Where The End Begins
Where The End Begins
Written by Jiya
Chapter Five
“The nature of that curse originates from that damn book, so you have to destroy it to end the essence of your curse. Once that book is destroyed, you will also fade away, Mother.”
“But isn’t it what should have been done long ago?” Ella said, now calm from her turmoil. Only peace showed on her face.
“And how do I destroy that book? I have lived this long, but I haven’t seen it again, nor have I heard about it.” Elene’s despair was evident in her tone.
“Of course you won’t find it anywhere else in this world. Didn’t I tell you a while ago that I took it with me to find the solution to your problems? It’s with the girl who shares the same name as mine. As for how she reached it, you should have guessed it by now. The only way was to guide her toward the book through dreams.
I chose her because she had come into contact with that book and was about to become its victim. Though she is a child, she possesses a strong will. The book is buried behind the tree near her house. You can either dig it up yourself or take the help of the family, but I would advise you against it because once you leave this house and destroy the book, you will fade away, and so will the memory of you from these people’s minds.
So whatever you have to do, Mother, do it quietly.”
These words did not wound Elene, because that was what she had wanted for so long, to find peace. Yet, she had found a little happiness with little Ella. But happiness was never meant for her.
So, she nodded at her daughter and gathered the courage to rise to her feet. Looking into her eyes, she said with a wobbly smile,
“Thank you, my dear. What I could not do for you, you have done for me. How unfortunate that I did not even get the chance to give you one last hug. Now tell me… how should I destroy the book?”
Ella smiled and gazed at her mother’s face for a few moments.
“You will find your answer when you find the book. I wrote a diary and left it with it. It is time for this projection of mine to end, and I do not want to delay you anymore. Farewell, Mother.”
With that, she moved toward her mother and embraced her. For a brief moment, Elene felt the warmth of that embrace. Then suddenly, it turned cold, because Ella had vanished.
Elene felt that coldness deep within her bones.
The illusion ended, and she found herself in Ella’s room. Ella was sleeping peacefully now; her distress had vanished. Elene looked at her for a long time, but she knew she had to be quick.
So she got up, wore her black cloak, the one that hid her from the world and quietly stepped out of the house. The rain had stopped, but occasionally there were flashes of lightning. The night had deepened, and the sudden light would have frightened anyone. But not Elene. Today, she had a mission.
She moved toward the back of the house and found the lone tree. She had taken a stick along the way because the rain had softened the soil. Elene thought she wouldn’t have any problem digging. Her silhouette beside the tree was a haunting sight.
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Mother dearest,
By the time you read this letter, I will be long gone, and you will have already met the projection I painstakingly created so that I could reach you one last time.
I do not know what you will feel after the decision you made to save me and how it backfired on you. I have no doubt that if you had known the consequences, you would never have taken that decision. But a human heart is always imprisoned by what ifs.
I am writing this as my own life is about to fade, but I still have one task left, to guide you to the place where this book will finally reach you.
After long contemplation, I thought of the river where you once wished to end your life. As far as I know, someone from the village saw you and reported it, but by the time they acted, you were already gone. I am glad you were gone, because they did not know about the curse, you would have fallen into their desire.
You did not drown in that river. The waters there flow near the cursed shrine whose altar has changed our lives.
I have often thought over the years, if the pandemic had never struck, how would our lives have been?
Now, as I near my end, I keep remembering our time together. I have so many wishes, yet none can be fulfilled. And I am certain you, trapped in that body for so long, also long for peace.
The only way to destroy this book is to drown it in the same river where you once wished to end your life. But this time, you will need my blood, which I have placed in a vial with the book. You will find it there.
When the river receives its source…the book, the cause, and me, the curse placed upon you will no longer deny you your freedom to end this life.
Hopefully, we will meet somewhere beyond, where there are no chains to bind us or our family.
I am indebted to your love.
Your forever daughter,
Ella
Elene had cried for the last time while reading the letter. She, too, longed for peace and to reunite with her family but she did not know that her sins would decide whether she could truly reach it.
After retrieving everything, she went to the river, which, as always, flowed with patient silence. At dawn, the sky carried a pale light. For Elene, it felt like a sign.
She turned back one last time. She left nothing behind for little Ella, because she knew that when they woke up, they would no longer remember a person named Elene. Yet she was grateful for the respect and love they had shown her during the time she had been with them.
She clutched the vial tightly in one hand and the book in the other. With one last glance at the horizon, Elene removed her cloak. Her eyes were gentle, though the rims were red from the weight of what was to come.
She took a step, then another, until her feet sank into the water. She embraced the tide as it rose to her chest. Her eyes closed. She was terrified and wanted to struggle, but then she let her body go still.
And so, she descended….down, down into the depths of the river.
The lid of the vial opened, scattering blood over the book. Suddenly, a golden light surrounded Elene. In it, she saw her family waiting for her. She wanted to smile at them, but the water did not allow it.
And then the light faded, along with her, taking her somewhere beyond, where perhaps, finally, she would be reunited with her family.
To be continued…..
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