Cursed Cold
10.
My hands shake, and he loosens his grip off of my wrist. I massage it tenderly. My skin is frail and flimsy, and I feel a bruise well to the surface.
"I'm sorry," he says softly. "I had to get you out of its earshot. I'm not actually a stranger, I've been studying your house. This demon has latched onto you."
I stare, still trembling.
"I looked through the old files about this house," he says. "I'm a paranormal investigator, and I know your story and how you've been cursed. This may sound crazy, but it's from a witch as old as this town. She sends a person every generation to continue her control over a household. I came here to stop it."
I shake my head vigorously. I don't have a baby...
It's as if he can read my mind. "You don't need to have a baby for the man to curse you. He makes your womb poisoned, so even if you're free for the years to come, the minute you conceive a child the curse will be upon you." He takes my hand, and it's warm and strong in mine. "I know you've been suffering," he whispers. "I want to end it for you. I will banish this demon once and for all."
Tears pool out of my eyes in twin streams. In that moment, Jose takes a locket out of his breast pocket. "This doesn't actually give me bad luck," he says. "It gives me a clearer path of my destiny. However it stops me, it'll stop me, and it will show me my path. It's led me here, and it will show me how to destroy that demon. It must have tried to deceive you already, am I wrong?"
I don't know what to say, but he pulls the answer out of my eyes. "It has," he states. "You've been so strong, I bet you know what has happened to your family. Let me take care of this. Stay here, and I will return to you."
He starts to go, but I pull on his arm. No, I mouth.
"I must do this," he insists. "It is my destiny."
Then Cain's voice breaks the midst. "Destiny?" he snarls. He stands like a black shadow down the hall, his eyes glittering. "You don't know a thing about destiny."
Jose whips around and his eyes narrow. "You, demon," he growls.
Cain hisses as if the man had said nothing. "Tainted by the witch that cursed me, tainted by the place that is lifeless, bones in the basement, ash in the fireplace, a traitor in the mansion, speak your name!"
"Speak your name?" Jose asks. "You say as if it's not yours, Cain-who-walks-the-earth."
"The witch told you about me?"
"It's common knowledge of legends," Jose says.
"I am not a legend," Cain growls. "I am human, and human I will be again. I will slay the witch that has imprisoned us and so many more. This accursed name which binds me to this form will be no more! Leila!" he shouts, and I clutch my hands to my chest. My heart crashes like the thunder outside. "Kiss me now! You're too weak to handle him in your state! I will help you!"
"No!" Jose barks. "Kiss me! I will use your curse as a power! This demon has been around for centuries, it's power if beyond your comprehension! If I can have some supernatural strength, I can banish it to the underworld!"
I open my mouth and scream, and as always, no sound comes out.
"Leila!" Cain says.
"Please, help me!" Jose says.
The blackness whirls around my head and with one big sweep, I grab onto the man in the suit and purple undershirt, and rise on my toes to kiss him.
"I'm sorry," he says softly. "I had to get you out of its earshot. I'm not actually a stranger, I've been studying your house. This demon has latched onto you."
I stare, still trembling.
"I looked through the old files about this house," he says. "I'm a paranormal investigator, and I know your story and how you've been cursed. This may sound crazy, but it's from a witch as old as this town. She sends a person every generation to continue her control over a household. I came here to stop it."
I shake my head vigorously. I don't have a baby...
It's as if he can read my mind. "You don't need to have a baby for the man to curse you. He makes your womb poisoned, so even if you're free for the years to come, the minute you conceive a child the curse will be upon you." He takes my hand, and it's warm and strong in mine. "I know you've been suffering," he whispers. "I want to end it for you. I will banish this demon once and for all."
Tears pool out of my eyes in twin streams. In that moment, Jose takes a locket out of his breast pocket. "This doesn't actually give me bad luck," he says. "It gives me a clearer path of my destiny. However it stops me, it'll stop me, and it will show me my path. It's led me here, and it will show me how to destroy that demon. It must have tried to deceive you already, am I wrong?"
I don't know what to say, but he pulls the answer out of my eyes. "It has," he states. "You've been so strong, I bet you know what has happened to your family. Let me take care of this. Stay here, and I will return to you."
He starts to go, but I pull on his arm. No, I mouth.
"I must do this," he insists. "It is my destiny."
Then Cain's voice breaks the midst. "Destiny?" he snarls. He stands like a black shadow down the hall, his eyes glittering. "You don't know a thing about destiny."
Jose whips around and his eyes narrow. "You, demon," he growls.
Cain hisses as if the man had said nothing. "Tainted by the witch that cursed me, tainted by the place that is lifeless, bones in the basement, ash in the fireplace, a traitor in the mansion, speak your name!"
"Speak your name?" Jose asks. "You say as if it's not yours, Cain-who-walks-the-earth."
"The witch told you about me?"
"It's common knowledge of legends," Jose says.
"I am not a legend," Cain growls. "I am human, and human I will be again. I will slay the witch that has imprisoned us and so many more. This accursed name which binds me to this form will be no more! Leila!" he shouts, and I clutch my hands to my chest. My heart crashes like the thunder outside. "Kiss me now! You're too weak to handle him in your state! I will help you!"
"No!" Jose barks. "Kiss me! I will use your curse as a power! This demon has been around for centuries, it's power if beyond your comprehension! If I can have some supernatural strength, I can banish it to the underworld!"
I open my mouth and scream, and as always, no sound comes out.
"Leila!" Cain says.
"Please, help me!" Jose says.
The blackness whirls around my head and with one big sweep, I grab onto the man in the suit and purple undershirt, and rise on my toes to kiss him.