LOVING FOR THE CURSE

GREEN TO RED

Screams, cries and names being called only mean one thing. My village is being raided again. I wonder whom these amateurs are coming here in broad daylight, their faces on display like that! My siblings and I were playing with ropes in our compound peacefully and they show up and rudely interrupt us. That's just cold! 

Strange thing is they were not taking anything or anyone. They were chasing some old man I figured must be old because from his dark hooded cloak, long completely white  hair is on show. Plus he keeps falling and then even stranger, he disappears and appears further from the men chasing him. 

Strangest of all, they are six men abled bodied I would add and they have this strange bow with them. Pardon me but I have to say strange a lot because here, people only come to steal livestock and women and children of course, at night. 

These men are here in the light of  day chasing after an old man on horseback while he runs. They have a bow that looks like a woman who is bent backwards. And yeah, a naked woman of course. A long time ago that bow would pass for green but now it's hard to tell but there is traces of green with brown and black all on it. 

What? How in the hell did I see that far with those men running like that? Suddenly, the world around me starts to spin so fast. I look around to my siblings and they are all concentrating on the scenario ahead. I call each one of them but non even glances at me it's like I'm not even there. 

Of course I panic, what could be wrong with me? Am I dreaming? This is so weird and before things could escalate further I drop down and pass out but didn't fail to see some blue smoky substance around me and a lot of screams. People around me or my own, I couldn't tell. 

Okay, let's not say I pass out because I can feel me being lifted up and carried somewhere. I want to open my eyes but I can't. It's like my lashes are glued to my cheekbones. I can hear more screams and grunts from whomever must be carrying me. I know I don't weigh a gram so good for them thinking they need to drug me to kidnap me. I'm quite the heavy load. 

We stop and I'm unceremoniously dropped, good thing I feel some soft material under me because falling is one thing I fear so much. There is hushed voices now but I can make out the words and identify the voices. 

"What happened to her? Yasmin tell you you are okay. " My mother says. 

"She's fine. " A croaky voice says. 

Whomever that is needs some ginger ,honey and lemon for their voice. 

"You are the one they were after, if they come here... " Mother's voice trails off as she sounds scared. 

"I know, I won't let them hurt you. " The croaky voice says in promise. 

"Who are you? " Mother asks suspicious. 

I would wonder whom the Guardian angel is. And with him putting us in danger in the first place, this protection sounds like a deal too sweet we'd need to think twice on. 

"Please leave, I don't want any trouble. Give her to me, I'll take care of her. " Mother says pleadingly and I can only imagine with her dramatics the face she's wearing with hands stretched out like she needs an embrace to keep sane. 

"Just a moment! " The raspy voice says half dismissively and half reprimanding.

Who is that? You don't just call shots in somebody's house. There are old people in this village but not one with long white hair. This one must be an outsider. I wonder the nature of their business. 

"Why don't you wake up and ask me that? " The now familiar croaky voice asks. 

For some reason I feel like its me being addressed. I don't know how but I know it's me. 

"Ask you what? Thank you for bringing her home but you need to leave please! " Mother pleads more. 

Before either of them talks I hear the creaking of our door which has been the one thing mother had confidence in giving away some girl sneaking into or out of the house. Let's just say it's not exactly easy to tell teenagers to not be attracted to their opposite gender curse myth or not. 

"When you fall in love with that boy or girl, the curse will befall you. You've been warned. I was a teenager once. " Mother would say over and over as each one of my siblings crossed over into the teenage phase. 

Anyway, there is a lot of shuffles towards me. I guess those are my eight siblings coming to the show. My mother bore twenty one children. The eight of us are the unmarried ones because we are still 'young'. 

"Mother what happened to Yasmin? "

"Who is this man? Wait... "

"He's the one they are looking for from door to door. "

"Mother, they've announced to severely punish the household harbouring the wizard. He needs to leave! "

A wizard! 

"What? You practice witchcraft? " Mother sounds absolutely terrified. 

In our village and those neighboring they are forbidden and banned. It is believed that a very powerful wizard cursed our village. I don't very much believe in witchcraft let alone the curse. 

"Why would you come here to put the whole village in danger when you know how the leaders feel about wizards. They are going to kill us all! Get out now! "

Silence. 

"Yasmin! " They all gasp except the old guy who says, 

"Yes, if it pleases you. But allow me to request one thing, when they come please shout his name. " He says hopefully. 

I just stare at his wrinkly face wide eyed. Who's name! When whom comes? I feel like I have the answers but I can't quite grasp them. 

He then walks out with all of us staring at him like he grew two heads or something. I feel an urge to look after him so I go to our closed window and push the wooden folds up a little to peak out. I see the six men on horses from earlier talking to the old man. 

Then one of them with the weird bow shoots a green arrow right through the man's heart. A gasp gets caught up in my throat and I swear I feel his pain somehow. But before I cry like I do when I see someone killed, I see the arrow leave his body and turn into a sword. A red glow surroundings him and he looks super pissed in his face. 

The glow grows deeper and deeper until it engulfs the sword. He starts to shake so violently. All the red glow leaves his body and into the sword which vibrates and shatters to pieces. He is left breathing heavily, completely in rage. Then he stills and curves his back outwards.

From his neck shoots out a clear thick substance. After a few seconds it hardens and look like a thick long pointy stick but looks like a heavy metal. Really sharp! 

It drops to the ground and some woman quickly picks it up.