TRUE STORIES

CURSED

I always say that I wanted to sleep all day long. That I wanted to just close my eyes and dream about many things. Whether they are nightmares or not. It didn't matter. I just wanted to sleep forever.

That's what I wanted, until I heard a peculiar story from Layla's grandmother. Terence and the other's joined me to go to her house. Her grandma just grimaced at us before leaving us alone. She didn't like outsiders. Especially us. But what she said frightened everyone except me. She said that if she finds anyone else except them on her doorstep, then she would turn all of us in to puppets. If it was in normal circumstances, we all would have laughed but she was too serious and we knew what she was capable of.

While we were inside the guest area talking about school and our life so far, Layla's grandma came out to sit with us.

'I wish I could sleep forever, it's so tiring to do everything and all' Travis said unknown to grandma's presence.

'Why don't you die then?' she asked. Travis jolted and turned around to see her sitting with us. And most astonishingly where did she get the chair she sat on? The chair wasn't there or anywhere nearby. I guess Aron was also thinking about it. I could see him eyeing the chair as of expecting something to happen.

'Die?'

'Yes. Dying is like sleeping forever' she shrugged. 'But do you really wish to sleep forever?'

'Now that you say that. No' Travis shook his head slowly.

She chuckled. 'Let me tell you about someone who didn't have to wish, she was a natural when it came to sleeping'

'Cupcakes everyone!' we all turned to see Layla's mother beaming as she came in with the trolley of food and tea.

I really loved her baked goods. It was so amazing and tastes better than anything else. I wondered if she added something strange in here. But it would be just fine never to know what she puts in these sweet stuff.

We all thanked for the tea and waited for grandma to start. She cleared her throat and began.

'Our family has been witches for as long as I can remember. But these two here' she pointed at the mother-daughter. 'They are not gifted. Let's not even say gifted. It's more like a curse'

I saw Terence peeking at Layla who had her attention to her grandma.

'I had many sisters and brothers. Some weren't cursed and some were. There was one among everyone that was so beautiful and elegant' she sighed as if remembering a sweet memory 'my sister, a true beauty' she motioned behind us. We all looked back to see a large portrait. Terence and Travis looked at each other in surprise. They were thinking what Aron and I were thinking. There was never a large portrait in this room. And now...it was there.

The lady in the portrait wasn't petite, she was tall and slender, wearing a white dress. It looked like as if she was posing on her wedding day. Those beautiful features. She might have been chosen as Miss Universe. She was that beautiful. Her lovely violet eyes, they were real alright. And rare too. I never seen violet eyes before. Her soft looking long hair fallen over her slim shoulders. She was the perfect woman. However, I looked more closely. She was smiling...but it seems so fake. Like she was in pain but still smiling. It looks like she would cry out loudly, the things that she kept inside. Did anyone else feel it?

'Isn't she...' I glanced at grandma 'sad?'

Her eyes glinted at my words.

'True...that was the last time we saw her that beautiful'

'Why? What happened' Travis said the last words quietly.

'Her beauty was her curse' grandma began 'when there are witches, there are meant to be demon's involved. Our mother had tried to hide her from harm, from the world. And we did so too. But she was seen by a powerful demon from the darkness. He feeds on fear. And when he went to her. She wasn't afraid. Why? Because she was blind.'

We all gaped at her. 'What? Really?'

'Yes...she could not see his hideousness, she could not see how dreadful it was to even be miles near him. She could not feel what others felt. To be afraid. That made the demon want her forever. However, we interrupted. Tried to bring her back. It may sound truly unbelievable. But there came a war, among us. Demons killed most of our family in order to get her. But she escapes every time. And finally she cried saying she hated herself. She was no longer our sister. She turned dark and cold towards herself' Layla's grandma paused for a moment 'our beautiful sister...Evangeline...' she sighed unhappily 'the demon cursed her. We didn't know until she began to sleep for longer periods of time. At first it was for hours, hours turned to days, months went by. She wakes up rarely and asks who we all were. And sleep for another two months. She rejected any food and water, making her a living dead. Like a creature. Even we all began to get frightened of her. She would come to us at night like a ghost. Blame us for what happened. Blamed us for her curse. And she feared us...'

I realized it then. The demon wanted it all along. Her fear.

'We buried her when we thought she had died for real. But she never died. Finally after 15 years, we found out that she had disappeared forever'

'The demon took her' Aron said quietly thinking.

'Sleeping was a curse to her. She never really slept. She never got peace. And she went away from us thinking we never loved her. And I guess we all were to be blamed?' she chuckled sarcastically 'we were fools too. We couldn't do anything to stop her misery'

'I know you did everything you could' I said calmly. I gulped 'where would she be now?'

'In darkness'