**An Unforgettable Celebration: The Return of the Restaurant**
Emily was heading back home with her husband, James, after celebrating her birthday at a lovely restaurant in London. The evening had been perfectpacked with friends, family, and coworkers. Emily hadnt met many of them before, but if James had invited them, there mustve been a reason.
She wasnt the type to question his choices. Arguments made her uncomfortable, and it was easier to just go along with things than to prove a point.
“Emily, do you have the flat keys handy? Can you grab them?”
Emily rummaged through her handbag, searching for the keys. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain and jerked her hand so violently that the bag tumbled to the ground.
“Whats wrong?” James asked.
“Something just pricked me.”
“Honestly, your bags such a messno surprise there.”
Emily didnt argue. She picked it up, carefully fished out the keys, and they stepped inside. Shed already forgotten about the prickher feet ached, exhaustion weighed on her, and all she wanted was a hot shower and bed.
The next morning, she woke to a throbbing pain in her fingerred and swollen. Remembering last night, she dug through her bag and found a large, rusty needle buried at the bottom.
“What on earth?”
She had no idea how it got there. Shaking her head, she tossed it aside, then grabbed the first-aid kit to clean the wound. After bandaging her finger, she headed to workbut by lunch, she was burning up with fever.
She called James.
“James, I dont know whats happening. I think Ive caught something. Fever, headache, my whole body aches like Ive been beaten. AndI found a rusty needle in my bag.”
“You should see a doctor. Could be tetanusor worse.”
“Dont worry, I cleaned it. Itll be fine.”
But by the hour, she got worse. Barely finishing her shift, she hailed a cab, knowing public transport was impossible. At home, she collapsed on the sofa and fell into a deep sleep.
In her dream, her grandmother Rosewhod passed when Emily was littleappeared. Though bent with age, Emily knew it was her, and she felt certain Rose had come to help.
Rose led her through a field, pointing out herbs to gather for a healing tea. She warned Emily that someone wished her harm, but to face it, she had to survive. Time was running out.
Emily woke drenched in cold sweat. Shed barely slept minutes. Thenthe front door. James walked in and froze.
“What happened to you? Look in the mirror.”
Emily did. The smiling, bright-eyed woman from yesterday was gone. Instead, a gaunt stranger with tangled hair, hollow eyes, and ashen skin stared back.
“Whats happening to me?”
Then she remembered the dream and told James.
“James, my grandmother visited me. She told me what to do”
“Emily, get dressed. Were going to hospital.”
“No. She said doctors cant help me.”
They argued fiercelythe first real fight theyd ever had. James even grabbed her arm, trying to drag her out.
“If you wont go willingly, Ill make you.”
She twisted free, stumbled, and hit the edge of the table. Furious, James snatched her bag, slammed the door, and left. Weakly, Emily texted her bossshe was sick and needed days off.
James returned near midnight, apologising, but Emily only said:
“Take me to my grandmothers village tomorrow.”
By morning, Emily looked more ghost than woman. James begged:
“Emily, dont be daft. Lets go to hospital. I cant lose you.”
But they drove to the village. Emily only remembered the nameshe hadnt been back since her parents sold Roses cottage. She slept most of the way but woke as they neared, pointing weakly.
“That way.”
Staggering out, she collapsed onto the grassbut she knew this was the place from her dream. She found the herbs Rose had shown her, and they returned home. James brewed the tea as instructed. With each sip, Emily felt a little stronger.
Later, in the bathroom, she saw her urine had turned black. Instead of panicking, she whispered Roses words:
“The darkness is leaving”
That night, Rose returned in another dream. She explained someone had cursed Emily with that needle. The tea would help, but only briefly. Emily had to find whod done it and return their malice. Rose admitted she didnt know whobut James was involved somehow. If Emily hadnt thrown the needle away, she couldve learned more.
“Buy a box of needles,” Rose instructed. “On the largest one, recite: Spirits of the night, before you rest, hear me! Ghosts of darkness, reveal the truth. Surround me, point the way, find my enemy Then place it in Jamess bag. Whoever harmed you will prick themselvesand well know.”
With that, Rose vanished like mist.
Emily woke, weak but hopeful. Rose would guide her. James stayed home, fussing over her, stunned when she insisted on going to the shops alone.
“Emily, you can barely stand. Let me come.”
“James, just make me soup. Im starving after this bug.”
That night, she slipped the needle into Jamess bag. Before bed, he asked:
“Sure youll be alright? Want me to stay?”
“Ill be fine.”
She still felt the darkness inside, like an unwelcome lodger, but the tea kept it at bay. Anxiously, she waited for James to return from work the next day, greeting him with:
“How was your day?”
“Fine, why?”
Just as she thought her enemy hadnt revealed themselves, James added:
“Get thisSarah from the next department tried helping me grab my keys because my hands were full. She reached into my bag and pricked herself on a needle. The look on her face!”
“Whats between you and Sarah?”
“Emily, come on. I love you. Sarahs just a colleague.”
“Was she at my birthday dinner?”
“Yeah. Good coworker, nothing more.”
Then it clicked. Emily understood how that rusty needle ended up in her bag.
James went to the kitchen. That night, Rose returned in Emilys dreams, explaining how to reflect Sarahs malice back at her. Sarah had tried to eliminate her rivalif she couldnt have James, shed use magic.
Emily followed Roses instructions. Days later, James mentioned Sarah was on sick leavedoctors couldnt diagnose her.
That weekend, Emily asked James to take her to Roses village cemetery, a place she hadnt visited since the funeral. She bought flowers and gloves to clear the grave. Though it took time to find Roses resting place, when she did, the photo matched the kind face from her dreamsthe one whod saved her.
Emily tidied the grave, laid the flowers, and whispered:
“Sorry I didnt visit sooner, Gran. I thought Mum and Dads yearly trips were enough. I was wrong. Ill come more often. If it werent for you, I wouldnt be here.”
A gentle breeze brushed her shoulderslike a soft embrace. When she turned, no one was there. Just the wind.
