The Curse

Realisation

[Please comment. There some obvious plot holes which will get fixed. Its because I rushed this chapter. Stay updated.]

Mark's mansion was big. Big enough that 'got lost' is a legit reason for being late. It had a ground floor and a huge basement below it. The ground floor had wooden furnishings and imported upholstery adorned the ivory handles of 3 couches in the main hall.

Two stairs behind the a couch wonderfully carved their way to the first floor, where Mark, Steve and Irene,his cook lived. The first floor was basically a corridor around which there were rooms and the other side was a balcony projecting into the ground floor. The stairs met at a large double door. Through which was the library. It was large, as big as a tennis court. The library led to Mark's study through a door on the left and through the right, there was a room where mark kept a  a snooker table. Beyond the snooker table was a door whic opened to a balcony. The balcony looked over his swimming poolwhich Mark and Joe enjoyed playing.  

When Mark reached home, He enquired if Steve had recived the text about the guests and the food. Steve nodded. Mark went to his room to get a quick rest . On the way to the staircase, he spotted something on the couch. A black box. He felt a wave of nostalgia hit him. He couldn't seem to remember where he had seen it.

"Steve? What is this?" He asked. Steve poked his head out of the kitchen. "Oh. I forgot about that,sir. The corier guy dropped it off today when you were in school. It comes from Mary" He said. Mark inspected it and then it struck him. It was Mary's trunk. She used to store their stuff there. Buy why would she send it?

"Steve, get this box sent upstairs to my study." Mark said. Steve nodded and walked away. He noticed Steve going towards the kitchen. "Hey Steve! What are you doing in the kitchen? Isn't Irene the cook?" Mark said. Steve turned and his face was a perfect tomato. " Sir, she is my girlfriend." He said "It's just that the ideal poker face is hard to make" . Mark laughed. Steve had been dating Irene since a year. "I was just mocking you Steve." He said. " Make sure you pay equal attention to the food." . Steve blushed and he nodded and went back to the kitchen.

Mark went to the his study and moments later, the box arrived. He got it placed on the table. Mark went and closed the door. The box was a small one. About two and a half feet wide. He opened it.

The box had many miscellaneous stuff ranging from soft toys to little metal cars. Mark realised that those were Joe's stuff, the soft toys. The cars, Mark remembered belonged to him. But why had Mary sent them? Where did she get them?

Mark flicked the pages of a photo album in the box. The zoo, aquarium, baseball matches, school detentions, Mary had always been there, nursed them, loved them like a mother. Mark felt cold along a line on his cheek. When he moved his hand to his cheek, two tears dropped on the worn out pages and blotted into big circles with projections.

He wiped his tears and went back to the album. Why was he crying? Did he miss Mary? He was looking at the box for more content when he heard the doorbell go off. He was there for over an hour he realised.

Mark went downstairs to greet them. Instead, he saw an old man waiting at the door. "Hello Mark, I'm a fortune teller. I knew your parents, or rather know your parents." The old man said. Mark descended the rest of the stairs and scanned the man. He was ragged and his clothes had mothholes. "Umm....I fail to recognise you Mister. I need a moment, please do get cosy." Mark said.

" B-but sir, he is weird." Steve whispered. Mark nodded worridly and called the security. "How could you let someone like him enter? " he asked on the phone. "Sir, He claims to know your parents," The guard onduty said. "I thought you would not appreciate me sending him away. Would you want me to come and take him?"