Jenny was returning home with her husband from a restaurant where they had celebrated his birthday. It had been a wonderful gathering with many guests, including family and colleagues. Jenny didn’t know many of them, but if John decided to invite them, that was enough for her.
Jenny wasn’t one to question her husband’s decisions; she didn’t like arguments and drama. It was easier to agree with John than to insist on her own point of view.
“Jenny, do you have the keys to the apartment? Can you get them?”
Jenny opened her purse, trying to find the keys. Suddenly, a sharp pain made her jerk her hand, causing the purse to drop to the floor.
“Why did you scream?”
“I pricked myself on something.”
“It’s no wonder, with the chaos in your purse.”
Jenny didn’t argue with John, picking up her purse and carefully retrieving the keys. They entered the apartment, and she forgot about the prick. Her feet ached from exhaustion, and she longed for a shower and bed. Upon waking the next morning, she felt a sharp pain in her hand; her finger was red and swollen. Suddenly, she remembered last night’s incident and grabbed her purse to inspect it. Carefully removing its contents, she found a large rusty needle at the bottom.
“What on earth is this?”
She had no idea how it ended up there and threw it into the trash. Then, she went to the medicine cabinet to treat the puncture. With her finger bandaged, Jenny headed to work. By lunchtime, she realized she had a fever.
She called John: “I don’t know what’s going on. I might have caught something last night because I’m feverish, with a headache and body aches. John, I found a big rusty needle in my purse, and that’s what I got pricked by.”
“Maybe you should go to the doctor, just in case it’s tetanus or something.”
“Don’t overreact. I treated the wound. It’ll be fine.”
Yet each hour, she felt worse. Barely managing to finish work, Jenny hailed a taxi home, knowing she couldn’t handle public transport in her state. Arriving home, she collapsed onto the couch and drifted into a restless sleep.
She dreamt of Grandma Annie, who had passed away when Jenny was very young. Somehow Jenny recognized her, even though she had never truly known her. Grandma Annie appeared old and bent. Her presence might frighten others, but Jenny felt a sense of protection.
Grandma Annie led Jenny through a field, pointing out herbs to gather and instructing her to brew a concoction that would cleanse her body from the darkness within. She mentioned that someone wished her harm, but to fight back, Jenny needed to stay alive. Time was limited.
Jenny awoke in a sweat, feeling as though she’d slept for hours, but the clock revealed only minutes had passed. She heard the front door slam – John was home. Stumbling from the couch, she went to the hallway. John gasped at the sight of her.
“What happened to you? Look in the mirror.”
Jenny approached the mirror. Yesterday, a smiling, vibrant young woman had reflected back at her. Now, she barely recognized herself: her hair hung in tangles, dark circles marred her eyes, her face was ashen, her gaze vacant.
“This can’t be real.”
Then, Jenny remembered the dream. She told John: “Grandma visited me in a dream. She told me what to do…”
“Jenny, get dressed, we’re going to the hospital.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Grandma said doctors can’t help me.”
A serious argument broke out at home. John accused her of madness, thinking a ghostly dream was nonsense. It was their first serious fight. John, in his frustration, grabbed her arm to drag her out.
“If you won’t go willingly, I’ll take you by force.”
But Jenny wrenched free, fell and hit her head. This only made John angrier. He grabbed his bag, slammed the door and left. Jenny managed to text her boss, claiming she’d caught a virus and needed days off.
John returned around midnight, apologizing to his wife, only to hear her say: “Take me to Grandma’s village tomorrow.”
By morning, Jenny resembled a ghost more than a once-healthy woman. John continued pleading with her to visit the hospital, not wanting to lose her.
But they journeyed to the village. All Jenny remembered was the name; she hadn’t been back since her parents sold Grandma’s house. She slept the journey there. As they approached the village, she awoke and instructed John: “Go there.”
Barely able to stand after exiting the car, she collapsed onto the grass. Yet she knew she had arrived where Grandma Annie led her in her dream. She found the herbs her grandma had shown her and they returned home. John prepared the brew, as per her instructions. Jenny sipped it slowly, feeling a slight relief with each swallow.
She struggled to the bathroom, where she saw her urine was black but it didn’t scare her. Instead, she recalled Grandma’s words: “The darkness is leaving…”
That night, Grandma appeared in her dream again, smiling before speaking.
“Darling, someone cursed you with that rusty needle. My brew will give you strength, but only temporarily. You must find the one responsible and return the evil to them. I cannot see who did this, but your husband is somehow connected. Had you not discarded the needle, I could tell you more. But…”
“We’ll handle this. Go to the store, buy a packet of needles, and recite this incantation over the largest one: ‘Spirits of the night, once alive, hear me, night’s phantoms, prophecy truth. Surround and guide, help find my enemy…’ Slip this needle into your husband’s bag. The one who cursed you will prick themselves on your needle, revealing their identity and allowing us to send the curse back.”
The dream faded into mist.
Jenny awoke, still feeling dreadful but confident in her recovery. Grandma would help. John chose to stay home, to care for her, baffled when she prepared to visit the store, insisting she needed to go alone.
“Jenny, you can barely stand. Let me come with you.”
“John, make me some soup. I’m ravenous.”
Jenny followed her Grandma’s instructions, and by evening, a bewitching needle rested in John’s bag. Before bed, he asked anxiously: “Are you sure you’ll manage without me tomorrow?”
“I will.”
Jenny’s health improved, but inside, she sensed the evil lurking within, poisoning her. The brew, now three days in, felt like an antidote, disliked by the darkness inside her.
Impatiently, she awaited John’s return from work, meeting him at the door with a question:
“How was your day?”
“Fine, but why do you ask?”
Jenny almost thought the curse-caster remained hidden until John added:
“Jenny, you wouldn’t believe it – today, Sarah from the office next door tried to help me by getting my office keys from my bag. My hands were full with files. She reached in and pricked herself on a needle. Where did that come from? She shot me a glare, like she wanted to throttle me.”
“What’s going on with this Sarah?”
“Jenny, don’t be ridiculous. I love only you. Sarah, Karen, none of them matter.”
“Was she at your birthday restaurant party?”
“Yes, she’s just a good colleague, nothing more.”
Jenny pieced it together after this. Now she understood how the rusty needle wound up in her purse.
John headed to the kitchen for his dinner. That night, Jenny dreamt of Grandma once more. She told Jenny how to return Sarah’s curse. Everything became clear to Grandma then. Sarah aimed to remove Jenny magically, intending to replace her in John’s life. If not naturally possible, Sarah wouldn’t hesitate to use magic again. The woman would stop at nothing.
Following Grandma’s guidance, Jenny set the plan in motion. Soon John reported Sarah had taken sick leave, with doctors puzzled over her ailment.
Jenny requested a weekend visit to Grandma’s former village cemetery, untouched since the funeral. Buying flowers, armed with gloves for weeding, she found Grandma Annie’s grave. Seeing the photo on the headstone confirmed it was her dream savior. Jenny tidied the grave, setting flowers in a water bottle. Sitting on a bench, she spoke:
“Grandma, forgive me for not visiting sooner. I thought annual visits by my parents sufficed. I was wrong. I’ll come more often. Without you, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Overwhelmed, Jenny felt a tender weight on her shoulders. Spinning around, she saw no one, just a gentle breeze…
