The Metamorphosis

1813

As I am gently placing the delicate ebony seedling into the dark, moist soil, I feel something glorious flourishing from the core of my soul. It is twisting and twirling to form an ebony tree in my innocent, little heart, which is what I hope my precious seedling will become. But just then, something interrupts my thought... I see a dark, eerie figure creeping past me. I look around in bewilderment, when suddenly I catch the glimpse of a mysterious, black cat. Its emerald, glowering eyes are locked onto mine. As I focus in on it, I feel its unforgiving stare piercing through my pure skin and ripping out a part of my life. All of a sudden, the whole world seems to flash before my eyes as I collapse to the frozen, harsh ground. Another life has emerged from the dark and had entered my young, feeble body. The moment before I blacked out, there is only one thought that was rushing through my mind... The urge to kill; to murder. I begin to see red and my entire body tenses up, however I can't seem to regain my strength... Before I knew it, I went out cold.

1817

The frigid wind howls across the silent town, while the sound of the roaring, rumbling thunder fill the night skies. Even though this weather would seem brutal for most of mankind, I find this rather pleasant. I could hear the northerly winds urging me on as I was raising my cruelly curved knife just over the victim's pounding heart. I was just about to plunge the knife into the limp body, when I saw something stalking past me... I whip my head around, and see the one thing I fear dearly for my life. I freeze in fear, only to realise that I've put my life in grave danger. The glassy eyes flashed at me, and I helplessly drop down. Just then, something comes back at me with full force... All of my past memories. My heart skips a beat, as the flashbacks appear before my eyes. Suddenly, they erupt from my throbbing heart and abandon my body forever. Every single memory, every secret I thought I had possession of, were all stolen by this repulsive creature. My eyes begin to swell up with frustrated tears, as I feel my life draining from within me. Before I take my final breath, I scream from the top of my lungs,"Why can't you just get out of my life?"

~~~~~

I open my eyes, only to find a dead body before me, which is none other than my own. I immediately look down at myself with utter fear. Black, furry paws. I have become something that I have constantly dreaded throughout my miserable human life. I shake my head in disbelief, and find myself looking at a tattered journal on the cracked concrete. I flip through the book, only to find my very own memories imprinted on all of the aged pages. I force myself to stop tearing as I grab the journal. I saunter towards my ebony tree and bury the journal into the dark, damp soil. Nothing stops me from crying as the flashbacks flood my heart, I can't cope with it. I have no life, I was nothing. But just then, something was beginning to boil up inside of me... revenge. I decide to leave this ghastly place, but I wil return...

2013

"Why can't you just get out of my life?" cries Kristen. She storms out of the house and slumps under the ancient ebony tree. Kirsten sighs as she gazes up at the crystalline sky, rich with shimmering stars. She had the desire to soar beyond the heavens, instead of being down here in this cruel despicable world. Just then, her thoughts collide as she looks down in distraction, however, she happens to notice something else... Her slender arms reach out and grab the journal from the muggy, damp dirt. She wipes the repulsive, filthy mud off the journal and the moment she flings the last speck of dirt off, she being to dig into the book straight away. The book is quite elegant, it has a chestnut-brown cover made from leather, and was intricately designed and crafted. Even though the pages appear to be worn out, they felt silky smooth. There was something off about the journal, however Kristen couldn't quite place her finger on it; instead she just shrugged and delved into the book.

The journal was based on a girl named Ebony Vilmer, 1808-1817. She was once thought to be an innocent sweetheart, kind and considerate; everyone adored her presence. Until one day it all changed; no one knows what happened. She became a vicious murderer, assassinating anyone who dared cross her path. The ones who were warned locked their doors, drew their curtains, clutched their crucifixes and hoped for the best, the ones who didn't... met their end. This world of peril continued for four consecutive years, until she disappeared. No one had any clue about her disappearance, however commenced their lives and dared not to speak of her.

Kristen was utterly mesmerized, with millions of questions flooding her mind that are willing to be answered. She noticed that it was way past her bed time, but was determined to finish. However she couldn't overcome the effects of drowsiness that were creeping up on her... By the time Kristen is fast asleep, the midnight hour strikes and it all begins...

Just as the foggy clouds cleared, and the pearly moon shone from above, a gush of wind howled through the silky leaves of the ebony tree and flipped the pages of the worn-out journal until the very last one.. A new spirit has been awaken, and the haunted winds of the depths began groaning:

"For all of those who have read the unspoken,

Some things will rise will others will be broken,

For many Ebony's life will just go unsung,

But for some, a murderer's life has only just begun,

The Killer's Curse will finally arise,

From the dark heart of Ebony Vilmer..."

From that moment on, Kirsten wasn't herself anymore; her soul is trapped in the journal for eternity, however a new spirit was unleashed, and drifted into it's new-found host, who is none other than Kristen herself. On the exact same night, there was also another spirit lurking amongst the shadows... Ebony.

~~~~~

As I was creeping along the cobblestone footpath, I sense that something was trying to communicate with me. It was whispering in the winds, and I can barely make out who it could be until I look in the very corner of my eye... My ebony tree. My face lights up at the sight of its presence; its knobbly trunk, slowly separating into into the twisted branches that embrace the dainty girl underneath it. She seemed to be tossing and turning, like she's possessed or something, I chuckled to myself. And that's when I realise why the tree beckoned to me...

The next morning began with a fright. I could hear ear-piercing shrills and deafening shrieks rattling in my delicate ears, while I was frantically trying to identify where this disturbing racket was coming from. I look around in absolute annoyance, when I suddenly see it... Through the window of an ordinary house, I could see a faint shadow. A silhouette of a young girl raising her knife above her desperately pleading mother. Just then, the pieces of my life began connecting. An evil plot was rapidly forming inside my mind; one that will leave the whole world in irreparable pieces. I have been waiting 200 years for this moment to arise, but now that Kristen's finally under my power, we can finally begin...