The Curse

Chapter 2

Sometimes I think I would rather be dead.

If I was dead, then I wouldn't have to endure this constant pain, I won't have to handle the continual humiliation.

I would be free.

But yet, I live. And I still want to keep living. I want to be alive as long as I can, even if it is a life of pain.

I don't know why, maybe it's the wolf side of me that only thinks of survival. I don't know.

I lay down with my front legs in front of me, the grass is still wet from the rain.

I look toward the woods.

We live at the edge of the woods. Normally people live in the more suburban part of the city, but not us.

It's because of me.

They want to hide me. They don't want others to know that they abuse and cage a black wolf in their backyard that is actually their daughter.

It happened on my sixteenth birthday.

Our family is different. We are known as Gretta's.

Gretta's have a supernatural custom.

On our sixteenth birthday, we either get cursed or blessed.

For hundreds of years, every generation has been blessed.

That's right, you guessed it, until me.

The ones that end up blessed are free of the curse. They live a normal happy life. They even live a longer, more healthy life than normal people.

On the other hand, the ones that are cursed are continually faced with challenges and hardships. Most of the time, the cursed don't live very long. The cursed are considered a disgrace to their family.

That's why they hide me.

They don't want other Gretta heritage families to know about me.

Normally, people who find out that are cursed cry and break down and even consider killing themselves.

At first, I did. Well, not as exotic as others, but still the same.

When I turned sixteen, I found out that I was cursed. I was in shock. I was supposed to be blessed not cursed. I was supposed to live a long healthy life. I was supposed to be destined for greatness.

But I was cursed.

At 7:48 pm on my birthday, I found out I was cursed.

I was sitting in the family room with the rest of my family sitting beside me, ready to congratulate me on being blessed.

At exactly 7:48 pm, I felt a sharp pain. I grasped my screaming head and fell to the ground in overwhelming pain. I believe I was screaming, but I don't remember because I fell unconscious for four days.

"This was not what was supposed to happen! She was supposed to be blessed! Not cursed!" I heard my father yell. They were arguing right outside my bedroom door, thinking I was still unconscious.

"Maybe her body just had a shock, maybe her mind couldn't handle the blessing being thrust upon her like this. She could still be blessed," my mother argued back.

"You know the signs, Marley! This is exactly the opposite of what was supposed to happen! I can't have a beast freak in my house! I will not!" he had shouted.

I closed my eyes tight that night and cried, for I was a disgrace to my parents, to my heritage, to my younger brother, and to myself.

I was a freak.

I was cursed.

But what could I do?

Then the beatings started. Michael took out his anger on me. At first I had fought back, but not now. I had learned through many ways not to fight Michael.

And I had adapted not to attack.

Until yesterday.

I would pay dearly for that later. I just had to stay a wolf until I couldn't. Because when I had to turn back to a human, my life was going to get even worse.

And I had a feeling that I had to turn in a couple of days. I can usually last around a week or two without food as a wolf, but when I start getting really hungry as a wolf, I start getting more aggressive until I don't have any energy. Me attacking Michael was a sign that my time was going to come sooner than I liked.

Even after just a few months of being cursed, it felt normal to turn. Like this was what I was meant to be.

Something darkened within me.

I was meant to be the disgraced one. My family still would hate me.

They thought that cursed was the worst thing, the most unnatural, dirty, unclean thing. But sometimes, it just felt right. It felt right that I was a wolf and not a human. I felt like my true self.

No, no. You're wrong. You were suppose to be blessed like the rest. Not cursed. Never cursed.

I reassured myself. No, I was meant to be blessed, not cursed.

The breeze picked up.

I tensed.

They were here.

The other wolves. They were here, watching me from the woods.

But at least one good thing came out of being cursed, those who are cursed heal abnormally fast. In fact, my shoulder from the bat yesterday was already mostly healed.

I jogged out of the doghouse and looked at the surrounding woods, sniffing the wind, anything to pinpoint where they were and how many.

Only two, I decided. Normal. They only came in ones and twos, never more.

But as quickly as they're here, they vanish. I can't smell them anymore, or see them. They're gone. Just like every time they come.

I can't but stop and think that it would be nice to be free and hunt out in the woods.

The mention of hunting makes my stomach flare in annoyance. I will have to change soon. And when I do, I will have to face Michael and his wrath of hatred.