FD: Birth of a Wishing Heart

48. Fighting the Curse

It was today. I was going to fight to the death with Nicholas, Grizelda, and the curse. That was, if Grizelda appeared. I had told Hans that much about the letter but he only rolled his eyes. All this time and all of a sudden Grizelda had disappeared or surrendered? It made no sense. I wanted to dream about a happy ending but even I had to admit it was unlikely.

I still couldn't say I was going to win and save our world. The idea of losing was terrifying but I knew that I was outmatched. That was the truth and there was no hiding it. To boost my confidence I surrounded myself with items that proved that I was loved. The only reason I had gotten this far was due to all those who had surrounded me and supported me. I even owed Nicholas for my growth, keeping his letter in my pocket. Violet had offered me a dark red ribbon that could wrap around my ears as she claimed that wearing my wig to a battle was impractical. As childish as it was I tied a sack onto my back and in it I put Tabitha. Hansel gave me his compass as a gift because as he said. "No matter what happened, I should always be able to find my way home. Even if our home was destroyed, we had each other." Finally, my brother gave me the best gift of all, his companionship. He was determined to fight with me.

We waited for Nicholas.

Today was the day, and Grizelda still hadn't returned.

Nicholas had promised that he would come and visit despite this but he hadn't expected it to hurt so badly. He didn't want to think about today's battles. He had tried so hard to prepare himself for this day, only for Grizelda to abandon him. He chose to focus on himself and live a normal life while it lasted. He had done his best to live on his own and cook his own meals. He had expected it to be liberating to not be hurt by Grizelda or have to harm children but he still desired red. Deep inside he had grown addicted to the crimson comfort. Ultimately, Nicholas chose his convictions over his cravings. This led his eyes to grow dark from lack of sleep. His hands shook every so often and his muscles still ached. He felt dizzy as his stomach churned in need.

Despite this and the uncertain situation he promised he would meet me. He had to be there. He had to see if his mother was alive. If she was, she would be there. That's when reality hit him. If his mother didn't take my heart the curse would. The curse was immortal. Regardless of his mother, it was still out there. He knew the curse would enjoy seeing the incarnation of love and goodness suffer. It would make sure terror and agony were visible in my eyes. His legs picked up the pace going from a walk to a run. He had to take it. His steps felt heavy and wobbly with uncertainty and fear. "This will be over after tonight. No matter what happens it'll be over with by tonight."

He had to convince himself. "If I take Gree's heart the curse will go home and Grizelda will be back to normal." Of course, there were many uncertainties regarding Grizelda's actual plan when she met the gods but it was best to focus on this moment for now. "No one else will have to be separated from their family. No more screaming or begging. Hope will be restored and no one else will burn. No more punishments." His firm voice soon became reduced to a whisper. His stomach was beginning to hurt even more in emotion. He wanted to get this over with quickly before he began crying. If his mother saw him crying he would definitely regret it. He was a Hex. Hexes didn't cry, they only lived to endure.

Maybe that's why Grizelda had begun to hate us. Despite claiming that hate didn't exist there needed to be more to it than wanting only to speak to the gods. She fought so hard to keep her innocence and survive, yet we had received rewards without trying. We were born with privileges simply because the gods decided it would be so. Her family was born without control of the curse that sought to consume them. She fought against it but it wasn't enough. The gods decided that her efforts didn't matter and she would be the villain for their amusement.