A Century's Curse

The traveller walked down the lonely winding road. The sun was going to set any time soon and he decided to look for a place to stay. He checked his map and saw that there was a small town located ahead. He decided to stay there for the night.

As the traveller walked on, he saw a little girl crying on the shores of a large lake. Looking around, he saw nobody and approached the young girl. "Hi there," the traveller said, in a cheerful manner. "Are you lost, little girl?"

The girl looked at him with bright blue eyes which sparkled with tears. Her face was tear-stained and her dark hair had leaves and twigs stuck on it. Perhaps she was lost. "What's your name?" the traveller asked, but the girl only stared at him, with slight sobs. After waiting for a while, the traveller thought she couldn't speak. Smiling kindly, he asked next, "Where do you live?"

The girl just shook her head slightly. Did that mean she didn't know or that she was homeless? "I don't really understand what you mean, I'm so sorry," the traveller said, sighing. He took out the map and asked, "But I'm heading over to the nearby town called Devlenon, would you like to come with me?"

At the sound of the town's name, the girl rushed over and held the travellers hand looking at him earnestly. "Are you from Devlenon?" the traveller asked. The girl only shook her head. "Well, let's stay there for the night, shall we?"

The girl only held the traveller's hand tightly.

~

When the traveller entered Devlenon, he was quite confused with the place. As he walked inside looking for a lodge to stay, with the small girl holding on to his hand, he thought he sensed the people looking at him. But when he turned to look at them, they focused back on their work. He decided he was just getting paranoid and finally he found a small lodge, four storey high.

The traveller entered and walked to the old woman sitting behind the counter. "Good evening," the traveller said. "Are there any rooms available?"

"And who might you be, young man?" the old woman asked, slowly. She was probably in her fifties, her hair was grey and her skin had a few visible wrinkles on her cheeks and the corner of her eyes.

"I'm just a traveller," he replied. "I just need a place to stay for the night. A room with two beds please."

"And what about her?" she asked next, looking at the girl.

"Do you recognize her?" the traveller asked.

The woman looked at the young girl, who clutched the traveller's coat tightly. "She's filthy, might just be a beggar from the streets," she said, shrugging. "I haven't seen her before."

"Oh, I see," the traveller said, disappointed. "Anyway, I'd like a room with two beds and two meals, please."

"Are you only staying for one night?" the old woman asked.

"Yes," he replied.

The woman looked at him carefully, then said, "Room available in the third floor. Meals will be served at 7 p.m. sharp."

~

The girl stared at the star-shaped necklace in the jewellery shop, her blue eyes looking at it intently. "Do you like the necklace?" the traveller asked. The girl faced him and nodded, slowly.

After checking in to their rooms, the traveller wanted to rest a while, but the young girl kept looking out the window. He concluded that she wanted to see the rest of the town and decided to take her outside. Perhaps that way, he might be able to find someone who recognizes her.

The girl kept staring at the gold chained necklace. "How much is it?" the traveller asked the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper had kept to himself, looking at them suspiciously from behind the counter. He stated the price and the traveller sighed, knowing he had limited amount of money. He looked at the girl and said, "I'm sorry, I don't have enough money to get it. Would you like anything else?"

Just then, an antique mirror sitting in the corner of the shop shattered to the floor. The traveller and the young girl looked at the frame of the mirror, startled. "Get out! GET OUT FROM MY SHOP!" the shopkeeper yelled all of a sudden and the traveller ushered the young girl out.

"That was quite rude," the traveller said, fixing his composure. The girl looked at him and giggled. He looked at her and asked, "You found that amusing, did you?" The girl nodded. Managing to smile, he knelt in front of her and said, "I'm sorry I couldn't get you the necklace."

The girl only reached for his hand and pulled him as if to say, Never mind that, let's keep walking. The traveller stood up and they walked along the town again, still feeling like the people around him were watching them. But he ignored it.

~

Around 7, the traveller and the young girl returned back, the girl's mood had lightened up a great deal and the traveller also enjoyed walking around Devlenon. However, he wondered how he would be able to find someone related to the girl. A boy who looked about fourteen, served them their food and he asked, "Have you been travelling a lot?"

"Yes, I have," the traveller replied, politely. Then he added, "I'm surprised you initiated the conversation, a lot of people here don't do so." Which was true and what he found strange, even during his walk around town he was the one to ask shopkeepers first and they would reply shortly with mono syllables. Plus, the feeling that they were watching him suspiciously...what the hell is that about?

"Ever since the incident centuries ago, people have been like this apparently," the boy replied.

"What do you mean?" the traveller asked, curiously. The young girl too, looked at him carefully.

"Well -" the boy began when the old woman called out to him to serve another guest. "Alright Grandma!" The boy looked at them and added, "I'll be right back."

The traveller and the young girl began to eat their food. What did happen centuries ago? And the people here are still haunted by it? What the hell is going on with this town?

The boy returned with two glasses and placed them on the table. "Well, I don't know how much of it is true but my Grandma told me that centuries back a young woman seeked shelter here in Devlenon. She was lost so she decided to spend the night here and be on her way the next day. But she was a very beautiful woman and some men tried to take advantage of her, but then she turned out to be a witch as the men were found dead the next morning, with scorched marks and stuff. Ever since then, the witch has cursed this town which is why the people here are wary of outsiders, hoping it's not the witch again. Or so they say."

"Really?" the traveller asked, letting the story sink in.

"Yeah," the boy said. "Apparently, the town's been suffering from bad luck and a lot of people died due to illness and such, so the then mayor asked the High Priestess of the church to do some kind of ritual or something, to ward off 'evil'.

"And you don't believe in -" the traveller began, but was interrupted when the glass the boy was filling tipped to the side and water spilt all over the table. The young girl hurriedly took the plate out of the way as the traveller picked up the glass which had tumbled to the floor.

"Sorry, sorry!" the boy said, hurriedly.

"It's alright," the traveller said, assuringly. The boy went to get a clean cloth to wipe up the mess. The traveller looked at the young girl, who began eating again while holding the plate in her hand. "Do you believe in that story?"

The young girl fixed her blue eyes on the traveller and only shrugged, as if saying, I don't know, could be true, couldn't be true. "It's quite a story though, isn't it?" he asked her next at which she nodded slightly.

The boy returned and began wiping the table. "You don't believe in that story?" the traveller asked him.

"No, sounds like a children's tale to me," the boy said. "But all the adults are pretty stupid here, believing in some lame story that happened years ago. If it even happened that is. But it's the beginning of the twenty first century and the people still believe such things? Not to forget superstitions along with that."

"Yes, I agree," the traveller said.

"Anyway, enjoy your stay here," the boy said, smiling politely, then he lowered his voice and said, "And I'd like to apologize on behalf of this town, the people here literally suspect almost anybody who enters this town."

"No, that's quite alright," the traveller said, smiling back.

~

The traveller tucked the young girl in bed. "Are you comfortable enough?" he asked her at which the young girl nodded. "Alright then, tomorrow we'll keep searching for your family. Get some rest, okay?" The girl nodded again.

The traveller went to his bed and laid down to sleep too. The events of the day came flashing in his mind. The people of Devlenon with suspicious looks; the young girl crying by herself outside of town; the broken mirror; the shopkeeper shouting; other people watching him and the young girl; the boy who stated a story that this town might be cursed by a witch...

Strange indeed and he had seen and heard a lot of unbelievable things through his travels. He was nineteen when he left home to see the world, despite his wealthy parents forbidding him to travel since he had responsibilities, but he was never someone to stay cooped up in a small town to live a mundane life.

It's been two years since he left home and he still had the rest of the world to see. He didn't regret leaving home at all. He might go back someday, but that was the last thing he wanted.

Slowly, he drifted off to sleep.

~

He found himself walking down the path again, in the outskirts of Devlenon. But instead of the young girl crying, there was a young woman standing there. She had long dark hair till her waist and she was wearing a simple white gown. When she looked at him, he saw that she had the same shade of blue eyes as the young girl.

Now that he looked at her carefully, she resembled the young girl quite a lot. When she fully turned to face him, he saw the star-shaped necklace around her neck. What was happening?

"A terrible town, don't you think?" she asked, her voice was beautiful, just like her. "The people here are cruel, those group of men tried to hurt me and all the other people could do was ignore me...how pathetic."

The traveller didn't say anything, his mind was blank.

"Thank you, mere traveller," she continued, her voice melodious. "You're a good person, I don't hurt good people, but now your deed is done. I couldn't have crossed into Devlenon by myself, not with the High Priestess's protection. Now I can strengthen the curse again."

Then suddenly, her pupils dilated and her blue irises were swallowed whole, her eyes now completely dark.

~

Gasping, the traveller woke up.

A nightmare, it was only a nightmare. He felt his heart beating fast. What was that? He'd never had such a nightmare before.

He looked to face the other bed in the other corner of the room. However, that made him feel even more anxious and afraid. For the bed was empty.

The young girl wasn't there.