The Worthless Touch

Our pueblo never had much, mercenaries would come and take what we had leaving us with little. Everyone else went on with their lives as I grew to hate it more and more. Inaki, although I love him with all that grows in my heart he is so content at all times. He tells me I am worth more than jewels offer, but I can't see behind my love for money.

And they had just robbed us of joy once again, leaving us with nothing. Everyone carried on as if nothing happened. I have had enough!

"Inaki, I can't take this anymore! We have nothing!" I yell in boiling anger.

"Araceli, money is not everything. The love of money comes with deep rooted evil. Do not let it affect you."

"No, we cannot live like this anymore! We need it, they cannot just take from us anymore." I say running off into the forest. I don't know how much I ran, but I stopped at what seemed as an abandoned temple.

"Hello?" I ask as its echo bounces off its walls.

"Hello, Araceli." An old frail woman emerges from the shadows. She had long silver hair decorated with green streaks.

"How do you know my name?"

"I know everyone dear. Now I believe you are here by fate."

"Who are you?" I ask confusingly, as intrigued as I am to know something was telling me that I shouldn't have been there.

"Well, what is your wish and it will be yours. For I do not care what you decide to swear. The only price is a pluck from your hair." She says with a gleam of green shining in her eyes.

"Your offering me a wish? Any wish?"

"Yes my dear, any wish and it will be yours."

I could no longer bear the thought of being worthless, what the woman offered me. A chance of a prosperous life... being the most wealthy woman in the village, all I had todo is wish it! Wish it and it would be mine, all mine. The people from the pueblo couldn't give me what she offered. I could buy Inaki a better life, and all I had to give her was a piece of my hair.

"What do you wish my dear?" She asked pitying over me, cupping her hand to my cheek. I could see the grace in her eyes, how they peered into my soul. Who wouldn't believe her?

"I-" I stutter, "I wish to be rich, to be a woman of endless jewels for the rest of my life." I said after regaining some of my confidence. This is what I wanted... right?

She offered her hand out excepting the piece of hair in which was promised into her hand. And so I went on with it, I plucked a piece of my hair from my scalp and handed it to her. She turned to her furnace and melted the pieces of gold in which I paid her beforehand. As she dropped my hair into the gold I felt an ache at the pit of my stomach.

She poured the gold onto her hands and with a mischievous grin in which molded onto her face; she quickly grabbed my arms burning the melted gold into my forearms. This was the wrong choice, she fooled me! I didn't know how, but it was wrong, I fought to get away with her, but the spell had already begun. Suddenly a blaze of fire explodes into the air and all I remember was her grin, that stupid grin as I fell unconscious.

I wake up near my pueblo after being unconscious, feeling the stinging from the burnt gold on my forearms. The mud and leaves and bugs never bothered me until this discomfort. I push myself off the ground with my right and to see the dirt turn to gold.

What did she do to me? This is... this is the Midas Curse!

"Araceli!" Yells aloud a familiar voice... Inaki.

"Inaki stay away from me," I yell turning around.

"Are you hurt? Why are your arms so burnt and blistered- is that gold?" He bends down to me with a concerning look on his face, "Let me get you to the pulyah he'll know what todo-" He says when he grabbed my arm. In that instance I could only watch as he turned into gold. Silent as ever. His eyes in a panic until they were coated in gold. It felt as if the world around me went fast as I watched my love solidify before my very eyes.

"This wish... This stupid wish I made!" I cried, gasping for a breath of air as I sobbed. The one person who made me feel whole, the one person who told me money didn't matter and that I was worth more than jewels was now turned to one. Because of me. Inaki, the love of my life, the apple of my eye was now turned into a glistening block of gold. All that was left was the silhouette of who he once was. I could only cling to him and sob. It isn't like he could see or feel me anymore, what I would give to take this all back. What I would do to have him tell me one last time that the love for money is the root of all evil.

I quickly grabbed a leaf and stuffed it into my mouth hoping it would turn to gold and I could choke and die; but it did not work. The leaf quickly turned back once it was in my mouth. I then tried to touch myself hoping I could turn to gold as well, but it did not work. I even tried jumping off a high tree but my feet solidified unto the floor not allowing me to budge. I stabbed myself hoping I could bleed out, but my skin would protect itself with gold. I can't die.

Leaving behind who I loved most, there was only one thing todo. The best thing, was that I offer myself to the mercenaries. At least if they had me they would leave the village alone. They could be rich off of me and no one would suffer any longer. And although it began as something so selfish at first, being rich felt in vain if it meant not being with Inaki. How can it be that the touch I once yearned to have was now worthless?