The past - part 4

Joseph was dizzy after realizing that this woman, the Indian, was his great aunt. She was hardly mentioned, but he knew her name was Winona. He heard about how mad she was and that they cut contact with her because of this. Now he knew she cast a curse on his parents, as well as on his uncles, and maybe that's why so many wrong things happened in their lives.

Joseph's mother freaked out one fine day, while cooking and tried to kill his father. His father wanted to put his wife into a nursing home, but at the time they didn't have resources for that, so the solution was to take care of her in their own home. Unfortunately, it ended in tragedy. She set the whole house on fire one night, with everyone asleep. Fortunately, his father managed to get him out of there, but not her, who burned to death. Outside the house, while waiting for the firefighters ,they could hear her insane laughter. Before the outbreak, she couldn't stop talking about curses and talismans and poisoned blood, and it all made sense, now.

Not long after, Joseph's father committed suicide, leaving a letter that told his son never to marry a woman he loved, or happiness would never come to his life as they had been cursed. For years, Joseph avoided relationships. He was afraid his father was right, but then he met Martha. He loved her, in a way, but it wasn't the overwhelming love he'd read about in books. The person he loved most in this world was hi son, Harry.

At the thought of him, Joseph was alarmed. If there really was a curse, then it would fall on his son! His parents were unhappy. He had no contact with his aunt, Yámni, but he heard that she had problems too, with a drunk husband. He needed to get out of that place and make sure Harry was okay.

"Help!" He started screaming, running towards his father, still standing there by the grave. But the man didn't even seem to hear him. "Father, please!" He tried to hold his father's hand, but could not.

"He can't hear you." A female voice spoke from behind him. He turned around and saw that same woman from the road.

"You!" He pointed at her, who had a cynical smile on her face.

"Yes, me. He can't hear you because it's just a memory. Also, you are not physically here."

"Where am I, then?" He felt his throat dry. He didn't want to think about his son, afraid that this woman might read minds.

"In the cabin, where else? And it's no use trying to hide your thoughts from me. I control everything here, after all, we are within my domain. I hear everything you think, as if you speak with your own mouth."

Joseph turned paler than he already was. In addition to being confused and afraid, he was also curious.

"What do you mean by 'domain'?"

"Well, we exist in the physical world and in the spirit world. Some people have the ability to connect with the spirit world more easily, without having to be in danger or a death situation. And, some rare people manage to find a space in the spirit world that belongs only to them, and even more rare is someone who can control it. It's like another reality. That's the domain. You are inmine. We're connected by blood, so it's easier to bring you here than a complete stranger. You had the bad luck to be my sister Hanhepi's grandson and to have to pay for her sins." The woman was walking around Joseph and, while pronouncing her sister's name with hatred and contempt, she stepped on the supposed grave, as if she were crushing an insect.

"My grandmother is dead, as is my mother, my father. Isn't that enough?" he asked, altered.

"Of course not!" She laughed, but without any emotion in her eyes. "Your blood has to pay. They both live in each one of their lineage, so it's like I kill them over and over again."

"This is craziness..." He stammered, and she approached him, her eyes wild.

"Craziness is that I had to help take care of two brats and gave my all to them, so that in the end, they could betray me and you still expect me to be happy for them? That is crazy! Hanhepi stole my happiness when she decided to lie with the man I loved and run away with him. She knew I loved him! And Yámni, for covering up the shameless slut! Now, both will suffer for the rest of eternity, as long as their blood continues to bear fruit on this earth! And I, I will continue here, waiting for each of you!" She was spitting the words in Joseph's face, who wanted to jump on her neck but couldn't. His body didn't respond.

"I beg you, please, leave my son alone." He asked, feeling the tears run down his face.

"No. In fact, I want to show you your little boy, right now. He is a very handsome one, with that jaw, so like my fathers, but not as smart as he could be." She picked up a handful of dirt from the floor, despite how ethereal it all looked, and threw it in Joseph's face. He closed his eyes instinctively, but when he opened them, he saw water in front of him.

He blinked a few times, until his vision adjusted. He heard a female laugh and turned his face towards her. A mixed-race Asian girl, with long black hair, was with some boys. He's seen her before, at his son's school and somewhere else. Yeah, he couldn't remember her name, something Lore. Her parents owned a pharmacy. Harry was in love with her.

Winona turned his face in the opposite direction. Initially, he only saw the black sky of the night, the water of the river and the water tank of the old pot factory, but then, a moving point on the stairs caught his attention. That was Harry!

"Harry, get down from there!" Joseph screamed, but no sound came out. Winona laughed.

"He won't listen. He could, but you can't talk. This isn't a memory, but you traveled through space thanks to me, so you do what I let you do. Now, stop moving and pay attention. If all goes as expected, your son will meet his paternal grandparents soon."