Cursed, Herself

He warned her. He told her not to open the book. She opened it anyway.

A young woman by the name of Errail Mancia was walking among the masses of people in New York City. The boots on her feet clicking along the pavement, for although it was spring, she refused to wear sandals. It was just a personal preference. Just like her choice of going to smaller local stores rather than chain ones. Her favorite was Butterfly Books. She knew that they got a new selection of books the day prior.

As she entered the little shop, one book caught her attention. The book was one of many that arrived the day prior and was on display. The cover was beautiful leather that depicted what looked to be fairy tales. She noticed that the cover of the book didn't have a title. As she picked up the book a man approached.

"If you open that book," he started, "you will be cursed."

"That's absurd!" replied Errial. "This book isn't cursed."

"Fine, don't believe me," he stated, "just know, the curse, can't be reversed."

"What a crazy old man," Errial muttered after he walked away.

She paid for her book and exited the shop. She walked down the street to her favorite cafe.

As the smell of coffee wafted into her nostrils, a small smile appeared on Errial's face. When she got to the counter she ordered peppermint tea. Although she enjoys the smell of coffee, she can't stand the taste. She walked over to a chair in the corner, sat down and sunk into the plush seat.

She traced the front cover before opening the book. As she opened the book she felt power overwhelm her. She gasped and the book fell out of her grasp and into her lap.

Cautiously, Errial picked the book up out of her lap and opened it again. This time nothing out of the ordinary happened. She turned to the first story of the collection. It was her favorite story from her childhood, Beauty and the Beast. She loved the movie when she was young so when she was able to read the original story, she enjoyed it so much that she reread it so often the book fell apart. The reason she loved it so much was because Belle reminded Errial so much of herself. Little did she know that she would also become a beast.

As she opened her eyes and stood from her bed the next morning, pain shot through Errial's entire body. She collapsed to the floor crying out in pain. She took a few moments to compose herself as the pain subdued slightly. She pulled herself up using her bed and nightstand for support. She walked into her bathroom and looked in the mirror. What she saw, or rather didn't see alarmed her. Her reflection was almost nonexistent. What features she could make out alarmed her even more. She had fangs where her lateral incisors and her canine teeth should be, and her eyes were extremely bloodshot. Her first thought was her roommate must be pranking her by glueing fangs to her teeth, but that doesn't explain why her eyes were so bloodshot or why she woke up in so much pain. She was still pondering what could possibly have caused this when there was a pounding knock on the bathroom door.

"Errial!" her roommate, Sara, angrily shouted through the door. "Why are you taking so long? You've been in there for a half an hour!"

"Sorry," Errial said. "I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Why I have fangs," Errial replied opening the door.

"What? You're a vampire!" Sara exclaimed excitedly. Sara loved anything to do with the supernatural. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Um... I wasn't yesterday. I've only had them since this morning."

"Then how did you get them?"

"I don't know, that's what I was thinking about."

"Why don't you get ready, put on a hat and sunglasses, and we can go to the cafe and talk?"

"Why don't we just stay here?"

"Because we don't need the demons that cursed you hearing what I want to call them."

"How are you sure that they won't follow us?" Errial teased.

"I don't, but if they get angry, I don't want them to lash out in our apartment," Sara replied.

"You're so weird," Errial said playfully, shaking her head.

"I know!" Sara cheered. "Now let's go!"
she yelled and ran out of the room.

"I'm not ready yet!" Errial called after her then when she didn't hear a reply she shook her head and went to her room to get dressed.

Sara still hadn't calmed down as they walked into the cafe.

"I still can't believe you're mmmph," Sara was cut off by Errial's hand over her mouth.

"Don't talk so loud!" Errial whispered in a harsh tone, "You know that most people don't believe in the paranormal, and even if they did they wouldn't be as cool about it as you are."

"Well yeah, no one is as cool as me" Sara replied sassily.

"Ok, but that's not the point. The point is that this has to stay between us, Ok? No one else can know about this."

"Ok, I won't tell anyone, I promise."

"Good, now let's get breakfast. I'm starving."

For the rest of the morning Errial explained to Sara what happened. Then Sara had to leave for work. Errial went back to their apartment to start another painting.

She took a step back to look at her painting. She had painted to be a young girl in a yellow sundress chasing a butterfly like she had watched her sister do before the incident that paralyzed her. Errial shook away that thought. That's why she moved across the country, away from her old life. That old life doesn't matter now though.
That evening, soon after Sara arrived home, Errial decided to take a walk outside. She was minding her own business when someone attacked her from behind. She jerked her head towards her attacker and sunk her fangs into their neck. She then got her first taste of blood. And that was when she was pushed to the brink of insanity.