Cursed

Prologue

kThe room's musty and dark, a thick layer of dust and human waste covers the news-papered floor. Above me through a filthy sky-light comes a soft beam of light, revealing dust in the air and a huddled shape in the room's farthest corner.

I step carefully towards the bundle, treading softly on the paper so as not to make a noise. The bundle moves slightly coiling in on itself, shying away from me as I approach.

"Hey" I murmur "it's okay I won't hurt you"

The bundle moves slowly revealing the shape of a small child wrapped in a filthy blanket.

"It's okay" I coo softly edging towards it and ushering for my comrade to follow. The child lifts her head up to face me revealing more of her skeletal frame covered in dirt, and naked.

Behind me officer Hertz drops a bullet from his rifle, making the girl flinch back.

"Shhh" I say in what I hope is a soothing tone, flashing a glare at Hertz.

Carefully I reach out a gloved hand to the girl who leans forward as if to inspect it, the blanket falling from her shoulders and pooling around her bare, grazed knees. From my pocket I pull a bag of dried fruit, and tip some into the palm of my hand, bending down to offer some to the girl.

Pushing ratty hair from her face the girl reaches forward taking the pieces of fruit and begins to stuff them frantically into her mouth. "There you go" I say reaching for more food. Damn, there's no more food in my pack. "Hey?" I say to the girl "I don't have any more food, but if you come with me we can get some more," I know this is a risk. The child is dangerous and frightened, a combination I know to be dangerous.

Carefully I begin to stand making sure to avoid any sudden movements, but the girl grabs my arm, sharp dirty nails leaving crescent moons in my skin.

"No" she says her tone flat and far too old seeming. I freeze biting my lip, I'd hoped to avoid anything like this.

"Cathmore, ma'am" Hertz says, lifting his weapon into position. The child's eyes flicker from me to the gun in Hertz's hands. "Don't shoot!", but it's too late hertz fires the weapon, missing both me and the child, the bullet ricochet off the wall smashing the glass panel of the doorway.

The girl screams clutching my arm and turning her gaze on hertz. I notice her eyes seem to light up like electricity "Hertz" I say trying to keep my voice calm, "get out", he tries to tern but it's too late. The girl's moth is open in a howl of pain as her eyes seem to catch fire with bold purple flames that lash out in all directions.

With my free arm I try to shield my eyes, ears, the ringing coming from all sides. It's pointless. The scream seems to reach a climax, glass shatters and my vision is whipped out by a bright light, much like the one people often say, one sees before death.

When the world around me restores to normal I open my eyes, blinking as my eyes adjust to the sudden gloom.

The girls let go of my arm and is curled crying into a corner shaking. "Hertz" I whisper, afraid to turn round. Nothing, Carefully I swivel my head where hertz should be is nothing but a glowing light.

The stories were right; he's gone, zapped from this dimension, to another. Gone.

I turn back to the child, who looks at me from those small, quick eyes, now bleeding, the electricity gone.

I gently thumb away a drop of blood and lift her into my arms. Her skinny knees wrapped tight around her waist. Bending down I pick up Hertz's fallen gun slinging it over my free shoulder.

"Where are we going?" asks the child, "away" I reply stepping out the door, into the waist land beyond.