Unstoppable

I don’t believe I had ever seen a man until I reached the awakening age of 16. I lived with my mother and grandmother deep in the woods of Valle delle Vedove. No one ever bothered us there. Dead gray oak trees encompassed the woods and a permanent fog lingered throughout—warning unwelcomed visitors to stay away, and that’s just the way we liked it. I knew what was coming, but I wasn’t ready to leave.

I had lived my whole life in those woods; I knew them like the back of my hand. The darkness produced by their intertwined branches cast shadows of moonlight through my bedroom window. I would lie awake at night watching their leaves rustle in the wind and the branches casting shadows upon my wall. It was as if their massive trunks encircled our house in protection. As a child I would wander out into the woods a bit until I reached a small clearing where I could lie down on that cool green grass with my head propped up on the bumpy skin of an old oak tree. I’d stay there for hours, just staring up into the sky and listening to the cawing sound of the crows. I often wondered what it would be like to have a sister to talk to.

One gray afternoon, I was sitting there, leaning up against the tree, when I began to hear the leaves rustle to my right. I looked over just as a man galloped across the clearing on a horse whiter than I’d ever seen. The contrast of this pair against the dark lethargy of the woods shined brighter than the stars. Who was this man? What was he doing in the woods? Where was he going? Is he the one I had been wishing for?

But just as quickly as he had appeared, he vanished through the trees. I stood up, feeling confused; I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming. I peered through the trees but there was no sign of him. My heart was racing and my body tingled with curiosity. I had to find him.

When I returned home, my mother and grandmother were sitting at the table and I rushed over to tell them about what I had seen. I could not recall a recent time when I felt so overcome with excitement as I did then.

My grandmother grinned and told me there was something I needed to know. She reached to my hand and held it in hers and looked up at me, smiling her toothless grin. Her old creaky voice said “Kaia, many, many years ago, too many for me to count, a male witch fell in love with your great grandmother twenty times removed, but she was in love with someone else. She married the man she loved and the male witch vowed revenge. He cursed our family name so no man would ever fall in love with an Owens woman again.”

“Why can’t we just use magic to reverse the curse or make men fall in love with us?” I asked.

“We’ve all tried to remove the curse, but as you can see, we failed. For decades, we have tried to find a way to prolong the curse at the very least, but the best we’ve done is to buy ourselves six months. Think of it as a good thing though—that’s enough time to conceive without risking the observance of our craft. The only known way to reverse it is by the birth of a son into the family, which hasn’t happened for centuries,” my mother explained.

I blinked a few times staring back at them. I had never questioned why my father wasn’t around because I never knew anything about him, but it makes sense now. I didn’t know whether to be mad at them for not telling me before or upset that I would never have a happily ever after ending.

“We’re witches, why can’t we just go back in time and change it?” I asked. They began to laugh at my suggestion and I flashed them a look of annoyance.

“Kaia, you know we can’t do that; if that was a possibility we would’ve done it years ago!” my mother managed while still making a mockery of me.

I turned around and went to my bedroom. I felt like my future had been taken from me and there was nothing I could do about it. This was the only life I had ever known, why was I so upset that this was my destiny? I loved my mother and grandmother with all my heart, but this couldn’t be it.

I sat on my bed for a few hours, staring out of the window until my mother knocked on my door and told me to get dressed in my best gown; tonight we would celebrate my entrance into womanhood.

I picked out a gown my mother had just made for me that was crimson with gold stitching, and because I was used to wearing tattered rags that my mother had long ago sewn, it felt peculiar to put on. It took far longer to put on than the clothes I was used to, but I felt no rush in journeying out into the unknown. I fixed my hair, and stepped to the mirror to see my reflection. The girl standing before me was someone I had never met before as I stared into her eyes with a newfound confidence. It was as though the dress had transformed me from a girl into a woman. At this point, I didn’t know what the future held, but I felt confident that things would fall into place, just like my womanhood had when I put on that gown. I stood up straight, put my shoulders back and my chin up, as I walked towards the kitchen to present my new self to my mother and grandmother.

I could smell a pungent potion brewing as I walked out of my room. I decided I would never get used to the putrid smell of potions as I felt it burn my nose with the lingering scent of rotten fish and my grandmother’s petticoat when she hadn’t bathed in weeks.

My mother and grandmother beamed at my appearance with prideful smiles as they added ingredients to the large black pot above the fire.

“And lastly, three feathers of crow, one eye of newt, and just a dash of skunk spray. There. That should do it,” my grandmother said while wiping her hands on her brown apron that had once been white.

I gagged.

My mother grabbed the large wooden spoon from the shelf above the herbs and began to stir the pot slowly. The ingredients in the pot began to swirl, and a layer of smoke hovered over the mixture. My mother motioned for me to come near the pot, and as she continued to stir, my grandmother started to chant:

“I call to thee, beloved one,

To love me more than anyone,

Tis not stone I turn to fire,

But the heart of the man I so desire.

Let him have no peace of mind

Before he come to me in bind.

Beneath my spell he will lie,

Until the day when love shall die.

This candle light, burns warm and bright,

Ignite the flames of love tonight.”

My mother joined in on the second round of the chant, and I joined on the third. We chanted the spell a few more times until suddenly the pot began to illuminate a bright red glow. I saw my grandmother smirk as my mother lifted up the wooden spoon to my lips. I hesitated at first from the horrid smell before deciding to just swallow it as fast as possible. It tasted extremely foul and bitter like the rotten leftovers my mother tried to feed us, mixed with the mushrooms I had eaten near the old oak tree in the clearing that I quickly found were inedible. I gagged once more at the smell. I drank it quickly in hopes of getting rid of that taste faster, but it lingered on my tongue and breath.

My grandmother opened the book of spells to a page near the end. There were quite a few lines that had been crossed out and re-written by twenty generations of Owens women. As she turned the page, I noticed the last writing of the spell was in my mother’s handwriting.

Taking my hand with both of her gentle, frail hands, my grandmother kissed my hand and smiled at me. She paused for a brief moment with a tear in her eye, and stepped aside. I stepped closer to the book and began reciting the spell:

“Fire shall start

With flames of red,

Warm thy heart

And turn thy head.

Red is my blood

And red is my heart,

He shall follow the thud

That leads to a new start.

Find this man

And draw him near,

To follow my plan

For half of a year.

And when I return,

The curse I will blame,

For my daughter will learn

The fate of her name.”

My mother handed me another spoonful of the potion and I shivered from its aftertaste. As if in a trance, I stood there for a few moments wondering when it would happen. Would it be now? Would it be in an hour? Would it be tomorrow? When would the lover enchanted by my spell arrive? I stood frozen, trying to listen for the crunching of the leaves from footsteps nearing, but I couldn’t hear a thing over the laughter coming from my mother and grandmother as they danced and became drunk off of wine they had made to celebrate my entrance into womanhood.

I finally willed myself to ask, “When? When will he come? When will the spell work?”

“Patience my dear,” soothed my grandmother.

I sighed loudly and went to sit at the dinner table.

“While we’re waiting, I’ll start supper,” my mother stated.

I began to help her to take my mind off of things. There was a knock at the door, and with wide eyes, we stared at each other until my mother walked to the door and opened it.

In the doorway stood a tall, handsome young man with short dark hair that made his deep blue eyes stand out. He wore a dark blue velvet suit that matched his eyes and hugged his body. Standing behind him was the white horse I had seen galloping through the clearing in the woods. I couldn’t believe it! I had thought about this man every day since I had briefly seen him that day. I wondered: Was he here for me? Did the spell work? What should I say to him? What if he is my true love? I was so nervous that I couldn’t move or speak. I just stood there staring at him as though I was the one under a spell.

My mother asked the man, “Can I help you with something good sir?”

He removed his broad-brimmed velvet hat covered in feathers, and replied:

“Why, yes madam. My name is King Liam. I take my horse, Chester, on rides often to clear my mind and provide some peace from the bustle of the castle. I decided to ride into the woods today, and as I was riding down the path a little ways, your house came into view. At first I had to make sure my mind was not playing tricks on me, but as I drew closer I could see the smoke from your fire floating up into the sky. Something compelled me to stop and see who it was that would live out here in these dark woods.”

“Oh, well, we are delighted to have you sir. Please, come in. We were just getting ready to have supper, would you like to join us?” my mother asked.

“I would love that. Thank you for your kindness, I appreciate it greatly,” the king said.

King Liam came in and introduced himself to my grandmother and I. I bowed to him and tried to act as proper as I could. I’m not certain whether flashing lustful glances at the king would be considered proper, but either way I did not care; he was more handsome than I could have ever imagined, and his smile made the tiny hairs on my arms stand up. King Liam would be mine, and I had to ensure that. This flirtatious suspense was stabbing me with a dull sword; would I leave with him tonight? Would he send for me in the morning? I sighed to myself and tried to focus on acting like a proper lady.

Throughout dinner, Liam and I talked and laughed. His body seemed drawn to mine as he moved closer and closer towards me while we conversed. After a short while he began to touch my hand with his throughout the conversation. I caught my mother and grandmother smirking at each other from the corner of my eye.

I suggested we go outside for some fresh air and he followed. Once outside, he didn’t waste any time as he leaned in and pressed his lips passionately against mine.

He pulled away and said, “ Come to my kingdom and be my Queen. I’m certain that we are meant to be together.” He stared into my eyes and gently kissed me again.

He was so charming, who could possibly resist? I blushed as I stared into his blue eyes. He took my hands in his and I simply nodded in agreement.

“I will travel back to the kingdom alone tonight, but tomorrow I will send a carriage for you and your things,” he stated.

He kissed me once more before hopping onto his horse and journeying home.

I ran inside to excitedly share my good news with my mother and grandmother.

My mother stiffly stated, “You need to remember to remain guarded; I can already tell you’re going to ignore what I’ve warned. The curse will take its toll within a matter of time. He will become cold and distant, and you will be left to raise a child on your own. This is the way it goes Kaia. Guarding your heart in the beginning will make it easier for you when the curse takes its course, rather than being left to pick up the pieces. Now go; pack your things so your grandmother can spend time with you before you leave.”

I admit, leaving my mother and grandmother made me feel a bit heavyhearted as I was going to miss them dearly, but also because I had never thought about how I would have to contain my feelings for Liam. My mother’s words made sense, but I was unsure of how to suppress my emotions. I had never been desired before, and I liked that feeling. It felt as though I had a purpose, and that I had something to look forward to—both of which I had never experienced. His kiss gave me a strange feeling within my stomach and made my body tingle in excitement. I didn’t want that feeling to end.

When I arrived at the palace, Liam greeted me immediately, kissing me and showing me around my new home as he called it.

“I’m so glad you’re finally here!” Liam professed.

“I can’t believe only a day has passed since I’ve seen you last. I never want to be apart from you,” I told him.

“Neither do I. I want to be by your side forever. Marry me at once and I will do my best to make you the happiest woman!”

“My dreams have come true; you are all I will ever need! When should we marry?” I asked.

“I think three weeks will be enough time to plan the wedding. You must be hungry, accompany me to dinner; tonight is a celebration of our love,” Liam said.

He made me feel so wanted and adored; I couldn’t get enough of him. I forgot about my mother’s warning entirely as I allowed myself to fall deeper and deeper into love with him. I believed we were in love. More importantly, I believed that he was my true love, and I was his. Everything I was feeling for him, he was feeling for me. I knew this because he told me constantly; he always made sure I felt wanted and needed. I decided that maybe my mother and grandmother were wrong; maybe the Owens family curse would end with me. My mother of course, did not agree with my decision, and I stopped visiting her on the weekends. I just wanted her to be happy for me, and her reluctance upset me.

Our wedding was beautiful; Liam and I danced the night away. I wore a white gown that had long bell sleeves, a bodice lined with silver beads, and the longest train I had ever seen made of lace. It felt as though we were the only people in the room as we spun around the ballroom. He spoiled me with kisses and at every opportunity and I felt undeniably happy.

A few short months later, I became pregnant. When I found out, I was extremely excited. I ran to Liam to share the good news with him, and he was thrilled as well. The two of us wanted to have a little boy; Liam wanted an heir, and I wanted to break the curse if my true love with Liam had not yet reversed it. At this point I had not seen my mother in quite a while, and while I knew she would be happy to hear about my pregnancy, I chose not to visit right away.

In the following months, Liam started coming to bed later, and then he began not coming to bed at all some nights, which became more often as time went on. I was worried about him, so I decided to ask him one night when he came to bed and I felt his distance.

“What’s troubling you my love? Why do you seem distant?” I asked him.

“Nothing. I’m just tired,” he stated.

“You can talk to me about anything; that’s what I’m here for,” I assured.

“I’m fine. Just go to bed,” Liam pressed.

He rolled over and the space between us felt as though we were miles apart. I felt the baby kick as a tear fell from my eye. I was alone and in denial. We had not even reached the six months that grandmother had warned me about yet. Had I done something that caused this? More importantly, how could I fix it?

My bed began to remain lonely almost every night. I couldn’t fix things if there was no one there to fix them with. I smiled as the baby hiccupped; reminding me I wasn’t alone.

I began noticing the abrupt departure of my lady-in-waiting throughout the day and sometimes her disappearance altogether. I found this odd because it had never happened before. I didn’t say anything to her until I realized what was going on as her stomach began to grow too. Vanessa was with-child, but by whom? She was not married. I decided to ask her if she was pregnant to see if she would tell me the truth.

“Yes, my queen, I am. Keep your voice low so I am not ousted. I don’t want people to know,” she responded.

“Then you should start trying to hide it better. It didn’t take much for me to figure it out,” I told her.

“How do you suggest I hide it better?” she asked me.

“Don’t wear anything form fitting around your stomach, and avoid people around the palace unless you want the news to spread quickly. Tell me, what man would impregnate you without asking you to marry him?”

“Promise not to tell a soul?” she asked me.

“Of course,” I answered.

“I am carrying the Steward’s child,” Vanessa claimed.

I paused and looked her in the eyes before stating, “But he is married.”

“That is true, but he loves me, and I am certain he will choose me in the end,” she stated.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself; a child born out of wedlock will be your demise,” I told her.

I didn’t press the issue any further because I knew it would only be a matter of time before she made a mistake and revealed herself. I made a point to observe her; I had to figure out what was going on that she wasn’t telling me.

I pretended to be getting ready for bed one night and told Vanessa I was going to bed early. She bid me goodnight and hurried out the door.

I followed her straight to the room Liam had been sleeping in. I thought she may have forgotten something in there or had something important to tell him, so I waited outside for a short while. However, the only thing that escaped from the room was the sound of Vanessa having sex with my husband.

I felt defeated.

While I had prepared myself for this, part of me still wanted to believe he wouldn’t do that to me. Much to my dismay, this only proved one thing: Liam had impregnated Vanessa. How could they have betrayed me like this? Something had to be done; I wasn’t sure what, I just knew it was something.

Soon after, I gave birth to my beautiful princess; she was perfect. I decided to name her Arianna. She gave me such joy in life; I felt like I had a purpose again. Everything my mother spoke of now made sense. I became so consumed with Arianna that I completely forgot about Vanessa for the time being. My happiness at that moment was short-lived; just a few months later, Vanessa gave birth to her child. She also had a daughter, and Vanessa named her Collette. I couldn’t stand the mere sight of Vanessa anymore. How could she act so innocent? Occasionally I would pass her down the corridor; she literally made me sick to my stomach and I finally decided that the only way to fix this problem was to get rid of her.

I sent a servant to tell Liam I was going to my mother’s, and would return tomorrow. Arianna had never met her grandmother or great-grandmother, so I was very excited for this visit. We loaded up in the carriage and set out for the woods.

Once we arrived, it hit me as to how much I had missed my family. I couldn’t believe how long it had been since I’d seen them. My mother and grandmother were so excited to see Arianna and I realized I needed to visit more often.

I sat down next to them and apologized for thinking I was right when they had tried to warn me. My mother assured me she understood because every woman in the Owens family had felt the same way as I did.

We talked for a while and I told them about everything that had been going on in the palace with Liam and Vanessa while they shook their heads in disgust. I shared my plan to get rid of Vanessa with them, and asked for their help. My grandmother appeared as the most enthusiastic out of all three of us; she loved making potions.

“Come child. Let us not waste any more time creating this potion,” my grandmother said.

“What do you need first? I asked her.

“Let’s see here, where did I leave that spell book? Oh! Here it is! Now what page was it on? That’s right, it was right before the spell to conjure love.” she wondered aloud. “Could you grab a lizard tail, the dragon’s blood, a bat wing, a handful of dandelions, and lastly, one tooth of wolf?”

I got everything down for her and put it on the table near her cauldron. My grandmother hummed as she ran down the yellowed page with the pointy nail of her shriveled index finger to make sure she was putting in what was needed. She stirred the pot with a long wooden spoon, and the potion began to bubble and glow thick and red. The oh so pleasant smell of potions that I had almost forgotten about filled my nose. This one smelled of rotten eggs and cat’s breath that lingered with the stench of the mouse it had just killed and ate. I gagged as I breathed it in and my mother laughed at me. She had been holding Arianna all this time who was content in her grandmother’s arms.

“It’s ready!” my grandmother sang.

“Should we include Arianna, the newest and littlest witch of the family?” my mother asked me.

I hadn’t even thought about it. I didn’t see any harm; the more witches, the merrier I guess. “She has to start sometime, it might as well be now,” I said.

We gathered behind the spell book while my grandmother continued to stir the cauldron.

“Ashes to ashes,

Blood to blood.

To abolish the hate,

Rage I must create.

For stealing my love,

Revenge is all I think of.

For being a whore

There is no cure.

I bid you farewell,

As you burn in hell.

Where you belong,

You cannot prolong.

There is no amend—

Down you shall descend.

This is your end—

No more pretend,

So say your last goodbye,

For tonight you will die.”

I was sad to have to say goodbye to my mother and grandmother so soon, but I promised Arianna and I would be back to see them soon.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp autumn air, before walking back into the palace. I couldn’t wait to get this over with; I felt the urge flowing through my veins, overtaking my senses and emotions.

I waited the next day anxiously until dinner was being served to go through with my plan. With the potion in my pocket, I instructed a servant to inform Vanessa that she was needed upstairs. She left her plate, and went upstairs to see what the problem was. Like a fool she fell for it, and I was able to sprinkle the potion onto her food before anyone could see. Vanessa returned and scolded the servant for lying. I giggled silently to myself from around the corner and then went upstairs to my bedroom. Vanessa ate her dinner and moseyed back up to her room. All that was left to do was wait.

A few hours later, Collette’s cries filled the corridor and I could hear the nanny rushing to check on her. I heard the nanny’s high-pitched scream and smiled to myself, knowing what she had found. I walked over to Arianna’s crib and scooped her up into my arms. I rocked her back and forth while assuring her that everything was going to be all right now.

With her mother being dead, and no other person except Liam and I knowing whom her father was, Collette was deemed an orphan. I felt sorry for the infant, but detached from her as well. I instructed her nanny to continue caring for her until I decided where she belonged.

If true love broke the curse, there was no denying that this outcome only meant one thing: Liam didn’t love me. I thought that once Vanessa was dead, this would change things. Perhaps without his mistress he would come back to me—back to our marriage. If he didn’t love me at the moment, then possibly rekindling our relationship would bring him to love me. Was there still a chance? I persuaded myself that there was and tried to get his attention. I would go to his bedroom and try to talk with him. I often brought Arianna so he could see how beautiful our daughter was or that our family was.

“Liam?” I asked from the other side of his door.

“What?” he asked as though he couldn’t be bothered.

“Can I come in?”

“I suppose.” He looked annoyed, and I immediately felt anxiety creep over my body.

“What do you want?” Liam asked.

I walked over to where he was sitting on his bed and sat down with Arianna next to him. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in weeks with dark bags under his bloodshot eyes.

“I thought it would be nice to spend some time together as a family,” I told him.

“I’m busy,” he said.

“Too busy to spend time with us? You haven’t came to check on Arianna or me at all.”

“Like I said, I’ve been busy. You’re a grown woman; you can tend to yourself.”

I looked at him shocked and didn’t know what to say. It was clear he wanted nothing to do with us. I was wasting my time.

“Do you want us to leave?” I asked.

“Actually I do,” he stated.

I obliged and left his room with my infant daughter, feeling hopeless and defeated. I gathered myself together and sent for my mother and grandmother to come to the palace the next day. They arrived right shortly there after.

“What is so urgent that you sent for us like this?” my mother asked worriedly.

“Stop worrying; Arianna and I are fine,” I assured.

She looked relieved and my grandmother asked, “Then what is the matter?”

“I have a plan. My life here is over, and so it’s time for me to move on and return home. But there’s something I need to do first that I need your help with,” I told them.

“I think I know where you are going with this,” my mother said as she smiled at me.

There was no time to waste; the three of us began packing Arianna and my things. Once everything was packed I had them put in a carriage that was waiting for us outside and asked a servant to fetch Liam for me. I told her to tell him that it was extremely urgent, knowing he wouldn’t come otherwise.

Liam walked in and looked quite confused seeing my mother and grandmother there with me.

“What is all of this?” he demanded. I could see his anger begin to overtake him as his face turned red with rage.

I grabbed my mother and grandmother’s hands on either side of me and we began chanting:

“North south east west,

Spider’s web shall bind him best.

East west north south,

Hold his limbs and shut his mouth.

Seal his eyes and choke his breath,

Wrap him round with ropes of death.”

Liam fell to the floor, desperately trying to breathe as his eyes, nose, and mouth had sealed shut. He could not breathe, and so his screams could not be heard. The muffled sound of his panic amused me. He collapsed to the floor and began flailing violently until his body fell limp and he was dead. I felt no remorse, as I had no compassion for him left. I wrapped my arms around my family and hugged them tight, thankful that we still had each other. I was no longer defeated; it was time for Liam to see how it felt.

After we had collected our thoughts, we had to decide what to do next. Shall we move his body and to where? His bedroom? The stable? And what about his disfigured face? I decided to simply slide his body around the bed so it wouldn’t be seen for a while. This would buy us enough time to leave. I picked up Arianna and handed her to my mother to hold.

“There’s one last thing I need to grab on our way out,” I told them.

Down the hall, as the nanny napped, I picked up Collette from her crib.

“I have everything now. I’m ready to go,” I told my mother and grandmother.

They looked at each other strangely before asking, “What are you doing?” as though I was out of my mind.

“This poor girl has no mother and a father that doesn’t want anything to do with her. She has half of Arianna’s blood and so I will raise them as the sisters they are,” I told them.

My mother smiled at me and said, “Well, now that we have all we need, let us go home; as a family.

The five of us headed home in the carriage. When we got there, I sent the driver back to the palace and told him he need not return to pick us up. As he drove off, we chanted a spell that would make the entire palace forget our existence. Imagine their surprise when they find Liam bound and covered entirely in a silk web, as he lay dead on the floor. The girls didn’t need a father that neglected them and loathed their existence—nobody did.

Today the Valley of Widows had one more widow. We were finally home. Never again would we feel alone. There’s no need for a palace or extravagances when you have a loving, supportive family, and I knew that this was the best way to raise my daughters. While Collette looked strikingly different than the rest of us with her golden blonde hair and Arianna with her jet black hair, I know there will come a day when Collette questions this, and while I’m not sure of what my answer will be, I know my daughters will have the sibling bond I longed for when growing up.

In the years to come I will raise my girls the same way my mother and grandmother had raised me. I will show them what love truly means and teach them our craft, just like I had been taught. Unfortunately grandmother won’t live forever, but in time, the circle will continue when they become of age and try to find love themselves. They will most likely fail miserably just like the rest of the Owens women had for twenty generations, but in the end, they’ll realize it wasn’t a failure at all.

It’s possible that Collette could break the Owens family curse one day, as she was not originally born into the Owens family. We won’t know until we get there, and I’m sure we’ll all be holding our breath in anticipation, but whatever happens, happens. We will all still have each other, and together, the Owens women are unstoppable.

Thackery Binx