QUELLING THE CURSE

 

Once upon a time, in a small, serene village, lived a 14-year-old girl named Rohee. She was known for her innocence and kindness, her eyes always sparkling with curiosity. After school, she would often join the other children at the village square, whereaclown with balloons and dolls would entertain them. One day, as Rohee approached the clown for a balloon, he noticed a cherished doll clutched in her hand.“Why not trade your old doll for a new one?” he suggested, his voice drippingwith an eerie sweetness. Her olddoll,abeloved gift from her late mother, held precious memories. But the clown’s persistent smile and the lure of something new won her over. She handed over her cherished doll and received in returnasinisterlookingblackdoll, riddled with pins. “Thisdollisdirty,” sheprotested,her voice trembling. The clown’s grin widened. “Your old doll was useless. This one will helpyou.Itcando anything you desire.” From that day on, strange things began to happen. Rohee discovered that the doll had a dark power. It granted her wishes but at a terrible cost.Shadowsmoved, whispers filled the night and the peace of the village seemed compromised. Realising thatshewasensnared, Rohee decided to confront the source. But that did not bring her peace. The black doll, now more menacing than ever. Desperate, Rohee sought help from her grandmother, a wise woman well-versed in ancient lore.

 

Her grandmother examined the doll with a grim expression. “This is a vessel of dark magic,” she explained. “Destroying it will not be easy. We must performapowerful ritual to sever its hold on you.” They prepared the ritual with sacred herbs and protective symbols, lighting candles and chanting ancient incantations. As the ritual progressed, the doll’s power seemed to fight back. In a final, desperate act, Rohee threw the doll into the fire, hoping to rid herself of itscurse.Butinsteadofburning, thedoll emitted a chilling scream and exploded into a cloud of black smoke. When the smoke cleared, Rohee found a small, charred object among the ashes - a black key, intricately carved with strange symbols. She picked it up, feeling an inexplicable connection to it. Her grandmother’s face grew pale. “This key… it opensadoor tosomething fardarker.Thecurse is not broken. It has only just begun.” Rohee felt a strange surge of power within her,adark energy thatboth terrified and exhilarated her. She realised that the doll had not only cursed her but had also awakened something within her - something powerful and uncontrollable. Determined to uncover the truth, Rohee said, “We need to find this door and confront whatever lies beyond it.”

 

With the black key in hand, Rohee set out on a journey shrouded in mystery and danger. And as the moon cast its eerie glow over the village, Rohee walkedinto the night, herinnocent eyes now holding a flicker of the dark power within. The climax was not an end, but a beginning - prelude to a battle between light and dark, innocence and power, that would determine the fate of an entire village dark of the night, nothing in sight, and then suddenly,ablinding flash of light appeared. She somehow opened her eyes only to realise that it was none other than her grandmother lifting the curtains on the window. The Sun was up and it was time for Rohee to jump out of sleep. Thank God it was just a dream! She thought asshe kissedher grandmother’shand.