My Hero, Zak Bagans

Chapter 27

   Nick saw me sitting by the tree and he walked over to talk. I was crying earlier but now my tears were dried and plastered to my face.

   "Hey kiddo," He said as he sat down next to me. "We uh, captured something on a few digital recorders that I think you should hear." His voice was quiet and soothing.

   "I don't want to hear anything that came from that house. Ever. Just leave me alone." I cupped my face into my hands. I began to cry a little but they were silent. I knew he wouldn't leave until I was better so I figured I better start talking. "Did you know that I watched my uncle overdose and die? The last words he ever said to me were, 'Piss off you braided rat'." 

   "That's terrible." He said. "Why did he call you a braided rat?" He questioned me slowly just to make sure it was the right time to ask.

   "I always had my hair in a braid." I twirled my hair and looked up at the sky. It was still dark out. "Did you know that my uncle wore his famous key necklace, not because it gave good luck, but because it was the key to the dungeon and everytime he would go on tour, he would lock the door and trap me inside." I looked at him before I spkoe again. "Did you know that the first time I saw a ghost, I told my uncle and he put me in an insane asylum for 3 weeks because he said that I was going crazy. Did you also know that when I was born, my uncle was so mad that I was a girl so he hired a witch to put a curse on me."

   "What?" Nick finally spoke up. His voice sounded like he was shouting but still kept his voice quiet. "How many people know?" 

   "Just my family, the servants, and you." I wiped my eyes.

   "Have you ever thought of telling Zak?" He asked. I shook my head. "Well, what did the curse say?"

   "Six is the number of the devil. Six will haunt this child forever. Born the sixth girl of the family and the last of six children in this genoration. I curse thee with a demon. A demon that will forbid this child to ever seek love. To ever be happy with the ones she loves the most. This demon shall not go away until the child enters the devil's realm and joins those who live in Hell."

   I looked over to Nick but could barely see his face in the darkness. I imagined his jaws dropped and a terrified expression on his face. "After her curse, I strangely started forming this birthmark on my right ankle. It looked like the number six but I could be wrong.." I waited a little. "Nick?" I asked after a while of silence. "Nick? Are you okay?" 

   "We, we gotta tell Zak." He got up to go back to the guys and tell them. I hesitated.

   "NO!" I screamed. I grabbed his ankle and tried to pull him back to me. "You can't tell him! You can't tell anyone! No!" I tried to keep him from telling but my grip didn't last long and he got away. I watched as he speed walked up the driveway and into the tent. I saw him tell Zak and Aaron and they kept looking over at me periodically. After a while, Nick pointed to his right ankle then pointed to me and I knew that he just told them everything. I curled back up and cupped my face with my hands.

   I heard footsteps approaching me then someone sitting next to me. 

   "Katie," Zak hushed. I didn't look at him.

   "Go away." I muffled.

   "Katie, you can't hide things like this. You should have gotten help." Zak said,

   "It was better to bottle it up and forget about it. That made it hurt less." I could feel my eyes start watering and I became furious.

   No. I thought. You've cried enough you big baby. Get up and face your fears.