Beyond the Wicked Willow: Chronicles of a Teenage Witchslayer

THE MALOCCHIO

In 2012 two things changed the life of fourteen-year-old Frankie Fretini forever. The first was the death of his father—we'll talk more about that later. The second thing was the malocchio. What's the malocchio, you ask? The Italian evil eye. A curse, jinx, hex, hoodoo. A whammy. "Malocchio" is pronounced a few different ways, depending on region and dialect. In Frankie's family the dreaded Italian curse was pronounced ma-LOAK. 

Belief in the evil eye dates back to ancient Sumer in southern Mesopotamia, which is modern day Iraq. From Mesopotamia, the idea of the evil eye spread like wildfire, and boy did it stick in Italy. To this day many Italians take precautions to guard against the malocchio. Some wear a cornicello, a small gold or red amulet in the shape of a gently twisted horn, hung around the neck.

The malocchio is believed to cause any number of misfortunes, from a mere headache to a long streak of bad luck and even death. In some cases, one can be affected by the malocchio even if it wasn't cast specifically cast upon them. That's exactly what happened to Frankie Fretini.

It all began long before his time. Rewind nearly eight hundred years to the outskirts of a mountainous medieval village in the Calabrian region of southern Italy. Lining the side of a rugged dirt road was a band of Gypsies busily setting up market stalls to pedal their potions and wares. Set into the tree line of a thick chestnut forest, behind each family's stall, stood a colorful bender tent for lodging.

In the near distance, stacked one atop another, the stone row houses of local villagers clung precariously to the craggy mountain slope. At one tent, two beautiful identical twin Gypsy girls giggled and flirted with some nearby boys. The twins, Mala and Tsura, were fourteen years old, and the only way to tell them apart was by their colorful silk headscarves. Mala's was a stunning red and Tsura's, a splendid orchid.

At road's edge, the twins' father paused from stocking the shelves of his market stall to admire his daughters. He smiled proudly as he watched them with a twinkle in his eye. After a moment, he asked, "Have you girls finished preparing our quarters for the night?"

They looked to him attentively and cheerfully replied in unison, "Yes, Father."

Pleased, he said, "Well then, perhaps a break is in order."

The twins lit up with excitement. Mala, the more adventurous of the two, asked, "May we go gather orrisroot, Father?"

He stroked his chin as he considered Mala's request, then answered in a kind, cautious tone. "I don't see why not...but remember, do not travel too deeply into the woods."

The girls scampered through the forest with impish grins on their faces. The rough bark of the aged chestnut trees gradually darkened the higher up the trunk one gazed. Beyond that, the branches reached out like charcoal black tentacles teeming with creamy yellow leaves set aglow by the sunlight beyond. The forest floor was covered with fallen foliage that had long since turned a pleasing burnt orange.

As beautiful as it was, the forest also held an indefinable, yet palpable eeriness.

As the twins traveled ever deeper into the woods, Tsura became increasingly worried. Hearing rustling leaves and snapping twigs behind them, she spun around and scanned the area.

"Did you hear that, Mala?" she asked nervously.

"Quiet, Vadni Ratsa," Mala said teasingly, as she ventured further on.

"Father told you to stop calling me that," Tsura complained.

Spooked by another sound, Tsura raised her voice at Mala, "We've strayed too far and Father said—"

"Father said, Father said. You're always saying Father said," Mala scoffed.

Just then, Tsura's anxiety melted away and her face came alive with pleasure. "Mala, look!" exclaimed Tsura, as she pointed straight ahead. In the near distance sat a picturesque clearing naturally carved from the woodland. As the girls gleefully bounced toward it, their vibrant silk skirts fluttered in the wind. Once in the meadow, the girls marveled at the sun-drenched Eden they had stumbled upon. They spun joyous circles with wild abandon through the field of dazzling green grass and tall yellow bearded white irises.