Alone: My Cursed Fate

Mama Junie's House

*Vienna*

I follow her into the little blue house. The front door leads into a small entryway that connects to the kitchen and living room. It is small but has a homey feel. The place is brightly lit with comfortable-looking couches and potted plants near every window. Mama Junie leads me upstairs to a small bedroom decorated in pink and white. "This was Dela's old bedroom. I have a lot of her stuff here still. We can find you something comfortable to wear while we wash your clothes", she says as she leads me to a bathroom down the hall. "Go ahead and shower, use whatever you see in there and take your time. I will put out some clothes that I think will fit you on Dela's bed, and you can pick through them when you get out. Meet me downstairs when you are all finished".

I thank her and close the bathroom door behind me. Looking into the mirror, I see my reflection for the first time since my birthday. My long wavy hair is a tangled mess, my eyes bloodshot and tired-looking with bags underneath them, and my clothes are stained with mud. Yikes. Sighing, I turn on the shower and step inside. The steamy, hot water runs down my face and shoulders and is brown from all of the dirt on me by the time it drains by my feet. I carefully shampoo and condition my hair, detangling it with my fingers as I do so. I lather my body with soapy water and finish scrubbing off all of the dirt from my skin. I then just stand there with the hot water caressing my back, staring at the water dripping off of me, feeling empty and numb. The water eventually goes cold, so I turn off the faucet and step out. I wrap a fresh towel around my body and brush through my long locks. With one more quick look in the mirror at my reflection, I leave the bathroom and head toward the little pink and white bedroom.

On the bed is a stack of clothing like Mama Junie said. I pick out a pair of soft black sweat pants that cinch at the ankles and a royal blue t-shirt with an old high school logo of a yellow knight and the name of a town that I don't recognize in Texas- I guess that must be where I am then. After I am fully dressed, I make my way downstairs with the bundle of my dirty clothes. I was careful to remove all of my stuff first, holding onto Matty's wallet with the cash and photo of us. I find Mama Junie sitting in a recliner in her living room. I hand her most of my clothes but hold onto Matty's sweatshirt. Hugging it closely, I inhale the comforting smell of Matty one last time. I am saddened that his scent will be gone after it is washed, but I don't really have a choice with how dirty it is from the rain and mud.

Mama Junie goes to throw my clothes in the wash, then returns and we sit down in the living room.

"Well, I told you my story. It's time for you to share yours, child".

I sigh and start telling her about all of the events that have unfolded since my birthday, including the rogue attack, the witch's curse, Keeta's surprise appearance, my night in the rain, and my day in the forest. She listens intently, only stopping me a few times to ask questions. It feels good to talk about it and get all of my frustrations off of my chest.

After I finish my story, she looks at me and says, "I am so sorry, dear. What that witch did to you was wrong". I nod in response as she continues, "if you are going to be gone at midnight, we better pack you a bag to take with you. I should have a backpack or something around here somewhere".

We head back upstairs together and she digs around in her daughter's old closet until she comes out with a black school backpack in hand. She throws in a pair of shorts, leggings, some olive green cargo pants, two t-shirts, a long sleeve, and a crew neck. She hands me a jacket to tie around my waist since it won't fit in the backpack. She then heads to the bathroom and puts together a bag of toiletries including a new toothbrush, toothpaste, a hair brush, some hair ties, deodorant, and a bar of soap. We head downstairs to the kitchen where she throws in a full water bottle, two sandwiches, granola bars, trail mix, and crackers.

"One last thing, I have a watch that Dela used to bring with her on her hiking trips. It isn't fancy, but you can set a timer to go off at 11:55pm every night so that you are awake and ready", she says as she hands me a small black watch.

I give her a huge hug and thank her for all that she has done for me today. "If I ever figure out how to reverse this curse, I will come back and visit you. I will never forget the kindness you showed me today".

"You're welcome, dear. You can visit anytime you like. There is always a warm bed and a hot meal for you here at Mama Junie's. Stay the rest of the day. I will cook for you and you can sleep in Dela's room so that you get some good sleep before you go".

"Thank you, Mama Junie. I would really like that", I replied.

I spent the rest of the day with Mama Junie. We talked more about our families and I told her about Matty. She gave me my now clean clothes back and I added them to the backpack, although it was a really tight fit. I put Matty's sweatshirt on and was pleased to find that it still smelt of him. I went to bed really early that night and set my new watch for 11:55pm. I can only hope for a good day like this tomorrow.