The Curse of the Toyol

Chapter 5

"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." ― J.K. Rowling

Two weeks passed, and there was no sign of Laila and the daughter, which made the Toyol nervous and impossible to control. He would often attack Meon in his sleep and refused to go and steal for the family. One day he heard Meon talking to his neighbour, and it couldn't contain his anger anymore.

"They left for a while. They are staying with Laila's parents. I think it is safer there."

"Our village is being attacked by a thief. A lot of us lost our animals, money and even jewellery. Did he get to steal anything from you?"

"Oh, he did! I had another cow, and it disappeared last night", Meon lied.

When he returned into the house, the Toyol was expecting him, with his arms crossed, moving from one place to another. He was ready to undertake Meon at any minute.

"I heard what you said to that man! What is this ineptitude?"

"Oh, no. I have lied to my neighbour, so he won't know my daughter is sick! I promise Toyol!"

"I do not believe you anymore! There have been two weeks, and they are still gone. I have no trust in you or your stupid family! You deserve to die for your ungratefulness."

Meon noticed the Toyol's growing anger but hoped with all his heart that it would calm down in the end and not create an unpleasant scene. But the reaction was completely different than expected. The creature did not hit him, but, like a real child, he had an unimaginable crisis, with cries and screams. The Toyol fell to the ground, pounding the floor with its fists and feet, while bloody tears soaked his cheeks.

"I hope you die!" it kept yelling. "I hope you die! You will die!"

Meon couldn't take the threats of the little creature, which was crouching under its own sadness, seriously. He felt regretful because he understood how much the Toyol wanted a mother to be with him.

"Come on, Toyol... there is nothing wrong! Come, let's go eat some candies and maybe some ice cream. I promise I will find out where Laila is now and ask her to hurry!"

The Toyol stopped his tantrum and raised from the ground.

"I do not want your offerings. I will go to my room, and I will decide my fate. I warn you: do not try contacting me, or I will destroy you!"

Meon acknowledged he should be scared because he knew the true power of the demon, but Toyol's helpless appearance made him feel guilty for its condition. He wanted to get rid of that devil, but the riches he brought him were so satisfying and much desired that he could not give up on it so effortlessly. He became at the same time a father to it, and it hurt his soul to throw this child into the sea or leave him on the bottom of a grave.

The creature was ready to avenge its name, as it felt not only betrayed, but also humiliated. The Toyol felt great when he stole, but the ultimate goal was to return to the world of the living, and it finally realized that Meon's family would not help. He built his strength through intense rituals meant to give him the power of the devil, while recalling all the moments of disgust from the family. They didn't deserve to live!

He decided that it was the right time to attack before the women came back and before anyone could suspect that something disagreeable was going on behind the tall fences of Meon's house. He left the room and walked towards the master bedroom with small steps and certainty. The fury made him stronger than ever, and the force was boiling inside of him. He opened the door nonchalantly, trying not to wake up lazy Meon, who was sleeping.

It closed its eyes and gained all of the villain power it could gather. The room got darker and darker, and a huge shadow fell over Meon's silhouette. It was the Toyol, whose spirit was growing uncountably. When he opened his eyes, the man was overwhelmed by fear and became just like a stone, without the ability to move or scream.

A loud voice, like a thunder, spoke from above him:

"You shall die!"

Meon tried to oppose the power that was slowly installing on his chest, but his lungs and his vocal cords were crashing under the pressure.

"Please...," he managed to say.

But the Toyol was already standing on him and bit his neck with terrible appetite. It tore the flesh and spit it on the floor, then found the vein that was rapidly losing blood and covered the whole with its dirty mouth. The Toyol was sucking the blood, drop by drop. First, Meon's head began to lose its natural colour, then the rest of the body turned grey. The skin compressed to the bones like all the muscles just melted away. Soon enough, he was just a skeleton, a decomposed body that couldn't be recognized.

The room lit up again, and Toyol cleaned his mouth with his hand. He looked reborn, its face was no longer ripped apart, and there were no more holes in its skin. It looked like a real boy, and it was ready to act like one.

"Yes", he said. "Yes, finally! I am ready to become human! I am ready!"

He ran into the garden and dug up the place where he hid the clothes he stole from a little boy. He washed it in the big bathroom and dressed up, arranged his newly grown hair and left the house happily. He walked right to the farmer's house and knocked on the door.

A woman opened the gate and saw a small child, weak and miserable, standing there barefoot on the grass.

"Hello, Ma'am! I am sorry to bother you, but I have nowhere to go. I am alone, and I am looking for a family that could give me some food in exchange of my services. I can work for you!"

"Oh, poor thing, come inside! Come, come, you must be cold."

The Toyol smiled and entered the house. He just found a mother. Another mother.

The End