The protective candle

I awake in a cold sweat in the middle of the night for what feels like the ninth night in a row. Its always the same dream that gets me: Im alone in a dark, cold wooden shed. There is no doors, and the only light aside from the moon came from a candle sitting on the window 🕯. Im in the middle of the floor and i cant move. Any time I try to cry out for help, there's no sound. Now that i think of it, there was virtually no sound other than my losing my mind telling myself "This is only a dream". In the midst of my frantic pleading to myself, the candle blows out and there's a bone rattling chill accompanied by a strange sound i could barely make out. My eyes are drawn to the window, and what ever i see next is what awakens me. My family has a history of mental illness, so i tend to go to therapy to try and grasp why i have these constant dreams and to see if its anything to worry about. "What in your life is going wrong? Is there anyone in your life giving you problems?" Etc. None of which helps, as life is pretty good so far. My friends are cool, plus ive been having these dreams for the past couple weeks and aside from the creeps and the constant feeling of being watched, im usually fine. But today, something felt different. I told my self i wont get scared, that id try and figure this out in the dream. I get home after work and get ready for bed, eager but also terrified of what could have me terrified all day without even knowing what it is. Dream starts the same, this time however im silent. Observing everything. The wood smells damp and decayed. The air smelled stale and it was warm. The candle is lit and for some reason seems to be alive, as if it's been watching me. I can feel something different this time. Id usually be crying like a child by now, but this time im determined to find out what's been tormenting me. The lights been flickering like normal, but something in me makes me scream "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME" which is surprising because before this I was never able to hear anything. The light keeps flickering, but its slower. "What do you keep saying to me?" The flame stops at that moment. I awake, but this time i feel almost normal. I call my sister about it, she's more into spiritual things than i am so she seemed like the best person.

"Do you remember when gran gran died?" My gran passed a while ago due to an unknown illness. We couldnt figure out the cause, only that her lungs weren't working properly.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, it wasnt all a sickness. People don't die that way without a cause. How do you think we got wealthy? And no, not our family now. Our entire lineage has had a strong attraction to wealth. How did our ancestors go from poor farm hands to being richer than some royalty? With no illegal ties?"

I ponder the reason behind the question. What other way would there be aside hard work?

"Luck " I say. She laughed.

"Luck is a nice way of putting it." She sighs.

"The story is: back during the black plauge, our family was desperate for money, health, you name it. Well, a man was walking around town one day claiming to be a doctor from a land far away, and that he was going from town to town looking to help during hard times. After he sat and had supper with them, he said he felt sorry for them. That he wanted to help."

"tell me your problems, and i will see if i have a solution".

After the conversation, he presented them a scroll. It had their exact wishes on it. You see where this is going"

Im in shock. I never knew this about my family, but then again its a tale according to her.

"What does the candle have to do with this?" I ask.

"Well, people dont read contracts ehen their desperate. And the price to pay wasnt worth it. The man came by the new farm one day, supposedly to congratulate them on their success. Well, this wasnt the man to deal with. Not the devil himself, but a close second. They ended up finessing the man and getting him by exposing him to the church by pretending to repay the deal. Im fuzzy on the final details, but im sure mom knows. The candles and the shed, however, is for your protection. The candle is sort of like your will power. What ever our ancestors did, it sticks with us today".

This gives me hope, but a new set of things to worry about. Im determined to find out more of this story, what's to come, and why now.