Jenny was returning from the restaurant with her husband after celebrating his birthday. It had been a great evening with many guests, including relatives and work colleagues. Many people were unfamiliar to Jenny, but if Larry invited them, she trusted his judgment.
Jenny wasn’t one to question her husband’s decisions; she disliked confrontations and preferred to agree with Larry rather than argue her point.
“Jenny, are the apartment keys in your purse? Can you grab them?”
Jenny reached into her bag, searching for the keys. Suddenly, a sharp pain made her jerk her hand violently, causing the bag to fall.
“What happened? Why did you cry out?”
“I pricked myself on something.”
“Your purse is a jumble, so it’s not surprising.”
Jenny didn’t argue, picked up her bag, and carefully retrieved the keys. Entering their apartment, she soon forgot about the prick amidst her exhaustion. Her feet were sore, and all she wanted was a shower and a good night’s sleep.
The next morning, she woke with severe pain in her hand; her finger was red and swollen. Recalling the previous night, she checked her purse’s contents and found a large rusty needle at its bottom.
“What is this?”
She couldn’t fathom how it got there. She discarded the odd finding and tended to her wound. Despite bandaging her finger, by lunchtime, she felt feverish.
Jenny called Larry: “I’m not feeling well. I might have caught something yesterday. I have a fever, headache, and body aches. And, get this, I found a rusty needle in my purse from when I pricked myself.”
“Maybe you should see a doctor; it could be something serious.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve cleaned the wound; I’ll be fine.”
But with each hour, Jenny felt worse. Struggling through her workday, she took a taxi home, knowing she couldn’t face the public transport. Arriving home, she collapsed onto the couch, falling into a deep sleep.
She dreamt of her grandma Anne, who had passed away when Jenny was very young. Though she didn’t know how she recognized her, she was certain it was her. Grandma Anne looked fragile and bent with age. Her appearance might have frightened others, but Jenny felt reassured by her presence.
Grandma led Jenny through a meadow, showing her which herbs to gather, instructing her to brew a concoction to cleanse her body of the darkness consuming it. She warned Jenny that someone wished her harm and emphasized the urgency of staying alive to confront them.
Jenny woke in a cold sweat, feeling as if hours had passed, only to realize it had been mere minutes. She heard the front door close as Larry returned home. Seeing her, he was shocked.
“What happened to you? Look in the mirror.”
Jenny approached the mirror. Just yesterday, she saw a vibrant, smiling reflection. Now she saw herself, yet unrecognizable—hair matted, dark circles, a gray complexion, and hollow eyes.
“What is going on?”
Jenny recalled the dream and told Larry, “I saw Grandma in a dream. She told me what I must do…”
“Larry, please take me to Grandma’s village tomorrow.”
In the morning, Jenny looked more like a ghost than a healthy young woman. Larry pleaded, “Jenny, let’s go to the hospital. I can’t bear losing you.”
Against his wishes, they went to the village, the only detail she remembered from years ago, as her parents sold Grandma’s house after her passing. Jenny slept the entire journey. Approaching the village, she told Larry where to turn, feeling a pull to the meadow Grandma had shown her.
Exhausted, she finally found the herbs Grandma had pointed out in the dream. Returning home, Larry prepared the brew as instructed. Jenny slowly sipped it, feeling a gradual relief with each swallow.
Later she noticed her urine was dark, startling at first, but she recalled Grandma’s words about the darkness leaving her body.
That night, Grandma appeared again in her dreams, smiling and speaking to her.
“Someone cursed you with that rusty needle. The potion will help, but you must find the source and return their evil. I’m unsure who did this, but it involves your husband. If you hadn’t discarded the needle, I might know more…”
“We’ll do this. Go to the store, buy a pack of needles. Over the largest one, recite this incantation: ‘Spirits of night, once alive, hear me and reveal the truth. Surround me, point out, find my foe…’ Place this needle in your husband’s bag. The one who cursed you will prick themselves, and we’ll know their identity to return their evil.”
With these words, Grandma vanished into the mist.
Jenny awoke, feeling horrible but held onto the certainty of eventual recovery. She knew Grandma would guide her.
Larry planned to stay home, caring for Jenny, but she insisted on visiting the store alone.
“Jenny, you’re barely able to stand. Let me come with you.”
“Larry, please make me some soup; I’ve suddenly got my appetite back after the virus.”
Jenny executed Grandma’s plan. By evening, the enchanted needle lay in Larry’s bag. Before bed, Larry asked, “Are you alright on your own? Should I stay?”
“I’ll manage.”
Though feeling better, Jenny knew the evil still lingered, roaming within her like poison. But the brew, now ongoing, felt like an antidote.
She eagerly awaited Larry’s return from work, meeting him at the door.
“How was your day?”
“Fine. Why?”
Thinking the plan had failed, Larry added, “Imagine, today in the office, Sarah from the next department tried helping by fetching keys from my bag. My hands were full, and she pricked herself on a needle inside. Why were there needles in my bag? The look she gave me could kill.”
“What is your connection with Sarah?”
“Jenny, come on. You’re the one I love; I need no one else but you.”
“Was she at your birthday dinner?”
“Yes, she’s just a good work colleague, nothing more.”
The pieces fell into place for Jenny. She realized how the rusty needle ended up in her purse.
Larry headed to the kitchen for his dinner.
Once asleep, Jenny dreamt of Grandma again. She guided Jenny on how to return the curse to Sarah, revealing that Sarah had used magic to remove Jenny as a rival and potentially replace her with herself. Through any means, she aimed to manipulate outcomes.
Jenny did everything Grandma advised. Soon, Larry mentioned Sarah had taken sick leave, her condition worsening, bewildering doctors.
Jenny requested Larry take her to visit Grandma’s grave that weekend, where she hadn’t been since the funeral. She brought flowers and worn gloves to clear the grave site. Finding Grandma Anne’s headstone, Jenny saw the familiar image of the woman who had visited her dreams and saved her life.
Jenny cleaned the grave, placing flowers in water. She sat and spoke softly, “Grandma, forgive me for not visiting sooner. I thought having my parents visit once a year was enough. I was wrong. If not for you, I might not be here.”
Jenny felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Turning, she found no one, only feeling a light breeze.
