Madam Soroya`s Curse

Madam Soroya`s Curse

The following events are generally felt to belong in the world of superstition and fantasy. Sometimes, however, that world veers off course and impacts on our world of today with terrifying consequences.

As the numbing grey haze began to filter out of my mind I became aware of vague shapes hovering on the periphery of my world. I struggled to bring them into focus but they continued to elude me. Brief snatches of  a conversation drifted through the mists of my consciousness.

“He obviously believes it happened” a voice said, “I’ve never known regression under hypnosis to fail”.

“It’s impossible; utterly fantastic” a second voice retorted, “there has to be some logical explanation for his delusion.” It`s odd though, the first voice countered “You saw the wounds on his hands, how do you account for those, they are in keeping with his description of what took place at the fairground” The fragile thread of consciousness gave way and I slipped off into the grey haze.

When I dragged my senses back to reality, shafts of sunlight were slanting through the blinds, shimmering on the floating dust particles. The voices and vague shapes had now assumed solid forms and wore white coats. They were framed in a window seat in what I took to be a hospital or clinic judging by the antiseptic smell, which permeated the air. Deeply Involved in their discussion, they didn’t notice my return to consciousness – if indeed this was the `here and now` and not some alternative world.

I tried to force my mind back to the sequence of events that had taken place; was it really only yesterday, it seemed so much longer ago now. The next question and the vital one was, had it actually happened or was it merely a harrowing episode in a nightmare that was still being played out with me as the central character? I wished fervently that such were the case. At least if that were so I would eventually awaken and then the horror would be over. I felt the incessant throb from the wound beneath the bandage on my hand and realised with a sense of despair that I was not going to awaken, I was wide awake now and living the nightmare. I had always been interested in the paranormal and, after being made redundant, decided to take the  opportunity provided to write that novel that is supposed be in all of us.

 It was inevitable that it would be in this genre. The novel got off to a good start but following the first big scene my ideas began to falter. It was one evening during this frustrating period that I went for a walk in the hope that a change of scene would stimulate ideas to develop the plot. I was wandering along completely oblivious to my surroundings when suddenly I became aware of the sound of

hurdy-gurdy music and found myself outside a fairground. I hadn’t been to a fair since my student days and, on a sudden impulse, I walked through the gaudily painted façade. The bright lights of the carousel and whirling amusements seemed to lighten my mood for the first time in weeks. I wandered aimlessly around for a while and eventually ended up outside a particularly gaudy booth displaying the epithet ‘Madam Soroya fortune-teller`. Smiling cynically, I was about to pass on when I thought, `Why not` ; I needed something to snap me out of the rut I had become bogged down in. Needless to say, I have never been  to a Fortune Teller, I knew all about the tricks of the trade. After a quick check that there was no one around that might know me I eased my way into the booth.

This uncharacteristic decision was to come back to haunt me on numerous occasions over the time which followed. I can only surmise that some psychological or subconscious desire to see if my novel would ever see the light of day determined it. Even to this day I wonder if this was indeed the trigger for the horrific events which subsequently transpired.

The interior of Madam Soroya`s Booth was empty except for a green baize card table and two wooden folding chairs, one on each side of it. The floor was bare earth. A red bead curtain lead to an inner

sanctum of the booth. I was beginning to think there was no one there and was also having second

thoughts and on the point of leaning when, with a swish and a rattle, the bead curtain was thrown aside

by a brass-bangled forearm and there in all her glory stood the ample figure of Madam Soroya.“ Sit

down young man and let Madam Soroya`s crystal ball reveal what the future has in store for you”

Madam Soroya intoned in a well-practised chant. She informed me that the traditional palm crossing

with silver was long obsolete and demanded a `Tenner` for her professional services. I passed over the

note and It quickly vanished somewhere in the vicinity of her buxom bosom.

 Retracing her steps to the inner sanctum she returning with a glowing (plastic) crystal ball which she placed on the card table with a flourish. Sitting down facing me, she gazed theatrically into the orb and seemed about to speak then, stopped abruptly. Dropping her head, she stared open-mouthed, unbelieving. She looked up and what I saw in those dark eyes was a look of pure fear. This was not part of the charade; Madam Soroya was not that good an actress! I leaned forward and gazed into the orb to behold a sequence of unbelievable images. Approaching, as if on an escalator, were images vividly remembered from my childhood. Now it appeared, unbelievably, as if the orb was expanding. I looked away, then back – It continued to grow. It was almost touching me! Frantically I tried to get up but my legs were paralysed. Rigid with terror now, the `crystal` ball started to engulf me. The fairground

sounds receded then vanished completely as the walls of the orb closed around me.I was being given a re-run of my past life like scenes supposedly experienced by someone drowning.

I realized that this horrorscope was not going to end. It would hurtle me right through my childhood;youth and into the present. What would happen then, would it continue into the future? Yes!! it

seemed inevitable That was when the terror really began to overwhelm me. What could I do?

When people go to fortune-tellers do they really want to see their future? – I don’t think so - I certainly didn`t - now! I thought back to my decision to enter Madam Soroya`s fortune telling booth and an old and startlingly apt proverb came into my mind `Be Careful What You Wish For` but it was a bit late for that now. At that point a sense of desperation seemed to speed up my thought processes and I recalled seeing a spy thriller where the agent being tortured distracted his mind from the questioning by squeezing the point of a pencil into his hand. Yes!-  I remembered the pencil in my pocket. With a huge physical and mental effort I managed to clasp my fingers round it. I pressed the point hard against my palm until the pain became intense.  I felt the blood trickling between my

fingers - I continued. This did began to distract my tormented mind from the rapidly accelerating images. I was still aware of them and, alarmingly, they had reached the present and were moving

forward into the future!  No, no – I had to stop looking, stop this mad kaleidoscope before my whole future was laid bare! but it continued. More and more visions emerged. 

 I moved the point of the pencil to my other hand and pressed even harder. The pain was intense now. Suddenly, with a sharp crack, the pencil broke. The images began to spiral out of control like a whirlpool and I felt myself caught up and spinning…. spinning , being sucked down … down….down. I reached up to save myself and, as I did so, I felt a tremendous shock shoot up both arms and then -- total darkness.

I came to lying on the floor of Madam Soroya’s booth holding her crystal ball in my blood-soaked hand. Madam Soroya was slumped over the table. She seemed to be in a deep sleep or trance and was breathing heavily. I lay for a few minutes gathering my strength then the terror returned. I struggled to my feet and reeled blindly from the fairground forcing myself faster - faster to get away – anywhere from that haunting panorama. My legs were growing leaden and the breath was wheezing in my chest but I couldn’t escape the terror of my vision and Madam Soroya’s curse – to show me my future.  I vaguely remember flashing lights and a siren just after I felt my legs buckle. Then I came through the grey haze and heard the voices. The sun was shining but it was not a bright new day, I had seen it allbefore, awareness was leering at me through the blinds. I had to find a way to ‘unlearn’ the knowledge that had been revealed to me. 

The snatches of conversation that I had heard convinced me that the white-coated men of science were not going to be of any help. There seemed only one possibility however slim or illogical. As the doctors left the room with a glance in my direction, I feigned unconsciousness. I had made up my mind, there was no time to lose. Quickly I slipped out of bed and dressed. There was a trolley in my room and I found a white doctor`s coat hanging behind the door. I put it on and, disguised as a member of staff, I pushed the trolley out and down to the lift.. In a few minutes I was out and running. The rain beating on my face helped to revived me. There was only one thought in my mind. I knew instinctively where I

had to get to - the fairground. I had to find Madam Soroya - my only hope of freedom from this horrific vision of the future with which she had cursed me.