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Day 2: September 2, 2013, Monday.
As we enjoyed walking along the town’s beautiful riverbank, the peace was disrupted by a strange and tragic incident. In hindsight, that was the beginning of the horrible things to come.
In the middle of our conversation, Katie suddenly stopped walking and stood still. Her expression was baffled, and she was trembling with fear. Penelope and I immediately checked on Katie and asked if she was all right.
She pointed towards the nearby river and stammered, “T-t-there’s something in the river!”
That prompted us to look at where she was pointing, but nothing unusual was there. Still, I sensed that something was amiss. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely something wrong here. As I mulled over the situation, Katie said something that left me stunned.
“It’s the same woman from yesterday, it’s the curse!”
Penelope, in a panicked state, held Katie. “What do you mean, Katie? There’s no one there!” She cried out.
I immediately looked for the woman, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. If it was truly the same woman, my "mom," how come I couldn’t see her? Or was it really the curse? I got an alarming feeling that somehow, my visions and nightmares were all connected to this town’s dreadful curse. Maybe I was mistaken all along and misinterpreted what was truly happening.
As I pondered further, my head started to ache, particularly around my scar. The pain was so intense that I thought I might faint. But there were more important matters to attend to, so I just toughed it out.
I tried to calm Katie down by talking some sense into her, but it wasn’t working. Her condition only got worse, and she began to scream and shake so violently that she collapsed to the ground.
Seeing her friend in such pain and torment, Penelope began to scream and cry. It caused a huge commotion and drew the attention of passersby, who thankfully came to help.
Realizing the severity of the situation, I called the authorities for help and requested an ambulance immediately. Fortunately, one was nearby. It was already on its way and set to arrive soon.
Looking back at Katie, she was now vomiting and bawling her eyes out. She was also sweating profusely and struggling to breathe. Her screams of agony were painful to hear, but we could do nothing except watch her suffer and wait for the ambulance. We couldn't move her or take her to the hospital ourselves because we didn't know what was happening, and it might only cause her more pain.
I kneeled close to Katie and told her that help was coming, offering the best support I could in the situation. But when she saw my face, her eyes filled with fear, and she let out a terrifying cry. Her reaction caught me by surprise and made me back away. I wasn’t expecting that reaction from her.
Penelope quickly approached Katie and gave her something. It appeared to be a bracelet made from an orchid flower. “Here, Katie! Take the charm!”, she urged.
When Katie took the "charm," she somehow managed to calm down. She stopped vomiting and shaking and whispered something to Penelope. I couldn’t hear it because I was too far away from them.
What she said made Penelope gasp; she looked terrified and flabbergasted, and then she slowly turned to look at me with fear on her face.
Then, out of nowhere, I felt a cold breath in my ear and a creepy voice whispered,
“Olivia…”
It sounded so close as if the speaker was right next to me. I looked around, but I couldn’t find anyone. My attention was brought back when Penelope started calling out for Katie, who had lost consciousness.
When the ambulance arrived, we took Katie to the hospital. I asked Penelope for Katie’s parents’ contact number so I could inform them of the situation. They sounded really troubled and worried when I explained what had happened. They thanked me and said they were coming as soon as possible.
While waiting for the doctor and Katie’s parents, I sat down beside Penelope, who was in a state of absolute shock. She looked terrified. I handed her a bottle of water that I had bought earlier.
“Drink this, Penelope. It will help you calm down a little.”
“Thank you, Nicole…” She grabbed the bottle and took a sip.
I comforted Penelope, reminding her that if anyone could overcome an illness or disease, it would be Katie. Penelope agreed and seemed to calm down a little. I wanted to ask what Katie had told her, but I decided to give her some space to gather and compose herself.
Something has bothered me since we set foot at the hospital. The number of patients in here was abnormally high—it was absurd. I had been in bigger hospitals many times during my therapy, but this was the first time I had seen so many people inside one. Knowing that most of them were sick, hurt, or even dying gave me a very unpleasant feeling…
The doctor who examined Katie came out, looking for her guardian or someone who knew Katie. Since Penelope was in no condition to talk, I went ahead and talked to the doctor.
I introduced myself as Katie’s friend and informed him that her parents were on their way. He reassured us that Katie was all right and stable now. She had fallen asleep due to fatigue and shock. He explained that she had experienced an extreme case of a severe panic attack. The doctor then asked if I had noticed any unusual behavior from Katie before the incident or if she had mentioned anything that might have triggered her reaction.
I told him everything that happened, including what Katie said she saw and her mention of the curse. To be honest, I felt silly saying all of those things to a doctor. I expected him to just brush me off and laugh. But when he gave me a genuinely concerned look and answered me seriously, I got the feeling that this town’s curse might be real.
Seeing an opportunity, I asked the doctor what he thought of the curse. Hearing the opinion of a professional adult, especially a doctor, would be helpful.
He told me that, as a doctor, he was a skeptic and didn’t want to believe in something as superficial as a silly curse. However, years of working in this town had changed his perspective. He told me he had seen his fair share of weird cases and strange patients that couldn’t be explained rationally.
Most notably, many of his patients always spoke of a woman who mysteriously appeared and haunted them. They believed that the woman was the reason behind the curse.
This sounded awfully similar to what was happening to me, so I inquired further. However, realizing he had probably said too much, the doctor just pointed to the large crowd of people inside the hospital.
“That probably answers your question, young lady,” the doctor said with a concerned and sad look on his face.
I thanked the doctor and was heading back to Penelope when I noticed that she was talking to a worried-looking couple. They resembled Katie a lot, so they must be her parents.
After briefly talking with Penelope, the couple walked towards me. They thanked me again for calling them, and they went on to have a serious discussion with the doctor.
Taking that as my cue to leave, I went back to Penelope to check on her. She seemed to be doing all right now. I also told her what the doctor had said—that Katie was fine and resting.
Now that she had regained composure and was doing all right, I wanted to ask Penelope two things: what Katie had told her that made them both afraid of me and about the ‘charm’ she gave her. But I decided to ask about the charm first, as it piqued my interest because I also had something made of orchids.
“Nicole, are you aware of the curse afflicting this town? The 13 Plagues?" Penelope asked nervously.
I told her what I knew so far and showed her the pressed orchid I had with me. Penelope then took out a bookmark from her bag, which was also made of orchids.
“You see, Nicole… these flowers—we call them charms that can repel the curse. No one knows exactly why or how they work, but Mayor Finn Campbell insists that everyone in town should have one at all times,” Penelope said.
“The Campbell family has presided over Magnolia since the town was founded. But even they don’t know how the curse came to be, what caused it, or how to stop it. The only thing they discovered was that this flower can somehow repel the curse,” she added while showing her bookmark.
I had been in this town for only two days, but I did my research beforehand. I knew most of the important details and was also aware of famous hearsay like the curse.
Of course, these also included the names of the local government officials. I knew about Henry and Finn Campbell. As I discussed with my dad, Henry was the former mayor of Magnolia, and he was the father of Finn, the current mayor.
So when I learned that my dad was talking to someone named Henry, I didn’t expect it to be “The Henry Campbell,” a leading figure in this town. But oddly enough, I wasn’t that surprised, and the name “Campbell” felt very familiar.
Thanks to Penelope, I was able to confirm that the orchids were somehow connected to the curse. However, this knowledge also raised more questions.
I found it strange that the bit about the orchid or charm wasn’t mentioned anywhere. You would think that since the curse was so well-known, the flower’s connection to it would also attract a lot of attention. At the very least, it should have been posted or reported somewhere.
Furthermore, why did my mom always have those flowers around us when she was still alive? I always thought it was because she loved them, but it seems I was mistaken.
After a while, Katie’s dad came to talk to us. He told us that Katie would be staying at the hospital for the day to make sure she was completely all right. He asked if we wanted to see Katie, but Penelope refused, saying she didn’t want to see Katie in her current state. I also declined because I wasn’t sure how Katie would react if she saw me. I didn’t want to cause another panic attack considering her reaction earlier.
He then offered us a ride home to thank us and also because it was getting dark. Since he needed to fetch some supplies for their hospital stay, he said he might as well take us along.
I hesitated because I didn’t know him; I didn’t want to get in a stranger's car, even though he was Katie’s dad. But looking at Penelope, she seemed fine with it. And honestly, Katie’s dad was nice, gentle, and kind of reminded me of my dad. So I also accepted the offer.
Both Penelope and I sat in the back seat, and on our drive home, Katie’s dad handed over something to us.
“Here’s the charm you lent Katie. Thank you so much for helping my daughter.”
It was Penelope’s orchid bracelet. He explained that Katie had left her own charm, which was probably why she was vulnerable to the curse.
Penelope took the charm. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad it helped Katie,” she said with relief.
Hearing them talk about the “curse and charm” made me realize that everyone living in this town truly believed in it and was genuinely scared. And to be honest, in my two days here, I was starting to get convinced that it was more than just an urban legend or rumor.
Curious, I asked them, “If The 13 Plagues curse is real, how come the people chose to stay and still live in Magnolia?”
Their demeanor changed after my question; they tensed up and seemed concerned, as if they were afraid to answer me.
Shortly after, Katie’s dad explained that living in Magnolia was rewarding—that the benefits greatly outweighed the drawbacks. As the name implied, the curse only lasted for 13 days, from the start of each month until the 13th day. Beyond that, life was perfectly normal. So, all they needed to do was endure the 13 days of hell and suffering, and they would reap the rewards of prosperity afterward. It made sense because Magnolia was a very popular and affluent town; having a business or work here could net a huge profit.
Penelope also added that with the charms, the 13 days they had to endure would be much “easier” because the flower repelled and stopped the curse.
Their answer made some sense; it wasn’t as if they could just leave their hometown, abandoning their livelihood, jobs, businesses, friends, and everything else here.
But I still couldn’t understand why they would willingly put their lives and their families' lives in danger for the sake of profits and wealth. If it were me, I’d rather have a complete and safe family than money and luxury. You could always make money and find a job anytime and anywhere, but the lives of people you lost wouldn’t come back, no matter how hard you wish for it…
Then, a frightening thought struck me; this might also be connected to why my mom came to this town before she died.
“Does the curse follow even if you leave town?” I asked them.
Bingo, I hit the mark. Fear flashed across Penelope’s face. I glanced in the rearview mirror at Katie's dad, and he had the same look. They were shocked and terrified.
With a hint of hesitation, Katie’s dad said, “You’re a smart girl, Nicole. But everything is going to be fine. We’ve been living here since I was a toddler! This is the first time something happened to our family, and that’s only because Katie forgot to bring her charm,” he laughed softly, trying to reassure us.
Penelope held my hand and faced me with a very worried expression. “Don't worry, Nicole! We have the charms! The Campbell family is also doing their best to figure out this curse, I’m sure we’re going to be fine!” She said with a nervous smile.
They were comforting and reassuring me that everything was all right. In their minds, I was one of those unfortunate souls who ended up in this cursed town. ‘Like moths to a flame,’ trapped with no way out, fated to perish.
To be honest, I was more confused than scared. I had a lot of questions, but I knew it wasn’t the time to seek answers. Thinking hard about my past and the things that happened to me always made my head hurt unbearably. So, I decided to save the thinking for later, after I talked with my dad about everything.
We dropped off Penelope first since she lived in a different area. After saying goodbye, we started to drive to our neighborhood.
During the drive, I initiated conversations with Katie’s dad here and then, hoping to get more information about the town and the curse. I wanted the opinion of another “adult” besides the doctor, and thankfully, he was generous enough to answer all my questions.
Thanks to him and the doctor, I managed to grasp how the “adults” of this town viewed the curse and their opinions. They were dead serious about it, they truly believed in it and were terrified of it.
Moreover, the woman the doctor mentioned was a familiar figure to the people affected by the curse. Just like with the orchids, no one knew anything about this her.
After a while, we arrived in our neighborhood. As we drove by a playground, I spotted a familiar face. I told Katie’s dad I would get off there to meet my acquaintance. I thanked him for the ride, and we said our goodbyes.
I walked over to the little kid playing alone in the playground. “Hi, Anna. What are you doing here? It’s already late and dark out,” I said with a smile.
The girl was startled by my sudden appearance, but her surprise quickly turned to joy when she saw me.
“Big Sis Nicole! Why are you here?" She exclaimed, running towards me and giving me a hug.
I hugged her back and explained that I was on my way home and spotted her. I was worried about her being alone, so I decided to come over and say hello.
Anna was thrilled that I stopped to talk to her. She confided that she had run away from home. because her mom and dad had a fight. When she tried to intervene, they told her to get lost and not interfere. Feeling sad and hurt about what had happened, she fled to the park to escape the sight of her parents arguing.
“I don’t want Mom and Dad to fight. I don’t want to go home,” Anna said, her voice trembling with tears.
We talked for a while, and I comforted her until she calmed down. I explained that running away from home was dangerous, but I didn’t scold her since I understood her feelings and where she was coming from. But I emphasized that she should never do it again.
This made her happy. She told me she loved me and that she would be thrilled to have me as her big sister. “A cool, beautiful, and kind older sister,” she said. Her words warmed my heart, and I felt happy knowing she wanted someone like me as her sister.
“Then, from now on, I’ll be your big sister. If you’re sad or need anything, come to me, okay? But no more running away from home, promise?” I said, making a pinky promise gesture.
Anna happily locked her pinky with mine. “Promise! Thank you, Big Sis Nicole! I love you!” She replied as we made our pinky promise.
We chatted and played for some time because she didn’t want to go home yet. She said she would only go home if her parents made up and came to pick her up.
It was already late and dark out, so staying here any longer wasn’t a good idea. I told Anna that her parents were probably worried and could be looking for her. I offered to walk her home and assured her that I would talk to her parents so they wouldn’t fight anymore or reprimand her for running away.
She thought for a while but decided to come with me. She said she didn’t want to cause me any more trouble or worry her parents further.
“Good girl. Come on, Anna. Let’s go home.” I took Anna’s hand, and we started walking towards her house.
But before we could take a step, a loud shout echoed throughthe playground. It was Anna’s parents running towards her, and they quickly hugged her.
“Anna! We were so worried about you!” Anna’s mom cried.
“We are sorry for yelling at you, Anna!” Her dad exclaimed.
In the midst of it all, Anna, who had been holding back her emotions, burst into tears and yelled, “I’m sorry too,” to her parents. It was a heartwarming scene.
Her parents noticed me, and since her mom had already met me before, they didn’t suspect anything sketchy. But just to be on the safe side, I still explained what had happened.
The family reconciled and promised each other that it wouldn’t happen again. They also thanked me for my help and offered to walk me home since it was late and dark.
I assured them I was all right, and I didn’t want to intrude on their family moment. They told me it was dangerous for a girl like me to be out alone so late. They insisted on walking me home, but after I politely declined for the second time, they relented and just told me to be careful. I appreciated their concern, but I didn’t want to interrupt their family time.
“Thank you again, Big Sis Nicole! See you later!” Anna yelled as she waved goodbye.
I waved back to the family as they walked away, leaving me alone in the quiet, empty playground.
But the silence was broken when my phone rang; it was my dad, I took the call, and he scolded me for being out too late—it was already past 7 PM. I explained that something had come up, but I was on my way home and already in the neighborhood. He told me to stay put, and he would come to pick me up. Dad was probably still worried about me because of what happened this morning.
“I’m fine, Dad. Just wait for me, okay? Bye.” I ended the call and started to walk home.
Without warning, one of the swings began to move back and forth, even though no one was on it. The wind was not strong enough to cause such movement; it swung so fiercely that the metallic sound echoed throughout the playground. The noise was excruciating, making my head throb.
I squinted at the swing, trying to focus despite the violent screeching. I put a hand on my head to somehow ease the pain. I wanted to confirm if my hallucinations and this town's curse were connected, and most importantly, I wanted to know if the woman I always saw in my visions was really my mom or not.
“Who are you? What do you want from me?” I shouted at whatever or whoever was on the swing.
The swing abruptly stopped midair, suspending and freezing in place. The metallic noise ceased, replaced by a buzzing sound. Then, out of nowhere, swarms of insects began flying all around me.
I turned away from the swing and started to run. I could feel the insects crawling all over me; some wriggled into my clothes, and a few even got into my mouth. I ran for what felt like an eternity while swatting at the insects and coughing out the ones in my mouth. It was hell.
Bizarrely, even though I had been running for some time and covered quite a distance, I could still see the swing behind me, hanging midair in the same position. There was no escape, but I kept running until I was out of breath.
Exhausted and out of energy, I fell to the ground, insects crawling all over me. All I could do was cover my head with my blazer to prevent them from entering my mouth, ears, and nose.
Suddenly, the temperature dropped, and it became freezing cold. This caused all the insects swarming me to die instantly. As I stood up, countless insects lay frozen on the ground. The air was so frigid that I could see my breath. I put on my blazer to warm up, but it didn’t help at all. I was freezing…
My body started to feel weak, and I was losing consciousness. With the last of my strength, I asked her one more question, hoping to clear everything once and for all.
I struggled to get the words out, “Y-you're…not my mom…are you?”
The atmosphere thickened, and the air was swallowed by an immense, heavy pressure. I was helpless, unable to do anything. My breathing started to wane; I couldn’t breathe due to the cold and oppressive atmosphere. I was dying…
Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, a foul smell of decay enveloped the area, making it even harder to breathe.
As my last resort, I took out the charm I had with me and clenched it tightly. I closed my eyes and tried to control my breathing. The orchid didn’t completely stop what was happening to me, but it did help me to breathe again normally.
Upon opening my eyes, the swing from earlier was now in front of me. Somehow, I was back at the playground. The heavy atmosphere and frigid temperature had returned to normal, and the swing was no longer suspended in midair. It was very clear it was inviting me to sit on it.
Knowing there was no way out, I reluctantly sat on the swing and held tight to the chains. As soon as I took my seat, I felt someone behind me, leaning on me and holding my hands as if to supportme and prevent me from falling.
Her face rested on my shoulder, so close that I could feel her every breath. Several insects crawled all over her face, and the grunting noise she made was so disturbing it sent a shiver down my spine.
Her touch was like ice, her hands cold. Her arms were so rotten and decayed that flesh was falling off. I couldn’t move; every part of my body was paralyzed with fear. And as I sat there, helpless, the woman whispered, “We’re finally together again, Olivia…”
This woman was a familiar face to me, she was always showing up in my visions and nightmares. But this was the first time I saw her up close, and her face belonged to someone I didn’t know.
I was mistaken all along—she was not my mom…46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTVGEecKE8
(To be continued)
46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYP0VbCMP4
