A Special Birthday Celebration: The Couples Memorable Dinner
Emily was returning home with her husband from the restaurant where they had celebrated his birthday. It had been a lovely evening, filled with relatives and colleaguesmany of whom Emily had never met before. But if James had decided to invite them, she trusted it was important.
Emily wasnt one to argue with her husbands decisions. She disliked drama and confrontation, finding it easier to agree than to prove herself right.
“Emily, do you have the flat keys handy? Can you grab them?” she heard James ask.
She opened her handbag and began searching, only to jerk her hand back with a sharp pain, dropping the bag.
“Why did you shout?” James frowned.
“Something stung me.”
“With all the clutter in there, Im not surprised.”
Emily didnt argue. She picked up the bag, carefully retrieved the keys, and soon forgot about the incident. Her legs ached with exhaustionall she wanted was a hot bath and bed.
By morning, her hand throbbed. The finger was red and swollen. Remembering the night before, she emptied her bag, item by item, until she found ita large, rusty needle at the bottom.
“What on earth?”
She couldnt fathom how it had gotten there. Shaking her head, she tossed it in the bin, then treated the wound with the first-aid kit. By lunchtime, fever set in.
She called James. “I dont feel right. Ive got a fever, a headachemy whole body hurts. That rusty needle in my bagI must have caught an infection.”
“You should see a doctor. It could be tetanus or something worse.”
“Dont overreact. I cleaned it. Ill be fine.”
But she wasnt. By the end of the workday, she could barely stand. She took a taxi home, collapsing onto the sofa, where she drifted into a strange dream.
Her late grandmother, Margaret, appeareda woman Emily barely remembered. Though her gaunt figure might have frightened others, Emily felt only comfort.
Margaret led her through a field, pointing out herbs. “Make a tea with these,” she urged. “Someone wishes you harm. But you must survive. Your time is running out.”
Emily woke in a cold sweat. Only minutes had passed. When James arrived, he gasped at her reflectionpale, hollow-eyed, hardly recognisable.
“I dreamed of Gran,” Emily whispered. “She told me what to do.”
“Emily, were going to the hospital.”
“No. She said the doctors wont help.”
They argued fiercelythe first real fight of their marriage. James even tried dragging her out, but she resisted, stumbling and falling. Frustrated, he stormed off.
That night, he returned, remorseful. “Take me to Grans village,” Emily insisted.
The next morning, she looked like death itself. James begged her to reconsider, but they went. Weak and feverish, Emily stumbled into a fieldthe very one from her dreamand gathered the herbs. Back home, James brewed the tea. With each sip, she improved slightly.
Later, she discovered her urine had turned black. But instead of fear, she murmured, “The poison is leaving me.”
That night, Margaret returned in another dream. “The needle carried a curse. The tea will help, but not for long. We must find who did this. Its tied to James. Had you kept the needle, I couldve seen more. But listenbuy new needles. Enchant the largest one. Say: Spirits of night, once alive! Hear me, shades of darkness, reveal the truth. Surround me, show me, aid mefind my enemy. Place it in Jamess bag. Whoever cursed you will prick themselves, and well know their name.”
Emily obeyed. The next evening, James mentioned a colleague, Sarah, whod reached into his bag and pricked herself. “She glared at me like she wanted me dead.”
“Was she at your birthday dinner?”
“Yes, but shes just a colleague.”
The pieces fell into place. Sarah had planted the needle, using dark magic to remove Emily and take her place.
Following Margarets instructions, Emily reversed the curse. Days later, James mentioned Sarah was on sick leave, mystifying doctors.
That weekend, they visited Margarets grave. Emily tidied the plot, laid fresh flowers, and whispered, “Gran, Im sorry I never came before. Without you, I wouldnt be here.”
A gentle breeze brushed her shoulderslike a ghostly embrace.
And so, Emily learned: some bonds transcend death, and kindnesseven from beyondcan save us from the darkest of curses.
