Before It Ends

As soon as my mother left the room, I removed the ring and placed it back in my jewelry box. I even took a photo with my phone as proof, because I was doubting myself after seeing it on my finger. I tried to shake off the nightmares and the ring being on my finger as I went to take a shower. I kept having flashes of the shadow staring into my soul as I lay there unable to move in bed. As the water from the shower cascaded down my face, I tried to block the images from repeating in my head... it didn't help. I went down for breakfast, the vision of the shadow figure standing at my bedside, watching me... it continued to linger through my mind constantly.

"Sage? Earth to Sage... are you even listening to me?"

I heard my mother saying suddenly as I looked up from my plate towards her.

"What mom?"

"It's about time... I've been talking to you for the last 10 minutes. Have you heard anything I've said??"

Her words shocked me because I had not heard anything she said. I didn't even recall zoning out. I just barely sat down and was cutting my omelet... then I looked at my plate and realized it was empty. Had I eaten my breakfast already?? What in the world was happening to me?!

"SAGE?? Seriously honey, are you okay?? What on earth is going on with you?"

My mom screamed loudly as I quickly brought my focus back to her again.

"I hear you mom... sorry I just must have dazed off for a minute... no big deal."

"You haven't said a single word since you sat down, Honey. You grabbed your plate and sat down and just started shoveling food into your mouth like you haven't ate in days! I was telling you to slow down and asked why you were in such a hurry and you just kept shoving forkful after forkful into your mouth."

"I'm sorry... I guess I was just focused on my assignment that's due... I was just trying to hurry so I could go work on it..."

I tried to make up a believable excuse but I could tell she wasn't buying it anymore than I was. I could not explain my sudden lapse in time, nor could I recall any thoughts over that time.

"That's a beautiful ring, Sage... it looks familiar to me a little... where did you get it?"

Her words sent waves of ice down my spine as I hesitated to look at my finger... my eyes drifted down slowly, lower... as I saw the haunting red stoned ring on my finger. I dropped my fork and jumped out of my seat as I quickly removed it from my finger and tossed it on the table.

"SAGE! What on earth is wrong with you? I'm serious now! Tell me what is going on!"

"I... I don't know... I just... mom... I'm really scared... something is wrong... I didn't put that ring on... it keeps showing up on my finger! I had it in my jewelry box from when I found it in grandma and grandpa's basement and..."

"Oh God... Sage... what do you MEAN you found it in their basement?? I know where I've seen that ring now... please tell me you weren't snooping in your Aunt Renee's boxes down there... PLEASE tell me you are NOT that stupid!"

I looked up at my mother with tears streaming down my face as my body trembled from fear as I finally came clean to her about it all.

"I... I'm so sorry mom... it's just.. I mean, things have been soooooo weird lately! You freaked out the other morning asking about the Shadow and it scared me! I asked Aunt Mina about it and she acted all weird and didn't want to talk about it. I was just worried about you! I went to Grams and Gramps house to see if I could find anything to help you there and I found this ring... I didn't put it on though! I swear! I brought it home to try to look it up, and I don't know... I woke up after that nightmare of the Shadow... the ring was on my finger... I put it back in the jewelry box, and even took a picture of it in there before coming downstairs! I have no clue how it got on my finger again... I'm so scared mom... I don't know what's going on!"

Her eyes filled with terror as I shouted out everything to her. The color completely faded from her face as she stared at me in silence for what felt like an hour.

"Sage... I... I'm so sorry for involving you in this... I never meant for you to be a part of this... I... I don't know how to protect you... not from this..."

She began to cry as she turned and walked over towards the window away from me. She stood there staring out into the yard in silence as I walked over towards her wondering what she meant.

"What does that mean, mom? You said... you said you didn't know how to protect me from this... from what exactly mom? Please... please mom... tell me what is going on!"

I pleaded with her as I stood behind her, hoping that she would finally be honest with me and give me some answers.

"Sit down, Honey. I'll tell you what I know..."

She said as she continued to stare out the window, it was like she could not look me in the face at all for some reason.

"It all started years ago when you were just a child. You were very close to your Aunt Renee... she loved you soooo much. She always wanted to have children but her health issues and drinking made that impossible. She had a lot of miscarriages and... her and I were not always on good terms... but I always let her spend time with you whenever she wanted because you adored her and she loved you... but when you were about 7 years old, something happened."

She took a deep breath and sighed while wiping her eyes before continuing.

"She was babysitting you while I was at work one night... and I really don't know what happened but when I got home... just... she had you... you were... God... I never wanted to tell you this..."

She said as she struggled to get the words out while continuing to look outside the window.

"Whatever it is mom... you have to tell me... I need to know... please..."

"She had you sitting down on the floor with her... it was dark all over the house except for candles surrounding you and her... you were across from her... and... she had a Ouija board on the floor between the two of you. Your little hands were on the planchette with hers... when I saw that I just freaked out! I was so upset! I didn't know what she was doing letting you near that thing, let alone doing whatever kind of ritual or seance or whatever the fuck she was doing! So I screamed at her and ran over picking you up as quickly as I could. She got extremely upset and told me that I couldn't break the circle... and kept saying that I was freeing the evil... the Shadow... but I didn't care, I thought she was nuts!"

I felt my blood run cold through my body as I listened intently, hanging on every word from my mom's mouth.

"She went crazy and attacked me trying to get you back into the 'circle'... I ran upstairs and called the cops. I was terrified and didn't know what to do! She wouldn't stop coming at me to try to get you! The cops came and had to wrestle her to the ground to arrest her... all she kept saying was that I had ruined everything and that we were all in danger... I just... I really thought she was high or drunk or something... I wouldn't let her see you anymore after that... I couldn't... I just... I thought... I thought I was protecting you, Sage... please understand that..."

"I do mom... but... I'm still confused... what... what happened after that?"

She turned to face me finally, her eyes red from crying as makeup ran down her cheeks.

"I... I don't really know... she left me a voicemail the night before she died... telling me it was coming for us all... the "Shadow" she said... I deleted the message... the next day, we got the call that she had been found dead in her home. That night was the first time it came to me... I... I was in bed... frozen... it was standing there... staring at me... I couldn't move... couldn't speak... Other times it came to me and would try to pull me under the bed... It came to your Aunt Mina before too but she refuses to admit it now. I think your Aunt Renee put a curse on the family... I think that's what she was doing that night with you... I think she was trying to make sure you were... left out of the curse maybe?? I just... I don't know really, Honey... I just... I tried to protect you... but... that ring... your Aunt Renee... she had that ring on that night with you... and..."

My mom stopped speaking for a moment as she stared at the ring in my hands, watching me fumble with it, her eyes filled with terror as she looked back up at me.

"Your Aunt Renee was buried wearing that ring..."

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