The Curse

A long time ago, a young boy lived in a house on a farm near the forest. His parents kept him at home often, so he was schooled at home, and lived a sheltered life. Rarely was he allowed to go outside, and it was only at night. During the day, he would be given lessons by his mother, and at night he would go out with his father. They would watch the stars and talk about different topics. One night, the young boy asked if they could go exploring in the woods. His father changed the subject to something different, and the boy forgot his question. Then, he started asking nightly. The father still refused to answer his question, until the young boy decided to find out for himself. One night, the boy's father happened to be busy and couldn't take him outside. The young boy waited until his parents were too busy. Then he took his chance and stepped outside quietly.

The night was cold, with a bit of a breeze. The trees danced gently in the wind. As the young boy ventured further out into the night, he could feel something different in his bones. The pitch-black night seemed welcoming for reasons he could not explain. It reminded him of the desire for buttered bread. The instinctual feeling grew stronger as the boy walked away from the house. The moon's bright light lit up the ground and the area around him. The young boy wondered why his father prevented him from going into the woods because it was completely harmless. The cold night air felt fresh to his senses as he continued to walk into the forest.

When the young boy was half-way there, the boy snapped his head around when he heard a faint but distinctive sound. The front door of the farmhouse was open and a figure stepped out. The young boy could barely see their widened eyes. He'd never seen anyone open their eyes that wide, and it scared him somewhat. The figure seemed to be staring right at the young boy's direction. Realizing that it was probably his father, the boy calmed down. Figuring he was waiting for him to come back, the young boy started back to the house. When he was a quarter of the way there, the young boy stopped. His father had not moved from the doorway and seemed to be gripping the door tightly. 

 The young boy was confused. He walked closer to try to find out what was going on. But before he could reach the front door, it slammed shut violently. This time, the boy ran up to the door and started pounding on it. There was no response. The young boy begged his father to let him inside and promised he would never go outside again. The only response the boy received was silence. He then went to the window to try and see inside. He saw his parents, but something was wrong. They were sitting in chairs, watching the fireplace. But when the young boy knocked on the window, they didn't move. When he peered closer, he fell back with horror. The figures sitting in the chairs were lifeless dolls. Feeling sick, the boy got up and ran away from the house back into the woods. 

Once he got enough into the woods, he stopped a moment and sat down. The young boy didn't understand anything that happening. He regretted leaving the house that night and missed his parents terribly. He wanted to hear their voices calling for him, but it never happened. He sat there, shivering on the tree stump. I'll never see my parents again, the young boy thought miserably. No one even knows I'm here. A few hours passed by and nothing happened. At some point, the boy looked at his hands nonchalantly. But to his shock, he couldn't see them. Panicking, he felt his face and was relieved when it was there. The young boy sat on the tree stump for a long time until he finally decided to go back to the house. The thought of the house's warmth grew him back inside. The young boy knocked on the door again, wondering if he would get a response this time. But again, he heard nothing. His parents were no longer in their chairs, and the fireplace was out. They must have gone to sleep, the young boy reasoned. He pushed the front door open quietly and began searching for his parents. Ignoring the feeling of emptiness he felt, the young boy checked all the bedrooms. Not only were they devoid of any people, but the young boy also noticed that personal items were missing as well. He quickly checked his bedroom, and it was empty. The only piece of furniture there was his bed. All his toys, books and clothes were gone. Feeling nervous and confused, the boy headed to the kitchen. The cupboards and pantry were empty with cobwebs and spiders. When the young boy looked on the kitchen table, there was a single piece of paper.

The young boy picked it up, and it was a certificate of death for someone called Bradley Pent. He read it repeatedly, not believing it. He couldn't bring himself to believe it was true. No, it can't be! It just can't be! A sudden idea came over him and he went into the hallway to investigate the mirror. There was no one staring back at him. 

The boy looked at the paper again and the cold realization washed over him. The person on the certificate was him. He was dead and had been dead for a long time. His parents sheltered him they knew that he was dead and did not want to let go of him. But it must have been an illusion or a curse. When he ventured towards the forest, it broke the curse. His parents must have died after he did, so that's why he saw in the window. Now he was a doomed soul, cursed to walk the Earth forever until the end of time.