Unforgettable Celebration: The Restaurants Return
Carmen and her husband Javier were coming home from a restaurant where they had marked her birthday. The evening had been wonderfulfilled with many guests, relatives, and coworkers. Carmen met most of them for the first time, yet she trusted Javiers invitation for a reason.
She never questioned his choices; arguments and confrontations repelled her. It was easier to agree with him than to try proving she was right.
Carmen, do you have the apartment keys? Can you get them out? Javier asked.
She rummaged through her handbag for the keys. Suddenly a sharp sting made her jerk her hand, and the bag dropped to the floor.
Whats wrong? Javier asked.
I pricked myself on something.
Your bag is such a mess, no wonder something happened.
Carmen didnt argue. She lifted the bag, carefully retrieved the keys, and they entered the flat. The earlier pinch was already forgotten. Exhausted, her feet aching, all she wanted was a shower and sleep.
The next morning she awoke with a throbbing, red, swollen finger. Remembering the night before, she emptied her bag and found a large, rusty needle at the bottom.
What is this? she wondered, baffled how it got there. She tossed it away, then fetched the firstaid kit to disinfect the wound. After bandaging, she went to work, but by noon she was feverish.
She called Javier:
Javier, I dont know what to do. I think I got something last night. I have a fever, my head hurts, and my whole body feels battered. I even found a rusty needle in my bag.
You should see a doctorcould be tetanus or worse.
Dont worry. I cleaned it; Ill be fine.
Nevertheless, hour by hour she felt worse. She barely made it through the workday, called a taxi because public transport was out of the question, and collapsed on the sofa at home, slipping into a deep sleep.
In the dream her late grandmother Anawho had died when Carmen was a childappeared. Though she seemed bent and ancient, Carmen felt her presence was protective. Ana led her through a field, pointing out herbs she should gather for a brew that would cleanse the darkness beginning to consume her. She warned that someone wished her harm, but survival was the only way to confront that threat. Time was short.
Carmen awoke drenched in cold sweat. Only minutes had passed, yet she heard the front doorJavier had arrived. He stared at her, alarmed:
What happened? Look in the mirror.
She walked to the mirror. Yesterday she had seen a smiling, beautiful woman; now she saw an unrecognizable figure with tangled hair, dark circles, and a hollow expression.
What is going on? she whispered, recalling the dream, and told Javier:
I dreamed of my grandmother. She told me what to do
Carmen, get dressed. Were going to the hospital.
I wont go anywhere. My grandmother said doctors cant help me.
A heated argument erupted. Javier called her crazy for trusting a dreamspirit. It was their first serious fight. He tried to force her out, grabbing her arm.
If you wont come willingly, Ill drag you out.
She slipped, lost balance, and hit a corner. Javiers anger flared; he slammed the bag shut, slammed the door, and stormed out. Carmen barely managed to text her boss, informing him she was ill and needed a few days off.
Near midnight Javier returned, begging forgiveness. Carmen replied:
Take me tomorrow to the village where my grandmother lived.
The following morning she looked more like a walking corpse than a healthy young woman. Javier pleaded:
Carmen, dont be foolish, lets go to the hospital. I dont want to lose you.
They drove to the village. She barely remembered its name; she hadnt visited since her parents sold her grandmothers house. She slept through most of the ride, but as they approached the hamlet she woke and pointed:
Over there.
Struggling out of the car, she collapsed onto the grass, convinced she was exactly where her grandmother had indicated. She gathered the required herbs and they drove back. Javier prepared the concoction following Carmens instructions. She sipped it in tiny amounts, each swallow easing her a little.
She forced herself to the bathroom; upon standing, the urine was black. Instead of panic, she repeated her grandmothers words:
The darkness is leaving
That night another dream unfolded. Grandmother Ana explained that someone had cursed her with the rusty needle. The remedy would restore her strength, but only briefly. Carmen had to discover the perpetrator and return the ill intent. Ana admitted she didnt know who it was, but Javier was somehow involved. Had she not discarded the needle, she could have said more.
We will do this: buy a box of needles and, on the largest one, recite: Night spirits, before you dwell! Hear me, ghosts of darkness, speak the truth. Surround me, point me, aid me, find my enemy Place that needle in Javiers bag. The one who caused the harm will be pricked, revealing his identity so we can return his wickedness.
The apparition faded like steam.
Carmen awoke weak but confident she would recover with her grandmothers help. Javier decided to stay by her side that day, caring for her. He was surprised when she insisted on going alone to the supermarket:
Carmen, dont be reckless. You can barely stand. Lets go together.
Javi, make me soup. After this virus Im starving.
Following the dreams guidance, she later that night slipped the needle into Javiers bag. Before sleep, he asked:
Are you sure you can handle this? Dont you want me to stay?
Ill be fine.
She felt marginally better, yet the malevolence still lingered like an unwanted tenant inside her. The potion helped her keep the darkness at bay. She anxiously awaited Javiers return from work, greeting him at the door:
How was your day?
Fine, why do you ask?
Just as she thought the person who harmed her remained hidden, Javier added:
Imagine, Carmen, today Irina from the next department tried to help me pull keys from my bag because I had a pile of papers. She stuck her hand in and got pricked by a needle. Her angry face was terrible.
Whats the connection between you and Irina?
Carmen, please. I love only you. Irina and everyone else mean nothing to me.
Was she at your birthday party at the restaurant?
Yes, shes a good colleague, nothing more.
Everything clicked for Carmen. She understood how the old rusty needle had ended up in her bag.
Javier went to the kitchen to eat. While Carmen slept, her grandmother visited her again in a dream, explaining how to repay Irina for the malice she attempted. Grandmother revealed that Irina wanted to eliminate her rival to stay close to Javier. When natural means failed, she turned to dark magic, stopping at nothing.
Carmen performed every step the spirit instructed. Soon after, Javier reported that Irina was on medical leave, gravely ill, with doctors baffled.
Carmen asked Javier to drive her one weekend to the cemetery in the village where her grandmother resteda place she hadnt visited since the burial. She bought a bouquet and gloves to clear weeds from the grave. After a long search, she finally found Anas tomb, recognized the same face that had saved her in dreams, and laid the flowers.
Grandma, Im sorry I didnt come sooner. I thought my parents yearly visits were enough, but I was wrong. Ill come more often now. If it werent for you, I probably wouldnt be here.
She felt a gentle embrace on her shoulders. Turning around, she saw only a soft breeze
