I had received a message that evening from Heather in our group chat, aptly named the witchcraft portfolio

H: You don’t think we might have been affected by the Field do you?

L: No?

H: I felt kind of light headed today, they say you go insane if you spend too long in the Field, from exposure to the strange.

L: That's only if you spend weeks in there, and only much further in where the concentration is higher, we waded at the very edge for a few hours, you’re fine, don’t worry about it.

H: But it affects different people differently, if I were actually losing your mind would I even be able to tell?

L: In that case the fact that you’re worried would prove that you aren’t.

H: But I would still be going insane, I just wouldn't be able to tell.

You’ve already lost it, you hypochondriac.

L: Look, If enstrangement it was that prolific the birds wouldn't have built their hq right on the perimeter, nor would they be able to send troopers in as much as they do.

H: I suppose not.

L: see? Don’t stress out about it.

She’s stressing herself out over lightheadedness while I'm getting literal visits from shadow demons in my dreams. How could i even suspect her having the same ones, she’d be such a wreck she wouldn't even be able to speak.

But what am I going to do…? If it comes to me again what do I tell it? Do I have to keep lying? How long will I be able to keep that up though?

I had done my best to put it out of mind but now that i started thinking about it I began to feel nervous myself.

…

I awoke again to darkness, the silhouette of a hand hanging over me.

“Did you lose your nerve? Or did you never have any to begin with?” it asked.

“I- ah-“ oh god!

“well?”

“I just- I couldn’t think of anyone who really deserved to be cursed, that's all.” It’s a lie of course, but it's not completely unbelievable

“So, you underwent a moral epiphany since our last meeting?”

“uh… I just… curses are just too much I think.”

“Lies…”

“w-huh?”

“You lack any such good will, indeed you stew with impotent wrath, hatred clings to you like an odor.”

“I-I just don’t want to curse anyone, why’s that so bad?”

“because it is an act of delusion. Your reluctance is no motion of piety, it is one of cowardice, you are simply paralyzed by fear of the consequences, being arrested by the red ones, being cast out by your peers, as if they have not already made an exile of you.”

…

“I’m not-“

“You did have potential… but it is utterly eclipsed by your cowardice, I see now that you are of no value.”

“E-eh?! What do you mean?!”

“That you are worthless, that you are without utility or purpose, as are all those dominated by fear. Their only merit is in service as slaves.”

“What the hell would you know about my worth?!”

“I’m well accustomed with the habits of your ilk, self obsessed, believing that you alone understand the patterns of this world, All the while knowing nothing, doing nothing and being nothing. Nothing beyond your flesh.”

“I-I- but I-?! You- You’re just pissed I'm not doing what you want.”

“No, only shame that you are incapable of following your own desires.”

…

“But I will not turn you from the existence of your desires. You are welcome to wallow in your stagnant, seething mire of futility for as long as you wish, while you wait for your flesh to rot… It’s the only freedom you yet possess.”

The darkness closed in and I awoke once again.

Sheesh, what an asshole… But at least I don’t think he’ll be back…

Well… how many people can say they’ve been verbally abused by a demon…

I felt a bit better that day, I didn’t care for being chewed out by some pissed off dream apparition but at least I think it’ll leave me alone now.

Time seemed to fly the next day until the final class, which was history.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Javinka had waited her whole life for the subject to finally come to world war two, only for her to be banned from the class entirely less than two weeks in for ‘correcting’ the teacher too many times.

She was forced to take hospitality instead. I can picture her glowering right now, that grievous scowl she only does when she gets very unhappy, carved onto her mouth in place of her near perpetual deadpan expression.

It had been ingrained into us from an early age (only somewhat successfully) that ridiculing Javinka and people like her for their peculiar traits and mannerisms would be something akin to kicking a three legged orphan puppy off a bridge. It's probably why she’s able to get away with spouting so much unsavory shite completely unbidden, getting shifted to a different class instead of being expelled… or arrested.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be so utterly single minded. She doesn't even care that everyone thinks she’s a freak… she might not even know it herself. Wouldn’t that be liberating?

I resumed my train of thought to the class at hand, ancient Greece taught by Mr. Kleeny.

“You see the pattern of three sisters show up a lot in Greek mythology, you have the gorgons of which only medusa is renowned, the gray, the charities, the muses and the most well known who are the fates and furies .” he rambled.

“Scarlett?” he called.

“yes?” she snapped out of her conversation with the girl next to her.

“Since you’re paying so much attention do you want to tell me what the furies were known for?” he asked.

“If you want to know about furries why don’t you ask Liz?” she turned back to face me with a smirk on her lips.

The classroom burst into laughter.

Mr. Kleeny, as useless as all teachers, completely ignored it, continuing his lecture as usual. I was forced to do the same.

All I could do was bury my head in my arms, and pretend to be asleep.

So I do one crow demon cosplay and suddenly I’m inseparably congealed with those degenerates.

I just brushed off their teasing at the time but after the incident in the yard, an entirely different light was shone on that memory.

To think-! To think I actually said I didn’t know anyone who deserved to be cursed! I actually choose to be the bigger person and do the right thing, I refuse an easy deal with a devil and this is what I get?!

Fine. Obviously, assuming that common decency goes both ways isn’t going to pay off.

You could have just kept your mouth shut! But if you’re so insistent on continuing to kick the dust into my eyes then I will reciprocate!

Forgive and forget?!

NO! misgive and regret!

You will get what you deserve!

What was it that thing needed? Three offerings, a piece of myself, a piece of her and a sacrifice.

That thing said I already gave blood so all I need from her is a hair… it should be easy enough to find a stray one on her belongings. Scarlett’s is long so she probably molts a lot, I just need to have access to her school bag where and when no one will see me search it.

Since she does one of the sports, volleyball or something, she’ll probably leave her crap in the gym changing rooms when she does practice, that would be the most ideal time to sneak in and steal one.

I found the practice schedule on one of the school info boards and from there I just waited until fifteen minutes after school inside the library, pretending to study before sneaking into the gym once the students were all gone.

Too easy.

I had a few lies prepared in the event I was caught, depending on who it was, if it was someone I didn’t know then I was lost looking for the bathroom, if it was someone who knew me, then I had lost an item somewhere in here, if I got caught with my hands inside her bag I would confess that I believed she might have stolen something from me, citing our grudge as a motive.

Definitely not an ideal scenario but preferable to the alternative. There's no possible sane excuse for pinching hairs, everyone in the entire school would think I was a freak.

The bags had name tags so it took me less than a minute to find Scarlett’s, and what's more there were several hairs already sitting on top.

HAH! She molts like a dog, but it works for me.

I plucked a few of them and stuffed them into a small ziplock bag.

EXCELLENT!

But… these are hers though aren’t they?

Isn’t it possible another girl could have dropped a hair on her bag… but it looks about the right length and color though right?

What does it-

“Liz?”

“wuh-eh?!” I spun around and stuffed the bag into my pocket.

Ellie Webster had somehow entered the room without me hearing, only a few seconds sooner and she would have caught me in the act.

“Fancy seeing you here, it's been a while. What are you doing in the gym lockers?” she asked nonchalantly.

“I- lost something in here, just trying to find it…”

“Oh really? What brought you here?.”

Shite! I didn’t rehearse the lie beyond the initial explanation- I didn’t prepare myself for someone who would try to drag it into small talk.”

“…I did a try out for lacrosse the other day.”

“That's great, I didn’t know they were in season right now.”

Argh! I don’t know why she always does this! Is she actively interrogating me or does she just think she’s being friendly?! It's so annoying!

“It was like a tryout for next season, a one off thing.”

“Oh ok… was good of them to get together and do that just for you haha… how did it go?”

“badly, I suck at sports.”

“Well it just takes a lot of practice, you know, which teacher did that for you?”

Good grief, I'm gonna need to switch tactics.

“Uh... why?” I said as if I was confused and offended.

“oh- er I just wanted to know who was nice enough to do that…”

“Why exactly?”

“just making conversation…”

“Aye, well I’m sure it's nice to have the time for things like that but I’m really quite busy trying to find something I lost right now so…” it’s like she's made of bricks or something.

“Oh well, What did you lose? Maybe I can help you look for it?” she offered.

“No, that’s fine.”

“It's really no trouble.”

God this is such a pain, why do you have to pretend to give a shite!?

“nah, I’m pretty sure it's already been taken… you know what these girls are like…”

“What… does that mean?”

My patience was almost entirely burned out, I had just enough to say nothing and shrug.

“um… well I can let you know if I see it…?”

“don’t bother, I have a doctor's appointment now anyway.” I gave her a short wave and quickly left.

She’s no doubt going to tell all her stupid friends about having ‘a nice conversation with me in the gym lockers’. But it's not like I actually stole anything, taking hairs is super creepy out of context but she didn’t see me do that so there’s really nothing that could trace back to me out of this.

“uh- see you later Liz.” I heard her call after me.

God I hope not.

Every time I see her she tries to force me into one of her agonizing small talk sessions. I know for a fact she doesn’t give a shite, why can’t she just be honest! It’s painful for everyone!

The worst ex-best friend you could hope against.

But I got what I came for, that’s all that matters.

I left from school and headed to the pot.