Miriana's Curse

1. Curiosity

"Abigail!" The young angel called out, skipping through the hallways in search of her sister. "Boo!" The angel jumps as her sister had come up behind her, startling her. "Abigail! I've told you not to do that!" She pouts as her older sister picks her up.

"Well next time you should be better at finding me." She laughs, flying around with her sister in her arms. "Where are you taking me!?" She shouts. "Miriana you really gotta catch up, we're going to our lesson about hell and the sinners of course."

The young angel's face lights up with excitement as she squirms in her older sister's arms. Miriana had always had a deep fascination about everything around her but especially hell and its inhabitants. She disliked all her other lessons but deeply enjoyed her lessons about hell but what fascinated her the most was the sinners.

Mariana believed there was good in everyone and everything, even if it was deep below the surface. Her sister, Abigail had always supported her sister in her interests unlike their parents but still wanted to make sure it didn't go beyond just curiosity.

"Ok quit moving so much or I'm gonna drop you!" She yelled, tightening her grip on her sister. "No! You know I can't fly!" Mariana yelled in response to her sister's threat. There had been an accident, a fire consumed a part of their palace, badly burning the angel's wings. Leaving her unable to fly anymore. No amount of treatment, no spells could heal her.

The angel didn't mind it so much. As much as it was painful and getting around wasn't as easy she mostly spent her time outside, enjoying nature. Should she have needed to get anywhere her sister would gladly take her. "Ladies!" They both look up, their mother flying just above them.

"You're late!" She scolds as they fly into the room. "Sorry! We were playing hide and seek." Abigail explains. “I’ll allow you two to get away with it this one time but don’t let your father find out. He’s already got enough on his plate with the upcoming extermination.” Their mother sighs. This was going to be the first extermination of hopefully many to come, a way to control the population in hell and reduce crime rates.

“Why do they have to do this? Those sinners are innocent!” Miriana pouts as her mother stops in her tracks. “Had you been paying any attention during your lessons Miriana. You would know they ended up there for a reason. They made their choices, now they have to pay for it.”

The angel hides behind her older sister, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Mother, you didn’t have to be that harsh.” Abigail whispers, gently placing a hand on her younger sister's head in an attempt to comfort her.

“The little one pays no attention during our lessons Abigail! She sees good where there is none!” Their mother shouts back as Miriana begins to run away. “Miriana of the Lovian Family! You get back here this instant!” She yells as Miriana continues running down the long halls of their castle.

"Mother, why must you be so harsh on her? Can't you let her have her interests?" Abigail scoffs as a door slams shut in the distance. "You sister, she's injured enough. I don't want her getting any ideas of hell and potentially going down there." She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I understand mother, but these past months have been difficult on her. The only thing that's made her happy is her interest in,,sinners." She sighs, Abigail has always cared for her sister. She was by her side in the hospital after the fire and searched high and low for a way to heal her sister to no avail.

She and her younger sister had always been close. Even before the fire Abigail and Miriana were inseparable, you'd never see them without each other. Abigail had always wanted a younger sister, and after waiting 100 years she got it, clinging onto her and promising to never let go.

Abigail walks away, not wanting to continue talking of this further, instead heading towards her sister's room to talk. She heard quiet, muffled sobs as she neared her sister's room. She knocks on the door lightly. "Mira? May I come in?" The angel asked softly, not wanting to upset her sister further.

There's a brief silence for a while before the door slowly creaked open. Miriana laid in bed, her eyes puffy from her crying. "You doing alright?" Abigail asks gently. "No! Why must mother be so cruel?" Miriana sobs as her sisters sits on the edge of her bed.

"I believe she is just looking out for you. Should you be hurt, she, nor would anyone else ever forgive themselves." Abigail sighs, while yes she wanted to support her sister in her interest. She also wanted to make sure she was safe, even if it were to upset her sister.

“I suppose you’re right. I just wish she would at least let me enjoy it but I can’t even speak of it without it turning into an argument!” Miriana shouts, throwing her pillow across the room. “Maybe she simply needs time to grow accustomed to your new interest. Why before you, someone thinking positively of sinners was simply unheard of.”

While the average angel hated sinners and looked down upon them, Abigail didn’t think much of them. Her parents had tried to raise her and Miriana to despise sinners. That obviously didn’t end up happening.

“I guess but it still hurts.” The young angel sighs, her eyes burning from all her crying. “She’s just not used to having a daughter as special as you.” Abigail coos, cupping her sister's cheek in her hand.

“Thanks Abby. I guess having an older sister isn’t all that bad sometimes.” Miriana laughs as her sister throws a pillow at her. “Alright! I’m sorry!” She laughs, quickly getting up. “Hurry now, we gotta get ready for the ball tonight.”

“Is your boyfriend going to be there?” Miriana teases. Abagail, despite being only 118, had been engaged since she was young with their wedding in the coming months. She and her fiance had been promised to each other since the moment they could open their eyes.

“He’s my fiance Miriana and what do you think?” Abigail laughs. While yes, at first she didn’t want to be wed to someone she didn’t love she was willing to do so for her kingdom and to please her parents but in a turn of events she and her fiance, Andrew had eventually fallen in love.

“I don’t know about you but I think it’s wrong for us to be celebrating the extermination at all! Especially while it’s happening just below us!” Miriana pouts, walking into their shared walk-in closet, filled to the brim with elegant dresses.

“I understand Miriana but there's nothing we can do except attend the ball and stay safe up here.” Abigail sighs, as much as even she wished the extermination didn’t have to happen, there was nothing she or even her father could do.

“I just wished it didn’t have to. What if someone was forced into murder? What if they had no choice? That wouldn’t have been their fault but they have to pay for it!” Miriana yells. How she wished she could do something.

Anything.