The Curse Of Mizu Chai

Chapter Three

“How was the food?” I asked as I walked back into the kitchen.

“Decent.” He said, standing up from the table and looking around.

“When do you think you’ll be leaving?” I asked, watching intently as he glanced around the room, stopping at me with a confused look on his face.

“I mean I kinda wanted to see if you could give me my powers. Even if it means I die. I’ve been wandering for years feeling empty and ready to give up but now I have a chance to die feeling whole again, and that sounds like a good deal to me.” His eyes looked so full of hope yet so empty with a glimmer of something else that I couldn't think of at the same time.

“I don’t think I can give you your powers. I’m not sure I'm up to being the cause of another death today. Plus I don’t even know you enough to agree to give you your powers. For all I know you could be trying to get your powers for bad reasons.” This was just an excuse. I would willingly give him whatever he wanted, all he had to do was demand it. I just didn’t want to give him this because I didn’t want him to die by my hands just like the rest did. At least this time it would be by choice though, but still, I don’t want that.

“My name is Amon, I’m a descendant of a god and a dragon. I’ve been alive for over a thousand years and I lost my powers around 500 years ago when I gave them to the girl I loved to save her life but then she betrayed me and left for a different man and has forever been gone since then. I want my powers back so I can help the land of dragons because their god has been dead and the weather has been out of control and it’s gotten too dangerous for them to be there during certain seasons. I want to at least help them before I leave this world.” He said looking at me with a pleading look.

“I understand your reason to want your powers, but I could do that for you if you really wanted. And in case you wondered, my name is Mizu Chai.” I said, smiling a little.

“Mizu Chai? The god who disappears and appears all throughout history? The one who kills and brings disaster to everyone? The one who helps people just for them to all drown in some way, shape, or form?” He asked in disbelief.

“I might be…” I looked away, memories of all my old friends dying with nothing I could do to stop it all flooding back to me. I’ve always been the cause of people's pain, I really should just die, but I can’t. I’ve tried but it doesn’t work, it’s all part of this stupid curse. Even if I don’t kill everyone, usually I’ll accidentally kill someone's family, friend, or lover. I’ve even killed pets on accident…

“So you are then. Why do you stay alone in these woods when you could be helping others? You could be saving people. You could’ve saved the dragons or the dragon people. You have the power to save people yet you stay here all alone doing nothing.” Amon said, his voice full of anger and sorrow. His eyes full of confusion and anger.

“I can’t help people…” I said quietly. He doesn’t understand. If only he would just leave now instead of getting angry at me for something he doesn’t understand.

“You can help people, you’re just choosing not to.” He said, his voice louder and more angry than before.

“I can’t though.” I said, my voice trembling and no louder than a whisper.

“You don’t deserve the life you have then. All you're doing is watching others die and doing nothing about it. You could be helping but instead when you do associate with people you cause them to die. You hurt people instead of helping them.” He said looking down at me with such disappointment and sorrow, sorrow for all the people he watched die, sorrow for all the people in history that have died because of me.

“I know I don’t deserve this life. I know I should be dead. I know I should help people. I know I just hurt people. I know I’m a terrible god. I know you’re angry at me for causing all those peoples deaths and for not helping your kin and for staying here all by myself instead of going out and helping people. But I can’t. I can’t help people. I can’t kill more people. I don’t want to hurt more people. I don’t want this curse. I don’t want this power. I don’t want to exist. I’ve tried to die, I can’t. If it’d help everyone I’d gladly die. But guess what? I can’t. You know nothing.” I spat at him, surprising myself with the amount of hate I felt toward him. “You think you know so much because you’ve been alive maybe a thousand years or so, but a thousand years is nothing. A thousand years is practically the equivalent of a single day for me. I’ve seen the very beginning of time. I’ve helped people when I shouldn’t have. I’ve accidentally wiped out beautiful species just because I helped them or just because I got attached and decided to stay. My home was destroyed because I stayed too long. So please stop yelling at me to help people when you know nothing. You have no idea how much it hurts me to watch people that I could save die. Just leave me alone…” I turned, walking out of the house, not waiting for him to respond, he stood there shocked while I walked away, crying silently.

I walked what seemed like an eternity but was only a few minutes, when I stopped I found myself at the grave of Atsuko. I knelt down and wrapped my arms around myself, crying. I cried and cried for what seemed like the first time in a couple thousand years. I didn’t even notice that Amon had followed me, and was watching me cry, unsure what to do.

“Hey… I didn’t realize at the time that you could’ve been here by yourself for a reason. I’m sorry…” He said quietly, startling me.

“You have no reason to be sorry. You were just angry with the fact that I could help people but I choose not to because of the chance I get attached and stay too long.” I said, wiping away my tears and standing up looking at the sun shining through the dead branches of the trees that surrounded us.

“But I am sorry. I didn’t know anything about your curse or how you kill people by being too close to them. I could’ve asked why you stay here and don’t help people but instead I yelled at you for not helping people. When in reality you were helping people in your own way.” He said, walking forward, looking down at Atsuko’s grave.

“But I could actually help them still, I just choose not to because I’m a coward, so I’m not doing the best I could.” I said quietly. There was a slight pause before Amon said something.

“Who’s grave is this? It looks brand new, like it was just made yesterday.” He said, running his hand along the carved kitsune and name.

“It’s a girl from a very long time ago. Her name was Atsuko. She was a kitsune whom I saw as a little sister or maybe a daughter, I’m not sure yet. I saved her from an abusive village only to have her die here by my curse instead.” I said, bitterly.

“I bet she was glad to have experienced having a normal life. I think she must have been happy before she died.” He said, putting his hand on my shoulder and smiling at me.

“You know nothing, I killed her. It couldn’t have been to good of a life, being killed by someone you’ve come to love and trust.. I knew I should’ve just left her or at least calculated the days better. I should’ve spent more time training her to live by herself in the real world instead of having so much fun in the beginning. Then I could’ve let her go sooner. And she would’ve lived longer.” I said, the hatred clear in my voice. I hated myself so much for every little mistake I’ve made that’s taken a life that I caused to die before their destined time.

“But you see, there’s a problem with what you're saying. You never killed her, your curse did. I’m gonna assume she knew about your curse and she knew what the results would’ve been if she stayed too long. So I think she stayed knowing she’d die, I think she was just happy to be with you, even if it meant dying. I think she just wanted to live the remainder of her days with someone who cared about her instead of people who wanted her dead. I don’t think she, or anyone else, would want you to blame yourself for their death.” He said, his voice sounding soothing and warm. He made me wanna finally cave and just cry and be comforted but I couldn’t. I had to hold it in. I couldn’t burden him. I had to stay strong. I'd shown too much already.

I sighed and said, “You wouldn’t understand.” I stood up and turned, walking back toward the house.

“If you explained it to me I could understand though.” He said, following me.

“I won’t burden you with my problems. Plus you have to leave soon anyways. If you really want the dragon kin to be saved I can leave the forest to save them and then I’ll return.” I said as I reached the door to my house, the house that Atsuko helped me make. Maybe not physically but mentally.

“If you go to save the dragon kin you have to take me with you so I can at least see everything change with my own eyes.” He said, reaching forward, grabbing my shoulder, turning me towards him, staring into my eyes. His eyes pleaded to let him come with me.

“I’ll let you go with me if you promise you’ll leave right after.” I said, walking into my room.

“I promise.” I heard him say as I shut my door.

As soon as the door shut I slid down and sat on the floor, hugging myself, trying not to cry. I hope he keeps his promise. Otherwise I’ll end up with another life on my hands.