A couple walked home, still buzzing from an unforgettable birthday dinner.
Chloé and her husband Thomas had just left the restaurant where theyd marked her birthday. The night had been a success: the place was packed with family members, coworkers, and a slew of acquaintances Chloé was meeting for the first time. Thomas had insisted on inviting everyone, so she went along without protestshe never liked quarrels and preferred to follow his lead.
Chloé, are your keys buried deep in your bag? Can you grab them? Thomas asked.
She fumbled through her handbag, feeling for the metal. A sharp sting made her jump, and the purse slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor.
Why are you shouting? Thomas wondered.
I just pricked myself on something.
With all the junk in that bag, nothings a surprise, he replied.
Chloé didnt answer; she picked up the bag and carefully retrieved the keys. They entered their flat, and she quickly pushed the incident from her mind. Exhausted, her legs ached, and she only wanted a shower before bed. By morning, a throbbing pain had taken hold of her hand; her finger was red and swollen. She recalled the previous night, grabbed the bag, and began a meticulous search. At the bottom she found a large, rustcovered needle.
What on earth is that? she muttered, baffled that such an object could be inside her purse. She tossed the oddity into the trash, fetched the firstaid kit, disinfected the wound, and bandaged the crimson finger before heading to work. By lunchtime she felt feverish.
She called Thomas:
Thomas, I dont know what to do. Yesterday I think I caught an infection. I have a fever, a headache, and my whole body aches. I found a big rusty needle in my bag and its what pricked me!
You should see a doctor; it could be serious, he advised.
Ive cleaned the wound, itll get better, she replied.
Hours passed and her condition worsened. She barely finished her shift before hailing a taxi home, unable to endure the crowded public transport. Once inside, she collapsed onto the couch and fell asleep.
In her dream she saw her late grandmother Marie, who had died when Chloé was a child. Though the apparition was frail and hunchedenough to frighten anyoneChloé felt her grandmothers intention to help. The elder led her across a field, pointing out specific herbs to gather for a purifying infusion, warning that someone wished her harm and that she must stay alive to fight back. Time was running out.
She awoke sweating, thinking shed slept for hours, though only moments had passed. The front door slammed; Thomas had arrived. She slipped from the couch toward the hallway. Seeing her, he gasped, Whats happening to you? Look at yourself in the mirror!
She approached the mirror. The night before shed seen a smiling womans face; now her reflection was unrecognizabledull hair, dark circles, a pallid complexion, a vacant stare.
What is this? she whispered.
Suddenly remembering the dream, she told Thomas, My grandmother appeared to me and gave instructions
Chloé, get dressed, were going to the hospital.
No, I wont go. Grandma said doctors cant help me.
A fierce argument erupted. Thomas called her delusional, accusing her of hallucinating about her grandmother. For the first time they fought violently; Thomas insisted on forcing her into a car.
If you refuse, Ill drag you by the neck.
Chloé lunged, lost her balance, and hit a corner. Enraged, Thomas snatched her bag, slammed the door, and left. She barely managed to text her employer, explaining she was ill and would stay home for a few days.
Thomas returned late that night, begging forgiveness. All she said was, Take me to my grandmothers village tomorrow.
The next morning Chloé looked more like a specter than a healthy woman. Thomas kept pleading, Chloé, stop this madness, we have to go to the hospital. I dont want to lose you.
They set off for the village, the only name Chloé could recall. She hadnt visited since her parents sold her grandmothers house after Maries death. During the drive she slept, unsure which field to look for, but when they neared the hamlet she woke and told Thomas, Its over there.
She stumbled out of the car, collapsed onto the grass, exhausted but certain she was where her grandmother had guided her. She found the herbs from the dream, returned home, and Thomas prepared a decoction exactly as shed described. She sipped it slowly, each mouthful easing the pain a bit.
She managed to crawl to the bathroom; when she stood, she noticed her urine had turned black. Rather than panic, the sight confirmed her grandmothers words:
The evil will leave
That night, her grandmother visited again, smiling.
A curse was placed on you through that rusted needle. My remedy will restore you, but only temporarily. You must locate who did this and send the harm back. I cant see the culprit, but theyre linked to your husband. Had you not thrown the needle away, I could have told you more. Heres what to do: buy a box of needles, take the largest, and recite this chantSpirits of the night, who have lived, hear me; specters of darkness, bring truth. Surround me! Show me, help me, find my enemythen slip that needle into your husbands bag. The one who cursed you will be pricked, and well know who it is, allowing us to return the malice to its source.
After speaking, her grandmother faded like mist.
Chloé woke still feeling ill but convinced she would heal with her grandmothers aid. Thomas decided to stay home to look after her. He was surprised when she announced she needed to go to the store alone.
Chloé, you can barely stand. Let me come with you.
Thomas, make me a soup; I have the appetite of a ogre after this virus.
She followed her grandmothers dream instructions to the letter. That evening, the enchanted needle was hidden in Thomass bag. Before bedtime, he asked, Are you sure you can manage on your own? Maybe I should stay with you longer.
Ill be fine, she replied.
Although she felt better, she sensed the malevolence still lingered, shifting inside her as it had inside him. The threeday remedy acted like an antidote, and she could feel it unsettling the darkness within.
She waited anxiously for Thomass return from work, greeting him at the door with, How was your day?
It was fine, why ask? he replied.
She began to doubt the effectiveness of her plan, but Thomas suddenly added, It sounds crazy, but today Irène from the neighboring department tried to help me find my office keys in my bag while my hands were full of files. She got pricked by a needle in my bag and stared at me with such fury I thought shed kill me with her eyes.
Thomas, what does Irène have to do with this?
Chloé, listen. Youre the only one I love; Irène is nothing.
He confirmed Irène had been at the birthday dinner. Chloé then understood how the rusty needle had ended up in her purse. Thomas went to the kitchen to make dinner.
That night her grandmother appeared again in a vision, showing her how to redirect the curse onto Irène. The spirit explained that Irène, through magic, wanted to push Chloé aside and take her place beside Thomas. Failing a natural path, she would resort to sorcery, stopping at nothing.
Chloé obeyed every instruction. Soon after, Thomas informed her that Irène was on sick leave, gravely ill, and doctors were at a loss.
Chloé suggested they visit her grandmothers village cemetery the following weekend, a place she hadnt been since the burial. She bought a bouquet, donned gloves, and cleared away weeds to locate Maries grave. The stone bore her grandmothers photographproof that the apparition had truly come to rescue her. She cleaned the tomb, placed the flowers in a waterfilled bottle, sat on a bench, and whispered:
Grandmother, Im sorry I didnt come sooner. I thought an annual visit from my parents was enough, but I was wrong. Ill be back more often. If you hadnt been there, I probably wouldnt be alive today.
She felt a gentle, soothing hand on her shoulder, turned, and saw only a soft breeze.
A Couple Joyfully Returns Home from an Unforgettable Birthday Dinner Celebration.
