Day Twenty, First Moon, Hunting Year Five Hundred and Four
It's Michael's turn to be sick, except he didn't get sick from punishment. He's just regular old sick. Mama says there must be a curse floating around town. If it was just him who was sick, maybe someone cursed him specifically. Or, maybe, he caught some residual evil from my curse, but four other children from the schoolhouse are having the same symptoms -- coughing from deep in their chest, congestion, and fatigue. Just a little dizziness as well. One of the others is back in school already. He was out for only a day, and Aunt Martha expects the other three students will be back in another day or two, but Michael has been out of school for almost a whole week.
I have to remember his lessons as well as mine, so I can teach him when I come home at the end of the day. His lessons aren't so bad, but they seem to tire him out quickly anyway. He needs to get better real soon, otherwise, people are going to think the Curse is come from our house. I'm going back to the blackberry bushes at the edge of the wood. If I collect enough berries for Mama to sell some preserves, we can buy some of the herbs we don't already have to ward off this illness.
*****
Hello, hello, hello! I can't believe it's already December. As I write this, the weather outside is beautiful with a gloriously warm sun and a cool breeze. Perfect hiking weather. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting to see if chronic illness will ever let me do any serious hiking again.
Anyway, wishing you happy reading this week.
YOU ARE READING
The Wood
FantasyLike every other girl in her village, Kyla has been taught to ward off curses with the right concoction of herbs, but when a new plague falls upon the village, the elders begin to hunt for the witch who caused it. Kyla becomes the next target after...
