if you knew anything about blood curses? Or you know, anything about the witch Alica Paine and her mother Lianna Paine?” Lucian mimics my frown, only his looks more annoyed.

“Does it look like I’m a historian kid? No, I don’t do that whole witchcraft crap, if you want to know about that stuff then go to Bynx. He works behind the desk over there.” I don’t even bother letting Adeline say thank you to him, I grab her wrist and pull her over to the direction of the front desk. “That guy was so rude,” I say with annoyance. Adeline hums in agreement, when we reach the desk my annoyance washes away. This employee was different, he seems to be about our age actually. He’s a bit taller than me, though he seems to be a bit too skinny for his age. His black hair reaches to his shoulders, and his bangs hang in front of his blue eyes. He looks up and gives us a big smile, “Hi there! What can I help you with?” He asks.

Adeline leans on the desk and returns the boy’s smile, “We heard that you know quite a bit about blood curses, and the witch Alica Paine and her mother Lianna.” She says happily. The boy’s smile widens, “I sure do! My dad studies this stuff, so he’s told me everything there is to know about it!” I’ve already decided that I like this guy, his happiness is very contagious. “Can you tell us about blood curses first?” I ask. He looks at me and nods, he still has the bright smile on his face. “Okay, a blood curse is when a witch places a curse upon a person whom she hates. She spills some of her blood on a certain object and says these words, ’With this single droplet of crimson, I hereby bind myself to thee (person name).’Usually a blood curse is broken when the person with the curse dies, but sometimes it doesn’t work like that.” I unconsciously hold onto my pendant.

“Now about Alica and her mother, I’m sure you both know that Alica was wrongly accused am I right?” He asks. Both Adeline and I nod our heads, he claps his hands together and smiles. “Good! Now, after Alica was hanged, the good judge Edmund Calter, had gotten new evidence about the murder case of young Gideon Gravedon. A housemaid by the name of Gale Velmer, stepped forward revealing that Lianna Paine was the real witch.” I wanted to tell him that we already knew about this, but I didn’t want to be rude. He continues with his explanation, “A search warrant was made for Lianna’s arrest, but no one could find her anywhere. Every time they got word of where she was, she would vanish. That is until, Lady Katherine Gravedon gave birth to a little girl. Alica Rose Gravedon.” Now that caught me by surprise.

“Carrington Gravedon had found Lianna, lurking in the shadows of the old Gravedon manor. He had planned to take her in, but she threatened to let out the secret of their scandalous affair. Due to his fear of his wife finding out, he let her go, but she didn’t leave empty-handed.” My grip tightens around my pendant. Bynx stops talking for a moment, and gives me a sideways glance. “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Carrington Gravedon?” He asks. ’Yeah, a crazy ghost witch.’I thought bitterly.

“Of course he does! That Carrington guy was his great-great-great-whatever grandfather.” Adeline replies without my consent. Bynx’s eyes grow wide, “If you’re a Gravedon then you must have the amulet!” He exclaims excitedly. He walks out from behind the desk and stands in front of me, “May I see it? I won’t touch it, I promise!” Okay so me liking him is slowly going away, his happiness is starting to creep me out a little. I release my pendant and let it rest against my chest, Bynx gasps. “Tell me, have you been hearing things?” He asks. Okay now I am totally creeped out by him, slowly I nod my head.

“The curse is still in effect then...Have you been having strange dreams?” He asks again. “Yes? What does this have anything to do with my necklace dude?” I reply with a question of my own. Bynx’s smile drops for once, “That necklace you have on is laced with a blood curse. See, when Lianna was forced to leave the Gravedon manor she had took that same necklace. It was said that when the Marshall found her corpse, she was surrounded by items that dealt with witchcraft, and that the necklace was in her hand.” He replied slightly annoyed.

A nervous laugh escapes me, a sudden dizzy feeling washes over me. “So, I’m wearing a cursed item. Isn’t that lovely.” I say shakily.

“She is coming young master, you must leave quickly.” I hear Alica’s warning again. I shudder in fear, my body begins to buzz with that unknown feeling again. My mouth feels sticky, “Cal? Are you okay?” It sounds as if I’m under water. I can feel my heartbeat thumping wildly in my chest, why can’t I breathe? “I told you Carrington, I WILL FINISH WHAT I STARTED!” Lianna’s voice shocks my back to reality. I gasp loudly and cough hard, tears fill my eyes as painful gasps leave my mouth. “Cal! Oh my God are you okay!?” Adeline’s voice startles me for a moment. I look up at her and Bynx, their eyes show fear and concern.

“Oh dear...You felt her didn’t you? You felt Lianna’s presence?” Bynx asks. I swallow and nod my head, I take a shaky hand through my hair and take a deep breath. “I-I felt it last night...i-is it because of the blood curse?” I ask breathlessly. Bynx sighs, “Yes it is, look how about you two come back tomorrow? My dad will be in, maybe he will be able to help you.” The walk back home was silent, I was mad that we didn’t figure anything else out, but I was also scared of the attack from Lianna. “Are you sure you’re okay Cal? Do you want me to stay over tonight, I can ask my mom she’ll let me.” I shake my head no, I don’t need Adeline to babysit me. “Your dad hates me as it is Addie, I’ll be okay tonight.” I reassure her.

Later that evening, I refuse to sleep. I’m too scared to even try it, “This is stupid Callum, you are sixteen for god’s sake, grow up!” I scold myself as I lay down. I force myself to get comfortable, soon after sleep welcomes me into its grasp.

The back of my shirt steadily grows wet, I sit up and rub my eyes. I look around and notice that I am outside. In the distance I see someone, kneeling in front of the tree that Alica was hanged from. Slowly realization dawns on me, my heart does a death-defying leap. In front of me was Lianna Paine, and she had my necklace. “With my blood, I bind myself to thee Carrington Gravedon.”