uncured

hallway 2

“Ahhhhhhhh!” I screamed loudly.

I jumped up from my bed, my chest pounding. Was it all a dream? I asked myself. I looked at the mirror beside my bed. My eyes… they had turned blue. Not bright or glowing, just a strange, unnatural blue that didn’t belong to me. Then I noticed the scar across my back.

“It wasn’t a dream,” I whispered.

A loud bang came from my door, and my heart jumped again. I grabbed a pocket knife and walked slowly toward the door, ready to strike if I had to.

“Hey, this is your mailbox,” the mailman said casually.

Relief washed over me. I lowered the knife.

“What’s up with the knife?” he asked.

“It’s nothing,” I muttered, hiding it behind my back.

He dropped the box. “Okay… have a nice day.”

I carried the box into my room and hurried to get ready for school. But I had missed the bus. Flat broke, I had no choice but to take a taxi. I stopped one and climbed in. The driver glanced at me in the mirror.

“I love your eyes,” he said.

I froze. “Th-thanks,” I managed, my mind still replaying last night. The screams… the shadows… the demon. What had really happened to the bullies?

“Here’s your stop,” the driver said.

I grabbed my bag and stepped out. My hands were shaking as I looked at the school entrance. Something felt off. The air was thick, heavy, almost alive. I could feel… cursed energy lingering in the hallways. I walked in slowly, my eyes scanning every corner, every shadow. My mind was starting to panic.

“Hey!”

I jumped and whirled around.

“Is everything okay?” James asked, his voice calm but concerned.

“You scared me!” Should I tell him what happened? No, he wouldn’t believe me, I thought. “Yes, everything’s fine,” I said to him. “What about you?” I added quickly.

“I’m okay,” he said, glancing at me. “You look stressed… and your eyes… they’re usually black. How are they blue? Did you use contacts?”

“Hmm… yes, just trying something different,” I said, forcing a casual smile.

“Okay, see you later,” he replied.

I ran toward the rooftop to find Max. He was holding his head, looking scared.

“Oliver… is that you?” he asked.

“Yes, it’s me,” I said.

“Do you understand what’s happening?” he asked.

“No… I’m confused,” I admitted. “Where are the others?”

“They’re all at Henry’s house, traumatized,” Max said.

I nodded. “At least they’re okay.”

“We’ve all been feeling… strange since we woke up,” he added.

“Same here,” I replied.

“Do you think we’re cursed? Or maybe… cursed?” he asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” I said. “We can’t just wait and cry. We need to do something. We’ll wait until class starts, then we’ll check the hall where the ritual happened.”

He looked at me, eyes wide. “Are you crazy? If you want to die, go ahead. But I won’t die with you.”

“What if nothing is done and we’re doomed?” I asked.

“Maybe… you’re right,” he said reluctantly. “We’ll find out.”

We approached the hall carefully. The principal glanced at us as we walked by, his stare sharp and unreadable. I knew he knew something.

Max whispered, “He knows something, doesn’t he?”

“Probably,” I said.

We snuck into the hall where it had happened. The door was locked. I picked a pin and opened it silently. Inside… it looked normal. Just rows of books.

“How?” Max whispered, clutching my shirt.

“They’re hiding something,” I said. “We need to watch him.”

We followed the principal into his office and overheard him on the phone: “Yeah… they’re in school. The kids… they’re not kinda fully possessed, but under a curse I think. Nearly impossible to be uncursed. If we’re caught, it’ll be trouble. Best to dispose of them… but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

My blood ran cold. Max’s eyes were wide with terror. The principal turned, but we slipped away unnoticed.

“Max, we need a team,” I said. “Otherwise… we might be done for.”

“I agree,” he said.

We gathered Henry, Emma, and Elizabeth at Max’s house. They were shocked when we explained everything.

Emma cried, “Are we… going to be killed?”

Elizabeth rubbed her back. “It’ll be fine. We’ll figure something out.”

Henry looked at me. “Why are you helping us?”

“Because I’m part of the problem,” I said.

It was 9 PM. Suddenly, I screamed. My eyes flickered strangely. I felt… stronger, yet weaker at the same time. My vision sharpened unnaturally.

“The lights!” I shouted.

Dark shapes began emerging from the corners of the room. The air grew cold. They were spirits—cursed, hostile, unnatural. We all screamed and ran. Max drove his car recklessly, speed blurring the streets.

“What was that?!” Elizabeth shouted.

“The cursed spirits,” I said. “Until we’re uncursed, they’ll keep attacking.”

“Are you crazy?” Max yelled as we neared the school.

“I have no choice!” I shouted back.

We ran inside. The hallway was filled with spirits of all kinds. I shouted and tried to protect the others, chanting words I didn’t fully understand. A violent force pulled us.

The cursed spirits were being burnt to ashes at the same time from their core; their screams were loud and filled with pain. They were all looking at me like I was a cursed spirit myself. They were filled with fear and hope. My eyes turned white. Pain burned at the center of my vision.

I fell to my knees, blood running from my eyes.