Should've Been Us

                       

Twenty years...yes almost two decades have passed. And Kathleen is wide eyed before the glass ceiling door, absorbing her blurry reflection, hinting for clues about her own self-doubts and regrets. 

As she pried more deeply into her transparent aura, she saw the same familiar expression that she used to display whenever she had a small bickering with Danton back then.

DANTON. Who was he in her life? 

He was her childhood friend. It was a bit premature to say he was her childhood sweetheart because he never did profess his love to her even if they went to the same church together, attended the same summer camp and enrolled in the same prestigious university. 

He did kiss her one time, but it was, she could describe, a very friendly kiss when he congratulated her for topping the pre-med diagnostic exam. Kathleen was on her way to becoming a full-pledged doctor, a dream of hers ever since she was six years old.

Danton, in the meantime, was destined to join the space and engineering fields. He so longed to be an astronaut. Once he promised her that he would look for the 14th planet and invite her to live there with him. And they both rejoiced in their wildest dreams. 

It felt majestic to dream when you were young. When the two of you haven't faced yet the cruelties that life had to offer midway. 

For Danton and Kathleen, life's problems could be danced away. With just a couple of dance steps, all their worries would evaporate. And only the two of them were left to ponder the remainder of the day. 

Kathleen visibly remembers Danton as an exceptional dancer, a very skillful one in fact, despite his allusions to NASA and the planetary formulas. He has always had an artistic side that Kathleen adores in him. And she also approves of his creative quest for poetry hunting. 

During the summer camps that they attended as eager youths, they were often teased as a potential romantic pair. But the couple had shrugged off that notion because they acted more platonic together than intimate. 

And besides, Kathleen really had her sights on Danton's older brother Duane. "Oh Duane," Kathleen sighed in filters. How can she forget the huge crush that she had on Duane? And for that, Danton has always been jealous and accused Kathleen of playing around the field. 

"Well, truthfully, Danton," Kathleen once explained her fascination toward his brother Duane, "He does look more handsome than you and more masculine..."

To which Danton would castigate, "Yes, but he is pea-brained!".

    Kathleen swerved to the left side of the Dining Hall and spotted her childhood friend Danton, waiting by the side of the bar. Just like old times, except he had grown a bit of a weight. But he had the same commanding voice. 

Kathleen could't keep her gleeful demeanor and gave Danton a big hug.

"After 20 years!" she hailed.

"Yes indeed..." Danton pulled a chair for her. 

"I hope we won't have a fight for now," Kathleen teased with a mix of scorn. There were many events back then that made them throw sarcasm and fits of biting remarks at each other whenever they disagreed on a certain issue.And both were adamant to win the debacle no matter what. No wonder, Kathleen reassured herself one more time, "We didn't end up with each other." 

Danton and Kathleen accidentally reconnected through Instagram, while they were both browsing through mutual friends' files.

Suddenly, old sweet memories went back. So they decided to keep track of each other again. 

"You know, social media ruins a lot of marriages," Kathleen insinuated.

"Oh," Danton remarked confidently. "I am a very noble man...I don't mess around."

"How's your wife?". Kathleen recalled Danton sharing some pics of his loving wife. 

"She loves to crochet and assembles crafts. She is very imaginative. She's also into panoramic photography."

Kathleen smirked. "She's a wifey material. She's suited for you because she is submissive..."

And Danton frowned.

  Kathleen sprang up from her white laden chair. 

"Danton, WHY DID YOU NOT WAIT FOR ME?".

"You were busy with your dreams. I had my own life to live."

Kathleen bit her lower lip. "I came back because I want to continue from where we have left off."

Danton held her upper right arm and pulled her slowly back to her chair. "It's too late now Kathleen. I love my wife and I am committed to her. We can't go as we please." 

"If you really cared for me, truly cared, you wouldn't have looked for another woman..."

"But why did you not search for me all these years?".

"Because I assumed you were already married." Danton said softly, "You are still the same Kathleen, always assuming things...I got married only recently like three years ago."

"Had I known you were still single in those says, I would have tracked you down myself."

Danton wanted to feel sorry for her but he fought his emotions and instead helped Kathleen with her gray woolen coat. "We have to go."

"And Danton, there is still something I want to say to you."

Danton listened intently.

"Remember our last night together?". Kathleen retold her story. "Our intimate stolen moments produced an offspring."

Danton's jaw fell momentarily." It produced what?".

"When I was three months on the way, I had it removed by a noted abortionist."

Danton's face flushed in horror. "Why are you telling me all this?".

Kathleen began to wail and wept. "I needed to keep my scholarship grant. They wouldn't honor a single mother."

Danton's tears began to swell as well. "How could you do that? My wife and I are having a problem...she can't have a baby no matter how much we try..."

"Oh Danton, I'm so sorry!" Kathleen got up."I didn't mean to."

"All we ever wish for is a healthy baby and you killed what could have been our own! Where is your conscience?".

Kathleen held Danton's hands very firmly, "Please forgive me! Please forgive me..."

Danton held his arms up in the air. "Now what!".

    Kathleen made her final decision. "Danton, I'm freeing you." She embraced him for one last time. "And free me as well. Forget this ever happened."

"Kathleen, you know I will always be here for you."

"I know, I know...now I want to hear if you still have some feelings left for me."

"I never stopped loving you. But my wife is so frail and so loyal it aches me to leave her and it's not fair."

Kathleen caressed Danton's hair. "I'M NOT CLOSING DOORS."

And Danton looked up and within seconds uttered, "And neither am I."

A CENTURY AGO

                                                       

             When Darlene decided the last minute to pack her bags and relocate to a secluded place for her next writing assignment, she knew it had to be Savannah. The land of Georgia has always fascinated her fragile memory ever since she was a kid. Her very own mother,Lynette, always took her little one to enjoy the fresh azaleas that stood bounty in the southern backdrop. 
            

Her daughter, Paige, felt otherwise. The eight-year-old girl preferred the glass enclosed buildings of Manhattan and relished the intermingling crowd of  Central Park. But at that point in time, the little girl had no choice but to succumb to her mother's wishes. Darlene challenged her to make an online journal about her six-month journey to the southern vastland. 

Their first stop was the ancestral home of Darlene. It looked perfectly carved like a good southern home that it depicted. When Darlene stepped into the living room, for the first time again, after her daughter was born, she gasped for a few breaths. "It's so refreshing to be back home," she muttered. But not so with Paige, who felt a bit creepy when she stood squarely on the tan carpeted area. She could not explain why the sides of her hair raised. 

Paige quietly looked up. And hidden behind the top of the staircase was a blurry image of a girl somewhat her age. "Oh dear," Paige half-whispered."At least I will have a playmate after all."

Soon after, Darlene began to inscribe the first few chapters of her new novel that was centered around a couple who cannot keep up with the latest technological trends. She was exploring the challenges in a relationship when either or neither party would envelop change. She was, in fact,realigning her new novel with the latest feud that she has just had with her equally well traveled husband entrepreneur. 

As Darlene was about to flip the next page on her Word Processor, Paige slipped by and jumped into her bed. She wore a frown that was hard to dissect.

"What's wrong honey?" Darlene intruded.

"I can't enter the gate of the garden."

"What garden are you talking about? Is that our neighbour's?".

"She gave me the wrong key."

Darlene dropped her eyeglasses o the keyboard."She? You made a friend today?".

 "Yes, mommy. Her name is Shaine. She invited me to play with her tomorrow in her garden." 

Darlene heaved a momentary sigh.At least for now, she wouldn't have to worry about Paige hovering around her during her writing time. 

A few days later,she summoned her daughter for a serious talk about her "newfound friend."

She served them both tea."Okay so tell me about your garden adventure."

"Mommy, I know how to open the gate of the garden. The code is her mother's name ELENA."

"Elena?" Darlene echoed back.

"After which, Shaine led me to a pretty bridge with thick bushes. And then there was the most heavenly garden I ever saw-full of colorful flowers. Red, blur, orange, pink and yellow!"she beamed.

"Like a rainbow."

"Yes, like a rainbow mommy."

"Sounds like an awesome place indeed."

"Shaine tells me the garden heals all the hurts and betrayals she has had in the past.She took me to this yellow brick road."

"A yellow brick road?".

"Yes, like golden steps."

"And?".

"She disappeared."

Darlened spilled her tea."How can you let her leave you alone like that in a mysterious garden?".

"She reappeared and there was..." The color in Paige's face suddenly pailed."Blood all over her white dress."

One afternoon, Darlened called the caretaker of their old house and left her instructions on what to do in case she wouldn't be back over the weekend. The caretaker, Helena, also served as Paige's babysitter for now. 

"Don't forget her nightly vitamins, her inhaler...her bowl of cherries before going to sleep."

"Of course Madam, never forget."

Helena was born Hispanic and has been an immigrant to the country for almost 30 years, having chosen to serve the upper crust family of Darlene's ancestral line. 

Darlene was set to tour a cabin by the lakeside somewhere in the woods near their vacation spot. Paige begged for her to be taken along but Darlene said no. The lake was said to be dangerously deep. Darlene was a great swimmer. But Paige had a history of asthma attacks. 

"And Helena, I don't want you to let her go to her friend's garden. If you do so, I will hold both of you accountable when I get back." 

Helena was stupefied. "Garden?".

Darlene looked back at Helena,"My daughter has a playmate named Shaine, She has a beautiful garden or so she told me. Just don't make her go there."

Helen bit he lower lip."Oh the GARDEN. It existed A CENTURY AGO. Right in this place. The forlorn backyard at the other side used to be the garden of your great ancestors. That's what I've gathered from the former occupant of this house."

Darlene began to squirm. "And Shaine?".

"Didn't your mother ever inform you Madam?".Helena's eyes widened all the more. "She was your dead twin sister."

"Dead twin sister?".

"Your mother had given birth to both of you here." Helena recounted. "Your twin sister Shaine had a weak, fainting heart. She didn't make it."

Darlene covered her mouth with her one hand, "My mother never told me." She cried silently."How could she?".

Paige hugged her mother. And she held back when Darlene tightened her grip of her.

"Tell me more about Shaine honey."

"She always has bruises." Paige recalled."Purple and pinkish bruises.I wonder why."

"Is she beautiful?".

"Yes mommy sometimes she looks like you. One time she smiled and she looked exactly like you in your favorite picture!".

"What else did she tell you?"

"She said she used to have a mother that was mean to her."

Darlene listened intently."Did she tell you why?".

"She just showed me the rolling pin, the bottle and the long stick that her mother used on her."

And Darlene burst into tears.

"Mommy, why are you crying?".

"I will never do to you what my mother did to me Paige." Darlene broke into unstoppable sobs."I will never abuse you." 

A POTTERY OF PAIN

              Mei Lin woke up on a Friday morning with dread. Already her chest was heavy with deep breathing. Just as suddenly, she remembered instantly it was her 12th birthday and all the more she had a panicky beating in her heart. Every young girl would anticipate her birthday with longing but Mei Lin would like to push the time backwards and be a pure little girl once again. 
              
             Over the past year, Mei Lin has been experiencing severe gnashing and nagging from her disciplinarian mother. Half-Vietnamese and half-Australian, Mei Lin was born to inter racial parents-her doting cheeky mother Sui Mun and her very understanding Aussie father Raymond. 

             The three of them have managed to survive the trials and challenges of a queer marriage and unique parenting styles. 

             And on this day, her 12th birthday, the loving but misunderstood couple have promised to give Mei Lin her best birthday present ever. 
  
                                                                                    
            Mei Lin felt a mixture of consternation and amazement upon the surprising object before her. 

             "A vase? What would I do with a vase? " Mei Lin almost shrieked, wiping the sweat on her forehead. 

            "Oh honey, i's not a vase, it's a pottery." Mr. Jenkins explained, half-smiling. 

           "But dad, you know very well I hate gardening and I'm not fond of flowers." 

           "We know sweetie," Sui Mun interrupted. "Your father and I really enjoyed our vacation in Hoi An Vietnam recently. And there was this cash strapped vendor in 
Thanh Ha Pottery Village that offered us a really special pottery for a bargain price. "

           Mei Lin sneered. She has worn this despicable sneer since she was 10. "So what would I do with an ancient pottery?".

           Mr. Jenkins guided his daughter to the doorstep. "You can either display it over here, right beside the door or next to your bed, whatever." 

           


           

           Over the next few weeks since Mei Lin took over the possession of the red pottery,  she has been grueling with some bizarre dream sequences when she went to sleep. In her lucid dreams, she is brought to this queer village with rows and rows of houses. And a throng of erstwhile villagers are surrounding a ceremony of some sorts she could not clearly see. 

           Many times, she would open her eyes, unsure whether she was still living in reality or fantasy. She actually thought at one point that she was floating in the air...

           Then one day, as she stared so hard at the red pottery, a thick smoke began to swirl outside it and it crept to the sides of her bed. 

           
           
          Nausea enveloped Mei Lin and she was about to collapse for good when stern hands grabbed her upper hand. 

          "Do not be afraid." The voice hailed. 

          And the thick smoke morphed into a figure of a dainty lady, also wrapped up in a red attire. She looked so charming...but how could that be? 

         A swirling smoke and then a lady in red. She must be crazy!

         "Who are you? Where do you come from? What do you want from me?" Mei Lin started to distance herself from the forlorn figure. 

         "I was sacrificed by our village in exchange for power and influence over other villages." The lady said in a soft whispery voice. "I was 12 when they threw me into the sacrificial den."

          "But why did they choose you?" 

         "My family was noble. So our blood was a fitting offer." 

          Mei Lin could not fathom that she was really talking to this lunatic being." 

         "I came here to warn you. Your days are numbered. They will come after you next." 

         
          

         Sui Mun was looking for her daughter all day. She regretted that she nagged her incessantly the past few days over her lunchbox, her litter box and her unkempt dresser. Sometimes she wished she could be more docile toward her offspring.But back when she was little in her Vietnamese home, she underwent the same rigid training from her ardent parents. They always told her what to do and when to do it. They never gave her her voice. 

        "Mei Lin, Mei Lin, where are you?" Sui Mun quivered. "Oh I'm so sorry honey for all my blabberings." 

         Two days have rightfully passed by. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins decided to report their missing daughter to the police.

         

        Two police officers dropped by 563 Tolson Avenue. One of them got a small notebook and began the inquiry. 

         Sui Mun was crying vehemently. "Maybe she was so mad at me. She tried to escape and sleep over in her one of her friend's house." 

         "Hush, hush, "Mr. Jenkins tapped his wife gently at her back. 

         "Is this her picture? " The other officer peeked thoroughly at the photo frame. 

        "Yes, she is a very high spirited girl. She just turned twelve." 

         Huge pearls of sweat were splashed all over his face. "Are you sure?"  This time he looked as pale as anyone could imagine. 

         Sui Mun's head jerked up. "But why officer?".

         "Her body lies at the morgue. Her throat is slit...and from the looks of it, she was carnaged like a sacrificial lamb in a ritual."

         "A ritual?" Mr. Jenkins shook his head in disbelief.

         The first officer finally spoke up." We have some Vietnamese immigrants who practise this sort of thing underground. It's like a pact for a deal of financial abundance and strength. And there were broken pieces of a red pottery all over the ritual site. "

         

         And in a sudden pour of memory, Sui Mun recalled the village that the vendor told her she had lived-it was called Ba Be. And she uttered something like "a cursed pottery that needs to be freed..." 

         

        And Mei Lin was finally freed. She agreed to live in a forever seclusion in a never heard of paradise where she can sing with the birds and hop on a grassy land...if she lent her soul to the red lady in distress. 

         The rigorous  nagging from her mother would stop.

         And the red lady would again have a taste of earthly pleasures, far away from the pain of her past. 
         
      

FINA & FIONA

SERAFINA SERAFIONA

"We have to take her to Israel...then maybe she can be well again." It was a last
minute decision of the Patrelski couple.They've been putting off the final say

for weeks now because both didn't want to have a leave of absence from work

in Philadelphia.

Being Jewish immigrants was no easy mill in Uncle Sam's country but the

indomitable pair have survived for twelve years.

"Do you think Fina will like it there? She barely acts and speaks Jewish,"Lenna

bit her lower lip,always fearing the worst for her kindred daughter.

Franco dropped his suitcase gently on the sofa, and made a queer sigh that

hasn't been heard of in years."It's our last recourse."

Lenna, who has successfully quit drinking for sometime now since she has

had Fina, grabbed a red wine from the storehouse and poured a wineglass

half full of it."Then let's get our assess off here and expect a miracle from the

Holy Land!"

They headed to Kiryat,a notable town in Israel. There they were met by a

trusted caretaker who has shielded Lenna's parental home for decades. Her

name was Anna Mildred and stood to be in her 90's.

"My dear Lenna Marie,do you still recall your playful years around this

villa?",the old woman graciously extended her welcoming embrace.

"Honestly Anna, it's you I only know. The others I have a vague recollection

of." Lenna accepted Anna' quick embrace and proceeded to the veranda.

"A pleasant day Anna! I'm glad my wife said yes to a short vacation here.

We've been wanting it for so long."Franco shook Anna's hand in an awkward

way,not knowing exactly how to treat her-whether as a long,lost aunt or simply

as a polite stranger.

"AND I AM SERAFINA...TWELVE YEARS OLD...A MIXTURE OF AMERICAN

AND JEWISH WAYS." The young Miss vocalized in such a braggart manner that

made all of them chuckle.

Anna was not only stunned, she squinted at the fate sunlight and viewed Fina

with an audacity that almost melted the harmless girl.

"Take her to the seas-she will self-heal," Anna whispered at Lenna's willing

ears and held her quivering hand. "It is time you made her aware."

"But Anna, I don't think it's fair. How will I help her understand that she's

partly human and partly..." Lenna cut the words.

"Why can't you voice it out for good? Let it all out." Anna moved a little

closer to Lenna.

Ten generations ago, Lenna's ancestors had mothered a MERMAID.And the

oracle briefly noted that the descendants of this creature would reappear in the

tenth generation-which happens to be Lenna's time.

When she gave an excruciatingly,painful birth twelve years ago, TWINS

came out. And one of them looked just not normal.

"Remember how you screamed your lungs out when you saw the fins Lenna?"

Anna muttered in a sorrowful mood."You wanted to kill your baby right away.

You just couldn't stand the sight of it."

Lenna began to stride in the wooden room."Yes, and what did you do to her?

I asked her to be thrown at sea and never to be seen forever."

"I threw her but she came back often...always with a plea."

"She's ALIVE...? Lenna said in a deafening way.

"She is so pretty Lenna if that's an understatement...You can't tell her apart

from Fina."

"What's her name...?"

"FIONA....SERAFIONA...I patterned from her sister's."

"What does she want?" Lenna seemed uninterested and lit a cigarette. Bad habits

always recurred whenever she was caught off balance. She always promised to quit

smoking.

"To see and meet her sister...that's all..."

"Mom! Where are you taking me?" Fiona had asked a millionth time, as she followed

her mother down the slope of a hill.

"We're going to the deep end of the ocean."

"You're crazy!".

They stopped at a spot where there's a huge stone covering a stretch of big waves.

FIONA couldn's speak.She wanted to scream but couldn't. Her shock was gargantuan.

"Okay FINA, I want you to meet your ...twin sister...FIONA."

Within seconds, Fiona materialized with her famous tail and created minimal splash

in the waters. "Hello sister Fina...I've been waiting for you all my life."

"NOOOOO! NO! Mom,No! This can't be happening!".

"Fina,honey,I know it's out of proportion and quite lunatic but it's true.You have to

face the fact and live on with it."

"But what would Dad say?".

"He knew since you were born. Why do you think he agreed to take you all the way

to Israel and see this?".

"But why mommy? Why?..." Fina cried her heart out and Fiona almost pitied her.

An Angelic Connection

ANGELS? WHO HAVE EVER SEEN REAL ANGELS?

Kendra, an eighteen-year-old college student,has always been skeptical of the world of angels. Eversince she could recall, she has not borne any real image of an angel. When she was in Grade 11,her teacher reprimanded her for leaving a blank page emptier during Art Class. The topic was about drawing one's own guardian angel.And the poor,adamant girl was left with nothing to color. Her mind was totally in dark.Her imaginative powers, which were usually hyperactive, have suddenly become intricate.

Fearing that she'd be left with a grade of 65 or automatic failure,Kendra hastily sketched her own version of a winged angel.She colored the wings ivory white and the cloth dirty white. In whichever way, the color white was not evidently pure.It was tainted with minute particles that had a shade other than white.And she barely knew why. It's as if there was a powerfully clad spirit

leading her to draw such a queer image.

"DO YOU REALLY THINK AN ANGLEL HAS WINGS?" Miss Terry,Kendra's inquisitive teacher inquired.

"Yes, but an angel can hide his wings or display them

even play with them."

"What if I tell you that the BIBLE is quiet about that

fact? They are supernatural creatures but their wings remain debatable."

" I do know,for sure, that angels are neither male nor

female."

"For that, I agree with you." Miss Terry quipped

energetically and motioned for the kid to proceed with her stuff."Now, why

don't you make a clearer, neater, and better version of your guardian angel?."

Kendra dropped her pencil aside and kept her coloring pen-

cils in her bag. " I'm sorry to displease you, but unless I see and angel with

my own two eyes,I'll never believe in such a fanciful theory."

This scenario materialized when Kendra was only eight years

old. Now ten years later, the nosy girl is about to encounter the biggest trial

of her life.

One morning, she reads on a morning paper about a stupefying

news on the macabre death of a raped victim in an alley near Kendra's workplace.

"Wait a minute, I think I now this guy,"Kendra spills her coffee into her collar.

Then suddenly she does remember. The darn guy almost attempted

to disengage her about two days ago.He struggled hard to rape her.But in

the end, he gives up and fleas for his safety.

"WHY DID HE RAPE ANOTHER GIRL AND NOT ME? " Kendra's thoughts are playing sardonically in her mind.

She flees to the town prison and decides to talk to the culprit for once and for all.She wants to settle things out.Peace of mind...is what she so desires this instant.

"Hey Mr., I do not know whether to thank you or not for letting me go.But how come you bypassed me and ravaged your terror on someone else?".

He spits," I SAW A WINGED CREATURE RIGHT BEHIND YOU DURING THE ABORTED CRIME. HE WAS SO HUGE,LIKE A GIANT, THAT I ALMOST DROWNED IN HIS PRESENCE.I RAN FOR MY LIFE BECAUSE HE SCARED ME SO."

The Curse of Christine Brown

Christine Brown seems to have everything in hand-a great career, a steady boyfriend, and an infectious optmism that surges within her. Only one problem though and it poses the biggest threat on her existence-SHE'S CURSED!
How did it all come about? It all starts at her workplace-where's she's a loan
supervisor. Christine has such a soft spot in her heart that she easily gives way to whims and pleas ,even from strangers. That is why her superior,the Main Manager, cajoles her to be more firm in her dealings. She has to be harsh in saying "NO" to loan extensions.After all, their company is a hard-selling business and she can't afford to nurture pity.
So enter Mrs. Ganush, a Gypsy woman from a mixed-race neighborhood. She is about to lose her house where she has lived for thirty years. And she's asking Christine,pleading for a mortgage extension. ALAS! Christine Brown is stern this time, and shows her undemining authority.As per advice of the Main Manager,"No more! We already granted her two extensions in the past!",she summons.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Ganush, but we cannot grant your request this time." Christine tries to explain rest-assuredly. But her charming ardour doesn't work.
"Please, I beg. I'm a proud woman Miss Brown. I humble myself before you.
Please I beg you..." Mrs. Ganush kneels before Christine,and holds onto the hem of her skirt.
"Guard! Help us!" Christne calls,shocked and mesmerized in awe.
"You shamed me!" Mrs. Ganush gets up from her kneeling position
and confronts Christine in a mortifying manner."I begged you and you shamed me!"
Then she steps out,with a mocking face.
The next thing Christine knows,she is beset by one problem after another.
She can't seem to concentrate on her job,she has hassles with her boyfriend,and she has nightmares-terrible nightmares she can't withstand.
WHAT IS HAPPENING? WILL SOMEBODY HELP HER?
She seeks a medium for help,and she is told that a very angry ,mad woman
cursed her tremendously!
BUT WHY? WHY ON EARTH WOULD SHE DO THAT?
Christine suddenly remembers Mrs. Ganush and the wrestle she has had with her in the carpark. How the old woman smashed her car, and almost broke her face. She refuses loan request with her, and now she has to pay the price-TO BE LOCKED UP IN HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY.
For the next three days,Christine grapples with her senses as she is attacked mercilessly by Lamia,the most feared of all demons.Physically, Christine is ravaged and she can't take it anymore.
So she bargains and seeks the soul of Mrs.Ganush from another life.
"But it wasn't my fault!The loan manager made me do it!".
Mrs. Ganush retaliates in a most terrifying wail:"I WANT THE SOUL OF CHRISTINE BROWN!".
To all you dear readers, if you want to know the ending whether or not Christine indeed goes to hell after three days, go rent the DVD of "Drag Me To Hell" written and directed by Sam Raimi. It stars Allison Lohman as the naive,sweet girl Christine brown and Lorna Rayver as the Gypsy old woman,unforgiving Mrs. Ganush .
After seeing the entire film,you will decide yourself whether you believe in curses or not. And tell me more about them.

A Brush with A Psychic

Not so long ago, I had encountered a very well-known and talked about psychic in our neighborhood. I came to her for a consultation because I was confused with a lot of stuff in my life then,primarily concerning education and finances. I was taken aback when the highly-regarded woman spread out a deck of cards before me,and blabbered about my life nonstop. In less than an hour, she was able to tell me about my sordid past,my present predicament, and my future tales. I wasn't just amazed...I WAS ENTHRALLED.
How could such a mysterious woman dictate on my power of reasoning and swayed me with profusions and wonderment? Eighty-precent of what she revealed to me was true, and undeniably existing.
Where did she get her skill? Or is that what you call GIFT?
It's bewildering that certain people possess this kind of gift-and leave the bystander in freeze...begging for more information,whining for a better understanding of life.
And from that time on, I never stopped inquiring about the unknowns of life-things unanswerable and better left unsaid.