Chapter 7: Echoes of the Curse

  The bolt’s click echoed like a gunshot in the living room, the slam of the door reverberating through the stale air. Sarah’s cruel, fading laughter seeped through the wood, a blade slicing the silence. The barricade of furniture trembled, shadows twisting on the walls, the stench of sour beer and fear tainting every corner. Priya stumbled, her legs buckling under the weight of what she’d just witnessed: Maya’s throat slashed, her body crumpling lifeless in the dirt. Her hands, still trembling from the cut on her forearm, sought the wall for support, but she slipped, collapsing to the floor with a dull thud. Tears spilled, hot and uncontrolled, her breath hitching as she curled against the table, face buried in her knees.

  Caleb stood rigid, his knife dangling useless in his hand. Tears streaked his face, silent, his eyes locked on the door as if he could undo the image of Maya bleeding out. His chest heaved, rage and grief colliding within, but he didn’t move, anchored by shock. Dan, also standing, stared at the floor, hands clenched into fists, jaw tight, his mind grappling with the carnage.

  Priya sobbed, her voice broken, barely a whisper.

  “It’s my fault. I knew… I knew this could happen. We warned Maya, but she didn’t listen. I should’ve done more. I should’ve stopped her.”

  Her words landed heavy, each one a nail in her own guilt. She rocked slightly, fingers tangled in her sweater, the dried blood on her arm a cruel reminder of her failed proof. Dan crouched beside her, the floor creaking under his knees, his hand finding her shoulder gently.

  “P, it’s not your fault,” he said, voice firm but warm. “You did everything you could. You shouted, you tried to stop her. Maya… she chose to go out. You couldn’t know it’d end like this.”

  Priya shook her head, tears pooling on the floor.

  “I knew about the grimoire, Dan. I knew what they could do. If I’d been faster, clearer…”

  Caleb spun, his voice sharp, cracked with pain.

  “How do we stop them?” he snapped, eyes blazing. “They’re hunting us, Priya. Sarah, Jake, Maya—all turned into those damn monsters! What do we do?”

  Priya looked up, face pale, eyes clouded by shock.

  “I don’t know… my mind’s a fog. I can barely think. It’s all… haze.”

  Dan squeezed her shoulder, leaning closer, voice calm but urgent.

  “Priya, breathe. Listen to me. We’re gonna be okay, but you need to calm down. Clear your head. Just think: what can we do to stop them?”

  Priya closed her eyes, trying to stifle the sobs. Her hands shook as she rubbed her temples, searching through the haze of her memory. Finally, she spoke, voice quivering but gaining strength.

  “I remember… in the grimoire, there were things… protections against blood curses, against vampires. Holy water, for example. It doesn’t kill them, but it hurts them, burns them.”

  Caleb scoffed, frustration erupting.

  “Holy water? Seriously? Did you bring any, Priya? ‘Cause I don’t see a church around here.”

  Priya and Dan shook their heads, silence falling like lead. Dan leaned toward Priya, voice low.

  “Okay, think, P. What else? Something we can use, something we have here.”

  Priya frowned, then her eyes lit up, a spark of hope.

  “Silver! Silver doesn’t kill them, but it repels them. Keeps them away.”

  They exchanged glances, hope fading fast. Caleb kicked a chair, wood splintering.

  “Silver? I don’t have a damn ring. Anyone got jewelry?”

  Priya shook her head, despair creeping back. She pressed her temples, digging for more.

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  “Wait… there were symbols in the grimoire. Runes, I think. They were meant to ward off curses, protect a place. I didn’t memorize them, didn’t think I’d need them…”

  Dan nodded, latching onto the idea.

  “That’s huge, P! Do you remember any? Or could we look them up online?”

  Caleb cut him off, voice rough.

  “What internet, Dan? We don’t have signal out here, damn it!”

  Dan shot him a look, reality crashing in.

  “Shit, we’re screwed.”

  Caleb turned to Priya, eyes narrowed.

  “Did you by any chance bring that damn grimoire of yours?”

  Priya met his gaze, confused, her mind a whirlwind.

  “I don’t know… maybe. I’m not sure.”

  Caleb exploded, voice shaking with anger.

  “You don’t even know what you packed? For God’s sake, Priya! Three of our friends died in front of us! We’re all hurting, and you don’t see us losing it and forgetting shit that could save us from those bastards!”

  Priya flinched, fresh tears welling.

  “I don’t know, man. I’m falling apart right now.”

  Dan raised a hand, stepping in.

  “Stop, Caleb. I know it’s rough, we’re all going through it. Let’s just calm down and figure out what we can do with what we’ve got.”

  He turned to Priya, voice softening.

  “P, you didn’t bring the grimoire, right? Is it in your bag?”

  Priya looked at him, eyes glassy.

  “It might be… I don’t know, Dan.”

  Dan nodded, resolute.

  “Alright, we’ll go to your room, check your stuff. See if it’s there.”

  Priya gave a weak nod, and Dan stood, offering a hand to help her up. She rose, unsteady, leaning into him. But before they could move, Caleb’s face darkened, a shadow of doom crossing his features. He stared at the window, eyes wide, breath held.

  “Guys, I don’t wanna freak you out,” he said, voice low, taut, “but you need to see this.”

  Dan and Priya shuffled to the glass, steps heavy, the air thick with dread. Outside, in the fog-shrouded clearing, four figures worked the earth: Maya, Sarah, Jake, and Elias. Their hands dug, tearing at soil and roots, the sound of displaced dirt muffled but relentless. They didn’t speak, their movements synchronized, almost ritualistic, under the moon’s pale glow.

  Dan frowned, heart racing.

  “Why are they digging for gas pipes?” he asked, voice trembling with disbelief.

  Priya and Caleb stared at him, panic mirrored in their faces. Priya shook her head, her words barely a whisper.

  “They’re not looking for gas, Dan.”

  Caleb swallowed, eyes widening.

  “Are they gonna blow up the damn cabin?”

  Dan turned, face ashen.

  “I have no idea, but if that’s the plan, we need to get the hell out of here.”

  Priya cut in, voice sharp, realization hitting.

  “Shit, I get it! They want us out, one way or another. If we don’t let them in, they’ll kill us first and turn us. That’s how the curse works.”

  They locked eyes, terror binding them in a moment of clarity. The air grew heavier, the fog pressing against the glass like a predator. Then, movement: Elias broke from the group, stepping toward the cabin—not close enough to touch it, but near enough for his voice to carry. His eyes glowed, red and ancient, his coat billowing in the wind.

  “I pity you,” he said, voice soft but cutting, laced with old pain. “All of you, dying for another’s fault. I thought long about this, about causing you such pain, such psychological torment. But I have unfinished business to settle.”

  Dan, Priya, and Caleb exchanged glances, confused, fear tightening their throats. They didn’t speak, their faces pale in the dim light. Elias continued, his voice weaving a tale that chilled the blood.

  “Many years ago, I lost the most important people in my life. My wife and my two daughters. My wife was still human when she died, taken by plague. My daughters, before it was too late, I turned into vampires. I admit they were… unruly. Every town we visited ended in a massacre. It was terrible, but I was willing to bear that weight, to care for them. They were all I had left.”

  He paused, a deep sigh, eyes lost in the past.

  “One night, after months of isolation, I took them to feed. They were ravenous, and I couldn’t control them. Then she appeared, a vampire I admired deeply. She had the life I always wanted: a human family, shielded from harm. But she… she took my daughters. Destroyed them. I swore that night I’d haunt Mary’s bloodline, make them feel the pain she caused me, tenfold.”

  Elias looked up, his red eyes locking onto Dan, a flicker of recognition crossing his face.

  “I became a watcher. From afar, I saw Mary’s bloodline grow. One night, while they were all at home, I decided to pay her a visit. My pain consumed me. I was tired, you know. Being a vampire makes it impossible to move past your thoughts, your feelings.”

  He paused, voice hardening.

  “That night, I killed Mary’s husband. But I didn’t manage to kill her two daughters and her son. They escaped. I searched for years, found nothing. But fate is just. Now, Mary’s bloodline has stretched to you, Daniel. Her great-grandchildren, her descendants. And now I can savor this massacre even more.”

  Inside the cabin, Priya and Caleb turned to Dan, who listened to Elias with eyes fixed, tears streaming down his cheeks. Priya spoke, voice soft, careful.

  “Dan… was Mary your great-grandmother? The story your aunt told you?”

  Dan turned to them, face shattered, voice trembling.

  “I’m so sorry, guys. I thought it was a fantasy, just a story. I didn’t know…”

  Silence enveloped them, the weight of truth crushing them. Outside, Elias smiled, a flash of fangs under the moon, as the sound of digging continued, a steady pulse in the fog.