The Cursed and The Innocent PART 1 : A Cold Winter's Day

Chapter 6 - The Truth

Indigo's mum told me the same thing as the dream interpreting website. She asked if I had anyone in mind, anyone that I thought might symbolise the snake I saw in my dream.

"Well, there is someone, but I don't know them very well."

"What is their name? I might know them!" Indigo asked kindly.

I looked at them both with a pause and slowly spoke the name, Jasper.

"The strange boy that goes to your school? Indigo, is he the one in your art class?" Indigo's mother went pale as she started frantically asking questions, a deep look of concern on her face.

"Yes." Indigo looked at her mother, trying to stay calm.

"Luna, I suggest you stay away from that boy. He is trouble."

"Mother, we need to tell her the truth. If she's had the dream, with the snake, she needs to know. He probably already read her thoughts. Lying to her will only put her in danger."

"Alright, alright. Luna, Jasper isn't completely ordinary...he isn't just an average teenager." Indigo's mother took a deep breath, as her and Indigo exchanged nervous looks. "I guess you could say he has a gift. He can read people's minds. Every thought. Every memory. Anything inside your head."

I laughed. I saw their serious, concerned faces and felt my stomach start to twist, "I-I don't really know how to take all of this."

"Luna, it's going to take time to understand. Don't try to rush. We will explain everything. You just have to understand one thing, you're in a different world now...you're in our world".

• • •

Indigo and her mother explained to me that although Jasper and Raven were human, they had been cursed for a life of 400 years. During those 400 years, they could not be killed, not with any man made machinery, natural disasters or by any supernatural means. They had been cursed as a punishment for stealing a loaf of bread from a poor woman. She was ill, but a powerful witch had enchanted the bread with a healing spell. The witch was the woman's sister-in-law and the two were very close. Although the witch could not magic up money and she did not believe in abusing her powers, she did everything to aid her sister. Jasper and Raven were desperate, starving and not the most kind hearted adolescents. The witch got home from an afternoon walk and caught the two; Jasper holding the loaf and Raven with a knife to the woman's throat, threatening her to secrecy. Blood boiled and in that moment, the witch forgot all her morals. She pointed her hands at the two thieves and sent them flying against a wall. She furiously spoke a few magic sentences. There were no big crashes or sparks flying, the two had no idea what had just happened. Raven tried to scream witch, but the witch had been smart and spelled her and her brother's mouths shut when she threw them against the wall. She motioned closer to Jasper and Raven and calmed herself.

"I have put a curse on you both. You will live 400 years and you will not be able to die until that time is up. You may try to die as much as you want, however, you will simply wake up and continue with your life. This is a curse. There is no easy way out. I have also added the fact that you can't tell anyone about this curse. Your mouths will be unable to physically speak the words, no matter how many ways you try to put it. It can't be done. That means no one will know it's me. Except us four in this room. Enjoy your life. It's going to be a long and painful one."

I soaked in all the words of the story. A story is all it seemed to me. Witches. Curses. None of this was real. Still, I opened my mind to everything she said.

"But if Raven and Jasper can't tell anyone, how do you know?" I looked at Indigo's mother confused, my chin resting in my hand.

"Because Luna...that witch was my ancestor." Indigo's mother smiled.