The next morning I couldn't move. My body was so stiff and sore. Emerald's magic had worn off. I layed on Nikova's chest and dozed to the rise and fall of his breathing. When he finally woke up I had already fallen back to sleep. He nudged me awake and helped me sit up.
"I don't think I can walk today." I mumbled, lying back down on the grass. I curled into a ball and tried to ignore the pain.
"We're so close though." Nikova prodded at me. I glanced up at him.
"I just can't anymore." The realization didn't scare me anymore. I was preparing this entire trip for someone to die. What did it change if it's me.
"Catherine look!" He was getting frustrated with me. I followed where his finger was pointed. The top of the hill was only a few feet away from us. We didn't see it last night in the darkness. All we had to do was climb a few stairs and we would have been there.
"Nikova, I don't want to anymore." I smiled at him, hoping he'd understand.
"What are you talking about!" He raised his voice in anger. "You dragged me all the way up this stupid mountain just to tell me you don't want to? For peats sake Catherine! We almost became slaves, you almost got trapped for eternity in a carnival," He stuttered a little trying to contain his anger. "We almost got eaten by a crazed fairy. A. Crazed. Fairy. Do you even hear any of this?" He wasn't yelling anymore. Frustration was clearly engraved on his face.
"Yes Nikova, I hear you." I closed my eyes. Sleep was becoming too hard to fight off.
"No you don't. If you did you would be walking up that mountain. What about Milah?" His mention of Milah made me feel a stab of pain. "She died to make sure you lived. Are you going to let her death be in vain? She killed her brother for you." His words were more desperate now.
"Don't you get it?" I thought it was so obvious. "I can't do what Milah did. I can't kill something I love." I smiled at him, my mind made up. He dropped to his knees near me.
"No you don't." His words were harsh. "If you loved me you wouldn't be so selfish right now." His face was void of emotion.
"What right do you have to call me selfish? I 'm giving up my life for you!" I was mad now. I couldn't believe he was acting like this.
"No!" He said it a low volume but he still struck fear. "You're taking the easy route. You're avoiding the pain of losing someone you love. Well what about me? You think I want you to die?!?" He was ranting now. "If you loved me you would suffer the pain for me." He smirked as if it was a challenge.
"What the heck!" I jumped up in a furry. "Why are you killing me if you don't want me dead?" I was getting fed up with his games.
"Because I don't control it!" He was on his feet now too. He sighed, "I don't know how to stop it."
"What?" The word barely left my mouth.
"I wanted you to have something to blame. Some bad guy to defeat." A tear fell down his face.
"Nikova, this will kill you." I spoke in a whisper. I knew I couldn't kill him now. He wasn't even doing it on purpose,
"I know Catherine." He laughed at me. "If it means you'll live? I'm ok with that." His words stung.
"You know I can't do it now.." I pleaded with him.
"Yes you can. You're going to get your butt up those stupid stairs. You're going to get better.You're going to go see your parents and tell them all about how amazing I am." He used his hands for theatrics.
"Why would I do that?" I asked desperately looking for a reason.
"Because Catherine." He stepped closer to me. "You love me." He leaned down and kissed me. It wasn't a long drawn out kiss. He kissed me lightly and then pulled away. I nodded at him and started walking to the stairs. I pulled myself up each stair carefully. I could barely move up the last stair. I had to sit down and crawl up. I heaved myself onto the ledge.
It was empty. I was sitting at the edge of an empty circle. I laughed at all of it. How hard I pushed myself just to get to an empty ledge. There is no dragon. I layed down and waited for my life to slip away. Just as I did I felt myself lifted up. I opened my eyes in time to see a blur of blue coming towards me.
The fire stung at first but then it felt amazing. My pain was taken away. I felt as if a burden was lifted from my shoulder. I was lowered back to the floor slowly. I was about to run down the stairs to see if Nikova was still there but that's when it happened. That's when my eyes opened.
YOU ARE READING
My Curse
Short StoryCatherine is a 23 year old woman who has been cursed to live with a monster. Every month he visits and puts her through incredible pain. She hears of a dragon who can slay her monster on top of an unclimbable mountain. She has to climb this mountain...