Malediction

10 - The Truth

Despite the beautiful weather, I felt the air grow dark and ominous. It was as though I was being transported to another world, a world to which I couldn't ever escape once there.

I nodded again, urging Danny to continue, undeterred "I want to know"

He hesitated for a moment, and then continued " My lack of eye contact, my deterrence of you, it's something I need to do, it's not something I want to do, I act rude, I act cold, but that's not who I am" He stared at the sky, his eyes somewhat pained

"Who are you, really?" I pushed eagerly

Surprisingly, his head turned toward me, seeking eye contact. When I waited, he continued

"My grandfather William, he didn't hurt those girls, not intentionally, could he have prevented it? Absolutely, but it wasn't entirely his fault that all four of them died" He admitted, eyes firm on mine, the pull into his world again at force "the other rumour about us, the curse, that's what killed those girls, what could kill again"

I absorbed what he was saying "a curse?" I repeated

He nodded slowly

I shook my head "How?"

His eyes fell from mine to the ground "My grandfather, he met a woman, he broke her heart" He cleared his throat "so she made sure that she'd break his too, over and over"

"This, woman created a curse?" I tried to understand

 "Yes, she was, is what's called a Banewright"

I tried to keep my composure, unsure if I believed what he was telling me.
My brain automatically went into overdrive. I always had an open mind, I was not a judgmental person, so I decided to listen to what else he had to say before I made a run for it.

"A Banewright?" I repeated his term, never having heard of it before

Danny hesitated, his hands in his pockets, unsure of what was even coming out of his own mouth "I don't expect you to believe me, and it's okay if you don't, maybe my wild theory will keep you away from me, from my brother, I hope it does"

Unfortunately, for him, it was quite the opposite. No matter how crazy he sounded or how insane the rumours were, I continued to find myself enthralled by him.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked "if it could kill me, why would you tell me?"

His eyes searched the sky behind my head, completely avoiding me

"The accident you were in, it was a warning" He spoke slowly 

"A warning?"

He nodded, finally meeting my gaze "Anyone who gets close to my family.." He trailed off, shaking his head "I want you to be scared, I want you to understand why it's so important to stay away from us"

"What happened to me, that was an accident" I tried to rationalise 

"No" he simply shook his head

"So anyone who gets close to you, or your family, they die? Is that what happened to William's girlfriends?"

"Yes" He admitted guiltily as though it was somehow his fault "He was reckless, he knew the consequences, he wasn't careful and they died for it"

"And my brother, this means he could be in danger?"

"He's in danger of losing you" he revealed 

"But he's not going to be, killed, right? Why? He's friends with Andy now, why wouldn't it apply to him?" It didn't make sense