The Curse
Chapter Eight

The next day I decide to meet Bynx at the museum, it took a lot of begging to convince my aunt that I was okay. She wasn’t too convinced though, she made me wear a really heavy coat, and a pair of gloves. I tried to explain to her that it wasn’t that cold outside, but she just wouldn’t listen. “Yo! Cal, wait up!” Adeline calls from behind me. I stop walking and turn around, she’s running and waving her right arm above her head. I wait for her to catch up, I pull off my gloves and stuff them into my pocket. “What are you doing here?” I ask when she finally catches up, Adeline puts her arm around my shoulders and holds me close. “Where are you heading to? And why are you dressed like that?” She asks as she takes in my attire.

I groan and unzip my jacket, “Aunt Lucinda doesn’t want me to get sick again. She made me wear this so I could stay warm.” I reply as I shuck my jacket off. I can tell that Adeline wants to laugh, but I think she knows better. I was wrong, Adeline’s laughter echoes around us. “It’s not funny! She’s just worried about me!” My voice rises a few octaves showing my embarrassment. My face heats up, Adeline’s laughter grows louder as she doubled over holding her stomach. I glare at her and walk away, “Cal wait! Come on man I’m sorry!” She calls as she runs after me. I sigh heavily and stop walking.

“If you laugh at me again then I will leave you, and never let you catch up,” I say with irritation. Adeline pouts but doesn’t say anything else, the rest of the walk was nice and quiet. We both climb up the steps to the museum in silence, “Cal, I’m sorry for messing with you. I didn’t mean to make you feel embarrassed.” Adeline whispers as we walk through the entrance to the museum, I just nod my head and continue to walk. “You’re that Gravedon boy my son’s been talking aren’t you?” A gentle female voice catches my attention. I look over and see a woman who looked about thirty, her black hair was tied into a messy bun, and she wore and black suit. Her blue eyes look similar to Bynx’s, “I’m Bynx’s mother. My name is Madeline, I’ve heard a lot about you.” She says as she holds her hand out for me to shake. I stare at her hand for a moment and hesitantly place my hand on hers.

A shockwave of energy shoots up my arm, I gasp and pull my hand away from hers. “Whoa! Your eyes did this weird color change thing dude!” Adeline exclaims from next to me. I stare at Madeline with wide eyes, she flashes me a secret smile as she turns to leave. “I’ll be seeing you Callum Gravedon,” Madeline says as she walks away. I stare at her in shock, I look down at my hand and slowly flex my fingers a couple of times. “Cal? Hey, man are you alright?” Adeline’s voice sounded as if she were a million miles away. Something isn’t right, no something doesn’t feel right. “Young master, you shouldn’t have done that. She is a wicked woman, you cannot trust her.” Alica’s voice caused my mind to spin. “Callum? Are you feeling sick again? You seem pale.”

I look at her, my mouth grows sticky and dry. I want to say something but I can’t, it’s so hard to breathe. I open my mouth, but the words that come out aren’t mine. “You must help my young master, his time is running out.” Alica’s voice leaves my mouth. I cover it and stare at Adeline with wide eyes. She blinks and stares back at me, “What the heck was that?” She asks. I run past her and look around for Bynx, my surroundings suddenly change. I’m near the tree that Alica was hanged from, I close my eyes tight and open them again. The tree is gone and I’m back in the museum. “Callum? Are you okay?” Bynx’s familiar voice catches my attention. I look at him and shake my head, I’m afraid to speak. Before I could stop myself, words tumble from my mouth. “Your mother is a very wicked woman! She has done something to my young master and she must fix it now!” Bynx’s eyes widen in shock.

I cover my mouth once more and give him an apologetic look. His mouth falls open, “Was that Alica that just spoke to me?” He asks dumbfoundedly. Slowly I nod my head. Bynx lets out a low whistle, suddenly my hands are forced down to my sides. “You must fix this young witch! My young master is in great danger, if I do not leave him in this moment then he will be forced to take my place to be hanged!” Alica uses my mouth to form her words. My legs move forward on their own, my surroundings change once again. The tree stands before me, the noose sways lazily on the branch. A loud scream rips from my throat, the tree and noose disappear from my sight. “Callum! It’s okay calm down!” Adeline yells as she grabs my shoulders. I force my eyes to open and I see her and Bynx staring at me with worried eyes.

“What did Alica mean by my mom being wicked, and me fixing whatever she did?” Asks Bynx as he stands beside Adeline. I stare at him, I swallow the lump in my throat. I don’t know what to tell him because even I don’t know what he’s supposed to fix. “W-When I shook your mom’s hand...s-something happened,” I mumble as I look down at the ground. I can’t explain what happened, I just shook the woman’s hand and something weird happened. “She has cast a spell on my young master!” Alica growls as she forces my hands to curl around the fabric of Bynx’s uniform. Bynx looks really scared, “You have to fix this now!” She yells as again as she uses my arms to lift Bynx into the air.

“Cal! What the heck man! Put him down!” Adeline yelled as she tried to pry my fingers off of Bynx’s uniform. My head turns to face her, I feel my eyes narrow into a menacing glare. “None of this concerns you! LEAVE!” Yells Alica as she forces my elbow back to hit Adeline. I force my eyes to close, ‘THAT IS ENOUGH!’ I think loudly. The weight of Bynx’s body finally hits me, I place him back down on the ground and rub my arms. I look up at him and flash him an apologetic look, he looks so scared. “W-What...W-What just happened?” He asks timidly. I swallow the lump in my throat and straighten his uniform for him, “That...was Alica when she is mad. Look man...w-when I shook your mom’s hand this weird electric current shot up my arm. Since then...Alica has been trapped in my body and I’ve been...going to and from the site she was hanged.” I reply quickly. I look over to Adeline, she looks as if she doesn’t believe me. I turn to fully face her, “Addie...I know that you probably don’t believe me, but yesterday when I fainted it wasn’t cause I was sick. It was because of Alica...and her mother…” I trail off. I lick my lips and pick up from where I left off, “H-Her mother...Lianna is trying to force my soul out of my body...so Alica can live in it.” I huge weight has been finally lifted from my shoulders.

Adeline stares at me for a moment, slowly a grin breaks out across her face. My heart shatters into a million pieces, she begins to laugh. “W-Wow! You almost had me there for a moment Cal!” She says through her laughter. I ball my hands into fists, I bite my bottom lip hard. I can feel myself shaking, I can feel Alica’s energy coursing through my veins. I glare at her, “THIS ISN’T A JOKE!” I yell. Adeline’s laughter stops, she stares at me with wide brown eyes. She opens her mouth to say something, but I cut her off, “NO! JUST SHUT UP! EVER SINCE I CAME BACK TO THIS STUPID TOWN WEIRD THINGS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING TO ME! AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS LAUGH!?” I yell uninvited tears spring into my green eyes. Adeline visibly flinches, but right now I could care less about how much I am scaring her. “ALL YOU DO IS FIND THINGS FUNNY! NO MATTER HOW SERIOUS IT IS! I WISH I NEVER RAN INTO YOU! I WISH I NEVER CAME BACK TO THIS STUPID TOWN! THEN MAYBE I WOULD BE FINE!” I yell again. The uninvited tears stream freely down my reddened cheeks.

Something deep within me snaps, I gasp and grip my chest. ‘W-What’s going on? T-This doesn’t feel right.’ I thought as I stare at Bynx and Adeline with wide eyes. My surroundings change, I’m no longer in the museum. I look around, I’m in some type of kitchen. “The witching hour is upon us Alica, retrieve the young child from his mother and bring him forth for the ritual.” My blood runs cold when I hear those words. Slowly I turn around and replace Lianna Paine standing only a few centimeters from me holding a silver bowl and dagger. My heart thuds wildly in my chest, I stare at her with wide eyes. I look down and notice that I’m not in my outfit from earlier, I’m wearing...a dress? I touch the top of my head and feel some type of cloth. “W-What the?” I stammer. I slap my hand over my mouth, that was not my voice. I jerk the silver blade from Lianna’s hand and look at my reflection in it, “N-No, t-this isn’t me!” I yell. Lianna slaps her calloused hand over my mouth, I look at her with scared blue eyes. “Shh! Are you trying to alert the men? Go and retrieve the child now!” She whispers. My whole body begins to shake, what have I done?

~Alica~

I look around in fear, ‘N-No...t-the young master is gone.’ I thought bitterly, I look at the girl that had hurt him. I glare with his beautiful green eyes, “LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! T-The young master is gone now! H-He became weak because of you!” I yell with his voice. The girl flinches, she looks down at her feet. A small sob leaves her quivering lips, “C-Callum...I-I’m sorry...I-I didn’t know…” She whispers. My glare weakens, a sigh leaves his mouth. “You can be of some use, as of right now the young master is trapped in the past. He is stuck in my body, and if we do not act soon he will be tried and executed as a witch.” I say bluntly. The boy with black hair stares at me with wide blue eyes, the girl’s head snaps up so suddenly that it causes me to jump back. “E-EXECUTED!?” She yells. I nodded his head sadly, the boy with black hair grabs both my arm and the girls and leads us outside. He releases us, “L-Look, A-Alica right?” He asks. I nod to confirm, the boy takes a deep breath. “I-I did some research on the spell that your mother has placed on the necklace, a-and the only way to break it is to break the necklace. I’m sure you already know that s-since you are technically Callum you will have to get the necklace.” He says.

The boy is right, now that I am the young master I will be able to finally end this wretched curse once and for all. “I-I can help you get it...I’ll tell you what to say considering you and Cal have totally different ways of speaking.” The girl’s quiet voice pipes in. I look at her and give her a small smile, “Yes, that seems appropriate. So, you both will help me save the young master?” I ask. They both nod. I smile at both of them, finally, I will be set free.

~Callum~

When I tried to yell for help Lianna slapped me, the slap was hard and it stung. A piece of Alica’s red hair fell in front of my eyes, I stare up at the woman in fear, her cold blue eyes pierced into my soul like a knife. “How dare you defy me, girl! I am your mother!” She yells, I place my shaking hand on Alica’s reddening cheek. “I-I’m not your daughter!” I yell back, Lianna lets out a low growl and hoists me up from the ground. I prepare myself for another slap, but it never comes. Loud laughter fills the room, I flinch and stare at her. “Oh, I see now. You’ve fallen in love with Carrington is that it?” She asks. I blanch in disgust, ‘Is she for real right now!?’

She laughs loudly again, “Oh how rich! You’re in love with the man!” She says through her laughter. Suddenly the laughter stops, she stares at me with hard eyes. “You will just make the same mistake as me girl, he’ll use you and throw you away like you’re nothing but a slag.” My heart beats wildly in my chest, what the heck is this woman’s problem!? She glares at me and pushes me back, “Now go get the child.” She says. I swallow the lump in my throat and obey her demands.

Tears fill my eyes, “A-Addie...B-Bynx...p-please save me...p-please.” I whisper as I climb the very steps that Alica did once before.