Cursed

Cursed

Tears rolled down my face. My hands and feet were burning... Just as they were yesterday. And the day before. They were covered in white and red swirls, and like the tendrils of a cursed plant they grew every day, longer. Like it was feasting on me, it entwined it cursed tendrils around my fingers, and with every passing day my energy depleted. I slept more often, or tried to. The pain kept me up most of the night.

It was a fire, wrapping and twisting, covering my body in swirls and whorls that, although were beautiful, gripped and seared my legs and arms with pains I had never experienced before in my life.

I didn't know what to do. Every night I was gripped by terrible pains, unable to sleep. Lucien, my betrothed, had tried to help me in every way he could, be it icing my feet at night or wrapping my hands in bandages. I had even tried wading in the stream at the edge of the woods, but it was all to no avail.

So I set off after dusk to find the witch.

I was surprised I could walk at all, but I think it was the pain that drove me on. 

Thana, I think her name was. She was said to be a beautiful woman, with thick black hair that reached down to her waist, ruby red lips, and hypnotic green eyes that would draw you in if you looked into them. And yet, there was something offsetting about her, something that made you want to flee in the opposite direction rather than be in her presence.

I reached her formidable looking hut nearly an hour before midnight. The surrounding woods cast shadows upon the earth, and the trees reached their branches high into the sky, nearly blocking the many stars and the full moon that shone brightly that night. I walked slowly up the path to her hut, uneasy and tense, but my burning feet propelled me forward.

Her hut was small, and though not much different than my cottage, and the ivy that crawled up the walls and the moss that covered the roof gave it a sinister look. I hadn't even lifted my hand to knock when the door flew open.

The woman who stood there was nearly impossible to describe. At least, not in a way that could capture the sheer power that came off her in waves. Legend held true, her skin to her hair was as the moon to the night sky, pale and glowing against tresses of a black so deep it was almost blue. And her eyes, a green so bright they outshone the greenest grass of spring, were outlined in thick kohl. They were mesmerizing, as if they had a life of their own, drawing me in, they were so-

"Do you care to come in, child? I understand I'm beautiful, but you better not have come to me in the middle of the night just to stand on the threshold staring," she snapped.

" Well I... um, I... well..." This wasn't something I could explain, and as intimidating as she was, I couldn't bear to live another day as I was. So I lifted my skirts to show her my legs, and her eyes widened.

" Dear Gods above! what in the name of-- " She sputtered, and I nearly choked when she spewed a colorful string of curses . "Come in, child!" She exclaimed, her annoyance gone, replaced with surprise and curiosity. Her eyes filled with something I couldn't-- No, I knew what it was. Hunger.

I had barely stepped into the hut when my fingers clenched up and a searing pain gripped my legs. I didn't have time to cry out before my vision went dark and I collapsed.

~~~

When I came to, I was lying on the wooden floor in front of the hearth, and Thana was hovering over my face, herbal sachet in hand. My feet were still burning, my hands were still tingling.

"Well that was an interesting little show! What in the seven names of hell happened to you?"

"I, I don't know. I woke up one day, and it was merely a red spot at the bottom of my heel. I couldn't bear to walk on my feet, and Lucien, my betrothed, tried to help me in every way he could. He even--" my words were cut short as every whorl and swirl erupted in a searing pain.

My vision turned black at the edges, but I could still see the crease of concern between Thana's brows.

" My child, I don't," she started, "there isn't-- You've been cursed. There isn't anything I can do,"

Tears pricked my eyes at those words, and another wave of pain washed over me.

I broke into hysterics. "Please, Thana! I can't stand it! Nobody else can help me, please try! Please!" my voice broke, and the puddle in my eyes became a raging river as the tears streamed down my face.

"Oh don't cry child. I mean, there is one remedy, but I doubt you would be willing-"

I couldn't stand the thought of having to live through the next hour like this, let alone tomorrow or possibly the rest f my life.

I didn't care about my dignity right now. This was the only woman who could help me, I would do anything to make it go away.

"Anything! Please I'll do anything! Make it stop, please make it stop!" It was as if her hut, her, being near her, it made it worse. Another wave of searing pain tore through my legs, and my fingers turned a bright red, as if all the blood had rushed to my fingertips.

"Thana please," I gasped. "Anything, make it... Make it stop..."

I was becoming faint again. I shifted my eyes back up towards her face, and her lips were set in a thin line.

"I want you to listen closely. I can make it stop; it will all go away. But if I do so, there will be no going back. Do you understand?"

"Yes, please! Just make it go away, Thana! Thana, please..." I was writhing around the floor now, my screams filling the area.

She placed her fingers on my temples and closed her eyes, as if searching for something. After what felt like half an hour of whimpering and tears, she let go of my head, and it was gone. I looked down at my hands, and the swirls of crimson and white were shrinking, is if they were a real plant, withering away. It was the same with my legs; the tendrils of color had pulled back, I could see them traveling across my leg, back into the base of my foot where they had been blooming.

Gasping in a breath, I realized could breathe now. I pulled myself up and looked at her.

"Thank you, Thana. I could never thank you enough. How could I ever repay you?"

"Don't. Go back to your cottage, and don't come back. Don't look for me, you won't find me. And, before you leave, I'm sorry," she replied, her lips set in a thin line, her expression grim.

I was slightly troubled, but I wasn't too worried, I was free, free of my curse, of the strange whorls, I was free. It was just after dusk when I left her hut, but when I glanced back, she was gone.

I reached my cottage just before noon, practically skipping down the path.

"Lucien!" I called. "Lucien!" I had to tell him I was cured! "Lucien! Where are you?" I called again. Oh where was he when you needed him?

I opened the door to my cottage...

And screamed.

Lucien was sprawled face-up across the floor.

"Lucien!" I ran to him, screaming and crying. No! This wasn't my fault. It was merely a coincidence. What if he- No. I couldn't let myself think like that. I cradled his face in my hands, his skin cold and clammy, and I realized he had been like this for a while.

"Lucien! Lucien, wake up Lucien!" I was crying hysterically now. "Don't leave me! I need you! Look, look at me I'm cured, I'm alright! Lucien please!" I felt- I didn't know how I felt. He was gone, and I wasn't there for him. And now, he was gone. Gone.

He wasn't going to wake up. I sat and wept, my dress soaked with tears. My hands were shaking as I brushed locks of his fair hair away from his face, only to reveal whorls and swirls of white and red on his temples.