“ If you accept Lannus ’ s assistance ,” Lillia said , “ life ’ s blood will flow from your body , but it will not be your own . Do you wish to continue ?”
Emily thought over the words , trying to understand a hidden meaning . There had to be some kind of metaphor or puzzle , but she didn ’ t understand . Maybe it was more about her tarnished soul or whatever . “ Well ?” Lillia asked . “ Yes ,” Emily said , knowing she wouldn ’ t come this far just to back out .
“ Write the names of those you wish to curse ,” Lillia said , passing over a small piece of yellow paper and a quill . Emily picked it up and wrote the names of the two people she despised the most .
Lillia took the paper , setting it on fire with the flame from one of the candles . She let it drop into a small , pewter bowl , where it burned bright before turning to black ash .
“ The deal is made ,” Lillia said . “ Go now . Live your life fully ; there will be no happiness after you ’ ve died .”
Emily left the house on Short Hill Road , driving back to the stately home she shared with her parents in Greenfield Hill . She paced most of the day , wondering what was happening to Tom and Sally . She was sure someone would call soon and let her know they ’ d broken up in the most horrible of ways or they were crippled in some car crash . Either one would suit her just fine .
There was a pain in Emily ’ s lower abdomen , and she nearly fell over from it . She grasped her stomach and fell to one knee . She had no idea what had come on so suddenly . She felt something warm oozing from the front on her jeans , and she looked down and she saw blood spreading rapidly . She called out to her mother , who came running at the sounds of her daughter ’ s cries .
An ambulance was called , and it was there within minutes . As they brought her into the back , the realization of what she was going through had set in , and she started to feel nauseous and dizzy . The warning Lillia had given from the demon called Lannus echoed in her mind as she fainted .
“ Life ’ s blood will flow from your body , but it will not be your own .”
Everything that happened next seemed to happen from far away . Her miscarriage caused a rift between her parents , screaming at each other in the hospital halls instead of at her . She left , meeting with Tom to discuss the death of their unborn baby neither knew was growing in her womb . He told her it wasn ’ t his fault , called her a whore , and left her in tears .
Emily later found out through friends that the miscarriage had caused Tom and Sally to fight , causing an epic and public breakup . Sally was distraught by the entire ordeal , and she killed herself soon after . Tom finally felt guilt for everything he had caused , and he turned to drugs . His family sent him to rehab after he barely survived a heroin overdose .
Emily watched the stars in the sky . Her father was gone , leaving her and her mother so to try and salvage his career as a republican politician . Her pregnancy was public knowledge , thanks to Tom , and his family had no problem selling the story of a politician ’ s slut daughter and the disaster she had caused with her secret abortion . Nobody cared that the story they sold was completely wrong .
Tears came at night as Emily ’ s world fell apart around her . The hex she had asked for so many weeks ago had been successful , but the price was much higher than she had anticipated . Emily ’ s soul had indeed been tainted , deeper than she had thought possible .
1
New Haven , CT There once lived a girl named Emily