Cursed

Mai Taniyama watched the dark trees roll by.

"Mother, where are we going?" She asked. The woman opposite her in the carriage smiled comfortingly.

"To stay with some friends, dear."

Mai nodded. She felt scared, but she didn't show it. She knew that her parents were scared, too, but they weren't showing it either. She didn't blame them for being scared.

They'd been lucky enough to escape with their lives, and even though no-one said it, they couldn't help wondering when that luck was going to run out.

It was going to run out awfully soon. In about five minutes. But they didn't know that. Not then.

The start of their troubles had been when another kingdom had attacked their kingdom. Mai didn't know why, but she knew that they'd lost. Now, they were fleeing.

"We're almost there." Her mother added. Mai nodded again.

Those five minutes passed slowly. Mai stared out at the pleasant woods they were passing through. Something in the trees moved. Mai frowned.

"I thought I just saw…"

"What?"

Mai stared out the window.

"What is it sweetheart?"

"It's gone now. I thought I saw someone."

"I'm sure there are many local woodcutters here." Her father said from the corner. He gave her a tired smile.

There was no sound, no warning. Suddenly the carriage stopped. They could hear voices from outside. Mai and her mother looked to her father. He wound down the window and looked outside.

"Mai, get out, and run." He murmured. Mai looked at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Her parents shared a look. Her mother settled her face in a resigned look.

"Run!" He whispered urgently. "Before it's too late." Mai resisted the hands that were pushing her towards her door. Her mother pressed a bag into her unwilling hands.

"I love you." She kissed the top of her head, before opening the door and pushing her out. She fell on her back, earning a large bruise, which she ignored and quickly scrambled under the coach. She could see feet approaching the carriage on her parent's side. A gruff voice said something, and another pair of booted feet appeared where she had just been lying.

Her heart was beating loudly, she was sure everyone could hear it and that it would give her away. While the two men were distracted she slipped among the horses. She almost screamed when she saw their driver lying on the road to her side, but luckily he was just unconscious. Silently she crept out, off the road and sprinted into the woods. She stopped, hiding behind a tree.

A shot rang out, and the forest was suddenly alive with the squawking and flapping of birds.

Mai ran. These men were clearly dangerous. As she ran her tears dropped down her cheeks, blurring her vision so that several times she almost ran into trees or tripped on branches that had broken off. When she ran out of breath she leant against a tree. Her lungs were on fire and her breathing came in bursts that she couldn't control.

Slowly her sobs subsided and she began to look around her. She realised that she didn't have a clue where she was or in what direction the road lay. Not to mention the sun had already started its descent across the sky. She shivered. It would be cold and pitch black when night fell.

She picked herself up off the ground and dusted herself off. She had to find some sort of civilisation before the sun went down.

After wandering in whatever direction took her fancy for a couple of hours she was almost ready to give up. The air was blue now, and the trees looked denser than before, and they had twisted in strange ways so that they looked deformed. In the lack of light they were completely black. Mai shivered again, but not from cold.

That's when she saw it. A slight warm glow which made her feel warmer just by looking at it. Without hesitation she directed her steps towards the light. After a bit she realised that there were multiple lights, they seemed to be coming from a house she could see in the distance.

She broke from the cover of the trees into a little clearing. The house was at the far end. Almost drunk with relief she stumbled towards it. As she did so the door opened and a tiny old woman stood in the opening.

"Why, my child, what are you doing out here?" She asked, taking in her dress which was now dirty and had wet leaves stuck to it, and her hair which was windswept and static.

"I got lost in the woods. We were attacked and I ran, but then I didn't know where to go, and I saw the light and here I am." The words tumbled out in a rush. Mai looked longingly at the cosy little room behind the woman filled with the inviting glow.

"You poor thing. Why don't you come in? The woods get very cold this time of year."

Mai nodded, her teeth starting to chatter. "Thank you very much."

The old woman moved to the side. She shut the door after Mai.

"Sit here." Mai gratefully sank into the proffered chair. "Would you like some soup?"

The King slit the envelope. Silently he read the contents, then put it down thoughtfully.

"What is it?" The Queen asked him.

"Our spy has had to leave Alesia. The Sormons have invaded the kingdom."

"Oh. Why did we have a spy there anyway? They're a peaceful kingdom."

"It's always good to know what everyone else is doing."

"You worry too much about everyone else." The Queen sighed. The King gave her an apologetic smile. He glanced at the clock.

"Dinner will be ready soon." He stood up as if to leave. The Queen followed suit.

"Hmm. I wonder if our charming sons will come this time. It's always either one or the other."

"I can always send Gilmore for them." He smiled. Gilmore being his tallest and most intimidating body guard.

Together they went down to the hall, where the largest tables they used for parties had been pushed against the wall, leaving a more moderate table in the middle of the room. There were people already seated round it. They rose as the King and Queen entered.

"Ahh, Gene, you're joining us today." The Queen remarked as they all sat down.

"Yes, I've finished my half. And before Noll too!" He said with a hint of smugness.

"You shouldn't spend so much time studying." She sighed again.

"Well, I'm done for this quarter." He flashed his most winning smiled.

The side door opened and a servant scurried forwards. He muttered in the King's ear. Immediately he frowned and whispered back, before dismissing the servant. He quietly had a conversation with his wife, covered by the raucousness of his guests.

Mai woke up feeling completely refreshed. The sun shone through the rather thin and worn curtains. Slowly she stood up, retaking in the room. It was small and rather bare, but the light lit it up so it looked charming. She went into the corridor and down the stairs. There she found a sitting room, which she vaguely remembered. She advanced through the room to the kitchen behind.

The tiny old woman was standing by the sink scrubbing some dishes.

"Hello?" Mai asked uncertainly. The woman turned around, spotted her and smiled.

"Ahh, you're awake. Breakfast?" She gestured towards a small table with some bread, butter and a plate and knife on it.

"Thank you very much." Mai sat down and ate. When she was finished she took the plate to the sink.

"Erm, I would like to go and find my parents, but I want to repay your kindness. Um, I have this…" Mai pulled out the bag her mother had given her, which as far as she could tell contained money.

"Oh, no, put that away. I don't want your money." The woman said. Mai frowned. There was something… like she wanted something much more.

"How will I repay you then?" Mai asked. The old woman smiled.

"That was the last of my bread. Will you help me roll out the dough for some more?" She asked kindly. Mai nodded.

"Sure. Er, how do I do it? I've never made bread before." The old woman's smile broadened. She gestured towards a small table with the dough on it. Mai walked towards it. The old woman showed her how to knead the dough, and Mai set to work.

"What's your name?" Mai asked.

"You may call me Waru." Mai nodded. Once the dough was ready Waru took it away. "Would you watch it bake with me?" Mai smiled, agreeing. She owed that much to the old woman for her hospitality and kindness.

"Tell me about yourself." Waru said amiably once they were both sitting in front of the oven.

"Oh, well, there isn't that much to tell." Mai said, unsure whether she divulge the little fact that she was a princess.

"Your life is probably much more interesting than mine." Waru said coaxingly, smiling broadly. There was a growing feeling in the back of Mai's brain, but she ignored it.

"Well, I was born in Alesia. Do you know it?"

Waru nodded encouragingly. "What about your family? What are they like?"

"Um, my mother is really nice. She smiles all the time and she doesn't yell. My father is calmer, but he has his moments. He's been more nervous and stressed though ever since… ever since…" Mai paused, trying to remember what she was going to say.

"It doesn't matter." Waru soothed, as though she could read Mai's thoughts. Alarm bells were starting to ring the back of Mai's mind, but she felt kind of dozy, almost sleepy, like she couldn't see things quite clearly.

"What about you?" Mai asked.

"Oh, my life is so boring. It'd bore you to tears. What about your home?"

"It's… um, big." The memories of her home were sort of blurry, and her brain felt all muddled up. All she was sure of was that there was Waru, and she had to pay her back for being so charitable to her… "And pretty."

How had she come here in the first place? She couldn't remember. But she had to do what Waru said, that's what she could remember…

Waru nodded. "That's nice." Was it just her, or did Waru's smile seem off, more menacing and sly than nice? No, it must just be her…

"I like it here." Mai found herself saying. She frowned, was that what she had wanted to say? Never mind, it didn't matter, she was simply content to stay in the cottage, doing what Waru said…

"That's good. Why don't you stay another day or two? I'm sure your parents are fine." Her parents? Why would they not be fine? But if Waru said they were fine, she was sure they would be fine. Mai nodded. It would be good to stay a bit longer… The woods outside were scary, and unwelcoming, not like Waru and her little cottage…

Another day passed, and another.

Mai grunted in effort as she pulled up the full bucket from the depths of the well. Once it was at the top she sighed with relief and picked up the bucket, carrying it inside as fast as she could while spilling as little water as she could (So, basically, slowly).

When she probed in her mind for past memories, it came up blank, but she found she didn't really care. All she had was Waru, and that was all she needed.

Some water sloshed out of the bucket onto the tiled floor, and she slipped in it with an undignified splash and crash. She sat on the floor, covered in water, blinking in momentary confusion.

What was she doing here? She frowned. She could remember baking bread in exchange for a night's stay, but then things were hazy. She knew, however, that she shouldn't be where she was.

She picked herself and the bucket up and walked inside.

Waru smiled at her when she saw Mai all wet, but to Mai the smile didn't seem nice at all.

"Did you trip? You should be careful of where you walk, you know. Go and dry yourself off, then go and refill the bucket." Waru ordered politely. Mai shivered. How could she think this woman had been nice? Every sense in her body was telling her to run.

"I've got to go." Mai announced. "I have to find my parents. They'll be looking for me."

"Your parents?" Waru asked, obviously taken aback. "They're fine. You should stay longer-"

"No, I've got to go." Mai persisted. Waru's face flushed red with anger, her hands balled into fists.

"Why do you have to go?" She shouted. "Why can't you just stay here with me? It's a horrible world out there. Do you want me to show you? Fine." There was a glint her eye that Mai didn't like, but she stood her ground, ignoring her instincts telling her to run.

Waru drew herself up to her full height, not that it was very high, and looked at Mai gleefully. "You have 30 days!"

"What for?" Mai asked, surprised.

"To find your true love. Then you'll find out how cruel the world is!" She spat out. Mai interrupted again.

"And how will I know?" To her surprise the old woman cackled.

"He has to kiss you. If not, then you will stay here with me. For the rest of your life!" She snapped her fingers, and Mai experienced the weirdest sensation. It felt like she was being pulled every which way, and spun so that she felt sick.

As suddenly as it started it stopped. Mai collapsed to the ground, breathing deeply. She stood slowly and surveyed her surroundings. The silent trees watched her.

"Hello?" She called out, aware that she had no idea where she was.

I love our new screensaver. It's of Naru. ^^ But my sister doesn't like it as much as me... :(

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