Cursed

day 1

Shelly loved having days off. She didn't mind her job at The Sterling, an upscale restaurant in town, but she liked getting away from it once in a while. Today, she decided to check out a new jewelry shop that she had heard good things about. As she stepped inside, she saw that it was empty aside from an older woman standing at the cash register.

Shelly was in awe at all of the different earrings, rings, and necklaces. There was one item that stood out to her. She grabbed a black choker and smiled. This would look great on me, Shelly thought. As she held it in her hand, it almost seemed to radiate.

She approached the register, necklace in tow. "Find anything to your liking, miss?" the woman asked.

Shelly nodded. "I think so. How much for this? I didn't see a price tag."

The employee smiled. "Oh, since you seem like such a nice young woman, I'll give you a discount. How about thirty dollars?"

"Only thirty? For this?" Shelly asked. She almost couldn't believe it. She pulled out her purse and paid for it, smiling while she did so.

Shelly turned to leave and put on the necklace. "Thank you for stopping by, dear. I hope you enjoy the necklace!" the woman said.

"Thanks. I'm sure I will!" Shelly exclaimed.

That evening, Shelly had just finished her dinner, which was a salad. She and her roommate Vicki were relaxing, watching TV. Vicki was a nursing student, and usually had nights off. As they watched, Shelly held her hand on her necklace. Suddenly, a wave of nausea swept over her, and her stomach began to do flips.

Shelly bolted to the restroom and began to vomit. "Ugh...what the hell," she moaned as she rested her head above toilet. The nausea subsided somewhat, and she returned to the living room.

Vicki averted her eyes from the TV and turned to her. "Hey, everything okay?"

"No, I just threw up. I'm still feeling a little funky..." Shelly said, resting her hands on her mouth and flat stomach.

Vicki looked at her in concern. "Oh, no. Hope you feel better."

"Me too. I'm gonna head to bed, maybe I'll feel better in the morning," Shelly replied.

Shelly headed to her bedroom and went to bed, her stomach lightly groaning as she drifted off to sleep.