The Curse

Gray stone walls rose up towards the iron gray sky. Fissures and cracks covered the surface,
held together by twisting vines of ivy. The castle exuded decay and resilience. The young woman
swallowed as she peered up the overgrown drive to the towering doors leading to the Great Hall. Trees
crowded closely to each other, reaching gnarled fingers for her, to catch her, to hold her captive. But
isn't that what she already is? A captive of the mysterious master of this ancient home? No matter that
she hasn't set foot within the building itself, she has no choice. To save the ones she most holds dear,
she must sacrifice herself. Inching forward in threadbare slippers and pulling her tattered shawl closer
around her shoulders, she tried to slip between the gates. They would not budge. The iron seemed to
have rusted in place, the ivy sinking its roots deep into the ground and winding tightly around each
individual pole. A blossom of relief grew in her chest. If she can't get in, then that isn't her fault. She
started to back slowly away from the gates. She doesn't have to go through with this, she can leave, go
home.
As if mocking her, a small ray of sunlight shone to her left. The huge stone wall that surrounded
the property had just one flaw; a man sized hole, seemed to have been made on purpose. The young
woman put on a show of bravado, and stepped off the path and into the twisted trees. She forced herself
through, pushing, pulling, twisting to get through the ancient forest. She jerked back in surprise as her
long chestnut braid was snagged by a low hanging branch. Reaching back, she gently disentangled the
hair from the grasping fingers, and moved forward. At last she was at the hole. Gulping back a cry of
distress, she peered through to get a glimpse of the courtyard. Everything was in disarray. The once
clean swept dirt was covered in a field of soft grass and wildflowers. The young woman smiled at the
beautiful flowers that swayed gently in the breeze. In the middle of an encroaching and ill tempered
forest, innocence can still bloom. It gave her hope and strength to be able to make the final step to cross
the threshold. She gazed up at the turrets and towers in awe. The walls on this side were blackened, as
if by a fire. She stepped forward to investigate. As she moved farther from the stone wall, she felt a

movement behind her. As if someone was standing there. She whipped quickly around, her heart in her
throat, eyes desperately roving back and forth. And saw nothing. She gazed at the expanse of the stone
wall, how far has she wandered in her explorations? Where was the hole? Her eyes widened. The hole
was gone, as if it never had been. And the gate! The gate that was in front of the long drive was gone as
well! The stone wall was solid, without a single break suggesting a gate anywhere. Her heart pounding
and her fear made her sway. She straightened with a resolve. She cannot turn back now. She knew what
she was getting herself into when she volunteered herself. She had many chances to turn back and to
run away. But she had to be completely willing. To save her family she must do this.
With a confidence she did not feel, she walked quickly to the front doors. As she reached the
doors, she squared her shoulders and pushed the door open. She had to lean forward and put her entire
weight against it. The door slowly creaked open, scraping along the dust-covered flagstones. Hullo?
Her small voice echoed along the expansive Great Hall. Hello. The disembodied voice came from
directly next to her. She whipped around, fear causing black spots to occur in her vision. A great beast
of a man slowly came from around the door. As he came into the light, she realized he was more beast
than man. Who are you? her voice sounded frightened to her own ears. I am the master of this castle
and you now belong to me, the basso rumble replied.
That was the last thing she remembered.
When next she awoke, she had the feeling of warmth and comfort. Everything had been just a
dream, a terrible, terrible dream. She smiled in contentment, reluctant to open her eyes and begin her
day. She drew up the fur blanket more snugly around her cheeks and felt it slide across silky sheets.
She opened her eyes in alarm. Fur bedspread? Silky sheets? This definitely is not home. They would be
impractical in a woodsmen's home. They were lucky to be able to have bread on a consistent basis. She
struggled to sit up, her heart pounding a staccato rhythm in her chest. Where was the master of the
house? She couldn't take time to admire her room, which is to be her cell for the remainder of her life.
The walls were swathed in tapestries, all of wood scenes with prancing deer, scampering foxes, and

noble hunters. The floor had layers upon layers of plush carpets with intricate designs. The extravagant
wealth astounded the young woman whom lived in a single room cottage in which her room consisted
of sheets strung across a corner for privacy. This one room was the size of her entire house back home.
There came a knock upon the door, startling her from her reverie. A gruff voice told her to come out
and follow him to the dining room for dinner with the master of the house. She crept towards the door
and opened it. There stood a hunched over old man wearing a sort of uniform with a sigil on the chest.
She followed the old man down the stairs and into a huge grand room, covered in inches of dust and
grime. A giant of a man stood in front of the fire. At her entrance, he turned and strode over to her. As
he came closer, she saw that he was horribly disfigured. A great scar, a burn, twisted across his face,
from his right jaw, over his eye, and halfway on his scalp. There is no hair grown there; his right eye
looks glued shut. His hand is also twisted and burned and he leans heavily on a cane and walks with a
defined limp.
They sit down to a sumptuous feast, more food than the two of them could possibly eat. The
man stares at her during the entire meal, following her every move. She pushes away her plate and
nervously fiddles with her napkin. She doesn't know what is to be expected of her now. She chews on
her bottom lip and looks around the great room. Her eye touches upon the portraits hung along the wall
to her left. They were all of one man, in various poses and settings. She frowns as she considers them
more closely. They are of me. He interrupts her thoughts.
Excuse me? She answered.
They are of me, before the... curse.
What curse?
I am sure you have noticed my face. I wasn't always like this. I was once a handsome man and had no
shortage of lovely ladies vying for my attention. Until the terrible accident. I was in the stables, with a
chamber maid. I don't remember her name. But we knocked over a candle and the stables were ablaze
so quickly we couldn't get out. My entire right side was on fire. Horses were screaming. The girl was

screaming. That is all that I remember. I awoke in my bed, with my mother avoiding my face. The girl
had died and I.... I became what you see before you. It is my curse. I took advantage of women. Women
who were afraid to tell me no because I was the lord's son; heir apparent. Until I can find a woman who
can love me for my personality, then the curse will be lifted and I will become whole again.
The girl blinked in shock. She couldn't think of a single thing to say. This poor man was
disillusioned. He thought that his terrible accident was because he took advantage of women. That was
why he required her father, a man who had the bad luck to trespass across a seemingly abandoned
estate, to give her up as payment. But, you don't know that it is a curse. How do you know that it can
be lifted by true love?
Because I do. This is my punishment. I only admired women for their beauty. I didn't want to know
their names or even to hear them speak. Why else would I look like this? There has to be a reason. It's
because I was cursed. As he spoke this, he stood up and sat next to her. He gently picked up her hand
and held it tightly. He stared deep into her eyes. She swallowed and tried to lean back away from him.
His eyes rove over her face, obsessively staring at each one of her features. She tried to gently tug her
hand away from his. He didn't even notice her efforts. He slowly reached a hand up and cupped her
cheek, stroking it gently. She desperately tried to jerk her chin away from his grasp, his fingers bruising
her tender skin. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open and panting in her face. He swallowed as
he looked at her lips. He jerked her towards him and roughly kissed her, his hands grasping at her
clothing. With a strength she didn't know she possessed, she shoved him away and ran to the door. She
pushed past the old manservant and ran down the hallway.
Her heart was pounding as doorway after doorway streaked past her vision. She tried various
handles but everything was locked. She had to hide, she had to get away. Heart was pounding in her
ears, she felt sick and dizzy but she didn't dare stop. At long last she found a door that would finally
open to her. She stepped lightly in, quietly shutting the door. She took a shaky breath and tried to settle
her breathing. Her breath caught in a sob as she leaned against the door. She wasn't safe. This was only

a temporary reprieve. She can't stay in here forever. He will find her sooner or later. She hesitantly
stepped forward, stretching her arms out, feeling her way blindly through the darkness. Her fingers
touched fabric, silky and draped over something more solid. She pressed the fabric trying to figure out
what it was draped over when it swayed slightly back and forth. In her surprise she stumbled to the side
to avoid being hit when she ran into another object of similar size. What is in this room? The door to
the room swung open, and the outline of a large man loomed in the doorway. She stumbled backwards,
finding more and more swinging objects. He stepped forward and lit a candle that had been sitting on
the side table. He went around the edge of the room, lighting candelabras and candles that were
positioned strategically. She followed him around the room until she had to look around the hanging
object to see him. Then her eyes stopped. She went back to the object. Her eyes caught on a forest
green silk dress, and then went up, up, up to a purple face with a rope strung around her neck and
connected to the ceiling. She spun in a circle. There were women hung all around the room, at least a
dozen, looking like colorful birds. They swung slowly in a swirl of skirts and a perfume of decay. A
scream rose from her toes and tore out of her mouth. A painful, animal cry full of emotion and devoid
of humanity. Like the man who stood in front of her, his eyes cold and unblinking. This is what
happened to the women before you. They couldn't break the curse and I couldn't afford to have them
underfoot. So I am keeping them here for now.
They are dead! You killed them. You are a monster!
Well, yes they are dead. That's why they will be safe and not in the way in here. Now come here.
Enough games. We are going to see if you can break the curse. I hope you can.
No one can break the curse. There isn't one! You were in a terrible accident. You are murdering these
women because they can't give you what you want!
Calm down. You are getting hysterical. She jerked her eyes away from the bloated faces of the
various young women hung around the room. She was becoming more and more aware of the noxious
odor of the rotting corpses. She is going to die in this room and she is going to be hung up next to them.

Darling, I am going to get my dinner jacket back on. When the curse breaks, I would like to look my
best. He strode out of the room and locked the door behind him. He had a spring in his step and a
smile on his face that has been missing for a long time. He retrieved his jacket from the dining room
and made his way back to the room where his ladies stay. He opens the door.
. . .
The manservant goes in the room to retrieve his master. He is sitting in a decrepit chair, covered
in filth. He is rocking back and forth, whispering to himself. It is the only furniture in the room and he
is the only occupant. He gently takes his arm and leads him back to his room. He helped him undress
and pulled back the covers on his bed. The young woman, she didn't break the curse. She didn't break
it.