Cursed Freedom

The Cursed Man

(Story under construction  🏗)

   Park Chanyeol was used to silence. He had nothing in his great estate except a bunch of lonely rooms with elegant and intricate, but old, mostly moth eaten furniture, a vast library of books that he had read over and over, and his own good humor.

   So, when he heard a knock at his door, shocked, he instantly pulled back the heavy drapes of a second floor window  to peek down to see who in the world could be this deep in the dangerous forest that was said to be home to a deadly sorcerer and haunted by the souls of its victims.

   When he glanced out, he saw a small boy huddled on his knees at the front entryway to the mansion. The boy's clothing was worn through, and his arms wrapped around himself, as if he were either cold or scared, and trying to fold himself in as small as possible.

   He kept glancing carefully over his shoulder, probably hoping not to be seen by any evil eyes that might be lurking in the dense woods. Based on his behavior,  Chanyeol would bet on both scenarios.

   It only took him less than a minute to decide to run down to investigate. He didn't seem to be dangerous. After all, he had been alone in the vast mansion since he was 13 years old. Who was he to deny company? Although... it could be a trap... a trick... but he quickly shook those thoughts off when he remembered the desperate, frightened look on the boy's face.

   He didn't seem to be dangerous. Plus, after all the years he had spent gazing pointlessly out the windows, he never saw another soul after the being who had laid the curse confining him to the Park mansion had disappeared back into the trees. He figured 12 years of solitude was enough for him. Besides, what did he have to lose, honestly?

   He made his way to the ground floor, and as he arrived at the front door, he reached out for the doorknob, an act that he had repeated countless times. Of course, every attempt had been futile. It had never opened for him, but he had tried every single day in the beginning, and eventually, he gave up.

   But as he thought back to the boy, and how frightened he looked frightened, his heart filled with sympathy and warmth. His heart went out to anyone lost out here.

   As his hand gripped the front door knob, he was shocked  to find that it gave for him at last! But what happened next was not what he expected...