Before It Ends

I sat there for several moments trying to process everything that Aunt Mina had said. A curse put on the family by my Aunt Renee? This "shadow" that would try to drag my mom under the bed? It definitely sounded like something that could be induced by too much drinking. Maybe Aunt Mina was right? Maybe it was just my mom freaking out over old memories and hallucinations brought on by drinking too much? But... when mom was screaming and freaking out at me... she was sober. She hadn't drank any alcohol that night before bed... something was not adding up.

I had to find out more about everything. I started by doing some research on my family and also seeing if there were other stories about this 'shadow' curse from other people. I found several stories on message boards from others saying it was brought on by a family member or enemy and only the person who summoned the curse can remove it. This frustrated me because my Aunt Renee, if she was indeed the one to curse the family with this, she was dead and could not remove it. I couldn't find any details either about what would happen if the 'shadow' succeeded in pulling a person under the bed. Most of those who posted their experiences stopped posting shortly after.

I found one person who posted that they had been battling with this shadow curse for over 30 years. I decided to send a message to them over the message board, their name was Leslie.

"Hi Leslie,

I'm sorry to bother you and I know you don't know me but I am hoping you can help... I read your post on the "Nightmares are Real" message board... about the shadow curse? I think it's trying to take my mom... she's been fighting it for over 10 yrs I think... I'm not fully sure because she won't talk about it, but I'm afraid for her... do you know anything about how to stop this? How have you avoided it for so long? Please... I just need help... thank you."

I anxiously waited for Leslie's response, at least, if they did respond... if they could... I really wasn't sure if they were even still alive at this point. Their last post in the group was 6 months ago after all. I decided the next step would be to go to my grandparents house and see if I could find anything there in the basement. I knew that they kept some of Aunt Renee's things there.

I left a note for my mom telling her that I was going to see 'grams and gramps' and left the house since they lived just a few blocks away from us. They were surprised to see me when I arrived, but they were happy to see me. I went inside, had some lunch with them and then told them that I was trying to find some of my things and mom's things that we thought we left here when we moved out a few years ago. I didn't want them to suspect anything when I went down to the basement to search for answers.

I descended the basement stairs carefully and turned on the light as I began to look for Aunt Renee's boxes. Box after box I came up with nothing. Just some of her old clothing and old photos... nothing that would answer anything. Then I noticed a box in the very back corner hidden under an old desk. I walked over and saw that it had her name on it. I pulled it out from under the desk and opened the lid... inside it was a note that looked as though it was written by Aunt Renee.

"I am sorry I called this on you all... I was so angry... please forgive me..."

Was she referring to the shadow curse?? I looked in the box again and found a very old rusted key and a large, silver ring with a huge red stone in the center of it. I took them and the letter, then pushed the empty box back under the desk and left my grandparent's house to return home.

I continued looking at the note from my Aunt Renee. Something about it felt... familiar... but I could not give any reasons why. I looked at the large red stone in the ring, it was hypnotic in a way. I searched the internet to see if I could find anything out about the ring but all that I found was an auction from 20 years ago where a ring that looked just like it was sold. And what was this key for? It was so old. I knew it wasn't to any doors in my grandparent's house, they didn't have any locks that would fit this. So what was it for??

"Sage, Honey? You're so quiet tonight... are you alright? I'm sorry if I freaked you out... I just had a really bad dream... that's all..."

My mom said as she peeked through my bedroom door, her face looked pale and tired... and afraid.

"I'm okay, mom... just thinking and working on some projects. It must have really been a horrible dream... you... you kept talking about some... shadow... can you tell me what happened in the dream? I'm just curious... it really had you scared..."

I answered while trying to pry some more information from her, but knowing that she likely was not going to reveal anything.

"I'd rather not talk about it... or even think about it, Sage. Let's just leave it at that, okay? Just forget all about it... for me."

She answered while her voice trailed off as she walked back into the dark hallway, pulling my door shut behind her.

I knew she wasn't okay no matter what she said. I could see it in her face... she was terrified. I heard her tossing and turning in her bed that night as I laid down doing the same thing in mine. I started to drift off to sleep but then I heard voices. I tried to make out what was being said but it was just muffled mumbles. I quietly and slowly climbed out of bed and went to my door, opening it as carefully as I could... trying to keep it from making any sounds. The voices were coming from my mom's room.

I crept down the hallway slowly... closer to her room as I leaned against the door gently to try to hear.

"She can't know... I need to make sure that she's safe... don't you understand that?? You loved her too I thought! You said you would always protect her..."

I heard my mom say, her words filled with emotions that she was bottling up, her voice trembling as the emotion tried to escape.

"No! Absolutely not! I can't... I won't! Leave me alone!"

I heard my mom's words again, louder this time as she struggled to hold back her obvious upset... then it was silent.

I did not hear any other voices from her room, so I was not sure if she was on the phone talking to someone... maybe Aunt Mina? But this late? It didn't make sense. I waited for several moments there at the door quietly, but it was silent in her room. Eerily silent. Too silent.

I crept back to my room slowly and carefully, but something was not right. My gut was telling me that I needed to go back to my mom's room and check on her. I was terrified though, the way my gut was gnawing at me... something was definitely wrong. I walked back towards her room, everything was still completely silent, which felt... wrong. I reached her door, grabbed for the knob, but then stopped and decided to knock first.

"Mom? Can I come in? I... I had a nightmare and... mom? Are you there?"

I knocked and called out but was not hearing any response from her in return.

I turned the doorknob and began to open the door as I peeked inside. It was pitch black as my hand searched the wall for the light switch desperately.

"Mom? Are you okay?"

I called out as I continued my blind search for the light along the wall, but there was no response from her... it was just... silent.

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