Mildred's Curse

Something Wrong

    I was in my room working on my homework when the phone rang. The school year was just a couple weeks out from being finished, and I expected it to be one of my school friends calling. I got up from my desk and dashed to the top of the stairs. I was about to rush down when I realized my mother had already picked it up. She sounded upset with whoever was on the other end. I leaned in a bit to hear better.

"Listen here Mildred, I will NOT send her to you. We made a deal, but there must be another way. She's only 18," she said as she gripped the phone.

A strange cackle came through the receiving end. It was hard to hear what they said. I didn't recognize the strange voice from the top of the stairs. I watched her stiffen and saw her blue aura turn dark. I hated seeing auras but hated seeing my parent's auras more. They were always darker than I liked. Her breath had become heavy, and I watched her kick the wall.

"You bitch! You don't get to speak her name! Not after what YOU did. Vara will not follow Jessica!"

My mother screamed those words with a wave of anger and rage behind them I had never seen in her. I felt her anger from the top of the stairs and it held me fast to where I stood. I wondered who this Jessica was and why old Aunt Mildred reached out to mom. She had always kept her distance from our family. I then noticed her rigid shoulders slump as if they had stolen her anger.

"But...you can't do that. How would we live? Have some mercy." Her anger turned to a whine with a note of desperation. "Please, I love her. Don't send for her. Haven't you plagued this family long enough?" she begged.

A silence stretched out before us, and it was deafening. There was something wrong happening, but I didn't understand it. Mom broke the silence at long last.

"You win, you old hag. I'll send her in a couple of weeks." She slammed the cordless phone down and shrieked. It was a horrid sound that struck fear into my soul. She fell to the floor and sobbed.

I stood rooted at the top of the stairs until she looked over in my direction. She saw me and panic filled her eyes. We stared at each other. Mom looked as if she had just lost everything. Tears welled in her eyes and she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Many questions filled my mind, and none of them made sense. My heart raced. I freed myself and ran back to my room as quick as my feet would carry me. Her emptiness had seeped into me and made me run.

My room was at the end of the hall. I had to pass my brother Kaelin's room, and my sister Kari's room to get to mine. I never connected well with my parents. My brother, sister, and I were close. I thought it was normal for children who weren't loved by their parents. I should check on them, but I just wanted to disappear into my space. I ran to my room and slammed the door behind me hard enough to make my ceiling fan shake. I imagine they heard the sound throughout the house and it might make one of my siblings concerned, but I didn't care.

The one large window in my bedroom overlooked the backyard and let in a decent amount of light. The walls of my room were a pale lavender. There was a canopy bed and sheer curtains that gave my room a heavenly vibe. The carpet, dresser, and desk were all white. Posters of my favorite bands and my favorite movie Maleficent Mistress of Evil hung on the wall. My cell phone lay on my desk. I grabbed it and hit play on my playlist. One of my favorite songs with a good strong beat began to play. My body began to move to the rhythm and I could almost see the music. I let the music take over me. All the anger I felt from eavesdropping let loose like a storm. I hummed as I danced, and those images of a different version of me flooded my mind again. It had been happening since I was a child and that different me was terrifying. That me was beautiful, but not human. It's blue hair and blue skin made me think of some weird creature from a movie. I felt like a worm on a hook when I thought of being anything other than normal.