Curse

Rose had just moved into a new house with her parents. It was large and beautiful. The fence was thick with ivy, and the garden was strewn with colorful flowers. Although the house had been vacant for many years, it seemed to be teeming with life. A swing hung from the branch of a large apple tree. Inside, there were old, beautifully ornate furniture. Diamond lamps hung from the ceiling, and gold candlesticks stood on the tables. The candles in them looked as if someone had lit them only yesterday.

Delighted, Rose tried to count all the rooms. Unfortunately, she kept failing, unsure if she was already where she was now. What intrigued her most was that some of the rooms were locked.

As she passed through one of the dark hallways, she heard the faint sound of a dog barking. Slightly frightened, she approached the room from which the sound was coming. Above the door hung a portrait of a stately lady dressed in a beautiful, elegant gown. Beneath it was the signature: "Emerald Comeins." She opened the door and saw a black dog sitting stately on the couch, staring at her. The dog, upon seeing her, stood up and calmly began walking towards her. Terrified, Rose backed away, slammed the door behind her, and ran downstairs to her parents, unable to explain the phenomenon.

"Where did that dog come from?" she thought. "Maybe he came in through the window?! … No, that's impossible! It was locked, and besides, it was too high up!"

Rose's parents were busy unpacking their luggage. Out of breath, the girl ran to her mother.

"Mom, there's a black dog upstairs! Come quickly!

" "Honey, can't you see I'm busy?! You must have imagined it, no one's lived here for ages..."

The barking sounded again, louder this time. After a moment, it stopped.

"See, Mom?" Rose said.

"No!" There's no need to worry," said her mother, clearly upset. "We imagined it. Rose, there's no dog here! Calm down.

" "Mom, I can see how scared you are. You don't have to pretend. You're sweating terribly... and you're shaking! Let's go check it out.

" "Okay, sweetie."

So the girl led her mother to the room. She managed to remember where it was, as it was quite close. Rose, seeing her mother trembling, looked at her with pity, took a deep breath, and opened the door. To their surprise, there was nothing there. In the middle of the room, there was simply a couch.

"See? It was a figment of our imagination."

"Mom, I saw it!" Rose insisted. "I didn't imagine anything."

"Come to me, honey. Look at that wardrobe," said her mother, moving the door. "It creaks terribly, doesn't it? It's definitely her. I'll go downstairs, and you don't worry about a thing."

Rose was left alone. She was sad that her mother didn't believe her.

"That's how it is with adults," she thought. "They only believe when they see something. Maybe Dad will at least believe me?"

Over dinner, Rose told her father everything.

"Did that dog have big teeth?" he replied mockingly. "Be careful, or he'll eat you!"

The girl was devastated. Her mother didn't believe her, and her father laughed at her! She burst into tears and ran to the room her parents had assigned her. She lay down on the bed and cried. The whole house had lost its charm for her. The faces in the portraits looked at her with hatred. The furniture was awful, so old and depressing. She so desperately wanted to be back in her old, tiny apartment in London! "

Why did we move to this awful place?!," she sobbed. "That stupid lottery money ruined my life!"

Rose didn't even have time to change into her pajamas. She was so tired and distraught that she fell asleep immediately.

The girl woke up in the middle of the night. The glow of moonlight filled her room. She began to wonder if she had imagined the black dog. She stared at the ceiling and saw nothing unusual. But she was wrong. When she turned and looked at the table, she saw a candle burning. She screamed in fear.

"It couldn't be my parents. If it were them, they would have lit a nightlight for me. Candles are a thing of the past."

So the past was returning to this house after all. The girl didn't feel like sleeping at all. She was terribly afraid. But something was pulling her toward the room where the black dog had appeared. Some indefinable force told her to get up and go there. She didn't want to do it at all. She was very surprised when she got out of bed and her feet carried her in that direction.

Candles were also burning in the hallway… hundreds of them! Rose realized something she had been trying to push away for hours: this house was haunted. Yes, now there was no doubt about it.

An unpleasant shiver ran through her body. She didn't know if she should go to her parents…no! She felt like someone needed her here. Not her parents! Her, Rose!

"Okay, then I'll go there." Trembling, the girl stood before the door. She screamed again, as the lady in the portrait was no longer dressed in her beautiful gown, but instead had a noose around her neck, hanging there, dripping with blood. Rose wanted to run, to get as far away from here as possible! But her legs wouldn't obey her. She entered the room. Something whistled, and she felt an icy, biting wind upon her. What she saw there exceeded her worst imagination. On the floor was a large pool of blood, and in it lay corpses. Among them was a dog, or rather, its skeleton. It held something in its mouth: an envelope, yellowed with age. This time Rose couldn't utter a single cry. She stood frozen. The dog began to walk towards her again. When the girl grabbed the doorknob, the door was locked. Imagine what you would have done in her situation! Poor Rose thought she'd rather die. But the dog didn't hurt her. He just placed the envelope in front of her. The corpses seemed to whisper, "

Oooooopen.... Sooooooooooooooood ...

She opened the envelope, and inside was a letter:

You,

who dared to disturb the sadness of my home,

the peace of my soul

, You

, who saw hundreds of burning souls,

You desecrated the mystery of hot candles,

You

will be

cursed, eternally enchanted in blood.

But if you save my three children from the curse,

may this prophecy quickly fly to hell.

The first is imprisoned in the pot

of his evil thoughts, dreams, and events.

The second is eternally swinging on a swing,

And the poor thing will never again swing.

The third hangs peacefully.

As you noticed, there is a gallows outside

. You're probably curious who enchanted them like that?

But it's none of your business, unfortunately, my dear.

I'm dead, and they? I don't know.

So go check it out! Save them, run!

You have until dawn, or you'll be a corpse!

Someone might make soup from your blood.

Emerald Comeins

Rose read the letter twice. She had absolutely no idea how to do it! This time, she looked at the corpses with compassion. She already knew who they were. They had tried earlier to do the same thing her mysterious letter commanded and failed. And what if she failed?! She felt as if someone had dropped an ice cube down her neck.

"But who is this dog?!" she thought.

"My Lady Emerald's most faithful friend and servant," the black dog said.

"It's you... but I don't..." The girl was so surprised she wasn't even afraid.

"You didn't say anything, right. You were thinking, and I read the thoughts of those who do things for my mistress.

" "Now that's nasty," thought Rose, not quite grasping the meaning of those words.

"It's not nasty, my dear, it's very carefully thought out."

"Uh... I'm sorry."

The girl tried not to think anything more. At least nothing bad about the dog, or about this Emerald woman. Don't think it was that simple!!! She was fed up with everything, and shivers ran through her body.

"Will you help me? This letter doesn't make sense! What a bunch of bad thoughts, dreams, and events? Where is it? What am I supposed to do?"

"Everything my mistress wrote makes sense." With that, the dog disappeared.

After a moment, Rose heard his voice receding. "Rely on your intuition, nothing here makes sense."

"Okay, I'm going, I'll see what happens later." Hmm, intuition…

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," one of the corpses spoke with great effort. His voice was as heavy and hoarse as you could imagine a corpse speaking. It was chilling and robbed Rose of all hope. But she tried to be understanding, even for someone like that. Little did she know, however, that she might soon become one of them.

"W-wait, wait… I'm supposed to save t-those children! What are you talking about?!" Rose's voice was shaking, for it was very difficult for her to speak to the corpse. After all, some people faint at the mere sight of blood, but speaking to bones covered in their own blood… brrr!

The girl heard a strange voice in her head. A chill ran down her spine.

You can save them too.

Add water to the pool of life's blood.

"I don't understand! Where is the water of life?!"

This time the corpses didn't answer her. They looked at her with pleading eyes. Rose felt as if someone had stabbed her in the stomach. She couldn't stand it any longer!

"I'll help them later!" she thought, and quickly ran out of the room. Fortunately, the door was already open. Emerald, in the portrait, was now gazing hopefully out the window. Beneath it was a bloody inscription: "I'm watching you.

" "That's all I needed!" Rose thought, and again she felt as if someone had dropped an ice cube under her collar.

She pulled the envelope from her pocket and reread the letter.

"Something's not right here...there are no gallows outside!"

A voice echoed in her mind: "

That's when you know it's there.

" "Indeed...everything is illogical! And my thoughts are constantly being controlled!!!"

The girl descended the stairs. The air around her was terrifying. Every step echoed. Hundreds of candles were burning. The letter said...these are souls!!! Will this house always be like this? Will these souls be trapped here forever?

As she stood at the front door to go outside, she heard screams from the next room. She almost screamed. Common sense told her to give the room a wide berth, otherwise…follow your intuition. The girl remembered the dog's words.

"Good, then, they want me to go in," she thought, and told herself she was brave. She walked over and opened the door. At first, she thought she was outside. It was bitterly cold and snowy. A bonfire was burning in the center, and a crowd had gathered around it. Someone was reading something:

"This woman is a witch, she's been convicted of witchcraft. The prescribed punishment is burning at the stake. "

A young man ran around the crowd, shouting,

"No!!!!!!! She's innocent!!!!!! I love her!"

But no one seemed to hear him.

Suddenly, everything changed. Rose was in a small room. Someone very weak lay on the floor, seemingly dying. The girl looked closer and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't believe it! This couldn't be true! There she was, lying on the floor; Rose herself.

"I'm healthy, this is all some kind of nightmare!!!" Rose thought, and the piercing voice echoed in her mind again, this time: Nothing makes sense.

In the corner of the room sat the same man. He was crying. It seemed to whisper,

"Last, last... my last hope."

Rose was slowly beginning to understand what was happening. Her beloved being burned at the stake could have been a bad event. Her dying, the last hope—a bad thought.

"Excuse me, sir! Are you Mrs. Emerald's son?" Rose approached the man, but he didn't answer. He continued to cry,

"My last hope... is gone...

" "No!!! I'm here!!!" Rose screamed, but the man ignored her.

The girl wanted to go to the man, to nudge him... when suddenly she slipped and fell. A splinter pierced her hand. A drop of blood dripped down and fell to the floor. Suddenly, the sky was enveloped in clouds, which were torn apart by terrifying thunder. The wind howled, but it all lasted only a few seconds. Now they were in an ordinary room. This time, the man spoke to her first:

"Thank you. Your pure blood saved me. You were the first to have pure blood, and pure blood can do anything. Now I can go to my mother in peace. I owe you a debt of gratitude that I will repay in that better world. Goodbye!"

With that, he rose slightly, like steam. Rose was left alone again.

"Great. I got him out of that pot. Now... the other one is forever swinging on the swing."

When Rose went outside, the swing was indeed swinging. A little girl, about five years old, was sitting on it. She didn't say anything, her expression was impassive, and her eyes were vacant. She also didn't seem to notice Rose. But this time Rose knew what to do. She walked up to the swing and touched it with her wound. It happened just like last time: there were terrifying claps of thunder, and the girl fell off the swing. She seemed to be alive.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Rose told her everything from beginning to end. About how she'd moved here, about the black dog, about the curse, and about Emerald.

"Is my mom dead?" the girl burst into tears.

"Don't worry. My parents will take care of you," Rose said, though she doubted it. "What's your name?"

"Kelsi." "And you?"

"I'm Rose." Although I and I still need to save one of your siblings, he… maybe it's best to wait here. I'll be right back.

"Okay."

Rose didn't want Kelsi to look at someone close to her hanging on the gallows. She ran around the house, and indeed, there it was. Behind her was the gallows. The sight was horrific. A young boy was hanging there, dripping with blood. He looked just like his mother in the portrait. Someone was waiting for him, floating slightly in the air. Rose knew who it was. It was his brother. A chill ran through her at the thought of what she had to do now. But then she remembered what would happen if she didn't. So she irritated the wound, closed her eyes, and walked over to it. She touched the gallows, and lightning crackled again, and when she opened her eyes, it was all over. She looked up. Two figures floated faintly in the distance. A voice echoed in Rose's mind for the last time:

Thank you. The gates of hell had already swallowed the prophecies. Don't forget Kelsi.

Rose was happy. Everything had worked out! She ran to Kelsi as fast as she could.

"Oh no! She'll be so sad! None of her family are alive!" "

Kelsi, I'm so sorry. You're the only one left in your family. I'm sorry they're all dead!"

Kelsi, instead of crying, smiled.

"Rose, they're alive. They're happy, they live in a better world. They've gone to heaven. You can't cry when someone dies. They'll be much happier now, so we have to rejoice. I talked to them while you were gone. Now let's go save other suffering souls.

" "How are we going to do this?"

"With our pure blood. We have to touch every burning candle with it."

Rose wasn't really willing to do this, having lost enough blood already, but she agreed.

The girls entered the house and got to work. The hallways were getting darker as the candles were dying. More and more figures were rising slightly. Ladies in dresses and gentlemen in robes.

When they finished Kelsi said:

"You've sacrificed enough. Now it's my turn. I'm going to save the people who wanted to save me.

" "How do you plan to do that? Where will you get the water of life?"

"The water of life is within us. Every person has water within them. I have to sit among the corpses; then they'll tear me apart. The water of life will flow from me, and we'll all go to heaven happily. "

Rose was terrified, but Kelsi wasn't afraid at all.

"Don't do this, Klesi, please!" Rose tried to stop her, but the girl was already gone. She sat down in the corner, tears streaming down her face. After a moment, she felt something soft brush against her legs. It was a black dog. This time, the girl was happy to see him.

"Don't despair! Everyone is happy now! This house has been freed from its master's curse, for thanks to you, it has lost all its power! Live here peacefully and be happy."

"Thank you, I'll be happy, but who was the master of this house?"

"My mistress married him once." They had three children, and they lived well until her husband felt he had absolute power over my mistress. He began to command her and his children, trying to strip them of their own will. My mistress finally rebelled. Her husband was so furious he went mad. He possessed so much evil that the devil gave him the strength to curse the family. My mistress hanged herself in despair, and her husband forever imprisoned her soul in a portrait. The eldest son was imprisoned in a room where his worst dreams and thoughts came true, reliving the worst events of his life. The younger son also hanged himself, and the girl was forever chained to her beloved swing. Time was frozen for them. Only pure blood could save them. Your blood was such. We are all very grateful to you; thanks to you, the evil master lost all his power, and his soul went to hell. I will always watch over this house so that you and its future inhabitants are safe, although I will no longer reveal myself. Goodbye!

Nothing terrible ever happened in that house again. Rose lived happily ever after with her parents. She no longer tried to prove anything to them, because she knew the truth. Most importantly, however, Rose learned that death wasn't sad at all and learned to sacrifice herself for others.