The Cabin

The Gypsy Kings Curse

I woke up chained up just as I was when I fell asleep. This time however I was in a room with four walls and a door. The door was open and there seemed to be a small light glowing from it. The room was in complete darkness. The light coming from the door showed me that there were book shelves all around me. In front of me seemed to be the key of my chains. It looked back at me, mocking me. Years of being chained up, a chance to be free, right in front of me. There were only extreme options to get to the key. Breaking one of my hands, or waiting for someone to come. But this place seemed strange. Did someone get me out of the lake perhaps? A question I needed answered.

Before I could decide on how I was going to get the key someone walked in. I could barely see their face or body, but what I could tell was that the man was tall in stature. He spoke in a calm dead voice “You lost soul, you will help me make this place fun again. You and I will start making the wheels turn again. First I need you to get out of here and be of use to me.” He threw the key close enough so that I could release my chains. He then walked out of the room before I could fully release myself. When I did release myself my curiosity got the better of me. I had wondered what these books contained. In a stark reminder that I did not know where I was. The books could have been of use to me, and that they were. Every book started with the title “The Gypsy Kings Curse.” Each book told of the story of how my curse affected some Gypsy from the future. One was of a Gypsy that wanted to fly (as dumb as it sounds) and in his brilliance he decided to jump from a cliff for hundreds of years, never once dying, always believing he would one day fly. Till the day came he lost hope, mid jump, and died. Another book writes of the curses legend, and how many Gypsies believed they could not die, died. My curse was meant for great Gypsies that had indomitable will, not for some weak Gypsy believing that some curse would protect them from being weak. It was also meant for someone that believed in something that would transcend death, something greater than themselves.

I had walked down the hallway. At the end of the hallway there was a ledge and the man was fully seen by the light. The man had dreads going all the way down to his feet, he looked to be from African descent. I looked over the ledge and all I saw were clouds. I asked him “Why are we all the way up here, and why am I here?” He answered “You're here, because I wanted you here. Simple as that. You intrigued me, Gypsy King.” I kept staring down to the clouds, something about it shouted at me. I asked him another question “If I jump will I die?” He asked me a question back “Does that matter to you?” That's when it hit me. The freedom I was looking for all along was right in front of me. It didn't matter if I didn't have wings to let me fly, legs to drop us, or hands to pick me up. At that moment I just wanted to jump, and so I did. The breeze from the jump felt heavenly. Gravity pulling me down was a feeling only I could have felt with freedom. Then…splash, red everywhere. I lost consciousness Just as I did underwater. Once again I opened my eyes as if I hadn't just jumped. This time I was standing over the ledge.

I looked over at the man and asked his name “My name is Kasim. So far it has been a pleasure meeting you. You have far exceeded my expectations. Where do you think you are? Younger one.” I started looking intensely into his eyes. I tried and tried to look at something living in there, but all I saw was a fire that would never be put out. An eternal campfire I saw, someone that had order to him, a structure even. He had as much passion in him as fire, but was as dead as the wood that made up the campfire. Is this hell? I asked. He said “This place is neither hell, nor heaven. This place is in the middle of both. Purgatory.” I didn't necessarily care that I died. To me it just means I wasn't strong enough. But a question lingered in my head. I asked him what exactly was purgatory. He said “Purgatory is the place for people that don't fit in either heaven or hell. They are so-called lost people, but I don't think they are lost. Their minds have wandered to such a place because their stories continue. Living mortals often believe that when they die, that's the end of their story. OH BUT IT IS NOT. Our story, purgatory stories don't start till you die. In this realm our power comes from worms, deep inside every soul there's a worm. Depending on a soul's ideas, will, that worm will either be strong or weak, alive and thriving, or corrupted and forever wandering this forest.” Is this freedom? I asked myself. The thing I wanted all for so long. It's such…a bittersweet feeling. If what he says is true, my story has yet to begin. He told me “come with me young soul. I will show you what life is all truly about.”

I followed him through a door that had a staircase. This place had the walls of a castle. It had moss growing through the cobblestone walls. The staircase was spiraling, it felt as if every step I took downstairs was gonna collapse the whole thing. But by some miracle it never collapsed. This staircase was like a never-ending cycle. There were three hallways that we stopped at. One was dark, barely any lamps on the walls. There was fog throughout the hallway. It only led to one room; a room filled to the brim with what seemed like bottles of different colored water. In the middle of the room there was a big cauldron pot, with it a big wooden spoon in it. I asked him what it was all about; he stayed quiet about it. The second hallway was less of a hallway and more like an endless library. There were thousands and thousands of book shelves that stored thousands of books. There were people all over. Some were reading, others talking to each other. What caught my eye the most was the librarian. She had no nose, no eyes, no mouth, no eyebrows, nothing. It was just a blank face. As if she were a part of the library. I went up to the librarian. Somehow a voice came out “Hello wandering soul.” I said hello back but what came next out of its mouth sounded like something only the devil would love.

We continued to the third hallway where hundreds of people presided. Many of them had armor, swords, and helmets of knights. The last majority of them had vast amounts of scars all over there body. I could see them all since these people were practically naked. Only having what seemed like rags to cover their most private parts. Then we got to the end. He turns to me one last time to say “I'm glad we've been able to find the one and only Gypsy King.” He opens the door to unveil hundreds of people fighting each other. A vast, unending battlefield. I can see what the third hallway is about. The side they seem to be fighting is of what can only be surmised to be demons. Many of them bite through the crowds. Giant terrible teeth, with giant unbearable mouths. Bodies and limbs dangling in their mouths and teeth. Other demons simply stomp on their victims. So high that not even the clouds reach them. Many different demons fight the crowds of people. Hundreds of them died. People are scarred. Yet how do they continue fighting? But I notice that these people aren't so different from me. I see the same faces over and over on the battlefield. This was an endless battlefield. Kasim turned to me and said “It truly is a sight to see. Hundreds of my soldiers gave their souls up for a greater cause than themselves. It truly is magnificent.”

He turns around and starts walking to the back. I end up in front of a tiny door; so tiny that I have to crawl through it. On the other side of the door lies a demon with the appearance of a tree. It was giant, the height of at least 22 feet. It had branches of itself sprouting out. Each branch had what seemed to be an egg. The lights were red lamps. The smell was putrid. One of the eggs dropped to the ground; the liquid from the egg poured out. What came out of it seemed to be a demon. Not any regular demon however. It looked to be a homunculus. The liquid that seemed to be from the egg was part of the demon. Bright blue eyes were all over the demon. I looked up to The Demon Tree and saw big bright blue eyes too. It started speaking a cryptic language that I couldn't recognize. Kasim started speaking back to it. He once again turned to me and said “This is my masterpiece Gypsy King, and you will help me perfect it.”