Banshee's Curse by Mischell Lyne

Michael · Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 5:57 pm Post subject: Banshee's Curse by Mischell Lyne

Banshee's Curse
by Mischell Lyne

Tears streamed down Kaynna's cheeks as she ran through the Daelwith Woods, the footsteps of the guards pounding close behind her. Why was she to blame for this? She did nothing wrong. Her breath came in short, hard gasps and Kaynna stopped behind a large pine tree to calm her pounding heart. All around her she heard crunching leaves and breaking twigs, echoed by loud voices, calling for her, telling her to stop or she will be suffered a worse fate.

This can't be happening. Kaynna thought.

The voices got closer and Kaynna ran once more, heading away from the guards. Soon, thunder could be heard over her head, pounding furiously in Kaynna's ears. The sky darkened, as did the woods, to an almost midnight black. She stopped and placed a hand on the trunk of the closest tree. Kaynna breathed deep, and listened for the guards. Silence engulfed her thoughts.

Kaynna sighed and collapsed down in the grass next to the tree. Her feet ached, her joints were sore, and her mind raced, trying to make sense of the last few days. It seemed blurry to her, as if she had been in a clouded haze. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. Many images came to mind, but none made sense or seemed connected to the next image. A high pitched wail. Her mother's face turned bright red—face of a young woman with silver hair. And, the last image was the most disturbing of all, blood.

A strong breeze blew through the trees, sending dead leaves and branches into Kaynna's face. She brought her arms up over her head as the wind picked up, carrying dirt and leaves in a whirlwind that seemed to consume her. Then, in the next instant the wind stopped. The leaves and branches that once circled her now fell silently to the ground. Kaynna allowed one eye to look from behind her arms, but nothing was there. Slowly she dropped her arms to her side and looked into the darkened wood.

A hazy fog settled against the forest floor, making the trees look unreal. Even the leaves, which in full autumn should have been shades of orange and yellow and red, were now a blurry gray color.

What is going on? Kaynna thought.

Then, within the faded gray, something glimmered upon the forest floor. Kaynna looked down and saw a silver comb lying amongst the leaves. How could someone have left something so beautiful in the middle of these woods? She picked it up and when her fingers touched the cool metal, a high pitched giggling surrounded her.

Kaynna's hand shook in fear for that was the same high pitched voice that she remembered from that night. More images flooded her mind now, coming so quick it made Kaynna dizzy. Her mother made stew on the stove while her father fixed a chair that had a broken leg. They laughed and talked happily as Kaynna stood on the stairs watching. The door flew open and a gust of wind brought a horrible wailing sound. Then her mother's face was bright red and blood was all over the floor.

The images didn't make sense and the harder Kaynna tried to figure it out, the dizzier she got. Kaynna let her head fall forward between her knees as her mind spun in circles. She clutched the comb in her hand and fought back the bile that rose in her throat.

When Kaynna looked up, two pale bare feet were in front of her face. Kaynna startled and fell back onto her arse, as her gaze traveled up the bare feet to a long silver dress that flowed around slender hips.

Kaynna shook her head as she remembered she had seen this same girl in the doorway to her parent's home… "No. I remember you. You were there." Then, Kaynna closed her eyes as more images flooded to her. Her mother fell to the floor in tears. Her father stood up and told the girl to leave their home. Then, the girl looked over at Kaynna and her father jumped in front of her. He screamed at the girl, but his words were lost to Kaynna as she focused once again on the girl in front of her.

A high pitched, hissy voice came from this girl's mouth, "Yes, do you remember, Kaynna? Do you remember why I came to your house tonight?"

Kaynna dropped the comb and covered her ears with her hands. She shook her head. No. She did not want to remember. But the images came back to her now. Three days ago, Kaynna had told her parents about a dream—a nightmare where both her parents were killed viciously in their home. Her parents dismissed it as just a dream but Kaynna was haunted by it.

"You do remember, right?" The young girl bent down and placed her cold, clammy hands on Kaynna's cheeks, forcing her to look up.

Her long, white hair flowed around her, blown by a wind, though not a breath of air stirred in the trees. The skin around the girl's eyes was red and swollen, as if she had been crying for a long time, but in place of actual eyes, a deep hallowed blackness stared back at Kaynna. "Do you remember what you did last night?"

Kaynna remembered, but did not want to. She woke from another dream of her parent's being killed, wailing loudly. Her mother ran into her room and tried to comfort her, but all Kaynna could do was wail and cry. At the stroke of midnight, she stopped, but Kaynna could not get the dream out of her mind.

"That's right," the young girl whispered. "You cried the Banshee's wail."

Kaynna shook her head. "No ... no ... no." Her mother's face flashed before her eyes, red and dripping in blood.

"And then what happened tonight?" The young girl smiled, her mouth as dark as her eyes.

Kaynna cried and shook her head, while she remembered the attack on her parents. Someone broke into their home, went after Kaynna on the stairs. Her father was stabbed, blood pooling around Kaynna's feet. Her mother lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, her flower dress turned black from wet blood. Kaynna ran up the stairs to escape it. She remembered the sound of pounding feet on the stairs. The door to her bedroom flung open and the young girl walked in with a rich smile on her face.

And now, here she sat, in a pile of dead leaves with a young woman dressed all in silver standing over her. Kaynna shook her head, but the young girl only laughed.

"You cried the Banshee's wail the night before your parents were killed. Do you know what this means?" The young girl backed away from Kaynna allowing her to stand up.

Kaynna shook her head, tears running down her cheeks.

"It means, I am free." The girl in silver now laughed carelessly as Kaynna looked confused at her. "I have been the Banshee for 342 years. And now, you have come to take my place, allowing me relief of death."

"No, I can't. I mean. Please, no." Kaynna stumbled for words, as she shook her head and cried.

"You have to. Besides you killed your parents. Where would you go?"

"I did not kill my parents. A man did. He came in to our house. And." Kaynna stuttered as more images came to her mind. The Banshee came to their house. Then, blood. So much blood. It pooled around Kaynna, all around her feet. When she looked at herself, she was covered in it, and Kaynna ran upstairs to escape it. Kaynna sat in the corner of her room, trying to rationalize what she did. There must have been a man, she thought over and over to herself. When the guards showed up, she told them that, exactly, and they did not believe her. But she got away. And now here she was.

"That's right. You killed them. You predicted their death. You gave the Banshee's wail. Oh, so long I have awaited this day." The Banshee started to glow with a light so blinding Kaynna had to cover her eyes.

When the light subsided, the Banshee no longer looked like the Banshee. Her hair was dark, the color of wet wood, her eyes a bright green, and her face was now rosy.

Kaynna now felt strange as she looked upon this girl. She felt her insides turn cold, and her eyes turn sore and raw. When she looked down at herself, the nightgown she once wore was gone, replaced with the long silver dress the Banshee had worn moments ago. Her hair turned from it's dark blonde to white and she felt it fly out to her sides as if she stood in the wind. Sadness took her heart that made her want to cry.

"Yes," the dark haired girl in front of her urged. "Call out. That is the Banshee's wail. Then, let the emptiness in your heart lead you to the victim. For now you are the Banshee."

The End

Story Copyright © by Michelle L. Estrada. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Mischell Lyne was born and raised in northern Indiana, where she currently resides with her husband and two daughters. She has written stories since she first picked up a pencil and has become more passionate about her work with every story she writes. Recent publications include The Story of Our Isolde, a poem published in Wowzine and Eliret and the Shady Groves, a fantasy short published in Sorcerous Signals ezine.

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